Movies with Milan

Movies with Milan

Movies reviews from Milan PaurichFull Bio

 

MOVIES WITH MILAN 4-22-22

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NEW TO STREAMERS, HOME VIDEO (AND IN THEATERS):

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES/DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN!--Kino Lorber Studio Classics has thoughtfully combined two of Vincent Price's very best '70s horror movies in one groovy Blu-Ray package, and it's an offer no self-respecting genre aficionado can afford to pass up. Price plays the titular doctor, a grieving widower who enacts Biblical-style revenge on the surgical team who failed to save his beloved wife (Victoria) after a nasty car crash. When 1971's "Abominable" ends, Dr. Phibes descends into a tomb with the promise (threat?) of rising again. In the 1972 sequel, Phibes takes an elevator from his sepulchral hiding place (he's been cooling his heels in suspended animation for three years) to continue his bloodthirsty vendetta. Curiously, Virginia North who played Vulnavia, Price's comely helpmate from the first movie, was replaced by Valli Kemp in the follow-up. Not sure why, but it doesn't make a lick of difference. "Rises Again" mostly takes place in Egypt where Phibes and Vulnavia seek ancient scrolls that he hopes will reanimate his late wife and give them both eternal life. Plotting against them is ruthless American explorer Darius Biederbeck ("Count Yorga" Robert Quarry himself!) who wants the scrolls for his own nefarious ends. Once again there are cameos galore--including Price's fellow master of the macabre, Peter Cushing, and "The Killing of Sister George" star Beryl Reid--but they're mostly superfluous window-dressing Both films were directed by Britain's Robert Fuest whose reputation as a Cinefantastique god took a hit after helming the execrable "Devil's Rain" in Hollywood a few years later. Fuest never quite recovered from that debacle, but he (and we) will always have "Dr. Phibes." Extras on the two-disc set include multiple audio commentary tracks for each film. Justin Humphreys, author of "The Dr. Phibes Companion," does double-duty by providing insightful and amusing commentary for both movies, while Fuest proves himself to be a highly entertaining raconteur on an "Abominable" track. Genre specialist Tim Lucas, a familiar voice from several recent KL Classics audio tracks, provides one of the "Rises Again" commentaries. ("The Abominable Dr. Phibes," A MINUS; "Dr. Phibes Rises Again," "B.")

   

AMBULANCE--In the hopes of raising cash for his wife's experimental cancer surgery, Afghan vet Will ("Candyman" star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reluctantly turns to his criminally-inclined adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) for help. Naturally the $32-million bank heist Danny masterminds ends disastrously, and soon they're hijacking an ambulance (hence the title) to make their getaway. Along for the ride are an EMT worker (Eiza Gonzalez) and the cop (Jackson Sharp) wounded in their bungled robbery. Soon the entire LAPD is in hot pursuit, both on land and air. For anyone jonesing for a big, dumb, loud Michael Bay-style action flick, Bay himself obliges with this heaping slab of ADD-fueled testosterone. It's not boring, but there's certainly no reason for a glorified B-movie to run 138 minutes. (C PLUS.)

THE BAD GUYS--Based on Aaron Blabey's best-selling graphic novel series, the latest DreamWorks animated film is one of their better outings in recent years. A crew of miscreants led by pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) decides it's better to go straight than do jail time after their latest job gets them busted. Agreeing to serve as mentor is British-accented guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) who discovers that Wolf and his criminal cohorts--safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron); master of disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson); hired muscle Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos); and hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina)--might actually make pretty decent good guys (and one good gal) after all. Or maybe the whole thing is just another elaborate scam concocted by Wolfy. The vocal casting is aces, and there's just enough invention and wit in the screenplay to keep any accompanying grown-ups from nodding off. Which is more than you can say about most kidflicks. (B.)

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.)

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.)

EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE--Michelle ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Crazy Rich Asians") Yeoh plays Evelyn, a Simi Valley immigrant who discovers that the multiverse really exists. A visit to an unctuous IRS auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis) because her family's laundromat is behind on their taxes unleashes Evelyn's inner kung-fu mama. Soon she's battling the dastardly Jabu Tupaki (Stephanie Hsu who does double duty as Evelyn's rebellious lesbian daughter) in an alternative dimension. Directing duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2016's uncategorizable whatzit "Swiss Army Man") pay homage to everything from "The Matrix," "Being John Malkovich," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and even Pixar's "Ratatouille" in a very frenetic, vastly entertaining 138 minutes. Surprisingly most of it works, in large measure due to Yeoh who gives a career performance here. Even when it doesn't make complete narrative sense--which, truth be told, is most of the time--it has a built-in emotional logic that keeps you happily jazzed and ultimately, seemingly against all odds, moved. (A MINUS.)

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE--The third of a threatened five adaptations of J.K. Rowling's kid-lit series is a slight improvement over the first two, but still largely impenetrable unless you're a super-fan. Like the previous installments, this was helmed by Rowling house director David Yates, and what he lacks in visual panache and wit he makes up for in sheer endurance. It can't be easy to show up for work on one of these lumbering tentpoles every morning for months/years on end. Magizoologist Newt (the perennially irritating Eddie Redmayne) is largely sidelined this time, thank heavens, as the focus shifts to a rivalry between good wizard Dumbeldore (Jude Law) and evil wizard Grindelwald (Mads Makkelsen subbing for Johnny Depp who's apparently still in movie jail). To help gain control of Wizard-World, Grindelwald steals a Qilin--those pure of heart beasties have the ability to see into the future--and it's up to Newt and a squad of witches, wizards and one Muggle (Dan Fogler, still among the franchise's few bright spots) to save the day. The most interesting aspect of the movie is its backdrop of rising Fascism in 1930's Europe, and the snazzy Art Deco production design insures there's always something fun to look at, even if--like me--you can't make heads or tails out of the plot. (C.) 

 

FATHER STU--The first half of this inspirational drama is seemingly (and weirdly) pitched at broad comedy which makes the proselytizing second part even more baffling. Mark Wahlberg plays Stuart Long, a dissolute former boxer turned supermarket clerk who decides to become a Catholic priest after a near-fatal motorcycle accident. A Sunday School teacher --the appealing Teresa Ruiz--provides the spark for his surprising new vocation. Co-producer Wahlberg seems to take all this folderol seriously, and responds with a fiercely committed performance. (He even gained 30 pounds for the role.) Mel Gibson and Jackie Weaver also do nice work as Stuart's estranged parents who have a hard time accepting their formerly agnostic son's conversion. But despite being "inspired by a true story"--yes, there's a real Father Stu--I didn't believe a minute of it. The faithful might have a different response. (C MINUS.)

FROM THE JOURNALS OF JEAN SEBERG--Jean Seberg, the Iowa farm girl discovered in a worldwide talent search when she was 17 years old, led a stormy life both romantically and professionally. Cast as Joan of Arc in director Otto Preminger's 1957 production of "Saint Joan," Seberg herself would become something of a modern-day martyr--and a tragic, Judy Garland-esque gay icon in the process. Documentarian Mark Rappaport followed his critical and commercial breakthrough, 1992's "Rock Hudson's Home Movies," with this equally provocative essay film. Mary Beth Hurt "plays" Seberg, narrating her life story and reflecting upon how Seberg's screen roles often mirrored her personal traumas. When L.A. Times gossip columnist Joyce Haber insinuated that Seberg had been impregnated by a member of the Black Panthers, her career--which had already been on thin ice thanks to bad choices--imploded. She would become persona non grata in the U.S., and eventually committed suicide in 1979. Rappaport frames Seberg's tragic biography as both cautionary tale and exegesis on film/Hollywood history. (There's even time for dishing on Seberg's steamy extra-marital affair with costar Clint Eastwood during the production of 1969's "Paint Your Wagon.") While Seberg's filmography never rivaled real-life counterparts Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, her leftist politics were no less bona fide or sincere. Rent or buy this Kino Lorber Classics DVD which includes a trio of luscious, actress-centric Rappaport shorts ("Becoming Anita Ekberg," 2014; "Debra Paget, For Example," 2016; and "Anna/Nana/ Nana/Anna," 20919), then watch Kristen Stewart as Jean Seberg in the 2019 Amazon biopic, "Seberg." It will be time (very) well spent, trust me. (A.)

THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT--Frank Tashlin's rollicking 1957 showcase for the pulchritudinous charms of iconic pin-up model/actress Jayne Mansfield gets the Criterion Collection treatment, and it's a blast from start to finish. Tashlin, who began his career as an in-house animator at Warner Brothers directing Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts, brought his cartoony visual sensibility--lots of elaborate sight gags, natch--to his live action films, and "The Girl" was one of the crown jewels of his oeuvre In her first starring role, Mansfield plays Jerri Jordan, va-va-voom girlfriend of infamous Long Island gangster "Fats" Murdock (Edmond O'Brien). Because Jerri's sugar daddy thinks she's got star potential, he hires Tom Miller (Tom Ewell), a down-on-his-luck talent agent to transform his future bride into an overnight singing sensation. (The fact that Jerri has no discernible talent is immaterial to Murdock's grand design.) Studded with 17 (count 'em) rock-and-roll numbers by such luminaries as Eddie Cochran, the Platters, Little Richard and Fats Domino, it's a lollapalooza of riches, both aural (that music!) and visual (Tashlin's DeLuxe Color Cinemascope lensing brought real snap, crackle and pop to the film's multi-hued, candy-colored production design). Tashlin and Mansfield would reteam a year later for the even better Madison Avenue spoof, "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" Fingers crossed that Criterion will get around to releasing that cult classic some day. The extras are as delightful as the film itself. Scholar Toby Miller does the audio commentary track, and critic David Cairns provides an effusive video essay. There are new interviews with director/Mansfield fanboy John ("Hairspray") Waters and Eve Golden, author of "Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It;" a conversation between WFMU DJs Dave Abramson and Gaylord about the movie's sublime r&r performances; on-set footage; archival interviews with Mansfield and Little Richard; a Mansfield-focused episode of Karina Longworth's "You Must Remember This" podcast; "The Fame Game," an essay about the film by New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme; and excerpts from Tashlin's 1952 book, "How to Create Cartooons," with a new introduction by Ethan de Seife, author of "Tashlinesque: The Hollywood Comedies of Frank Tashlin." (A.)

HOSTILE TERRITORY--If the entire first season of Taylor ("Yellowstone") Sheridan's great new Paramount+ series, "1883," had been compressed into one 1960's-era Disney flick, it could be director/star Brian Presley's new family-friendly western. Presley plays Jack Colgrove, a Union soldier presumed to have died during the Civil War. Accordingly, his brood of underage children become unwitting beneficiaries of the government's "Orphan Train" project in which abandoned and/or orphaned kids (Mrs. Colgrove inconveniently succumbed to influenza while hubby was off fighting) are shipped cross country either to be adopted or become wards of the government. The main action involves Jack's tireless efforts to reunite with his family, even if that means traveling by horseback through Indian territory. Aiding him are some remarkably selfless freed slaves and a Native-American sharpshooter who doesn't seem to mind being this presumptuous white dude's Gunga Din. It's all very folksy, squeaky-clean and blandly, utterly forgettable. (C MINUS.)

