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ALICE--A slave (Keke Palmer's Alice) escapes from her Georgia plantation and somehow winds up in the middle of a highway where she's rescued by a truck driver (Common). No, Alice isn't a time traveler, and Krystin Ver Linden's movie definitely isn't science fiction. It turns out that Alice and members of her extended family have all been living as human property on a farm. Because it's 1973 and the "Black is Beautiful" era, Alice quickly becomes enamored with African-American icons like Pam Grier, Diana Ross and Angela Davis. A trip to a movie theater where she sees Grier as blaxploitation heroine Coffy inspires a return to her former home to rescue the remaining slaves. Beginning with the title and its blatantly obvious Lewis Carroll allusions, this is hardly anyone's idea of subtle filmmaking. The fact that it still manages to be reasonably compelling is a testament to Palmer's formidable thesping skills. It's too bad Ver Linden's ending is so abrupt and anti-climactic, though. You'd swear the producers had run out of money and weren't able to shoot the final 20 pages of the script. (C PLUS.)
THE BATMAN--Matt ("War for the Planet of the Apes," Dawn of the Planet of the Apes") Reeves' strikingly stylized new iteration of the DCEU crime fighter franchise is also the longest (clocking in at just under three hours) "Bat" flick to date. It's also one of the finest. In fact, I'd rank it alongside Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" (1992) and Chris Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" (2011) in terms of overall quality and emotional resonance Former "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who's been busily reinventing himself as a serious actor in prestigious auteur fare (e.g., Claire Denis' "High Life" and the Safdie Brothes' "Good Time"), dons the cape this time and he's positively brilliant. He just might be my favorite Batman/ Bruce Wayne since Michael Keaton. As much film noir as comic book caper ("Se7en"-era David Fincher was clearly a major inspiration), it's that rare super hero film that I would gladly welcome a sequel--or sequels--to. Reeves' terrific cast (including Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, an unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the Penguin and a truly terrifying Paul Dano as the Riddler) offer well-nigh definitive portrayals of their iconic roles. (A.)
BLACKLIGHT--Liam Neeson and his "Honest Thief" director Mark Williams reteam for another generic action flick strictly for undemanding audiences. Neeson plays a government operative fighting to dismantle Operation Unity, a shadow outfit targeting ordinary civilians. As the muckraking reporter who assists in his investigation, Emmy Raver-Lampan at least displays more spunk than a depressed-looking Aidan Quinn as Neeson's former FBI handler. The whole thing has such a perfunctory, straight-to-video feel that it's surprising anyone thought this merited a theatrical release. (C MINUS.)
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN--Kenya ("Black-ish") Barris' Disney+ reboot of Steve Martin's early '00s family comedies--which themselves were reboots of Clifton Webb's same-named 1950 movie--shamelessly and clumsily panders to 21st century woke sensibilities. The parents this time are Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union, meaning that the freakishly large family at the center of the film is now bi-racial. No big deal, right? But there's also an adopted Indian kid, a disabled daughter and dogs named "Bark Obama" and "Joe Bitin'" (no, I'm not making that up). In other words, nearly every color of the rainbow is present and accounted for. (Yes, there are sundry Asian-American playmates for the younger children as well.) Conspicuously absent, although maybe not terribly surprising considering Florida's recent "Don't Say Gay" initiative, is that none of the brood identifies as gay, lesbian or transgender. Or perhaps Barris is just saving that for the inevitable sequel. (D PLUS.)
THE CURSED--Sean Ellis' stylish Gothic horror flick is what a 1960's Hammer movie would look like if they were still being made today. Set in late 19th century France, the film concerns a gypsy curse placed on land baron Seamus Laurent (Alister Petrie) after he had a Romani family executed for squatting on his property. Boyd Holbrook is the pathologist brought in when Laurent's teenage son (Max Mackintosh) mysteriously vanishes, and (naturally) he's the first to utter the deathly word, "lycanthrope." Juicily atmospheric and aptly gruesome, the only downside is the actual werewolf who looks more like an extraterrestrial. (Paging Rick Baker.) Kelly Reilly, so good as Beth on Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone," has a relatively thankless role as Petrie's wife. (B.)
