Tag: Rob Simonsen

Twofer Movie Review – ‘Belfast’ and ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ – The Joys of Youth

A weird pair? Sure.

Do I care? No.

Let’s get to it.



Written and Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Jude Hill, Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, Lara McDonnell, Gerard Horan, Conor MacNeill, Turlough Convery, Gerard McCarthy, Lewis McAskie, Olive Tennant, Victor Alli, Josie Walker
Soundtrack: Van Morrison

With respect to a bunch of movies that had their releases delayed by the pandemic, I’m not sure I’ve been as excited for a new film in the past couple of years now as I’ve been for Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast.

Now, admittedly, I generally see British Isles accents as a feature and not a bug, so I felt totally comfortable diving into Belfast in a theater, rather than the comfort of home where I can turn on subtitles, but the movie is so much more than that.

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical tale of young life in Belfast at the start of “The Troubles” is, in terms of pure cinema, maybe the best thing he’s ever directed, which is something given his resume. The black and white palate (with color occasionally mixed in for effect) helps to put the story in its time, but the cinematography itself frequently evokes the perspective of a child, which is one of the major points of the whole piece.

If I have any criticism at all, it’s that, there is one, maybe two scenes that feel a bit out of place with the rest of the film, but the performances are all on point, it looks beautiful, it feels beautiful, and, while it does touch on some darker subject matter (such is life), it still manages to be a joyful film throughout. I doubt anyone will ever classify Belfast as a “Christmas Movie”, but it gets honorary status in my book.

It deserves every award bestowed.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)



Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman
Cast: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Oliver Cooper, Bokeem Woodbine, Marlon Kazadi, Sydney Mae Diaz, Tracy Letts
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen

Speaking of movies pushed back by the pandemic though, I was admittedly more cautious heading into Ghostbusters: Afterlife, being a huge fan of the first and even second movie in the series.

I’ve said this before in relation to Star Wars: I do my best to be concerned with the quality of the movies in beloved franchises first, before examining fan stuff like “canon” (Rogue One didn’t pass muster).

By that standard, Afterlife may be the best of the recent “nostalgia films”, in no small part because somebody not only bothered to write a solid screenplay first, but then had the directorial vision to follow through on it, rather than letting the cast take over the movie with incessant improvisation (not that I’m talking about any project in particular).

Is there “fan service” in Afterlife? Yes.

Is it at an unforgivable level? I’d say no.

Honestly, the most refreshing aspect of the movie to me is its simplicity, both in the overall story and in the “action” set pieces. There aren’t 500 CGI shots that come from an impossible camera angle that instantly take me out of the movie; it’s mostly down to earth stuff that conveys a real sense of risk and danger.

Now, does it “match the tone” of the 1984 film?

For the most part, I’d say yes.

The beauty of the original is that, while it is a comedy film that makes us laugh, the world of the movie is treated 100% real, which allows you to make a sequel film decades later that is a slightly different animal; but, on a binary, the dry humor is still there in Afterlife.

Kudos to Jason Reitman, who was resistant to the idea of making “Ghostbusters 3” for a long time, but ultimately may have been the perfect person to do it.

And, I have to say, as much as the marketing team may have been playing up the Stranger Things comparisons, I would not make that comparison at all. Believe it or not, you can have multiple properties with kids in them that are not the same.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Thanksgiving Smörgåsbord: ‘The Front Runner’ – ‘Creed II’ – ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ – ‘Robin Hood’ (2018)

One of these things is not like the other…

Let’s get it on.

Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Matt Bai & Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, based on the book All The Truth Is Out by Matt Bai
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J. K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Sara Paxton, Mamoudou Athie, John Bedford Lloyd, Bill Burr, Kaitlyn Dever, Molly Ephraim, Josh Brener, Mike Judge, Kevin Pollak, Ari Graynor, Mark O’Brien, Alex Karpovsky, Toby Huss, Tommy Dewey, Spencer Garrett, Nyasha Hatendi, Steve Zissis, Chris Coy, Jennifer Landon, Oliver Cooper, Courtney Ford, Jonny Pasvolsky, Randy Havens, Steve Coulter, Jenna Kanell, Gabriel Manak, Evan Castelloe
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen

The Front Runner has gotten mixed reviews, and I think I know why (Rorschach test-type situation), but ultimately I don’t understand why.  Given that we live in the Golden Age of the Documentary, and based-on-true-story movies often fail to justify themselves, this one was a refreshing exception.

I’ll admit that I haven’t seen a Jason Reitman film since Thank You for Smoking, which I enjoyed and which The Front Runner compares favorably to, though they are distinct from each other, but to me you can’t really ask for more from a non-fantastical film-making perspective.  It’s a period piece that takes itself very seriously in that regard (which I appreciated to no end), it’s slick, the performances are by-and-large very good if not excellent (a few questionable casting decisions, but nothing unforgivable), and, at least in my opinion, it lets you make up your own mind (which is perhaps why some people are down on it).

