Tag: Pom Klementieff

Movie Review – ‘Uncut Gems’ – “Walking the Edge”

Directed by The Safdie Brothers (Josh & Benny)
Written by Ronald Bronstein & The Safdie Brothers
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, The Weeknd, Paloma Elsesser, Keith Williams Richards, Judd Hirsch, Mike Francesa, Noa Fisher, Pom Klementieff
Soundtrack: Daniel Lopatin

After Good Time came out a couple of years ago, I’ve been voraciously excited to see what the Safdie brothers would do next, so much so that despite seeing the trailer for Uncut Gems approximately a hundred times (What can I say? I go to Alamo Drafthouse a lot), my appetite never once wavered.

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but there’s a spirit of genuine New York City filmmaking that has existed since at least the 1950s, and I’m not just talking about mainstream directors like Martin Scorsese (who’s an executive producer on Uncut Gems; game recognize game) and William Friedkin, but people like Larry Cohen, William Lustig, and James Glickenhaus throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s as well.

For my money, no filmmakers today carry this torch as brightly and as authentically as Benny and Josh Safdie, along with their writing partner Ronald Bronstein. While it can be argued if Uncut Gems is their best film (after all, Good Time is such an unrelenting, compounding assault on the senses, and I say that with love), it is their most mature film in the sense that they are clearly applying every lesson they’ve learned in the past while still trying something new.

Without saying what it is, the intro to Uncut Gems is reminiscent of the way Friedkin opens such films as The Exorcist and Sorcerer, and I really appreciated that, but the truly ambitious element of the movie is the recording of all the overlapping dialogue, which is a very Robert Altman move, and not an inappropriate one given that Uncut Gems might be the best gambling movie in 45 years (that being Altman’s 1974 opus, California Split).

Let me be clear though, despite all my talk of spiritual continuum and stylistic homages, Uncut Gems is a decidedly independent and original film, so for all the talk about the death of cinema these days, rest assured, there are still life signs to be found, this movie among them (It’s also a surprisingly accessible film, at least by Safdie brothers’ standards, although, you know, maybe don’t take grandma and the kids. Star Wars this is not).

Of course, despite the strength of the filmmaking, the gritty allure of Darius Khondji’s cinematography, and the mastery of Daniel Lopatin’s electronic score, I’d be absolutely remiss if I didn’t at least mention the performances.

Say what you will about Adam Sandler (God knows I’ve said plenty), he absolutely nails this role, but it’s a team effort as well: Lakeith Stanfield puts in his usual good shift; the great Eric Bogosian is properly menacing without being arch; but, for me, the unsung hero of the cast is Keith Williams Richards as Bogosian’s number one lieutenant (Never heard of him? Me neither, but he’s great in this). In addition, there are a few fun cameos spaced throughout; some you may already be aware of, some that require a little digging.

So, if you’re looking for something beyond the usual Hollywood fare this holiday season, I highly recommend Uncut Gems. It’s one of the best of the year, hands down.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie Review – ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ – The Gang’s All Here

Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (screenplay), based on the comic book story by Jim Starlin, George Pérez, & Ron Lim, based on characters created by Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, and Jim Starlin

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Jacob Batalon, Isabella Amara, Florence Kasumba, William Hurt, Terry Notary, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Carrie Coon, Michael James Shaw

Soundtrack: Alan Silvestri

It all comes down to this.

(Until Ant-Man and the Wasp comes out in ten weeks, which I’m actually more hyped for, but whatever.)

Eighteen movies in ten years have all been building up to the conflict to end all conflicts (until the next one).

The Infinity War.

So, what do we got?

Well…that kind of depends on the question.

As far as its purpose, which is the joining together of multiple sub-franchises to form, more or less, a single, cohesive story, I think this film does an admirable job of hammering the puzzle pieces together, but it’s not seamless enough to transcend the limitations of adapting one medium to another.

To put it another way, there’s very little about Infinity War that’s bad on its own; pretty much every scene unto itself works just fine, but I don’t think it cuts together well.  Frankly, I found the whole thing rather overwhelming (perhaps a second look would be worthwhile, but I’m not sure).

One big problem is that the audience is expected to carry too much into the movie (metaphorically speaking).  I’ve seen every MCU film, I assume most people who are going opening weekend have as well, but most of the emotional payoffs in Infinity War rely on you to remember why they’re important, and, as good a memory as I have, I just don’t have that kind of RAM for this, and as such a lot of the emotion of the movie fell flat for me (not to mention there haven’t been many real consequences in the MCU to this point, so…yeah, I’ll just leave it there).

Second, and I know I’ll be in the minority here because it’s the point of all of this for a lot of people, but there’s too much mind-numbing action, which I don’t normally find myself saying about these films.  I like action fine, I can even enjoy nonstop action when it’s done right, but let me ask you this:

If two CG characters are fighting each other, why does the camera need to shake so much?

One positive I will mention, because I didn’t hate this movie and want to end on a good note, I actually liked Thanos as a character.  Sure, he’s a villain who must be stopped, but at least he has an ethos and isn’t just another bitter revenge dude.

Other than that, hardcore fans will probably eat this one up, but I’m not convinced it has that much staying power for general audiences.  Check it out if you want, especially if you’re pot committed to the MCU, but don’t feel bad about seeing it at a discount.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

P.S.
Shoutout to Alamo/Mondo for the swag.