CYRANO--Not being the world's biggest Peter Dinklage fan, I was a tad skeptical about the "Game of Thrones" imp playing the title character in director Joe ("Atonement," "The Darkest Hour") Wright's revisionist musical spin on Edmond Rostand's 1897 theatrical chestnut. But Dinklage rises to the challenge of wife Erica Schmidt's adroit screenplay which honors Rostand while attempting something completely different. Aaron and Bryce Dessner's score will never be confused with Stephen Sondheim, but the songs are melodic enough and certainly easy on the ear. Also helping the film's cause are its Roxanne and Christian (Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr., both of whom are supremely photogenic and immensely winning performers). Director of photography Seamus McGarvey does extraordinary work as well. This is easily the best-looking "Cyrano" I've ever seen: every gorgeous frame could be hung in an art gallery. While Steve Martin's modern-dress Cyrano adaptation (1987's sublime "Roxanne") remains my all-time favorite big-screen Rostand, this is definitely a close second. (A MINUS.)
DEATH ON THE NILE--While vacationing on a posh ocean liner, eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is tasked with solving the murder of a fellow passenger, newlywed heiress Linnet Ridgeway ("Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot in civilian clothes). Since this is an Agatha Christie mystery, it's only natural that virtually the entire passenger list will become Poirot suspects. Five years after his narcoleptic "Murder on the Orient Express" reboot, Branagh returns with another star-studded Christie adaptation that was delayed nearly two years by Covid. Unlike "Orient Express" which failed to match Sidney Lumet's nonpareil 1974 Christie adaptation, this time Branagh actually improves on the previous cinematic "Nile" (John Guillerman's middling 1978 version). While the cast--which includes the wonderful Annete Bening, perennially annoying Russell Brand and newly defamed Armie Hammer--may lack the mega-watt luster of the '78 "Nile" which featured Bette Davis, David Niven, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith, this is actually a more enjoyable iteration. I'm still not sure why Disney didn't just put it on Hulu or Disney+, though. (B MINUS.)
DEEP WATER--Director Adrian Lyne, best known for erotic thrillers like "Fatal Attraction," "Indecent Proposal" and "Unfaithful," returns after a 20-year absence with this steamy adaptation of a 1957 Patricia ("Strangers on a Train," "The Talented Mr. Ripley") Highsmith novel. Ben Affleck plays a tech millionaire who may--or may not--have killed his unfaithful wife's ex lover. And what about the other men who have recently turned up dead, all of whom had an amorous connection to his missus? As Affleck's alluring, suitably enigmatic wife, Ana de Armas of "Knives Out" fame has great chemistry with Affleck, and they're fun to watch despite some gaping plot holes and the fact that the movie runs a good half hour too long. Originally slated as a theatrical release, the 20th Century Fox production fell down a rabbit hole after the studio's Disney buyout. Which might explain why it's premiering on Hulu instead of opening in theaters. (B.)
DOG--Channing Tatum co-directed (with Reid Carolin) and stars in this road trip buddy comedy about former Army Ranger Briggs (Tatum) and his devoted Belgian Malinois pup Lulu. Their destination is the funeral of Briggs' fellow Ranger, and because the movie is pitched largely at young audiences, the scrapes and skirmishes they get into along the way are all pretty mild (albeit mildly amusing). It's nothing special, but pleasant enough, especially if you're a dog lover or a Tatum fan. (B MINUS.)
THE HATER--After losing her job on the staff of a progressive Democratic politician, Dorothy (Dorothy Joey Ally who also wrote and directed) returns to granddad Bruce Dern's Texas home to lick her wounds. When she discovers that her grade school nemesis (Ian Harding) is running for Congress, she impulsively decides to challenge him for the nomination. A mostly charming, intermittently amusing political comedy with strong support from Dern, former SNL castmate Nora Dunn and Meredith Hagner who steals the show as Dorothy's campaign manager. (B MINUS.)
JACKASS FOREVER--Johnny Knoxville's sadomasochistic MTV franchise returns after an 12-year hiatus with what's being billed as their last hurrah. If so, at least the series is going out with a semi-bang. Apparently not even the ravages of time can keep Knoxville and Co. (including Steve-O, Jason "We Man" Acuna and series MVP Chris Pontius) from continuing to put themselves in harm's way for a cheap laugh. Whether you find the "Jackass" boys--and they'll remain boys forever, even in their impending dotage--amusing or appalling will probably determine whether you'll be buying a ticket, or staying home to catch up on your reading. (C PLUS.)
