Change Your Image
ccamp89
5 - complete adoration, blew me away, unconditionally love it, a true masterpiece and/or a personal classic that i hold above all others
4.5 - fantastic, loved it, something special that stood out and resonated with me beyond the average great film
4 - great, standard rating for a film i thought was very good and thoroughly enjoyed, but wouldn't say i loved or stood apart as something special to me
3.5 - solid film that i enjoyed quite a bit, but that didn't fully resonate with me and/or had some notable flaws which held it back
3 - decent film that left me with a mildly positive overall impression and that i enjoyed, though not all that much
2.5 - a film that left me feeling either indifferent or conflicted
2 - mildly negative overall impression of the film, though i didn't hate it and/or wouldn't call it outright bad, possibly just not for me
1.5 - outright bad film, though may have a few redeeming qualities that save it from being completely awful
1 - awful film that had no redeeming qualities, i liked nothing about it
0.5 - a film i found to be not just awful but offensive, i absolutely hated every second of it
In my reviews, I will also use the score modifiers "weak", "solid", and "strong" for additional shading of my star rating (excluding 5 star films).
My Film Collection:
http://www.blu-ray.com/community/collection.php?u=391074
My Letterboxd Account:
https://letterboxd.com/Kubriiick/
Reviews
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Strong 1.5 // Brain Dead
Thanks Spiral, for reminding me why I haven't watched a Saw movie in a decade. Inane, hamfisted, and absolutely brain dead. The only thing worse than the cliché-ridden plot is the totally uninspired traps. Chris Rock is shockingly bad in this film. He does fine with the shoehorned-in comedic moments, but his attempts at portraying fear, disgust, or anger are so off the mark that it's hard to imagine what the bad takes must've looked like. You can see the patented Saw plot twist coming from a mile away, and the movie still goes above and beyond to excessively, insultingly explain it to you as if you didn't predict it an hour ago. I guess the production design looked nice?
Strong 1.5/5.
Saint Maud (2019)
Weak 4 // Well-worn, but comfy nonetheless
Saint Maud is a debut film that feels like one. It treads familiar psychological horror ground and wears its influences on its sleeve. Carrie, The Witch, Under the Skin, and First Reformed all flash into mind at various moments. Thematically, it has a mildly disappointing bluntness. Its exploration of self-denial, masochism, sexuality, psychosis, and religious delusion is frequently on-the-nose and, at its worst, trite.
What it lacks in subtlety, though, it makes up for in its bold visuals, unsettling tone, and infectious first-timer energy. Rose Glass creates a compelling portrait of a woman in extreme conflict with herself, at odds with the very foundation of her being and grasping desperately for a sense of purpose. The juxtaposition of saintly and savage imagery handsomely evokes the internal battle between the superego and id raging inside Maud, brought convincingly to life by the perfectly-cast Morfydd Clark. It's well-worn, but comfy nonetheless.
Weak 4/5
Relic (2020)
Strong 4 // Impossible Connection
Relic begins in unassuming fashion. A mysterious disappearance. An empty house. Unsettling dreams. A malicious presence. It's nothing horror fans haven't seen many times before, though it has a tender restraint and steady-handed direction which promise something greater than the traditional setup would suggest.
Low and behold, it delivers on that promise. As it draws near its finale, the film deftly veers away from the supernatural and warps into a disorienting, surrealistic portrait of dementia. The house itself becomes a clever metaphor for the declining psyche with maze-like corridors littered with misplaced memories and shards of personal history. The family of the affected wander the labyrinth, desperately seeking an impossible connection with their unrecognizable loved one. Eventually, it builds to a hauntingly somber, wordless sequence in which the profound despair of the loss is articulated entirely through visuals. It's a powerful conclusion which solidifies Relic as a resonant and effective addition to the psychological horror cannon.
Strong 4/5
Possessor (2020)
Solid 4 // Lives up to the Cronenberg name
Brandon lives up to the Cronenberg name with Possessor. Chilly atmosphere. Nefarious corporations. Dangerous technology. Heady themes. And, of course, horrifically beautiful practical effects. And buckets of blood. Think Under the Skin but with the violence dialed to 11. The narrative leaves a bit to be desired and the ideas could've been more satisfyingly explored, but the icy tone and audacious visuals are more than enough to carry it.
Solid 4/5
The Assistant (2019)
Weak 3.5 // Slow but effective
While not particularly exciting, if you're intrigued by the idea of a film that explores the experience of navigating office sexual misconduct with an admirable level of restraint and realism it delivers. Take a movie like Bombshell, sap out all of the drama, politics, and "big moments," and narrow the focus to the singular, almost real-time perspective of the affected employee over the course of a single workday and you have some idea of what this movie offers. The degree to which it's able to capture the sense of internal conflict and isolation of its protagonist is admirable, and it builds (very slowly) to an affecting conclusion. Or you might just be really bored, and I wouldn't blame you.
Weak 3.5/5
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Strong 4 // Hall of Mirrors
Charlie Kaufman returns 5 years after his enjoyable, though mildly underwhelming, animated film Anomalisa with yet another existentialist deep dive. I'm Thinking of Ending Things feels like wandering through a labyrinthian hall of mirrors, each reflection juxtaposed and overlapped into a prismatic portrait of... I'm not even sure. An evening? A relationship? A life? A consciousness? It's disorienting, surreal, barren, and lonely. It's funny too.
At one point, our protagonist struggles to articulate how a painting of a landscape can be "sad." How a combination of colors and shapes, textures and shadows can evoke an emotion just as potent as a warm smile or a pair of glassy eyes. That's precisely Kafuman's strength. The way he's assembled this film - the framing, pacing, structure, editing, sound - elicits such a particular combination of loneliness, melancholy, and existential dread. And as the "story" splinters and evaporates, it's that feeling that lingers, whole.