THE INDIAN TOMB--Yogis, tigers, lepers and a cast of thousands, oh my! Joe May, early German cinema's answer to Cecil B. DeMille, directed this sumptuously produced four-hour silent epic, judiciously split into two parts ("The Mission of the Yogi" and "The Tiger of Eschnapur"). "Casablanca" heavy Conrad Veidt had one of his first screen roles as the berserk Maharajah of Bengal who wants to build a massive temple in order to entomb his faithless wife. Serving as the Madarajah's principal foils are a dashing British architect (Olaf Fonss) and his fiancee (Mia May, Joe's wife). While this 1921 project was clearly influenced by the grand spectacle and overweening ambition of D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance" five years earlier, May's savvy commercial instincts place him squarely in showman DeMille's camp rather than auteurist Griffith's. The most fascinating retrospective aspect of "The Indian Tomb"--and why it's become a key text studied by film scholars--is that it was cowritten by future superstar director Fritz ("Metropolis," "The Big Heat") Lang and his wife, Thea von Harbou. Lang himself had wanted to helm "Tomb," but was deemed too green by Maytown Studio brass. (He would, however, get the chance to make his very own version of the story four decades later in Hollywood for American International Pictures. ) Like Lang, May emigrated to the U.S. after Hitler's rise to power. But May's Hollywood career paled in comparison with Lang's. Although he was briefly under contract to Universal Pictures, May mostly worked in their "B" movie division. His last film, 1944's obscure "Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore," was actuallymade for infamous poverty row studio Monogram Pictures. The lone extra on the Kino Lorber Blu-Ray is David Cairns and Fiona Watson's "Turbans over Woltersdorf," a quirky 45-minute "visual essay" memorializing "Tomb." (A MINUS.) 

JIGSAW--Hillary Waugh's esteemed crime novel "Sleep Long, My Love" had its Connecticut setting transferred to England in cult director Val ("The Day The Earth Caught Fire," "Stop Me Before I Kill!") Guest's nifty 1962 slice of late British noir. Partially inspired by the infamous 1930's Brighton Trunk Murders, the film--newly released on a stunningly handsome Blu-Ray as part of the Cohen Film Collection--plays as a procedural of sorts in which a pair of stiff-upper-lip detectives (Jack Warner and Ronald Lewis) try to solve the murder of a woman found in a Brighton beach house. The "jigsaw" of the title refers to the puzzle of clues the cops studiously assemble while attempting to finger the murderer. As the victim's nosy neighbor who wants in on the action, Joan Newell steals every scene she's in with her rambling, mile-a-minute verbiage. (B PLUS.)

THE LOST CITY--Sandra Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a widowed romance novelist who's kidnapped by an overzealous fan (Daniel Radcliffe, a long way from Hogwarts) during her latest book tour. Hot on Loretta's trail are her himbo cover model (Channing Tatum in full "21 Jump Street" klutzy-stud mode) and a reconstituted Navy SEAL (Brad Pitt, clearly having a ball in his glorified cameo). They're all good company, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph provides added sass and seasoning as the scribe's long-suffering publicist.This eagerly-awaited follow-up to brother filmmaking duo Adam and Aaron Nee's delightful 2015 "Band of Robbers" (a Wes Anderson-inflected modernization of Huckleberry Finn) is the kind of "Romancing the Stone"-y screwball-lite romp nobody makes anymore. If you forgot that movies were actually supposed to be, y'know, fun consider this a much-needed tonic. (B.) 

LUZIFER--Skillfully made, but off-putting artflick about a weird mother and son (Susanne Jensen and the currently ubiquitous Franz Rogowski from Christian Petzold's "Undine" and "Transit") living a quasi monastic existence in a sylvan Alpine mountain hamlet that's in danger of being razed for a new multi-million-dollar ski lodge. Their days are mostly comprised of prayers and creepy religious rituals, and neither character is very well delineated. Yes, we learn in passing that Mom once had a substance abuse problem and that she was abused as a child by her father. But Rogowski's Johannes remains pretty much a blank cipher. Is he developmentally challenged, or just crazy? There's a local woman he has fleeting sexual assignations with, but she seems nearly as bonkers as him. Meanwhile, the sky is punctuated with ominous drones--the work of the multinational corporation that wants to scare them off so they can build their lodge--which is the closest thing to "action" in director Peter Brunner's rather somnambulant film. Produced by Ulrich ("Dog Days," the "Paradise" trilogy) Seidl who knows a thing or two about movies that seem to exist solely to alienate the audience, it's a chore to sit through most of the time despite stunning cinematography by Peter Flinckenberg and Jensen and Rogowski's fiercely committed performances. (C.) 