LICORICE PIZZA--Maybe turning 50 mellowed him, but this is the friendliest, most accessible film to date by the great Paul Thomas Anderson, director of such contemporary cinema benchmarks as "There Will be Blood" and "Boogie Nights." Set against the groovy backdrop of 1973 Hollywood, the film tells the too-good-to-be-true-except-it-mostly-was story of teen actor/budding entrepreneur Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in a sensational screen debut) and the "older woman" he crushes on. As Alana Kane, Gary's 25-year-old dream lover, rock star Alana Haim delivers another stand-out thesping debut. Among the colorful cast of characters who cross their paths are hairdresser-to-the-stars Jon Peters (a howlingly funny Bradley Cooper), Sean Penn's boozy "Jack" Holden and a foul-mouthed Lucille Ball doppelgänger (Christine Ebersole). Inspired by the adolescence of future Hollywood producer--and Tom Hanks' Playtone Films partner--Gary Goetzman, it's as funny, sweet-natured and charming as Anderson's previous movies were (mostly) dark and brooding. This is "Art" of the highest caliber, too; it's just a lot sunnier, maybe because Gary Valentine is more pleasant company than Daniel Plainview. (A.)
MARRY ME--Just before her wedding that's being telecast around the globe, pop superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) learns that her fiancee (wildly charismatic Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma) has been two-timing her. Impulsively, she picks divorced high school math teacher Charlie (Owen Wilson) out of the audience and marries him instead. The hard part, understandably, is getting this marriage to work since husband and wife are veritable strangers, and their lives couldn't be any more different. Guessing the outcome of director Kat Cairo's bubbly rom-com doesn't take a rocket scientist: the fun is in getting to the "happily ever after" part. And it is fun. Kat and Charlie are as charming as they're hopelessly mismatched (on the surface anyway), and it's hard not to root for such likable protagonists. Whether Cairo's movie single-handedly revives the romantic comedy genre is debatable. But as a 2022 date flick, it'll do just fine. (B.)
MASTER--A tony New England university--fictitious Ancester College--is the setting for first-time writer/director Mariama Diallo's provocative race thriller that feels an awful lot like what "Dear White People" might have been if it had been written and directed by Jordan ("Get Out") Peele. Regina Hall plays Gail, Ancester's newly appointed Dean and the first Black woman to hold the post in Ancester history. As Jasmine, a freshman who becomes convinced that a witch is haunting her dormitory, Zoe Renee makes a striking impression in her screen debut. As much about racism (and the history/legacy of racism in America) Diallo's movie is very much of the moment. And despite some third act problems, it's a real corker. (B.) STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON AMAZON PRIME.
MOONFALL--If Roland Emmerich is truly his generation's Irwin Allen, and "Independence Day" was its era's "Poseidon Adventure," then Emmerich's latest disaster flick can rightly be considered his "Swarm:" a dopey, cheesy-looking dud with more (inappropriate) laughs than thrills. Halle Berry plays a NASA hot shot and former astronaut who recruits another former space jockey (Patrick Wilson) to help stop the moon from hurtling to earth and causing global destruction. As the crackpot/conspiracy nut assisting them, "Games of Thrones" alumnus John Bradley is more annoying than amusing. The only remotely interesting thing about this idiotic movie is how closely it resembles Adam McKay's recent doomsday satire "Don't Look Up." Except this time the humor is wholly unintentional. (D MINUS.)
THE OUTFIT--Academy Award-winning screenwriter Graham ("The Imitation Game") Moore makes his directing debut with this crackling mob thriller that has as many twists and reversals as the third act of "Reservoir Dogs." Although it feels a bit like a stage play--the entire film takes place in a single location (a Chicago tailor shop in 1956) and was shot on a London soundstage--Moore, virtuoso cinematographer Dick ("Mr. Turner") Pope and a first- rate cast insure that it never feels remotely static or stagey. Mark ("Bridge of Spies") Rylance plays transplanted Saville Road "cutter" Leonard whose Windy City emporium is used by local gangsters as their preferred drop spot. Things come to a head when the Boyle crime family discovers that someone has been secretly working with the FBI to bug the shop.Could Leonard be the rat, or is it someone else? Perhaps it's Mable (Zoey Deutch), Leonard's comely receptionist and surrogate daughter. Or maybe the turncoat is two-timing Boyle enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn). If you're a Tarantino fan or just dig classic film noir, this should be right up your (very dark) alley. Listen carefully to Rylance and tell me that he isn't vocally channelling the late, great Boris Karloff. He's a hoot. (B PLUS.)
PANAMA--Mel Gibson (dependably solid) plays a CIA operative who hires ex marine Cole ("Yellowstone) Hauser as part of a stealth arms mission in 1989 Panama. Hauser deserves to become a movie star, but this trashy, barely coherent "B" action flick won't give him any big screen cred. It's nearly as forgettable as the straight-to-video flotsam Hauser's dad, Wings, used to make back in the 1980's. Directed by Mark Neveldine who made a minor splash with the cultish action flicks "Crank" and "Gamer" he co-directed with Brian Taylor. If nothing else, "Panama" proves Neveldine really needs to reunite with his former creative partner. (C MINUS.)
