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ASTEROID CITY--An Arizona desert town is the enchanted setting for a 1955 Junior Stargazer Convention in which teen astronomers and their families gather to wonk out on all things extra-terrestrial. Unbeknownst to them, actual aliens are planning to crash the party. That's the far-out set-up for fabulist extraordinaire Wes ("The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Isle of Dogs") Anderson's sublime new film. And I haven't even mentioned the New York stage play inspired by the convention that takes place simultaneously as a play-within-the-movie. If that sounds confusing, it's not. The bifurcated structure just adds a typically Andersonian meta layer that's as laugh-out-loud funny as it is inexorably, profoundly moving. As a recently widowed father of four who's yet to break the news to his brood about mom's passing, Jason Schwartzman gives a performance of such aching, plangent vulnerability that he'll break your heart in fifty pieces. Because this is a Wes joint, the cast is the usual embarrassment of riches with both Anderson rep players like Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Bryan Cranston mixing it up with newbies to the party like Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Matt Dillon and Jeff Goldblum. The trademark lateral tracking shots and meticulously curated mise-en-scene remain as breathtaking as usual, and the whole thing casts such a magical spell that you'll think you're dreaming. I can't think of another place I'd rather spend my summer vacation. (A.)
THE BOOGEYMAN--Still dealing with the fallout from their mom's death, sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher from Showtime's "Yellowjackets") and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are forced to battle the titular monster lurking underneath the latter's bed. Because their therapist dad Will (Chris Messina) isn't much help, the two girls are pretty much left to their own devices. Loosely adapted from a 1973 Stephen King short story by "A Quiet Place" screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, this is a reasonably effective "PG-13" horror flick that should have no trouble satisfying its target audience of impressionable teenage girls. (B MINUS.)
CHILE '76--While supervising renovations at her family's summer house, upper middle class Santiago housewife Carmen (a superb Aline Kuppenheim) is enlisted by the local priest (Hugo Medina) to help care for a wounded young resistance fighter (Nicolas Sepulveda's Elias). Because it's 1976--one of the bloodiest years of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship when thousands of Chileans "disappeared"--Carmen's charitable acts could prove deadly. Previously as blithely apolitical as her smug, self-absorbed physician husband (Gabriel Santiago), Carmen discovers a new side of herself that's both terrifying and exciting But how long will she be able to keep her secret and provide succor for Elias before the military junta gets wise? Director Manuela Martelli's bracing domestic thriller feels like what Luis Puenzo's Oscar-winning "The Official Story" might have looked like if it had been helmed by Argentinean critic's darling Lucretia ("La Cienaga," "The Holy Girl") Martel. Like Martel, Martelli deemphasizes melodrama and politics in favor of a kind of heightened naturalism. And both women are masterly at puncturing the placid surfaces of bourgeois protagonists. Bonus features on Kino Lorber's new DVD include an interview with Kuppenheim conducted at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival where "Chile 76" world premiered, as well as the theatrical trailer. (A MINUS.)
ELEMENTAL--Burnie, Cinder and their teenage daughter Ember immigrate from Fireland to Element City only to face discrimination from the intolerant Water people. Things come to a literal boil after Ember embarks upon a forbidden Romeo and Juliet romance with native Water boy Wade. Will the racist citizens of Element City learn the virtues of tolerance and acceptance, or will things end tragically like in Shakespeare's doomed romance? Since this is a CGI Pixar 'toon, a happy--and eminently woke--ending is pretty much preordained. Directed by Peter Sohn whose previous animated feature, 2015's "The Good Dinosaur," has the dubious distinction of being the single worst Pixar movie to date, this new film is undone by a surprisingly witless script, unappealing characters, dull vocal casting and ickily sentimental messaging. Even the short preceding the main feature ("Carl's Date," a misguided "Up" sequel) is disappointing. (C MINUS.)
FAST X--Like the 007 franchise which officially jumped the shark during the later Roger Moore years ("The Spy Who Loved Me," "Moonraker"), the "Fast and the Furious" franchise officially left planet earth half a dozen movies ago. This tenth iteration is no exception. Stunt work and CGI have become increasingly untethered to any sort of reality and the characters no longer seem like real human beings, just video game avatars. A new director (Louis Leterrier of the "Transporter" actioners) does nothing to rectify a ship that went off course years ago. The cursory plot involves an elaborate vendetta against Dom, Letty, Roman, Taj, et al. by a drug kingpin son's (Jason Mamoa's Dante, the best thing in the movie) The fact that the producers have somehow managed to wrangle Oscar winners Charlize Theon and Helen Mirren back into the fray is less depressing than the recruiting of additional award-winning actors (Rita Moreno and Brie Larson). Originally intended as the penultimate F&F movie, this series is now--according to a recent Deadline interview with Diesel--apparently going to run ad infinitum. Or ad nauseam, depending upon your patience for high-octane nonsense. (C MINUS.)
