2019 Film Review: Green Book (2018)

Directed by: Peter Farrelly
Written by: Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
IMDb Link

I'll start posting there exclusively soon, but for now, my review is posted to my new site here.

Sometimes great actors go far beyond the material they are given. Such is the case with Green Book, a film tries and fails to reach further than the scope of its two leading characters, but whose leading men make far more out of their roles than most could.


The story follows Tony "Lip" Vallelonga (Mortensen), an Italian-American self-described "bullshit artist" who in a dry spell of work gets a job driving Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), an African-American piano master, on a two month tour through the Deep South in 1962. Through several charming anecdotes and uncomfortable, racially charged experiences, the two grow to become friends, almost by necessity. It's not exactly the most original story, but Green Book manages to put its strengths front and centre.

If nothing else, the performances from the film's two leads are fantastic. Mortensen embraces every facet of the character to create a trashy yet charming depiction of Vallelonga, the naive but street-smart archetype coming alive in a way that only a master of the craft can handle. It would be so easy for Vallelonga to devolve in to little more than broad stereotype, but Mortensen takes every opportunity he has to add that much more to the role than is first apparent, little immature moments weaved so naturally with his character-building moment, each step forward accompanied by a stumble that only has as much credibility as Mortensen gives it. Ali does just as well, ultimately more impressive for making his character as well-rounded and human with even less screen-time. We so rarely see the story from Shirley's perspective, yet Ali turns each moment we are alone with him in to a quiet realisation of what's going on inside him, saying nothing and yet priming viewers for his inevitable eruption. As strong as the two are on their own, they shine when they are together, their camaraderie despite their differences feeling so genuine despite the film's melodrama, the comedic moments where Vallelonga's naivete brushes up against Shirley's cultured demeanour, or Vallelonga balks at Shirley's lack of street experience, keeping the film going largely due to the work both leading men manage to accomplish together in just the space of a Cadillac.

The soundtrack is particularly noteworthy as well. The film generally rolls around playing jazz to keep the film light and breezy, any moments where things could get charged quickly forgotten as the film saunters to another anecdote with dulcet tones swinging every step. It also creates a strong contrast with Shirley's own classical work, and builds one of the film's primary themes in to the film itself. There's more examination of culture and class differences in the film's soundtrack then there is in the film proper, all the while doing its best to keep the film moving. That said, as much as the soundtrack and the leading performances work together to forge a good movie, it's not enough to make the film a great one.

What's bizarre about the experience is how much everything besides the lead performances and soundtrack weigh this feather-light film down. Several scenes are completely unnecessary for moving the story or characters forward, sometimes accomplishing nothing but re-iterating ideas present in the movie in the most on-the-nose and contrived way possible, without actually elaborating those ideas further. The film never builds to anything beyond the friendship between the two leading men, and any barrier to that is little more than a bump, yet it often attempts to insert conflict where it need not be, and so flaccidly that it comes off as little more than cheap and cheesy melodrama. Any narrative conflict seems to be used as little more than window dressing for more scenes of excellent actors acting excellently, any conversations the film has regarding race or class or social disconnect or sexuality are just another tool in the actor's toolbox. Then there's the framing of the film, which manages to flesh out Mortensen's Vallelonga considerably, because it tells the whole story from his perspective, but in the case of Ali's Shirley, the film had to rely mostly on Ali's magnificent charisma. It's almost like this film was put together using a series of charming anecdotes that Vallelonga told to his son, with no real connective tissue other than the two people involved, and embellished for the sake of seeming more significant than it actually is, before being re-told here by that same son. Almost.

Perhaps that's a little cynical of me to say in a movie that attempts so hard to be heartwarming, and know that I do recommend the film on the basis of its performances and soundtrack alone, but so much else in this film feels limited or shallow in its perspective, and seemingly unable to get away from obvious cliches, and as a result the overall experience too often seems fake. It's a movie that's saved by its performances, by two people too good at their jobs to let a movie be bad when they have so much understanding of good character work, breathing life in to material that otherwise offers such empty expressions of its ideas.

The Short Version: Stellar performances hold up a meandering story that charms when it tries to be funny but lays it on far too thick and with no self-awareness when it tries to tug at heartstrings.

Rating: 6.5/10

Published February 1st, 2019

2019 Film Review: Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)

Directed by: Tatsuya Nagamine
Written by: Akira Toriyama
Starring: Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, Vic Mignogna
IMDb Link

New Blog Link

As a long-time fan of the Dragon Ball franchise, this was everything I wanted it to be and more, with levels of hype and fan indulgence only a show about super-powered alien apes becoming gods by fighting each other can create. That said, if you're not already a fan, I can't see this offering a particularly fulfilling experience, so if you're looking for a jumping off point for the show, this isn't it.