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME--Face it, Marvel-ites. There hasn't been a truly great "Spider-Man" movie since 2004's "Spider-Man 2," and the latest--and longest at two-and-a-half-hours--Spidey outing is no exception. But surprisingly, and I never thought I'd be saying this, it's actually pretty darn good. The third in director Jon Watts and star Tom Holland's unofficial "home" trilogy (2017's Homecoming" and 2019's "Far from Home" precede it), "No Way Home" picks up where the previous film left off when Spider-Man's identity was revealed Desperate to reclaim his previous anonymity, Spider-Man seeks out fellow Avenger Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for supernatural assistance. But the reverberations--in which previous Spider-Man arch-enemies like Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Electra (Jamie Foxx) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are unleashed from the bowels of hell--prove catastrophic. It's always nice to reconnect with series favorites like Zendaya, Marisa Tomei and J.K. Simmons, and there are some surprise cameos sure to tickle Marvel fans. If this is truly the end of the line for Holland's web-slinger, I'm happy to report that his stint in the franchise is going out with a bang. (B PLUS.)
STUDIO 666--The Foo Fighters move into a California mansion with a gruesome past to record their 10th album. Before they can even plug in their instruments, a demonic presence begins threatening their lives (not to mention the completion of their latest lp). This silly FF vanity production is pretty much what you'd expect when its director's best-known prior credit is the 2013 slasher flick, "Hatcher 3." Strictly for Dave Grohl fans. (D PLUS.)
THE TORCH--A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the winner of eight Grammy awards and a Kennedy Center honoree, legendary Chicago blues guitarist Buddy Guy led a remarkable life, and director Jim Farrell's terrific new documentary about Guy is suitably celebratory. Some of the most touching passages involve Guy's memories of growing up in Louisiana as the son of sharecroppers. The most inspiring parts detail his mentorship of young musicians, including wunderkind Quinn Sullivan who began touring with Guy when he was still in grade school. You don't have to be a blues aficionado--I wasn't going in--to enjoy Farrell's film, or revel at Guy's infectious joie de vivre. (At 85, he still performs 130 nights a year.) All that matters is that you've got a pulse. (B PLUS.)
TURNING RED--The latest Pixar 'toon to bypass theaters and go straight to Disney+ is another aggressively multi-cultural paean to girl power. 13-year-old Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is a stressed-out, over-achieving Toronto seventh grader with a Tiger Mom (Sandra Oh) and a gaggle of tomboyish pals. Life gets even more, well, complicated after Mei hits puberty and begins transforming into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited. (Turns out this type of shape-shifting has been happening to the women in her family for generations.) First-time feature director Domee Shi--best known for the lovely Oscar-winning 2018 Pixar short, "Bao"--has made a colorful and occasionally very funny allegory for menstruation (yes, menstruation). I just wish that Shi didn't try so hard to check every politically correct box just to prove her progressive bona fides. (B.)
UNCHARTERED--Tom Holland's follow-up to "Spider-Man: No Way Home" isn't likely to reach the box office stratosphere of his recent blockbuster. But for a videogame adaptation, "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer's larkish adventure is a tolerable enough Saturday night (or matinee) entertainment. Holland plays Nate Drake, a bartender/pickpocket who's recruited by daredevil adventurer Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to help locate the 500-year-old fortune of legendary explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Their goal is to claim the $5-billion prize before Big Bad Moncanda (Antonio Banderas) and his accomplice (Tati Gabriella) get their grubby hands on it. While Fleischer shamelessly borrows from (among others) the Indiana Jones, "National Treasure" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies--and it's as depressingly CGI-dependent as most 21st century franchise wannabes--the whole thing is so breathlessly paced that it's rarely boring. Holland essentially plays Peter Parker's semi-dissolute kid brother here and he develops precious little chemistry with Wahlberg who seems mildly piqued that he's been recruited to play second fiddle to a Marvel super-hero. Despite closing credits Easter eggs that promise (threaten?) a sequel, I'm not expecting an "Unchartered 2" anytime soon. (C PLUS.)