Movie Review – ‘Ingrid Goes West’ – Thumbs-Up Emoji

Directed by Matt Spicer
Written by David Branson Smith & Matt Spicer
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen, Pom Klementieff
Soundtrack: Jonathan Sadoff and Nick Thorburn

I’ll say this right up front.

I don’t know if this movie works for people over a certain age, and I don’t know if it will hold up five, ten, twenty years down the line, but, for right this second, it’s exactly the dark comedy we need.

Good art often pushes, challenges, and makes people uncomfortable, and that’s exactly what Ingrid Goes West is and does.

The film is a no-holds-barred examination/take-down of Insta-culture, and all that goes with it: “curated” lives, phony relationships, sacrificing what matters for what’s fleeting, the insistence that everything is amazing, avocado toast, etc.  The conceit of the movie is that Ingrid has mental health issues (which are set up and which she acknowledges), but most of what she does is only a half-step removed from what millions of Instagram users do every day, which is the core of the film’s resonance.

(Not that I think social media is inherently evil.  God knows I use it everyday in my personal life and to promote my writing, but every so often you need to hold up a mirror to yourself, which Ingrid provides.)

However, despite the high percentage of social commentary, the movie is still an effective piece of entertainment, mostly working in cringe comedy territory (a la The Office UK), but with enough spoonfuls of sugar along the way to not be completely overwhelming (there’s a subtle running gag about what Ingrid eats which I found quite humorous).

It may not have made me laugh the most of any movie I’ve seen so far this year (I think that honor goes to Spider-Man: Homecoming), and I don’t know that it’s supposed to, given its comedy-drama classification, but Ingrid works in both premise and execution, thanks largely to the handful of performances that really drive it.

Aubrey Plaza in particular jumps into her character in a way I personally have never seen from her before (performance of her career so far?), Elizabeth Olsen (so hot right now) is her usual rock-steady self, O’Shea Jackson, Jr. threatens to steal the movie, Wyatt Russell provides some necessary down-to-earth energy, and Billy Magnussen is an absolute fire-cracker.

Whereas most comedies these days, even ones intended to be taken a little more seriously, often cross the line in terms of suspension of disbelief (which usually doesn’t matter too much, as long as its funny), Ingrid Goes West does a good job of keeping everything fairly reigned in.  There are a couple of small plot holes that I could nitpick if I wanted do (but I don’t really do that here because I don’t really believe in it), but overall the movie never jumps the shark.

Of course, with a film of such quality, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention writer/director Matt Spicer.  This is a remarkably impressive debut feature, and I hope he can keep up the good work in the future.

So, there you have it.  A dark, dramatic comedy that’s actually funny and makes you think.

Well worth seeing.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Ingrid Goes West opens in select theaters in NY and LA on August 10, presumably followed by an expanded release on August 17.

Movie Review – ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ – But Wait, There’s More!

Written and Directed by James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan
Soundtrack: Tyler Bates

On a personal note, I suppose I should have titled this ‘The People Talking 200th Review 3-Year Anniversary Special’, because it’s been three years since I started this blog, and this is the 200th movie I’m discussing and giving a rating to, but that would be a bit long-winded.

It’s also fitting that Guardians of the Galaxy was my favorite movie of 2014, and still my favorite movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It was a surprise hit (certainly a surprise to the studio, who, based on the marketing, clearly had no idea what they had or what to do with it) that benefited from strong word of mouth (similar to another 2014 movie which just had a sequel).  In all honesty, it wasn’t until The Force Awakens that any other movie gave me the same vibes as watching the original Star Wars trilogy when I was a kid; Guardians was that magical.

Enter Vol. 2.  This one can’t sneak up on people.  They know what it is, the studio knows what it is, and with proper hype comes the weight of expectations, unfair or not.

Basically, what I’m saying is that if you’re going into this one expecting it to be “as good” as the first one, you shouldn’t do that, as you’ll likely not have your expectations fulfilled, though all of this is not to say that Vol. 2 isn’t a very good movie in its own right, because it is.  I’d say just don’t expect it to be the exact same movie, because it isn’t.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is eminently entertaining; filled with humor, action (though seemingly less so than other films of its ilk, which I’m okay with), emotional depth, and humor.  Did I say humor twice?  You bet I did.  It’s the funniest movie I’ve seen in a while (so funny that I have to see it again because we were laughing so much), though, again, that’s not to say everything is a joke; it tugs at your heartstrings plenty.

If I have one legitimate criticism in comparing it to the first movie, it’s that the pacing and structure feels a bit clunky at times, but there’s not much else I can complain about.  It still has tunes, the performances are still on point, the story is fine, it’s different and weird (which we know to be a good thing for Marvel), and it’s FUN (and it’s well-written enough that you can still understand it even if you’ve never seen a Marvel movie before, unlike another recent Disney product).  AND, it takes a page out of the Fast & Furious playbook with the whole #FAMILY thing (which is fine by me).

Vol. 2 is not a perfect film, and it doesn’t necessarily improve on anything, but it is very well crafted; top notch as far as sequels go.  It’s not likely to be my favorite movie of the year, given what’s come out already and what’s yet to be released, but it’s more than good enough to get a full theatrical recommendation.

Kudos to James Gunn for keeping the magic going.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
You won’t be leaving at all during the credits.

And thanks to Alamo and Mondo for the sweet glasses.