After a Super-Saiyan load of set-up where we learn the retconned details about the backstories of Goku (Schemmel), Vegeta (Sabat), and Broly (Mignogna), the film brings the three Saiyans together via a newly revived Lord Frieza (Christopher Ayres) and has them battle it out because Broly is damaged by his father and neither Goku nor Vegeta are one to turn down a fight. There's some scant themes about legacy and fatherhood amidst the battle, as Broly's complex but antagonistic relationship with his father informs most of the fight's turns, and Goku quickly realises how Broly is being manipulated, but for the most part the film is half build-up, half fight.

While the build-up is sometimes slow or awkward as the film needs to re-explain a dozen or so pieces of lore that most fans of the show are already aware of and that aren't enough to catch up non-fans on their own, the fight is the main event, and it almost never disappoints. The sense of scale is lost a bit as a quick reference to how their energy could destroy the planet if they touched Earth is seemingly forgotten as endless barrages of energy blasts somehow keep their destruction contained to one continent, but the fight's escalation is damn-near perfect, first earning a few points from Vegeta fans as he kicks Broly around effortlessly, before Broly himself begins to tap in to and learn to harness his power, losing all sense of self and becoming a mindless engine of destruction, literally learning techniques on the fly and brutalising the other two Saiyans effortlessly. It all looks breathtaking too, the sort of raw power on display is animated gorgeously as the film swirls around a constantly crumbling landscape, the force behind each fighter's punches and blasts given the extra oomph they need to pop on-screen dazzlingly.

That said, what made the experience for me was the sense of humour. While Dragon Ball has for the longest time had an identity as "that show where muscular men scream for twenty minutes", it's always had a funny side too. The whole conflict begins because both Bulma and Frieza are looking for the eponymous Dragon Balls, not for infinite wealth or immortality, but (for Bulma) to be younger or (for Frieza) to be taller, but not so much younger or taller that it looks unnatural. The once villainous God of Destruction Beerus has to be the one to watch Bulma and Vegeta's baby while they save the world. Goku and Vegeta's failed attempts at fusing are interspersed with Frieza getting the absolute crap beaten out of him. Despite the film's world-ending and hype-building nature, it never lets go of a slightly whimsical tone that makes the whole experience that much more fun. There isn't exactly substance here, but there is a vision for what the collective audience wants, and the film delivers spectacularly.

The Short Version: No amount of preamble or clunky, unnecessary dialogue is enough to dilute the raw, unadulterated indulgence this movie offers to fans. The themes are barely explored and the content is so steeped in the lore that only long-time admirers will find it appealing, but I am one, so for me this was nothing short of glorious.

Rating: Gogeta and Broly punch each other so hard that they rip holes in to other dimensions/10

Published January 28th, 2019

2019 Film Review: The Favourite (2018)

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
Starring: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz
IMDb Link

As before, I'm putting together a slightly more presentable new website, and you can read the review for The Favourite there as well.

Between The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, this was by far the least weird and most coherent movie I've seen from Yorgos Lanthimos. I'm sure some people will miss the utter absurdity of his work, but personally if he continues to work with people who write movies as fantastic as this then I'll take the compromise.

The story follows Queen Anne (Colman), her best friend Lady Sarah (Weisz), and the newly hired scullery maid Abigail (Stone), as each of them play one another to achieve their goals. Abigail, once noble but now fallen, hired only because Lady Sarah is family, offers a kindness to the Queen that puts her in the position of the Queen's personal servant, allowing Abigail a chance to lie, cheat and manipulate her way to a position of power once more. Lady Sarah, the real influence behind the throne, has her own concerns with keeping the Queen in check, with a war to run and her sights set on greater power, not one to let some upstart take her place so easily. The Queen, stricken and frail with loss, is simply happy to let the other two quarrel over her, less concerned with the power she wields and more satisfied with feeling wanted.

The film's writing is incredible, and the performances of the three leads sells it completely. The characters can't even get half-way through a conversation before someone slips an insult in like poison in to tea, and the power of the words they doll out is juxtaposed cleverly against the appearance of a stiff upper lip, only for such a facade to be broken down over and over and over again. It also contrasts with the approach of the men in the movie, particularly Leader of the Opposition Harley (played with delicious extravagance by Nicolas Hoult), whose failures at maintaining respect are met with instant and hilariously brutal responses (his character has one of the best utterances of the word "c*nt" put to film). There's almost never a dull moment, as the characters build up Machiavellian plans in such a way for the audience to have a sumptuous feast of comedic irony, or meet an expected turn that then jolts with shock humour.