X--In 1979, a group of wannabe filmmakers descend upon a backwaters Texas town to make a porno flick (coyly titled "The Farmer's Daughter"). Unfortunately, their geriatric hosts are quick to make their, er, displeasure known. Ti ("You're Next") West's stunningly accomplished shocker is like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" crossed with "Boogie Nights:" a scary, funny, richly atmospheric horror flick that deserves to become a future cult classic. Mia Goth plays Maxine, the coke-addled starlet, and Brittany Snow--a long way from her squeaky-clean "Pitch Perfect" image--is her film-within-the-film co-star. Nice support from Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, "Scream" breakout Jenny Ortega and rapper/Cleveland native Kid Cudi . (A.)
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AMERICAN UNDERDOG--"Shazam!" star Zachary Levi plays two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner in a faith-based biopic by the Erwin Brothers, directors of 2018 crossover smash, "I Can Only Imagine." As the divorced single mom who became Warner's future wife--and the person who turned him on to J.C.--Anna Paquin is a long way from vampire-loving "True Blood" sexpot Sookie Stackhouse. Dennis Quaid has a few nice scenes as Rams coach Dick Vermeil, but the whole thing is just so squeaky-clean, cookie-cutter bland that it inadvertently does Warner--surely a more complex and layered figure than the Erwin's prosaic script allows--a major disservice. I'm betting the movie's target demographic (Red State Evangelical Christians) wouldn't want it any other way. (D PLUS.)
BELFAST--Kenneth Branagh's best film in decades is also his most personal: a heartfelt, autobiographical coming-of-age drama about growing up in late 1960's Belfast amidst Northern Ireland's "Troubles." Branagh surrogate Buddy (newcomer Jude Hill in a remarkable screen debut) is broken-hearted when his parents (Jamie Dornan and Catriana Balfer, both wonderful) decide to uproot their family and move to England. (Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds deliver Oscar-worthy performances as 9-year-old Buddy's grandparents.) The b&w lensing is luminous, and the soundtrack (heavy on vintage Van Morrison) is well-nigh unimpeachable. If previous British coming-of-agers like Terrence Davies' "The Long Day Closes," John Boorman's "Hope and Glory" and Stephen Frears' "Liam" cut deeper and packed more of an emotional wallop, Branagh's "one from the heart" is still a joy to be treasured. The very definition of "audience movie," it's not surprising this has been widely considered a front-runner for the 2021 Best Picture Oscar since winning top prize at this year's Toronto Film Festival. (A MINUS.)
DRIVE MY CAR--Ryusuke Hamaguchi's humanist masterpiece was nominated for four Academy Awards last month (including both Best International Feature and Best Picture), but precious few have been able to see the film in its limited theatrical release. Kudos then to HBO MAX for purchasing streaming rights so that millions of people who don't live near a big city arthouse can find out what the fuss is all about. A masterful Hidetoshi Nishijima plays Yusuke, a recently widowed middle-aged theater actor/director who takes a job directing a multi-lingual production of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" at a Hiroshima theater festival. During his residency, Yusuke forms an unlikely bond with the taciturn young woman (Toko Hiura) hired to be personal driver. Although it runs a leisurely three hours, there's not a single desultory moment here. Grief, guilt, love, loss and (ultimately) acceptance are just some of the big themes Hamaguchi tackles in probing, sensitive fashion. It feels an awful lot like real life, and that's a quality conspicuously absent from most of the movies being made in Hollywood these days. No wonder Academy members flipped over it. (A.)
ENCANTO--Disney's 60th animated feature is the Mouse House's latest culturally specific female empowerment fairy 'toon. ("Raya and the Last Dragon" precedes it by a mere eight months.) With a busy, if not particularly memorable song score by Lin-Manuel Miranda--currently vying for the title of "hardest working man in show business" after "In the Heights," "Vivo" and "Tick, Tock...Boom", all in 2021--the film is a feast for the eyes, but somewhat lacking in terms of story/character development. Adolescent protagonist Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) is the only member of her Columbian mountain family not to be blessed with a "special" gift--one sister can make flowers bloom through sheer willpower; an uncle ("That '70s Show" alum Wilmer Valderamma) is a shape-shifter; et al. When the Madrigals start losing their collective mojo, Mirabel embarks upon a journey to help restore her clan's magical world. From John Leguizamo's toucan sidekick (yawn) to the boilerplate message about how everyone is "special" in their own way, the whole thing feels recycled and second-hand. Directors Byron Howard and Jarred Bush had more success with their last Disney collaboration, 2016's delightful "Zootopia." (C.)