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MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE--My personal favorite of W.C. Fields' big-screen comedies is also one of his most blissfully simple. Fields plays henpecked Everyman Ambrose Wolfinger who just wants an afternoon off to attend a professional wrestling match. His little white lie--he tells his boss that he has to attend his shrewish mother-in-law's funeral--winds up escalating into a comedy of epically disastrous, but indisputably hilarious, proportions. There's the legendary "stalled-car sequence," Fields' equally fetishized socks routine, the runaway tire gag with Fields in not-so-hot pursuit and much, much more. The supporting cast (especially Kathleen Howard as Ambrose's ball and chain and a positively terrifying Vera Lewis essaying the ultimate mother-in-law-from-hell) is sublime, and Fields--who (unofficially) co-directed with silent comedy veteran Clyde ("The General") Bruckman--was never better, maybe because Wolfinger has always seemed like the screen character closest to the real-life W.C.'s heart. "Trapeze" runs a mere 66 minutes, but they're all choice. Or should I say, "cheerse"? The only extra on the new Kino Lorber Blu-Ray pressing is a vintage doc in which the legendary Canadian comedy duo Wayne and Shuster rhapsodize about Fields' genius. And yeah, it's pretty "cheerse," too. (A.) 

MORBIUS--Sony's latest attempt to mine C-list Marvel characters (Disney owns the top-tier Marvel superheroes) for "Venom"-ish box office gold stars Jared Leto as biochemist Michael Morbius whose rare blood disorder inspires drastic measures to save his life. While Morbius' radical medical procedure is a success, it also turns him into a vampire. But like Wesley Snipes' similarly comics-derived Blade, Leto's Morbius is actually a sorta/kinda good-guy bloodsucker. If only Daniel ("Safe House") Espinosa's movie was as stylish, entertaining and "R"-rated gnarly as the old Blade flicks. Method Madman Leto is a tad more restrained than usual, but the acting laurels belong to guest star Michael Keaton who once again proves he's as groovy a Big Bad as he was playing Batman. (C MINUS.)

THE NORTHMAN--The word "visionary" is tossed around pretty loosely these days in marketing circles, but director Robert ("The Witch," "The Lighthouse") Eggers is one of the few who genuinely earns that lofty approbation. Eggers' latest--which also happens to be his most accessible film to date--is a 9th century Viking saga as proudly, stubbornly idiosyncratic as his previous work, but on a (much) grander scale. His distinct and distinctive worldview hasn't been diminished a whit by what I'm assuming was a vastly larger budget than he was previously accustomed to. Alexander Skarsgard stars as the strapping Prince Amleth who has spent much of his life plotting bloody revenge against the uncle (Claes Bang) who slayed his father (Ethan Hawke) in a bid for his mother (Nicole Kidman, dependably strong). Yes, the Shakespearean allusions (hey there, Prince of Denmark) are all pretty much on the nose, down to Willem Dafoe's manic court jester who's an inspired mash-up of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. "Queens Gambit" breakout Anya Taylor-Joy is "Olga of the Birch Forest," Amleth's love interest and co-conspirator; turns out she's got vengeance on her mind, too. It's the kind of gleefully bonkers movie where Icelandic songbird Bjork shows up as a--what else?--blind seer. Although Eggers gilds the lily a bit with an overly generous 136-minute run time (the third act admittedly drags), this is precisely the kind of auteurist-filmmaking-on-an-epic-scale (think Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now") that's mostly gone out of fashion in these days of cookie-cutter franchise tentpoles. I salute it. (A MINUS.)  