Truthfully though, this is the Hugh Jackman show.  Not that he doesn’t have plenty of help (Vera Farmiga in particular is her usual wonderful self), but it’s certainly among the best performances I’ve ever seen from him, maybe the best so far.  I don’t know if it’ll be “impressive” enough to earn him awards season love, but it would not shock me to see him earn some nods.

It may not be an entirely life-changing experience (although it is about not only a life-changing experience, but a societal-changing experience), but given how down this year has been for movies, I have no problem giving The Front Runner a quality recommendation.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Written by Sylvester Stallone (story and screenplay), Juel Taylor (screenplay), Sascha Penn (story), and Cheo Hodari Coker (story)
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby, Andre Ward, Phylicia Rashad, Jacob “Stitch” Duran
Soundtrack: Ludwig Göransson

Alright, Rocky IV: Part 3-D.  Let’s do this.

It’s crazy, because the main fulcrum of Creed II is like something a couple of kids would have thought up on a playground thirty years ago: “What if Apollo Creed had a son and Ivan Drago had a son and they fought each other?”

And yet, it works.  As predictable as it may be at times, as a sequel to a sequel to a sequel will be, Creed II still has enough in its core to be satisfying.

Story-wise, it’s not as cohesive as I remember its predecessor being, but it brings out just as much emotion (cribbing good story elements from Rocky II, III, and IV helps with that), and, frankly, from a visual standpoint, I actually think it’s a better looking film (I can’t find any numbers, but I’m guessing this had a bigger budget than the $35 million for Creed, which would be one explanation why).

In terms of performances, not everybody gets a whole lot to do (even Stallone seems to have less screen-time than in the last one), but I can’t think of anyone who sticks out in a bad way (except maybe for Max “Where’s My Camera” Kellerman).  Even Dolph Lundgren (who I like more than most other people seem to) brings his fair share to the table.  And, he only gets about three scenes, but I really liked Russell Hornsby as the fight promoter.

I know I rag on Hollywood’s lack of originality these days quite a bit, but at the same time I try to judge every movie I see on it’s own merits, and I like what Creed II brings to the table, especially as a Rocky IV fan.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Phil Johnston & Rich Moore
Written by Phil Johnston (story and screenplay) & Pamela Ribon (story and screenplay), Rich Moore (story), Jim Reardon (story), Josie Trinidad (story)
Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Bill Hader, Alfred Molina, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill, Flula Borg, Hamish Blake, Ali Wong, GloZell Green, Timothy Simons, Ana Ortiz, Jason Mantzoukas
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman

On the one hand, I want to hate on Ralph Breaks the Internet for being a giant corporate self-pleasure session (which, to be fair, it is).

On the other hand, it’s a lot of fun and it tugged at my heartstrings.

Life is complicated sometimes.

I don’t remember why I didn’t see Wreck-It Ralph in theaters, I think I was just too skeptical to pull the trigger, but eventually I came around to it on DVD and was pleasantly surprised; and the sequel is an even more pleasant surprise because it might actually be better than the original.

Does it go too far sometimes with the references for references’ sake?  Most certainly yes, but, strip all of that away (and, honestly, sometimes it is handled in clever and humorous ways, especially the princess elements), and you still have a solid story of friendship.  Simple, but solid.

It might seem obvious, given that it’s an animated film, but beyond the voice performances, which are by-and-large on point, and the music, the movie’s biggest strength is it’s detailed visual creativity.  Little things like how players in the not-Grand Theft Auto game move with a little lag as opposed to the free-flowing non-player characters, and just overall in how the Internet as a setting is portrayed, as I said, it’s a lot of fun.

Will Ralph Breaks the Internet hold up in ten to fifteen years?  Maybe, maybe not, but somehow it feels more substantial than a lot of other “time-capsule” movies.  I mean, it’s clearly geared towards Disney fanatics, of which I am not one, and I still give it a high recommendation, so, take that for what it’s worth.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Otto Bathurst
Written by Ben Chandler (screenplay and story) and David James Kelly (screenplay)
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin, Jamie Dornan, Paul Anderson, Josh Herdman, Cornelius Booth, Björn Bengtsson
Soundtrack: Joseph Trapanese

Hey, remember Batman Begins?  That was a good movie.

No, but seriously, as much as this version of Robin Hood wanted me to hate it, I can’t say I hated it.  I wouldn’t say it’s good, but it’s not all bad either.

I don’t know that it entirely works or makes sense (in fact, it’s a bit jarring at times), but I don’t fault the filmmakers for trying to do something different in terms of visual style and fight choreography.  After all, when you’re the fifty-seventh (numbers approximate) Robin Hood movie in film history, you’ve got to do something to distinguish yourself.