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE--Carrie Coon plays the daughter of one of the original ghostbusters who, after inheriting her late dad's Oklahoma farm, moves there with her two kids ("Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace). Small town life proves even stranger than poltergeists for this NYC single-parent brood, and director Jason ("Juno," "Up in the Air") Reitman gets a lot of predictable comic mileage out of the story's fish out of water elements. He also handles the f/x elements like the chip off the old block that he is (Reitman's dad, Ivan, directed the original Reagan-era blockbusters). Thanks to its strong cast--the always welcome Paul Rudd pops up as a local science teacher/potential Coon romantic interest--and Easter eggs galore, this is unlikely to offend the purists who (somewhat unfairly) balked at Paul Feig's 2016 all-female reimagining. Whether its box-office appeal will extend beyond '80s nostalgists to create a new generation of Ectomobile fans remains to be seen, however. (B MINUS.)
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT--The "Citizen Kane" of rock and roll movies finally receives the Criterion Blu-Ray Treatment, and the timing couldn't be more auspicious. Peter Jackson's monumental "Get Back" recently debuted on Disney+ and documented what was, for all intents and purposes, the end of the Beatles during the recording sessions for "Let it Be" which would be their final album. Richard Lester's 1964 lagniappe catches the Beatles in full bloom at the beginning of their worldwide fame. As hard as it is to believe, less than five years had passed between the March '64 "Hard Day's" shoot and January '69 when "Get Back" takes place. It's a pithy metaphor for the turbulent societal changes that occurred throughout the globe in those few brief years. Lester's masterpiece, one of the most ebullient and flat-out joyful movies ever made, truly captures lightning in a bottle. For me, the biggest takeaway was how great it must have been to be a Beatle at that pivotal moment in their lives/careers. Shot in b&w because United Artists was looking to save a few pennies (they were so uncertain that Beatlemania would last that Lester was rushed into post-production in order to make a July '64 release date), the film--essentially recording a day in the lives of the Fab Four with the lads playing "themselves"--is pure, undiluted pleasure from beginning to end. And the soundtrack ("I Should Have Known Better," "If I Fell," "She Loves You," "Can't Buy Me Love," et al) is an embarrassment of solid gold riches. Befitting Criterion, the extras on the two-disc box set are suitably magnanimous. There's "You Can't Do That," a 1994 making-of doc which includes Beattles outtake performances; "In Their Own Voices," a 1964 featurette including interviews with the Beatles, behind the scenes footage and production photos; 2002 doc "Things They Said Today" with Lester, cinematographer Gil Taylor, (whose eclectic future credits would include everything from Polanski's "Repulsion" to "Star Wars") music producer George Martin and screenwriter Alun Owen; Lester's Oscar-nominated, pre-"Hard Days" short, "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film;" "Picturewise," an in-depth look at Lester's early work; a 2014 discussion of Lester's filmmaking modus operandi; a 2014 interview with Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn; excerpts from a 1970 Lester interview; and an essay ("The Whole World is Watching") by critic Howard Hampton. (A PLUS.)
A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN--Denzel Washington directed this mawkish, pokily paced male weepie about letters written by First Sergeant Charles King (Michael B. Jordan) to his soon-to-be-born son during the Iraq War. Much of the running time is devoted to syrupy flashbacks detailing Charles' pre-combat romance with NYT journalist Dana Canedy (Chante Adams), Jordan's mother. The ending admittedly packs an emotional wallop, but the whole thing trudges on for more than two hours, hitting the same dirge-like notes ad infinitum. Although based on a true story, the film has a synthetic quality that defeats even some very good performances (Jordan is dependably strong and Adams impresses as a future star). Except for "Fences," his dynamic 2017 August Wilson adaptation, Washington has never been a particularly accomplished or inspired director. His genius lies in front of, not behind the camera. And this is possibly the two-time Oscar-winning actor's most maladroit helming job to date. (C MINUS.)
THE KING'S MAN--If nothing else, Matthew Vaughn's rambunctiously entertaining prequel deserves the "Lazarus" award for bringing a nascent comic book franchise that seemingly died after the rotten 2017 sequel ("The Inner Circle") back to life. Set against the backdrop of WW I, the film is nearly as playfully revisionist as Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds." Ralph Fiennes (very good) plays the Duke of Oxford whose teenage son, Conrad (Harris Dickinson from "Lean on Pete"), is itching to sign up for combat duty. Instead, the Duke invites him to join a hush-hush mission involving King George, Czar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm--all impishly played by Tom Hollander--his gentleman's gentleman (Djimon Hounsou) and Conrad's former nanny (Gemma Arterton). Among the nefarious baddies on their hit hit list are Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) and Mata Hari (Valerie Pachner) who's blackmailing President Woodrow Wilson with a sex tape to keep the U.S. from entering the war. While most of it is played for laughs, there's a melancholy undercurrent that wouldn't have been out of place in "1917." And stick around for a closing credits bonus scene that's a real doozy. (B.)