THE ROUND-UP & THE RED AND THE WHITE: TWO FILMS BY MIKLOS JANCSO--Rarely shown in the U.S. since screening at the (respectively) 1966 and 1968 editions of the New York Film Festival, Jancso's anti-war masterpieces have been gorgeously restored by Kino-Lorber Classics and are now available on a dazzling Blu-Ray two-fer which ranks among the best home video bargains of the year. Both b&w films have minimal dialogue and are distinguished by Jancso's visual mastery (his rigorously extended long takes and nonpareil tracking shots are justifiably legendary in cinephile circles). "The Round-Up" is largely set in a 19th century prison camp where the Hungarian army has imprisoned suspected guerrilla fighters after 1848's failed revolution. Janos (Janos Gorbe), the nominal protagonist, was ratted out by a peasant woman, and his steely resolve serves as the film's moral fulcrum. Russia's Civil War of 1918-'22 is the subject of "The Red and the White" as Red soldiers battle the counter-revolutionary White army in Central Russia. Battlefield nurse Olga (Krystna Mikolajevska) selflessly tends to both sides of the conflict, and it's that impartiality which ultimately dooms her. The futility of war has rarely been depicted with such harrowing precision and ravishing beauty. (Tamas Somlo, Jancso's virtuoso cinematographer, does remarkable pointillist work in both films.) Historians Michael Brooker and Jonathan Owen provide dual audio commentary tracks, and the discs include a potpourri of impeccably curated Jancso shorts: "Harvest in Oroshaza," 1953; "Autumn in Badacsony," 1954;"Red Indian Story," 1961; "Presence," 1965; "With a Camera in Kostroma," 1967; "Second Presence," 1978; and "Third Presence," 1986. (Both films: A.)

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2--This sequel to the 2020 Sega videogame-derived kidflick whose theatrical release was cut short by Covid-19 theater closings basically repeats the formula that worked (sort of) the first time. Sonic (voiced again by Ben Schwartz) is happily ensconced in the Montana 'burbs with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tina Sumpter). But when they leave town to attend a family wedding in Hawaii, Sonic's old nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey doing his best "Ace Ventura"-era Carrey), resurfaces, wreaking all sorts of cartoonish havoc. Aided by his echidna cohort Knuckles (Idris Elba; yes, Idris Elba), Robotnik seeks the Master Emerald that will allow him to--what else?--control the world. It's up to Sonic and fox pal Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to save humankind, but first they have to get into a lot of silly, rapid-fire comic shenanigans. Reprising his duties from "Sonic 1," director Jeff Fowler seems to have a lot more affection for the titular blue hedgehog than I do, hence the movie's overly generous two-hour-plus run time. But small kids, even those with no first-hand experience of the original game, are sure to love it. And probably a few of their vidgame-loving parents as well. (C PLUS.) 

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.)

STANLEYVILLE--If the sci-fi/horror "Cube" movies had been written by Samuel Beckett, they might have resembled Maxwell McCabe-Lokos' echt Canadian whatzit about a "Survivor"-like contest held in a single room of (I'm guessing) an abandoned Toronto office building. "Goodnight Mommy" star Susanne Wuest is the only familiar face in the cast, and she plays Maria, a weirdly disaffected housewife/mother who eagerly joins the competition with four other misfits (Adam Brown, George Tchortov, Christian Serritello and the estimable Cara Ricketts) in order to "achieve enlightenment"--and drive home a habanero-orange SUV. A suitably sepulchral-looking Julian Richings plays their "host," and his deadpan line readings are the funniest thing here. Even though it's really nothing more than an eccentric curio, McCabe-Lokos' assured handling and his game cast make this a fitfully entertaining diversion that (mercifully) doesn't overstay its welcome at a svelte 82 minutes. (B MINUS.)

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT--Nicolas Cage plays himself in director Tom Gormican's waggishly amusing meta action-comedy that's maybe a little too clever for its own good, but still good fun. A cash-strapped Cage is coerced by his slickster Tinseltown agent (Neil Patrick Harris, predictably unctuous) into accepting a million dollar payday to attend a lavish party in Mallorca hosted by superfan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal from Disney's "The Mandalorian"). Cage and Javi wind up bonding over their shared love for movies--not just Nic Cage movies either--and quickly become BFFs. But when two CIA agents (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) show up and inform Nic that Javi is really the ruthless head of an international gun cartel, the "Leaving Las Vegas" Oscar winner is conflicted. Should he help bring down his new buddy, or save his butt instead? Loaded with goofy references to past Cage flicks ("The Rock" and "Con Air" are apparently sacrosanct in the Cage-Verse), the film is buoyed by Cage's "massive talent" and his off-the-charts chemistry with a wildly charismatic Pascal who's the most likable--dare I say, "lovable?--bad guy in recent memory. (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. WhileFleischer 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.)