FINAL CUT--Oscar-winning director Michel ("The Artist") Hazanavicius' new comedy--the Opening Night movie at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival--is a far cry from his universally beloved 2011 silent film pastiche. A remake of 2019 Japanese cult fave rave "One Cut of the Dead," it's a laugh-out-loud funny deconstruction of zombie flicks, as well as a mirthful riff on the whole "movies about moviemaking" meta genre that's attracted directors as diverse as Jean-Luc Godard ("Contempt"), Francois Truffaut ("Day for Night") and Vincente Minnelli ("Two Weeks in Another Town"). Down on his luck director Remi (Romain Duris, gamely subbing for Hazanavicius muse Jean Dujardin) accepts a challenge by producer Mrs. Matsuda (an ineffable Yoshiko Takechara) to do a French-language version of a popular online Japanese zombie film. Of course, it has to be done live for a streaming audience and shot in a single (!) take. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, pretty much everything as it turns out. As Remi's retired actress wife who's recruited to fill in for his female lead at the last minute, Berenice Bejo is the movie's farceur MVP. Although it takes a while to kick into gear (the first half hour is admittedly kind of rough), Hazanavicius' blood-soaked lagniappe delivers more laughs per blood-soaked minute than pretty much anything I've seen all year. (A MINUS.)
THE FLASH--A combo origin story and multiverse adventure story, the latest D.C. mega-production aspires to be a super-hero variant of "Back to the Future." But thanks to a bloated 144-minute run time and an unfocused screenplay that spirals off in so many directions that it makes "Everything Everything All at Once" seem minimalist, it's more wearying than entertaining. Ezra Miller, who previously essayed the titular role in "Justice League," "Suicide Squad," "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and TV's "The Flash," once again plays Barry Allen/The Flash, this time in two separate dimensions: as a Central City forensics chemist and a gawky 18-year-old college student. There are even two different actors playing Batman (O.G. Bat dude Michael Keaton, this film's undisputed MVP, and Ben Affleck, the most recent thespian to don the trademark cape and cowl), as well as an appearance by Superman's arch-nemesis General Zod (Michael Shannon). Director Andy Muschietti, who helmed the equally oversized "It" movies, lacks the lightness in touch to finesse the more ostensibly comic parts of the movie, and the whole thing has an unpleasant heaviness that's the antithesis of "fun." (C.)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3--Rocket the Raccoon (once again voiced by Bradley Cooper) is the main focus of the last, longest (150 minutes) and arguably least of James Gunn's GOTG trilogy. When Rocket is injured in an attack on Knowhere by super villain Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), Peter (the increasingly annoying Chris Pratt) is forced to seek help from Gamora's Ravagers pals to save the smart alecky raccoon's life. More solemn than the previous installments--Gunn seems to think he's making a movie for his new D.C. bosses rather than Marvel Corp.--and egregiously bloated, the ceaseless attempts to tug at our heart strings fall as flat as most of the jokes.The series standout remains Zoe Saldana's Gamora who's been resuscitated after her death in the last chapter. The fact that a reborn Gamora no longer finds man-child Peter terribly appealing (who can blame her?) sends the once and future Star-Lord spiraling into alcoholism. (See, I told you it was dark). By the time the movie crawls to its conclusion, you might be in need of something stiffer than a Diet Coke yourself. (C MINUS.)
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY--Since Harrison Ford is now 80 years old, this fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise is probably the last time we'll see the former Han Solo don his trademark fedora. I only wish the first Jones movie not helmed by Steven Spielberg ("Ford v Ferrari" and Logan" director James Mangold assumes the reins) was better. At 154 minutes, it's definitely the longest film in the series, but also the most lumbering and wearisome. Set in 1969, Professor Jones is a frequently soused Hunter College professor whose retirement from swashbuckling adventures ends when he's visited by goddaughter Helene (Phoebe Waller-Bridge of "Fleabag" fame). The spunky lass is determined to get her hands on the missing half of the titular "Dial of Destiny;" Indy, conveniently, has the other half in his possession. Because the Antikythera dial has alleged supernatural powers that tamper with wormholes and reset history, it's also highly coveted by Nazi physicist Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) who hopes to change the outcome of World War II. Ford and Waller-Bridge make a winning duo, but their globe-trotting (Tangiers, Greece, etc.) adventures feel less exhilarating than merely quaint, even rote. None of the previous sequels--with the possible exception of 1984's "Temple of Doom"--came close to capturing the enchantment and gee-whiz excitement of 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and this is no exception. Strictly for sentimentalists, nostalgists and/or Indy die-hards. (C.)
INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR--The fourth chapter of a horror franchise that's been chugging along since 2010 delivers pretty much what diehard fans are expecting. (Cue the "PG-13"-rated jump scares.) Josh (Patrick Wilson who also directs) and estranged son Dalton (Ty Simpkins from "The Whale") must venture beyond the titular door to hopefully end their family's decades-long trauma. In the process, they unwittingly unmask some long-repressed memories they'd prefer to keep hidden. Mom Renai (Rose Byrne) is largely sidelined this time, probably because Byrne was too busy shooting her new Apple TV+ series with Seth Rogen. Fortunately, Lin Shaye is back as psychic extraordinaire Elise, and she's always been the spooky heart of the "Insidious" universe. FYI: A spinoff, "Thread: An Insidious Tale," is already in the works. (C PLUS.)
JOY RIDE--"Crazy Rich Asians" screenwriter Adele Lim makes her feature directing debut with this raucous, hard "R," sex positive female buddy comedy that clearly aspires to be the Asian-American equivalent of 2017 sleeper hit, "Girls Trip." Corporate lawyer Audrey (Ashley Park) invites childhoodf BFF Lulu (Sherry Cola) to be her translator on a business trip to China. (Audrey doesn't speak her native language since she was adopted as an infant and raised by white parents.) She also hopes to reconnect with college roommate Kat ("Everything Everywhere All At Once" Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu) who's now a popular actress living in Beijing. Tagging along is Lulu's nerdy, gender-neutral cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu). The gals get mixed up with a belligerent cocaine dealer (Meredith Hagner from "Search Party"), pose as K-Pop stars and even find time for a sojourn to South Korea in search of Audrey's birth mother. At a breezy 92 minutes, this is one of the summer's most pleasant surprises--and one of the year's funniest movies period. (B PLUS.)
LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES--This impassioned advocacy doc takes a clear-eyed look at the tireless campaign waged by Lakota Indians to reclaim the Black Hills mountain rage stolen by the U.S. government. Taking a long view on the centuries-old conflict between indigenous people and white settlers, directors Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli incorporate a slew of archival footage and talking heads interviews with prominent Native American activists. And for anyone who thinks the Lakotas are merely looking for a quick payday, the film reminds us that they've already turned down a government settlement worth $1-billion. All they want is their land back; and to be treated with dignity and respect. (B PLUS.)
THE LITTLE MERMAID--Putting aside the question of whether the world really needed a (mostly) live action remake of the classic 1989 Disney 'toon, director Rob ("Chicago," "Into the Woods") Marshall's robustly entertaining movie justifies its existence solely by the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel. Bailey's "star is born" performance is so enchanting that you literally can't take your eyes off her. She's also a wonderful singer. (Bailey's "Part of Your World" will make you forget you ever heard that Alan Menken and Howard Ashman standard before.) The quest of teenage mermaid Ariel to experience life on terra firma--and find true love with Prince Eric (Jonah Haver-King)--remains as captivating as ever, and spot-on casting down the line gives it a freshness and welcome new piquancy. Javier Bardem (King Triton), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian the crab), Awkwafina (seabird Scuttle), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder) and scene-stealing Melissa McCarthy's sea witch Ursula all provide invaluable comic and/or emotional ballast. I think it's a pretty safe bet that Bailey and Marshall's "Little Mermaid" will be delighting audiences for years to come. (B PLUS.)
THE MIRACLE CLUB--Set in 1967 Ireland, director Thaddeus O'Sullivan's touching dramedy concerns a church bus trip to Lourdes for its professed healing powers. Accompanying devout Catholics Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (appealing newcomer Agnes O'Casey) is American agnostic Chrissie (Laura Linney) who came to Dublin for her estranged mother's funeral. Over the course of the film, lots of secrets are revealed (most of which involve the reason Chrissie hasn't been home in 40 years), confidences are shared (Eileen fears she may have breast cancer) and group hugs soon become de rigueur. While fans of the "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "Book Club" franchises are clearly the target audience, spending 90-odd minutes in the company of these wonderful actresses is its own reward. (B.)
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE--DEAD RECKONING: PART I--The seventh film in a billion dollar franchise that began all the way back in 1996, and the first since series standout, 2018's "Fallout," has chosen an uber-topical villain for Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt. Rather than an exotically accented bad guy, the scoundrel this time isn't human at all but a super-power A.I. called "Entity." There's a McGuffin-ish hunt for a two-part key that everyone wants--including preening sociopath Gabriel (Esai Morales) and his lethal henchwoman (Pom Klementieff)--but it's Entity's seemingly personal vendetta against Ethan that triggers the usual embarrassment of "Can You Top This?" "M:I" action setpieces, most done with little or no CGI. Cruise, of course, remains as indefatigable as ever, and it's great seeing the old gang (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson) back together again. Besides the customary bloat that's become the Achilles Heel of most 21st century tentpole movies (it could definitely stand to lose a half hour from the 164-minute run time), the central weakness is built into the title. Since this is only "Part I" (the concluding chapter is slated for release in June '24), the ending inevitably feels a bit like coitus interruptus. But for crackerjack hot weather entertainment, Cruise & Co. can't be beat. Along with spring's "John Wick, Chapter 4," it's the year's most purely entertaining actioner. (A MINUS.)
