Tag: Wyatt Russell

Twofer Review – ‘Overlord’ and ‘Burning’ – Worlds Apart

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: ★★★★☆

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.