UNPLUGGING--Jeanine (Eva Longoria) and Dan (Matt Walsh) play an obnoxious yuppie couple who decide to go wireless for a weekend in the country. What could possibly go wrong, right? The laughs are as obvious as they are labored in this utterly formulaic big-screen sitcom directed by former editor Debra Neil-Fisher (whose credits include all three "Hangover" movies), and neither actor is used to their best advantage. Unplug this. (D PLUS.)

WRITING WITH FIRE--A 2022 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature, directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh's stirring, deeply touching film chronicles the herculean efforts of lower-caste Dalit women in Northern India's Uttar Pradesh to publish a newspaper (Khabar Lahariya or "Waves of News"). When Meera Davi, Khabar's lead reporter, finally brings the paper into the digital age with smartphone-assisted video journalism and their very own YouTube channel, it's a triumph for democracy, journalism and women's rights. Although Thomas and Ghosh gloss over the very real hardships of putting out a paper (whether print or online) in an impoverished nation, it's impossible not to root for Davi and her courageous fellow journalists. The Music Box DVD contains a making-of doc ("The Story of 'Writing With Fire'") and a filmmaker Q&A recorded at the DOC NYC premiere screening. (B 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 MINUS.) 

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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.)

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.) 

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.)

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.)

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.)

 

INFINITE STORM--Naomi Watts plays a New Hampshire woman who rescues a stranded, possibly suicidal hiker (Billy Howle) while climbing Mount Washington in the middle of a blizzard. Watts is dependably strong and Howle does a nice job with his enigmatic role, but the movie never generates the type of palpable tension needed to push the material over the top. And while distaff helmer Malgorzata ("Never Gonna Snow Again") Szumowska does a serviceable enough job with the true-life material, the film lacks the astringent wit and visual poetry she brought to her terrific Polish-language feature, "Never Gonna Snow Again," last year. Clocking in at a pacy 92 minutes, it's never boring, though. (C PLUS.)

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.)

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.)

THE LAST WALTZ--When Martin Scorsese's magisterial concert documentary opened at New York's Ziegfield Theater in the spring of 1978, I went to see it every week during its lengthy run. Not only did I love the movie with every fiber of my body, but I also knew that I'd never be able to duplicate the experience of seeing the film on the Ziegfield's giant screen, or hearing it in their state of the art Dolby surround sound. Accordingly, it was with some trepidation that I approached the Criterion Collection's new Blu-Ray. Even though its digital restoration was personally supervised and approved by Scorsese, it seemed sadly inevitable that the film I worshipped during my halcyon college days would somehow feel "lesser" 40+ years later when viewed at home on a flatscreen TV. I shouldn't have worried. If anything, the images are even crisper and sharper than I remembered, and the preservation of the original 2.0 surround mix insure that it faithfully duplicates the "Ziegfield Sound" I fetishized in my youth. Envisioned by Scorsese as a recording of the Band's farewell performance at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving weekend 1976, "Waltz" gradually evolved through both the pre and post-production stages into something approaching rock-and-roll--and cinematic--nirvana. Unlike most previous concert docs that simply preserved live shows to serve as a kind of visual/aural correlative, Scorsese painstakingly storyboarded the performances in advance. Assisted by seven camera operators, including masters of the cinematographic art like Vilmos Zsigmond and Laszlo Kovacs, he was able to give "Waltz" the epic flow and rich visual texture of an actual "Movie." And the musical performances--from, among others, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young--are expectedly sublime. While history is littered with great rock docs (including Jonathan Demme's "Stop Making Sense," Michael Wadleigh's "Woodstock" and D.A. Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop"), Scorsese's euphoric and elegiac commemoration of one of the seminal moments in rock-and-roll history truly has no equals. Extras include two audio commentaries with Scorsese, members of the Band, the production crew and several concert performers, including MavisStaples, Dr. John and Ronnie Hawkins; David Fear's new interview with Scorsese; a 2002 making-of-the-film documentary; a 1978 interview with Robbie Robertson and Scorsese; and an appreciative essay by New Yorker staff writer Amanda Petrusich. (A 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.)