NO HARD FEELINGS--Newly unemployed Uber driver Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) answers a Craig's List ad posted by helicopter parents (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) hoping to bring their socially awkward teenage son (Andrew Barth Feldman) out of his shell before heading for Princeton. Of course, what they're really looking for is someone to deflower the 19-year-old virgin--something made eminently clear in a cringey job interview. After reluctantly accepting the job (hey, they promised her a new car!), Maddie winds up having a positive influence on the geek and, yes, even (sort of) popping his cherry. Director Gene Stupinsky had a sleeper hit four summers ago with the potty-mouthed "Good Boys," and don't be surprised if lightning strikes twice. With its pitch-perfect performances by Lawrence (who's playing a rougher-edged version of her Oscar-winning "Silver Linings Playbook" character) and newcomer Feldman, this is precisely the type of unapologetically raunchy "R" rated comedy that seemingly nobody is making in Hollywood anymore. (B.)
PERSIAN LESSONS--Director Vadim Perelman, who's been mostly MIA since his acclaimed 2003 filmmaking debut, "House of Sand and Fog," returns with one of the most strikingly original Holocaust dramas in recent memory. After being shipped to a concentration camp, Gilles (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) tells anyone within earshot that he's actually Persian, not Jewish. Because dandyish camp commandant Koch (Lars Eidinger) is not-so-secretly obsessed with Persian culture--he plans to open a German restaurant in Teheran after the war!--Gilles is immediately whisked away to become Koch's personal language instructor, despite not knowing a single word of Farsi. The cat-and-mouse game played out between the enigmatic prisoner and supercilious Nazi is suspenseful and even harrowingly funny at times. Gilles uses prisoners names from the camp's logbook to invent words to pacify Koch, but makes a near fatal error when he inadvertently uses the same noun for "bread" and "tree.") While clearly mining "fanciful" Holocaust territory previously mined by Oscar sweethearts "JoJo Rabbit" and "Life is Beautiful," Perelman's movie is superior to both, and his twist ending is immensely gratifying. No extras on the newly released Cohen Media Group/Kino Lorber Blu-Ray. (A MINUS.)
RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRACKEN--16-year-old Kracken Ruby (Lana Condor of Netflix's "All the Boys I've Loved Before" franchise) has been living incognito with her family (Toni Collette and Colman Domingo voice Mr. and Mrs. Gillman) for years in a bucolic seaside town. But when an accident tosses Ruby into the briny deep, her multi-tentacled true self emerges. Despite the protestations of her mom, Ruby finally meets her grandmother (Jane Fonda), the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas, who helps the brainiac teen get in touch with her inner Kracken. A battle royale between Kracken and mermaids ensues--who knew mermaids were secretly evil and that Krackens were really good guys and gals?--but conveniently wraps up just in time for Ruby to attend her high school prom with dreamy skateboarder crush Connor (Jaboukie Young-White). While colorful enough and even fitfully amusing at times, the latest CGI DreamWorks 'toon is nothing we haven't seen dozens of times before. Small kids who dug director Kirk DeMicco's equally unremarkable "The Croods" will probably eat it up, though. (C PLUS.)
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE--This eagerly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2018 CGI 'toon picks up where we left off with Miles (Shameik Moore) becoming increasingly comfortable with his new Spidey powers. There are still a few glitches to be worked out, of course, but that's where gal pal Gwen (Hailee Steinfield) comes in. It's a good thing, too, since there's a new Big Bad in town (Jason Schwartzman's The Spot) hell bent on revenge. Like the first film, the sequel is stunningly animated and chockfull of just-right urban talismans and judicious wit. But at a bladder-busting 140 minutes (making it nearly as long as your average live-action Marvel movie), it's perhaps too much of a good thing. And since this is only Part 2 of a proposed "Spider-Verse" trilogy--the concluding chapter is scheduled for release in 2024--it doesn't so much end as punt on the way to the finish line. (B.)
THE SUPER MARIO BROTHERS MOVIE--"Teen Titans GO! to the Movies" directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic reteam for a DayGlo CGI 'toon adapted from the 38-year-old video game. The ubiquitous Chris Pratt voices Mario who teams up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and a toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to stop fire-breathing Koopa Browser (Jack Black, perfectly cast) from achieving (ho-hum) world domination. Oh yeah; Mario also needs to find brother Luigi (Chaerlie Day) who's mysteriously gone missing in the Mushroom Kingdom. Although it's primary appeal is video game cultists and young children, this is still a vast improvement over the clunky live-action 1993 Mario Bros. movie starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. (C PLUS.)
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS-- The battle between Autobots and Decepticons continues apace in the latest attempt to reboot Michael Bay's HASBRO franchise. But unlike 2018's surprisingly engaging "Bumblebee," this one has a hard time achieving full lift-off. While it was a nice idea to give the series more of a multicultural spin than previous "Trans" flicks which all starred white bread actors like Mark Wahlberg and Shia LaBeouf, maybe the producers should have invested in a screenplay that didn't feel like it was A.I.-generated. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback are pleasant enough company as the principal human protagonists, but they're consistently upstaged by the 'bots which remain the series raison d'etre (recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh voices Airazor, one of a new breed of wild animal Transformers called Maximals). Young kids will probably eat it up, though. (C.)