Honestly, even story-wise, I wouldn’t say things are entirely poor, but there are moments when the writing is so awful you can’t even believe it.  Add to this a dose of ham-fisted social and political commentary (The War on Terror is the new Crusades!  The Church is evil!), which is no surprise given that one of the producers is Leonardo DiCaprio, and some related tonal inconsistencies (much of the movie is played pretty straight, but then there are scenes, in order to paint people as cartoonishly evil, that are like The Hunger Games meets Mad Max), and you go from a pretty good movie to something you’d randomly find in a Redbox.

As I keep saying though, it’s not all bad, and most of the good comes down to Taron Egerton as Robin Hood.  Occasionally there’s a line or two that not even Laurence Olivier could make good, but on the whole his performance is charming and enjoyable, yet deeply human.

Still though, as most remakes are, 2018’s Robin Hood isn’t really worth your time or money.

You might even say that it’s a Thanksgiving turkey.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

Movie Review – ‘Gifted’ – Something Unexpected

Directed by Marc Webb
Written by Tom Flynn
Cast: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Plummer, Elizabeth Marvel, John M. Jackson
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen

I’m going to climb out on a limb and say that, based on what I’ve seen from the marketing, I am not in the target demographic for this film:

A single uncle raising his super smart niece finds himself in a battle with his mother over custody of the child.

Sounds like the plot of a terrible Hallmark Channel movie, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, Gifted is much better than that, and for not being the garbage it so easily could have been, it has my respect.

It may not be Oscar bait, and it may not go to the same emotional depths as something like Manchester By The Sea or Good Will Hunting or Kramer vs. Kramer (I suppose the plot of Gifted is a mix of all three), but it’s a quality familial drama nonetheless; and it’s a welcome return to form for director Marc Webb, who stormed onto the scene with his debut film (500) Days of Summer and was quickly diverted down the Amazing Spider-Man path (possibly because his last name is Webb; I don’t know).

I also respect Gifted for transcending the axiom of “Never work with children or animals,” because Mckenna Grace, like Dafne Keen in Logan (a bit apples and oranges, but still), is a young star on the rise; and there’s also a one-eyed cat who does a fine job.  And, of course, the other experienced actors in the film perform as well as you’d expect them to.

There are certainly some “movie moments” in Gifted, and I couldn’t tell you if it’s entirely realistic, but on the whole I did not feel pandered to, talked down to, or manipulated.  There may be characters you don’t like, but everyone feels like a human being; there are no monsters or psychopaths.  However, as mature as it is, it is not without a sense of humor, which is helpful.

Other than that, there’s not much else to say without getting into spoilers, which I don’t want to do because I really liked this movie.

It may not be an all-time classic, but sometimes you need a heartwarming movie that has a brain, too, and Gifted definitely fills that role.

Good for dates or watching with grandma.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie Review – ‘Going In Style’ – Robbing Your Money

Directed by Zach Braff
Written by Theodore Melfi, based on the 1979 story by Edward Cannon
Cast: Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, Joey King, Peter Serafinowicz, John Ortiz, Matt Dillon, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Maria Dizzia, Josh Pais
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen

Let’s keep this simple.

If you’re reading this, it means you know how to to read.  If you know how to read, it means you can read the cast list for this movie.  If you read the cast list for this movie, you might infer, reasonably, that this movie would be very good, if not fantastic.

Unfortunately, your inference would be incorrect.

If there’s one thing that hurts me most when it comes to Hollywood films, it’s wasted potential, but, unfortunately, throwing a bunch of top talent together doesn’t always work out like you hope (as we well know).  In this case, it’s not just the actors, but screenwriter Theodore Melfi, who not only recently wrote and directed a Best Picture nominee, but also helmed the surprisingly heartwarming and delightful St. Vincent.

More pointedly though, as a wise man once said, “A bad comedy isn’t just bad, a bad comedy is miserable.”  Going In Style only clocks in around ninety minutes (as most comedy films should), but it felt much longer, so it’s hard to determine exactly how long I felt angry, but I’m going to guess I spent roughly the first half-hour to forty-five minutes absolutely seething at what I was watching.

The biggest and most glaring problem is that you have a gaggle of amazing actors who you can obviously trust to play the comedy in a subtle and dry manner, but for some reason everything is played up as broadly as possible (including the music; ugh).  Sure, comedy is subjective and my opinion is just one opinion, but, much like my experience with Sausage Party, I was in a packed theater with a willing audience, and there was not a whole lot of laughter going on, and if there was, it was in small pockets; nothing audience-wide.

Frankly though, these are just the high-level failures.  I could nit-pick this movie to death if I really wanted to, but it’s not worth the effort.  In fairness, I’ll say the third act, which involves the actual heist, is somewhat redeemable, but on the whole I can’t recommend Going In Style.

It’s a harsh criticism to dub a film an obvious studio cash-grab, and I genuinely don’t enjoy having to be negative, but, when you get the sense that you’re watching a product more so than any sort of artistic endeavor, there’s not much you can do.

I’m so sorry.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