NIGHTMARE ALLEY-- Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro's best, most fully realized English-language film to date is a loose remake of Edmund Goulding's 1947 film noir classic starring Tyrone Power. In his best performance since "Silver Linings Playbook," Bradley Cooper plays broken-down, Depression-era drifter Stanton Carlisle who finds his true calling as a carny in Willem Dafoe's traveling circus. After being mentored by husband-and-wife psychics Toni Collette and David Strathairn, an increasingly cynical Stanton--accompanied by virtuous girlfriend (Molly) Rooney Mara--takes his act on the road, headlining glitzy night clubs where he bamboozles the well-heeled clientele with his "mind-reading"
abilities. It's not until Stanton partners with femme fatale shrink Cate Blanchett, whose knowledge of the inner secrets of her wealthy patients proves indispensable in swindling the high and mighty for increasingly bigger paydays, that his luck finally runs out. Despite running 150 minutes, del Toro keeps his audience in a vise grip throughout: the tension is so palpable at times you'll forget to breathe. Everything about the film fires on all cylinders: the period production/costume design, long-time del Toro collaborator Dan Lausten's lustrous cinematography, Nathan Johnson's insinuating score and a nonpareil cast (including Mary Steenburgen, Ron Perlman and a superbly menacing Richard Jenkins as Stanton's final mark). The Goulding original is terrific and has a deserved cult reputation, but del Toro's brilliant reboot is even better. (A.)
THE RED SHOES--It was screen legend Ellen Burstyn who first turned me on to Michael Powell's 1948 masterpiece. In an early '70s Esquire Magazine article, Burstyn picked "The Red Shoes" as the film she'd choose to run continuously if she ever owned/operated a movie theater. Of course, in the pre-DVD/TCM era, wanting to see an old movie and actually seeing it, particularly if you lived in a town without repertory theaters, were two different things. It would be several years before my first encounter with Michael Powell's classic, and when I did Burstyn's testimonial lingered in the recesses of my mind. "Yes," I remember thinking, "this is precisely the sort of sugarplum fantasy that should run forever in every extant movie theater." As a ballerina-in-training torn between love and art, Moira Shearer is
perfection in her screen debut. And Jack Cardiff's cinematography is justly legendary. Next to his work the previous year in Powell's "Black Narcissus," it's probably a career-best. Even if you've never seen--or, like me, never much cared for--ballet, Powell's hallucinatory fever dream could very well turn you into a balletomane for life. In their newly issued Blu-Ray, the Criterion Collection has outdone themselves with a groaning board of scrumptious extras. There's a demonstration by Powell fanatic Martin Scorsese on the film's painstaking digital restoration; a 1994 audio commentary conducted by Ian Christie featuring interviews with Shearer, male lead Marius Goring, Cardiff, composer Brian Easdale and Scorsese; the 2000 making-of documentary, "A Profile of 'The Red Shoes'" that includes interviews with the production crew; a 2009 interview with Powell's widow, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, conducted at the Cannes Film Festival; audio recordings of Jeremy Irons reading passages from Powell and screenwriter Emeric Pressburger's novelization of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that inspired the movie; publicity stills, behind-the-scenes photos and a gallery of memorabilia from Scorsese's private collection; the 1948 animated film ("'The Red Shoes' Sketches") in which Hein Heckroth's painted storyboards for the production come to magical life; an essay by critic David Ehrenstein; and notes on the painstaking restoration process by preservationist Robert Gitt. (A PLUS.)
SCREAM--The latest attempt to resuscitate a long dormant franchise that expired when Bill Clinton was president mostly hits it out of the park thanks to the inspired choice of "Ready or Not" helmers Matt Bettinelli-Orpin and Tyler Gillett to direct. Set 25 years after the original "Ghostface Killer" slayings--it's actually been 26 years since the original "Scream" premiered, but who's counting?--the film reassembles the core players (including Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, Courtney Cox's Gale Riley and David Arquette's Deputy Dewey) while intjecting some fresh blood (Jack Quaid and Dylan Minnette among others) into the mix. The meta humor doesn't seem nearly as novel or groundbreaking as it did in 1996, but Bettinelli-Orpin and Gillett actually manage to make it way more fun than any third (or is it fourth?) generation "re-quel" has any right to be. (B.)