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 MATRIX RESURRECTIONS--18 years after the "Matrix" trilogy ended, Lana Wachowski (sans sister Lilly) returns with the fourth installment of a mothball-encrusted franchise that kicked off during the halcyon days of the Clinton administration. ("Bullet Time" now seems as quaintly nostalgic as "Hammer Time.") Keanu Reeves--better known as John Wick these days--reprises his formerly iconic Neo role, although now "The One" is San Francisco video game designer "Thomas Anderson." A lot of stuff happens here (and I do mean a lot: it runs 148 very long minutes), but the only thing I can report with certainty is that Thomas aka Neo embarks on a kamikaze mission to reunite with former flame/fellow freedom fighter Trinity (a most welcome Carrie-Anne Moss). Some bright new faces show up (Jessica Henwick and Priyanka Chopra Jones in particular) and it looks great, but the whole thing reeks of Wachowski's desperate need to still appear "relevant." (C.)

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 glitzynight 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 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.)

PARIS 13TH DISTRICT--Based on three graphic novels by Adrian Tomine, this romantic roundelay set in present-day Paris is sexy, charming and touching in equal measure. Directed by the Palme d'Or-winning Jacques ("A Prophet," "The Sisters Brothers") Audiard, the movie pivots on Emile (Lucie Zhang), a young Taiwanese woman listlessly working a dead-end job at a call center. When she falls into bed--and love--with Camille (Makita Sambo), her new African roommate, she's both puzzled and pleasantly buzzed. A schoolteacher working on his doctorate, Camille isn't looking for a relationship, though, which ultimately leads to his ouster from Emile's apartment. Also figuring into the sexual equation are law student Nora (Noemie Merlant from "Portrait of a Lady on Fire") and her doppelgänger, "Amber Sweet" (Jehnny Beth), the online sex worker she befriends. Creamy black and white lensing by Paul Guilhaume gives the film an almost ethereal quality, and it's impossible not to be become emotionally invested in Audiard's appealing characters and their sensual confusion. I only wish that contemporary American rom-coms were this romantic and funny. (A MINUS.)

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.)

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 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.)

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH--Joel Coen's first film as writer/director sans brother Joel is an ingeniously streamlined, superbly acted adaptation of Shakespeare's "Scottish Play." Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand play the scheming couple whose hubristic ambitions ultimately prove their undoing, and Coen makes Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth's diabolical, increasingly bloody machinations as appalling as they are morbidly funny. There have already been a slew of exemplary screen translations of the Bard's masterpiece (two of them--by Orson Welles and Roman Polanski respectively--are legitimately great), but Coen's "Macbeth" is possibly the most accessible and flat-out entertaining to date. It's also exquisitely lensed in shimmeringly gorgeous black and white by the great Bruno Delbonnel. Available on Apple TV+ at no additional charge for subscribers. (A.) 

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.) 

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.)

WHO WE ARE: A CHRONICLE OF RACISM IN AMERICA--A stirring lecture by civil rights lawyer Jeffrey Robinson at New York City's Town Hall in June 2019 serves as the jumping off point for Emily and Sarah Kuntsler's provocative essay film which encompasses Robinson's family history and a potpourri of interviews. Whether discussing the nuts and bolts of the origins of slavery, the 1921 Tulsa genocide, MLK's assassination (and how it marked a turning point--backwards--in U.S. race relations) or his own childhood in Memphis as the son of "unicorn" parents, the Kuntsler's documentary is both clear-eyed and aspirational. Accordingly, it demands to be shown in every American middle and high school as a rebuke to the white-washing of history currently taking insidious root in this country. (B PLUS.)

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


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