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ABOUT MY FATHER--Stand up comic and occasional actor Sebastian Maniscalo reunites with his "Irishman" costar Robert De Niro for a self-described "auto-biopic comedy." After Sebastian informs his Italian immigrant father Salvo (De Niro) that he's planning to pop the question to his blue blood girlfriend (Leslie Bibb's Ellie), dad decides to tag along for a weekend getaway at her family's posh estate. It's a culture clash farce pitting Salvo's earthy ethos versus the upper-crust stuffiness of Ellie's snooty parents (David Rasche and Kim Cattrall, both perfectly cast). The whole thing plays like an extended pilot for a new FOX sitcom ("Everybody Loves Salvo"?), but clocking in at a circumspect 89 minutes--including end credits--it never overstays its welcome either. (C PLUS.)
AIR--The genesis of Nike's trademark Air Jordan basketball shoe in the mid-'80s is the unlikely, but highly winning premise of director Ben ("Argo," "The Town") Affleck's brash, witty, furiously paced and terrifically entertaining new docudrama. Affleck BFF Matt Damon plays Sonny Vacarro who hatches his dream shoe idea with the help of ace designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher). But getting the preliminary go-ahead proves surprisingly fraught since neither Sonny's prickly boss (Jason Bateman) or Nike CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) don't think it's a very good idea. And securing the cooperation of Jordan's mom Deloris (a perfectly cast Viola Davis) and agent (Chris Messina) isn't going to be much easier. Fans of "Moneyball" and/or "The Social Network" are sure to love this Inside Baseball (or "Inside Basketball Shoe") movie which has the feel-good vibe of a classic sports flick. It'll make a great streaming double-bill with Apple TV+'s "Tetris" after hitting Amazon later this year. (A.)
ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET--Based on Judy Blume's beloved YA novel, this long-gestating film version proves to have been well worth the wait. Adorable newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson plays 11-year-old Margaret who experiences major culture shock when her parents (Benny Safdie and a radiant Rachel McAdams in the beefed-up mom role) leave 1970's New York City for the Jersey suburbs. Margaret must navigate a new school with the help of a new friend and neighbor (Elle Graham), experiences her first crush (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong) and deals with menstruation, her first kiss and even religion. (A secular upbringng makes Margaret an exotic bird in her heavily Christian neighborhood.) Writer-director Kelly Freman Craig (her 2016 debut, "The Edge of Seventeen," was itself a YA classic) makes nary a false step. Her movie is funny, touching and deeply felt even for Blume initiates like me. As Safdie's Jewish mom, Kathy Bates steals her share of scenes without once veering into caricature. Like everything else here, it's perfectly judged and feels just right. (A MINUS.)
BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER--Carol (Mary Steenburgen), Diane (Diane Keaton), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Vivian (Jane Fonda) take their book club to Italy in director/co-writer Bill Holderman's middling sequel to the equally middling 2018 sleeper hit. The occasion for the post-Covid trip is Vivian's imminent wedding to Arthur (Don Johnson), and the ladies cram in as much scenery (Rome, Venice and Tuscany included), wine, pasta and amour (Sharon strikes a love connection with a retired philosophy professor) as they can squeeze into roughly 100 minutes of screen time. Like the first movie, it all goes down easily enough, and it's always a pleasure to spend time with screen royalty like Fonda, Keaton, Bergen and Steenburgen. But you can't help wishing that rom-com wiz Nancy ("Something's Gotta Give," "The Holiday") Meyers was behind the camera instead of an amiable hack like Holderman. (C PLUS.)
CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER--I first saw Joan Micklin Silver's 1979 adaptation of Ann Beattie's novel back when it was called "Head Over Heels." Despite the fact that the movie was produced by United Artists which had a rep for being the most director-friendly studio in Hollywood, Micklin Silver got a lot of interference in both the pre and post-production process. UA didn't want John Heard to play the male lead (among the names dangled were TV stars Robin Williams and John Ritter), and even vetoed using the title of Beattie's book. Most contentious of all was their insistence upon a new "happy" ending which completely destroyed Beattie and Micklin Silver's vision. But like another UA film that bombed in its initial release (Ivan Passer's "Cutter's Way," also starring Heard), the studio's nascent classics division ultimately gave it a second life as "Chilly Scenes of Winter." (Retitled "Cutter and Bone," Passer's movie became an arthouse hit with a new ad campaign six months after opening, and quickly closing, in theaters.) It would take three years before Micklin Silver's preferred cut returned to theaters, but a few editorial changes (including dropping the studio-mandated ending) and its new title made all the difference. Critics and audiences were a lot kinder this time, turning "Chilly Scenes" into a major cult film. The new Criterion Collections Blu-Ray should help "Chilly Scenes" find a new generation of fans. Sort of a non-romantic rom-com, the movie stars Heard as Salt Lake City civil servant Charles whose on-again/off-again affair with newly separated co-worker Laura (Mary Beth Hurt at her most adorably prickly) turns into a romantic obsession that upends his life, and the lives of everyone surrounding him including his best friend (Peter Riegert), mom (a wonderful Gloria Grahame in her last significant screen role) and stepdad (Kenneth McMillan). Alternately wistful and laugh-out-loud funny, it's a true original and one of Micklin Silver's major works. Extras include the '79 ending for comparison/contrast purposes; a dishy chat with producers Amy Robinson, Griffin Dunne and Mark Metcalf (the latter two have scene-stealing supporting roles in the film); Katja Raganelli's 1983 documentary about Micklin Silver; excerpts from a 2005 Micklin Silver DGA interview; and an essay by Fordham University professor Shanni Enelow. (A.)