SING 2--Cocksure koala bear Buster ("Dream big dreams!") Moon takes his menagerie of wannabe superstars to Redshore City--think the "Zootopia" version of Las Vegas--to stage a big-budget sci-fi musical bankrolled by big, bad wolf Jimmy Crystal. But Jimmy threatens to pull the plug unless Buster (Matthew McConaughey) somehow manages to lure reclusive lion rocker Clay Calloway (U2's Bono in his first animated screen role) back to the stage. Writer-director Garth Jenning' egregiously overlong and generally "meh" sequel to his 2016 'toon sleeper is strictly for anyone who thinks animals performing karaoke is the quintessence of wit. Despite 40--count' em--songs and the good-sport return of original cast members McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson and Nick Kroll, this is more enervating than entertaining. (C.)
THE 355--When a top-secret military weapon is stolen, CIA agent Mace Brown (Jessica Chastain) rounds up an elite corps of international specialists (Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o and Penelope Cruz) to help her save the day. Director Simon Kinberg seems rightfully proud of his "A"-list distaff cast, and clearly enjoys showcasing them in scenic international locales (Paris, Morocco, Shanghai, et al). The script, unfortunately, is both muddled and cliched: it feels like it's been sitting around since the mid-'60s Bond craze. Fortunately, Chastain's "Angels" are so much fun to watch that you're willing to give it a pass. (C PLUS.)
WEST SIDE STORY--Was there really a crying need for an "evolved" reboot of Robert Wise's Oscar-feted 1961 film based on Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein's landmark Broadway musical? No, not really. The politically correct touches added by adapter Tony Kushner--e.g, making the Jets tomboy mascot transgender and a gay-bashing victim!--feel like cynical concessions to Gen Z progressives. And the decision not to provide subtitles for the Spanish-language dialogue was a stupidly arrogant miscalculation that will probably wind up hurting it at the box-office. But whenever Rachel Zagler and Ansel Elgort's star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony share the frame, it's hard to take your eyes off them. Zagler in particular is a real find: she's like an angel descended from heaven. Janusz Kaminski's dynamic on-location lensing trumps the original (which was largely studio-lensed), even if Ariana Debose and David Alvarez's Anita and Bernardo can't hold a candle to Rita Moreno and George Chakiris' award-winning interpretations. Speaking of Moreno, Kushner has written a new, utterly gratuitous role for the 90-year-old showbiz veteran, and it's a testament to Moreno's still-formidable chops that it's not an embarrassment. In helming the first musical of his 50-year career, Steven Spielberg doesn't seem particularly engaged by the material (maybe he knew he couldn't replace the original in anyone's rose-colored memories). Unfortunately, that means Kushner is the true auteur here which is precisely where the problems lie. Rewriting Sondheim lyrics solely to pacify snowflake sensibilities? Yikes! Dude is so woke he probably hasn't slept since "Angels in America" opened on Broadway back in the early '90s. (B MINUS.)
WRITTEN ON THE WIND--Douglas ("Magnificent Obsession," "All That Heaven Allows") Sirk's spectacularly florid, gloriously unhinged 1956 melodrama kind of set the template for primetime soaps ("Dallas," "Dynasty," et al) that would dominate the airwaves in the 1980's. The Texas oil family that takes center stage in Sirk's masterpiece isn't named Ewing, but their financial chicanery, adultery, alcoholism and various other bad behavior will be immediately recognizable to fans of J.R.'s debauched clan. As Lucy, the working-class secretary who makes the mistake of marrying into the Hadley family when she ties the knot with head case scion Kyle (Robert Stack), Lauren Bacall serves as the film's de facto moral fulcrum. It's one of her finest screen performances. Also very good are Sirk muse Rock Hudson as Kyle's long-suffering BFF Mitch (who also carries an unrequited torch for Lucy, natch) and a never-better Dorothy Malone who deservedly won an Oscar as Marylee, the family's resident nymphomaniac. Like most Sirk films, the melodrama would be patently risible minus his carbolic wit and unerring formal elegance. As usual, Sirk's exquisite good taste trumps the mechanical permutations of "plot." While the newly issued Criterion Collection Blu-Ray looks tremendous thanks to its digital restoration, the extras are somewhat less bountiful than the CC norm. Included are a wonderful 2008 documentary, "Acting for Douglas Sirk," which includes archival interviews with Hudson, Stack, Malone, producer Albert Zugsmith and Sirk himself; an interview with scholar Patricia White about the movie; and an essay by New York-based critic Blair McClendomn contextualizing the film within Sirk's oeuvre and its roots in Greek tragedy. (A.)
---Milan Paurich