What adds so much to it all is the nuance in the performances, the writing and the tone. Abigail is at first vulnerable, and there's a great sense of triumph at her successes when she's downtrodden, but as the film goes on that triumph turns to guilt. Likewise, Lady Sarah is deceptive enough to always carry a minor hatred beneath her marvelous charm, but despite her actions there's an undeniable sympathy for her at her nadir. Both Stone and Weisz manage to play these complex roles to extraordinary effect, each playing to the writing's strengths and working with one another to create characters that become more interesting with every word spoken between them, but even they are somewhat overshadowed by the prodigious work of Colman. Queen Anne at first appears as little more than naivete, a sickly blank slate for Abigail's and Lady Sarah's plans to bounce off of, yet by the end of the film she is an absolute powerhouse that shows how little all of their work added up to. This transformation doesn't come easy either, it's earned through the rare moments where the film drops its own facade of arch people doing arch things for the sake of absurdity and reminds the audience that the people can still be real and wounded and struggling. The film plays to this slow revelation of the Queen's character in these moments too, the walls blurring and turning, and her face stricken with fear and disorientation. It's a piece the film didn't need in order to be good, yet its inclusion elevates the film to rare heights of excellence, and Colman plays and indelible role in the character's realisation.

The Short Version: The interplay between the three leading ladies is truly magnificent, and its measured combination of wit, irony and shock humour makes The Favourite utterly charming, while the deliberate tonal shifts and moments of distorted perspective help to emphasise the nuance of the commanding performances of the core cast.

Rating: 9/10

Published January 25th, 2019

2019 Film Review: Glass (2019)

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson
IMDb Link

Before I get started, I just want to say that I'm putting together a new site for my reviews, where I have also posted my review for Glass. You can follow the link to my new site here.

Unbreakable was a piece ahead of its time, approaching super hero stories with a grounded and intimate perspective that saw the value in the both the literal and metaphorical value of super heroes. At the best of times, Glass reflects further development of Unbreakable's deconstructionist ideas, even if that development is coming nearly two decades and one super hero renaissance too late; the rest of the time, the film is so awkward and heavy-handed that the execution of those ideas devalues them.

Since Unbreakable, David Dunn (Willis), still super-powered and weak to water, is running his own security service with his son while doing secret super hero work on the side, in the process coming in to conflict with The Horde (McAvoy), all 24 identities of an extreme DID case, fresh off a few killing sprees after Split. The first third of the movie does a really good job of establishing the movie's tone and character motivations, jumping between the sombre heroics of Dunn and the creeping horror of The Horde's cult-like perspective on their superhuman identity, The Beast; the two come together in a way that is somehow both self-serious and unapologetically goofy, a factor that gets amplified when their conflict ultimately gets them thrown in an insane asylum alongside Elijah Price (Jackson), also known as Mr. Glass, under the care of Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), who seeks to cure them of their collective comic book delusion. Here the movie becomes slow, contemplative, toeing a strange line between things that are somewhat clever and things that are intentionally dumb, sometimes carrying the ideas re-established in the first third and other times beating the audience of their heads with self-aware super hero stuff, all while lacking that same self-awareness when it comes to the mental health stuff. Unfortunately, the film goes off the rails when it tries to ramp things back up again, packing thematically appropriate twists on top of completely mindless twists and never quite finding the clarity of purpose in presenting all of them when some don't mesh at all, getting silly in a bad way towards the final few scenes. None of this is helped by the film's dialogue, which has the same inconsistency, sometimes nauseatingly meta, and other times layered enough to be smart. Still, in this uneven mess there are a few standouts that made experience worthwhile, mostly in the performances.

McAvoy is incredible in his reprisal, shifting between each identity with the slightest adjustments in posture, expression, or tone of voice, creating images of people that are distinct from one another despite all occupying the same body. Similarly, his character is far more well developed in this, positioned with an opportunity to explore the character of Kevin Wendell Crumb, the man behind all of the identities, in a way that actually allows him to have an arc and be more than just a villain with a thematic tie-in to the ideas of the film. These two strengths allow for one incredible moment among several bad ones in the film's finale that makes what was once an object of horror completely sympathetic, and while the noisy nonsense happening around it could potentially drown out the weight of such a moment, McAvoy's performance keeps the film from falling in to disarray completely. There's also Jackson, whose performance is appropriately arch, sometimes little more than a twitch and at other times offering the most hammy of deliveries to make the movie's baffling dialogue digestible, even if Mr. Glass doesn't have the same nuance as he did in Unbreakable, and the most added to his story is a set of twists that do nothing to change the character.

It's the strange thing about Glass; so many aspects clash with one another, too over-the-top to be dull but not focused enough to work effectively most of the time, and yet when things fit together, the movie manages to shine. There's no shortage of intention, either; each step the movie takes, whether misstep or magic, is done with the most deliberate choice, almost trying to find a completely different movie in the movie the audience is looking for. It doesn't make for a particularly entertaining experience outside of the film's best moments, but the movie is still fascinating to behold for not just what it tries to do and succeeds at, but how it fails as well.

The Short Version: While the dialogue is painfully obnoxious at times and so many twists stacked on top of one another flatten the emotional impact of some of the later scenes, Glass manages to get by on a strong set of performances, particularly McAvoy and Jackson, a tone that isn't afraid to be a little goofy at times, and a few thematic punches I was impressed it even attempted to land.

Rating: 6/10

Published January 21st, 2019