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES--Chris Pine has his best screen role in years as disgraced knight turned common thief Edgin Darvis in a swashbuckling adventure flick based on the uber-fetishized 49-year-old board game. With the aid of barbarian partner in crime Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), hapless sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith) and suave nobleman Xenk ("Bridgerton" breakout star Rege-Jean Page), Edgin attempts to retrieve the legendary Tablet of Reawakening in the hopes of restoring his former life/dignity. As a bonus, the Tablet will also resurrect Edgin's dead wife and help him reconcile with his rebellious tween daughter (Chloe Coleman) who's fallen under the sway of Big Bad Farge Fitzwillian (a scene-stealing Hugh Grant). Directed by Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Frances Daley who last teamed for 2018 sleeper hit "Game Night," the film is a mash-up of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Princess Bride," "Star Wars" and probably a dozen other fanboy cultural touchstones. It's also more fun than any recent Marvel movie largely because it never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously. (B PLUS.)
EVIL DEAD RISE--The fifth entry in the gore-soaked horror franchise Sam Raim launched in 1981 feels more like a standalone movie than a sequel. (The first tip-off is the absence of a Bruce Campbell cameo.) Beth (Lily Sullivan) visits her divorced big sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) in L.A. hoping to mend their relationship. During her stay, an earthquake opens an underground tomb hidden beneath Ellie's apartment building. Before you can say, "Boo!," Ellie morphs into a deadly killing machine, and it's up to Beth to save Ellie's three kids and herself from their Monster Mommy. Director Lee ("The Hole in the Ground") Cronin gets beaucoup claustrophobic mileage out of the dingy apartment setting, and expertly choreographs the bloody carnage. (A kitchen is the setting for the most gruesome sequence.) If your taste leans more towards "PG-13" fright flicks, you're clearly not the audience for this film. But for true horror aficionados, it's a bit like an early Halloween treat. (B.)
THE FISHER KING--Although it was Robin Williams' Pagliacci-like turn as Parry, a medieval history professor turned homeless man, that earned the former Mork his first Oscar nomination, Terry Gilliam's fantastical 1991 urban fairy tale is actually stolen by Jeff Bridges' more subtle costarring performance. Bridges, who was doing some of the best work of his career at the time ("The Fabulous Baker Boys" and "Texasville" preceded it), is fantastic playing Jack Lucas, an alcoholic Manhatan shock jock indirectly responsible for inspiring a mass shooting. (Pretty topical, huh?) Gilliam's first real studio film--and the first he made in his native America--blends pointed social satire and mythical allusions to ultimately heart-warming effect. It's like a Frank Capra movie written by Bret Ellis Easton in his "American Psycho" fabulist mode. Good support from Mercedes Ruehl (who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her bravura portrayal of Jack's video store owner girlfriend), Amanda Plummer (the waif-like object of Parry's affection who he likens to "God's symbol of divine grace") and a scene-stealing Michael Jeter as a down on his luck gay cabaret singer who does a wicked Ethel Merman imitation. The new Criterion Collection box set includes a 4K UHD disc presented in Dolby Vision HDR and a Blu-Ray which contains the film as well as supplementary bonus features. Because this is Criterion, the extras are suitably impressive. There'sGilliam's audio commentary track; interviews with Gilliam, producer Lynda Obst, screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, Bridges, Plummer and Ruehl; a 2006 Williams interview; 1991 footage of Bridges training as a disc jockey with acting coach Stephen W. Bridgewater; costume tests; deleted scenes with audio commentary from Gilliam; interviews with Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds who designed the movie's hallucinatory "Red Knight;" and an essay by esteemed New York Magazine critic Bilge Ebiri. (A.)
GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT--Jake Gyllenhaal plays U.S. Army Master Sergeant John Kinley whose life is saved by Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim) during a Taliban ambush. When he learns that the military's promised safe transport of Ahmed and his family to America has been cancelled, Kinley embarks upon a suicide mission to rescue them. Although this is the first Guy ("The Gentlemen," "RocknRolla") Ritchie movie to incorporate his name in the title, it feels less like a typical Ritchie joint than Michael Bay directing a script that Clint Eastwood passed on. It's not "bad," and Gyllenhaal and Salim are both very good, but Peter Berg ("Lone Survivor") and Eastwood himself ("American Sniper") got there first and did it better. (C PLUS.)
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER IV--The fourth in Keanu Reeves' Zen-kamikaze franchise that launched in 2014 is the longest (clocking in at 169 minutes) and most extreme (I have no idea how it got an "R" rating). It could also be the finest. Former stuntman-turned-director Chad Stehelski--who helmed all the "Wick" movies--achieves genuine auteur status with this outing. It's almost entirely comprised of jaw-dropping, balletic action setpieces luxuriantly shot in long take, and they're like Sam Peckinpah directing a Sergio Leone yakuza western: a veritable grindhouse orgy of physical destruction. Still persona non grata after killing a High Table crime lord in the last film, Reeves' Wick is once again on the run as he fends off seemingly dozens of assassins contracted to take him down. The Big Bad calling the shots from his Versailles-like estate is the wonderfully creepy Marquis de Grament (played by "It" killer clown Bill Skarasgard), and Stehelski globe-hops with elan and evident relish. The Middle East, Tokyo (the setting for a Japanese garden conflagration that even surpasses the one in "Kill Bill, Volume 1"), Germany (where a futuristic night club becomes a literal killing field) and Paris (for a "you-ain't-seen-nuthin'-yet" finale featuring a vertigo-inducing 222-step stairwell) are all dutifully checked on your cine-passport. Series regulars Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and Donnie Yen reprise their signature roles, but it's Reeves in his adieu to the Wick-ian universe that you came to see and he's ineffably "Keanu" to the core. A spin-off starring Ana de Armas is already in the can (with a rumored Reeves cameo), so it might not really be "The End" for Mr. Wick. But if this really is his long goodbye, "Chapter 4" insures that we'll never forget him. (A MINUS.)
THE MACHINE--A rowdy, drunken college semester that comedian Rob Kreischer spent in Russia--previously chronicled in a 2016 Showtime special--comes back to haunt him 23 years later in this one-joke vanity production. When Rob and his estranged dad (Mark Hamill, a long way from a galaxy far, far away) are kidnapped by Russian mobsters, he has to muster his inner Rambo--or is that Luke Sykwalker?--to save the day. The best thing in the movie is Jimmy Tatro who plays the college-age Rob in intermittent flashbacks. The fact that Tatro, unlike Kreischer, is actually pretty charming and a decent actor makes you miss him whenever he's offscreen. Unless you're a die hard Kreischer fan, there's no crying need to rush out and see this in a theater since it'll be on Netflix before Labor Day. Director Peter Atencio had much better luck corralling Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key in 2016's "Keanu." (C MINUS.)
PASOLINI 101--The Criterion Collection's monumental new box set commemorating the 101st anniversary of the late Pier Paolo Pasolini's birth is the first must-own Blu-Ray release of 2023. Comprised of nine films spread over nine discs with the usual Criterion cornucopia of extras, "Pasolini" contains every significant Pasolini feature made between 1961-1970. Pasolini's latter films, "Salo" and the three titles comprising his fabled "Trilogy of Life" ("The Decameron," "The Arabian Nights" and "The Canterbury Tales") were all released previously by Criterion.
Pasolini led such a fascinating life, it's not surprising that Abel Ferrara made him the subject of a 2014 biopic in which Willem Dafoe played Pasolini. The son of an army officer, he was already an established novelist, poet and essayist by the time he entered the film industry in 1954 as a screenwriter. (His most noteworthy early screen credit was co-writing Fellini's "The Nights of Cabiria.") Almost all of Pasolini's early movies depict the lives of Italy's working class or peasants, and many use non-actors. He frequently came to loggerheads with Italian authorities and the Catholic Church over his films which frequently included sex, violence and various other anti-establishment "blasphemies." But they have such a raw, even profound beauty that it renders their less savory aspects strangely palatable.
His 1961 debut, "Accattone," a reworking of his novel, "A Violent Life," is a grimly realistic evocation of the sordid existence of a pimp living in a particularly squalid section of Rome. "Mamma Roma" (1962) stars Anna Magnani as a Roman prostitute who poignantly aspires to a middle class life. Both films evince a compassion for the lower class inspired by Pasolini's paradoxical mix of influences: his left wing commitment to Marxism, as well as a deeply felt, almost mystical religiosity.
The relatively obscure "Love Meetings" (1964) remains a fascinating time capsule: a documentary consisting of interviews with ordinary Italian citizens (rural and city dwellers; young and old; liberals and conservatives) discussing everything from marriage, divorce, gender roles, homosexuality and sex workers.
"The Gospel According to St. Matthew" (1966) was the finest screen treatment of the life of Christ until Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" 22 years later. By presenting New Testament gospels in a radically new style, the uncompromising "St. Matthew" is rough-edged, grindingly realistic, spellbinding to watch and has a powerful emotional impact. Along with his scandalous 1975 masterpiece, "Salo," it remains Pasolini's greatest film.
Heavily allegorical, "The Hawks and the Sparrows" (also 1966) is a stylized and amusing fable about a father and son who encounter a talking bird on their wayward journey through the Italian countryside. The bird actually turns out to be a bit of a windbag, philosophizing on such favorite Pasolini topics as Christianity and socialism. There's even an extended cameo by St Francis of Assisi thanks to the loquacious bird's time traveling abilities.
"Oedipus Rex" (1967) and "Porcile" (1970) are both remarkable in their individual way. The former for its unique desert setting which suggests primeval times; the latter as a pitch-black comedy tour-de-force.
In the darkly compelling "Teorema" (1968), Terrence Stamp plays an enigmatic, Christ-like stranger who insinuates himself into the lives and beds of a patrician Milanese family. A parable of near mathematical precision, it's one of Pasolini's most divisive and brilliant films.
In her only screen role, legendary opera diva Maria Callas played the title role in the director's stunning 1970 Euripides adaptation, "Medea." After helping a beefy Jason steal the Golden Fleece to regain the throne, Callas' Medea becomes a woman possessed when he spurns her romantic advances. "My revenge shall be splendid!," Medea-Callas promises, and Pasolini makes sure that she makes good on her threat. The stark imagery at times recalls the settings of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. Groovy.
Supplemental features include two shorts Pasolini contributed for anthology films "La Ricotta" (1963) and "The Sequence of the Paper Flowers" (1969); two docs Pasolini made during his travels; a new featurette on Pasolini's signature visual style told through his
writings and narrated by Tilda Swinton and Rachel Kushner; audio commentaries for "Accatone" and "Teorema;" documentaries on Pasolini's life/career including archival interviews with Pasolini and many of his collaborators; a 1966 episode of the French television show, "Cineastes de notre temps;" interviews with filmmakers and scholars discussing Pasolini's oeuvre and cinematic legacy; and a 100-page essay book on the disc's films by critic James Quandt with writings and drawings by Pasolini himself. (A PLUS.)
RENFIELD--Nicolas Cage is Dracula and Nicholas Holt the Count's manservant Renfield in Chris ("The LEGO Batman Movie") McKay's quasi-clever, semi-dumb horror comedy. Once Renfield falls for New Orleans traffic cop Awkwafina, he decides it's time to leave his toxic co-dependent relationship with the narcissistic bloodsucker. (Some of the best scenes are set in group therapy sessions run by a dweeby Brandon Scott Jones.) A subplot involving local mobsters--Ben Schwartz plays the idiot son of local crime boss Shohreh Aghdashloo--needed more fleshing out to fully work, but the lead performances are good (and funny) enough to leave you pleasantly buzzed. Best of all, the whole thing wraps up at just under 90 minutes. (B MINUS.)
THELMA AND LOUISE--Thirty two years later, it's ironic that a movie called "Thelma and Louise" is best remembered for introducing a young actor named Brad. That would be Oscar winner Brad Pitt who committed grand larceny in his breakthrough supporting role as the rascally J.D. in Ridley Scott and Callie Khouri's proto #TimesUp manifesto. Not that Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis--both of whom were Oscar nominated, along with Khouri (who won), Scott and cinematographer Adrian Biddle--are chopped liver. As BFFs who become inadvertent fugitives from the law when their girls' trip goes awry, Davis (mousy housewife Thelma) and Sarandon (brassy waitress Louise) are both fantastically empathetic. Thanks to combustible chemistry, you actually believe their ride-or-die friendship will literally take them off a cliff. There's also good supporting work from Harvey Keitel (the surprisingly sympathetic cop on the distaff duo's trail), Michael Madsen (Louise's good-ole-boy male pal) and Christopher McDonald (Thelma's weaselly husband). While the somewhat nihilistic ending remains a source of controversy, it felt emotionally right in 1991 and even more so today. The newly released, director-approved Blu-Ray Criterion Collection special edition includes a cornucopia of extras on two discs. Among them are two separate audio commentary tracks with Scott, Khouri, Sarandon and Davis; contemporary interviews with Scott and Khouri; a documentary featuring Sarandon, Davis, Pitt, Madsen, McDonald, Scott, Khouri and other members of the cast/crew; "Boy and Bicycle," Scott's first short film from 1965; the original theatrical featurette; storyboards, deleted and extended scenes, including an elongated ending with Scott's commentary; a music video for former Eagle Glenn Frey's "Part of Me, Part of You;" and essays by critics Rachel Syme and Jessica Kiang and Rebecca Traister, author of the seminal feminist tome, "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger and All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation." (A.)
---Milan Paurich