Strong 4/5
Swallow (2019)
Strong 2.5 // Heavy-Handed
Swallow has the building blocks of a great film: an enticing premise, striking visuals, and an earnest attempt at psychological depth. For a debut feature, there is a fair amount to admire as Carlo Mirabella-Davis comes through with a few compelling images and unsettling moments. Unfortunately, though, they're just that: images and moments, fleeting and disconnected, adrift in a film that feels amorphous and undercooked.
Davis sets the stage for a deep dive into the psychology of masochism, self-harm, and shame only to frustratingly skim the surface. Crucial character revelations are doled out via clunky expositional therapy scenes. Complex psychopathology is boiled down to the point of contrivance. Heavy-handed and banal moments abound - a narcissistic husband comically absorbed in his phone over dinner, a hush ripples through a party as a character experiences embarrassment, a sex offender psychoanalyzes himself on command. Save for a few scattered moments, it's consistently trite and settles for cheap theatrics.
Its biggest saving grace is Haley Bennett, who gives a convincing performance despite the lackluster material. She has an alluring quality and impresses a number of times with both restrained and emotionally intense moments. It's a shame, though, that her character feels increasingly inconsistent as the film progresses, amassing an unlikely blend of conflicting traits that warp to suit the disjointed narrative: naive and aloof at times, domineering and unhinged at others.
I do admire the film on some level for its attempt at tackling this challenging subject matter and there are some sparks that fly here and there. But it isn't enough to conceal the serious foundational flaws, and the film ultimately rings hollow.
Strong 2.5/5
Tenki no ko (2019)
Solid 1.5 // Frankenstein
I wasn't as head-over-heels for Shinkai's last film, Your Name, as everyone else seemed to be, but I still enjoyed its unabashed, cosmic take on teen romance. It was a bit melodramatic for my taste, but it had an undeniable charm and a pure-hearted intent that was hard to resist. Given the fact that it went on to become the highest-grossing anime of all time in Japan, I guess you can't blame the guy for trying to capture the same magic with his follow up. But sadly, Weathering with You is such a transparent rehashing that it feels like a parody of itself. It takes all of the same elements - teen love, fate, fantastical realism, coming of age, melodrama, natural wonder - and remixes it into a frankenstein version of Your Name without any of the finesse or charm. The main characters here can be boiled down to "boy who ran away from home" and "girl who lost her mom." In two hours, we learn absolutely nothing about these individuals or their families. Instead, we're treated to ridiculously overblown setpieces soundtracked by overbearing pop-rock tunes which fall eye-rollingly flat given that no time at all is spent investing us in these characters. The first half isn't awful and does a serviceable job of setting a tone, but the third act is an absolute train wreck full of clashing tones, poorly-executed action sequences, sloppy writing, and ridiculous plot contrivances. The writing is a problem for much of the film as well with clunky exposition and extremely on-the-nose dialogue in which the characters gratingly explain the movie to you. I have to say, I'm a bit baffled at the positive reception for this. Even if you loved Your Name, I wouldn't recommend it.
Solid 1.5/5
1917 (2019)
Solid 2.5 // Shallow Spectacle
For better or worse, 1917 is a film in which seemingly all the creative energy was focused on its technical elements. The extremely long takes are impressive, the fluid shot compositions arresting, the sets beautifully realized and convincing. But once that initial sense of awe inevitably wanes, it becomes naggingly clear that the film has nothing to offer beyond its visual splendor. It plays like a theme park ride, stringing together setpieces that offer superficial thrills but ultimately fail to engage on any emotional or intellectual level. It appears to be going for a hyperrealistic, you-are-there experience but never comes close to capturing any real sense of chaos or pandemonium. Everything feels too tightly-controlled and manicured to translate as the real thing, especially with the conspicuous direction constantly drawing attention to itself. It doesn't help either that the film seems to have an inflated sense of self-importance, as if all the theatrics are in service to some grand commentary on humanity, friendship, life, and death. In reality, it's a popcorn film that fancies itself a fine work of art, ultimately lacking in any real thematic or emotional depth. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; if you're primarily looking for a visual spectacle you're likely to be satisfied. If that's the case, I'd even recommend it. I fully applaud the effort and skill it took to make, though wish I could say it was in service to something more than killing two hours nursing your calorie-dense snack of choice.
Solid 2.5/5
Uncut Gems (2019)
Weak 4.5 // Sensory Overload
Overwhelming in the most positive sense of the word, Uncut Gems is top-notch experiential filmmaking. With no exposition or frame-setting to speak of, the Safdie brothers simply drop you right into the tornadic center of their protagonist's (antagonist's?) experience. Right from the get-go, you'll find yourself squinting your eyes at the sensory overload: overlapping, chaotic dialogue, bright fluorescent and neon lights, manic camera work, and a whole lot of good old fashion yelling. The entire movie has a stream-of-consciousness quality as you struggle to keep up with every increasingly awful decision Sandler's character makes. The downside of this approach is that the movie necessarily forgoes a clear narrative structure and may test the patience of some viewers who appreciate more traditional storytelling. At times the film can feel unfocused, but if you're on its wavelength this really only adds to the experience. The Safdies also manage to inject enough humanity, particularly through the family drama, to give the film the emotional core it really needed to anchor it all. If for nothing else, see it for Sandler's operatic performance.
Weak 4.5/5
The Irishman (2019)
Strong 3.5 // An ruminative exploration of aging and loss
Another notch in the belt for Martin Scorsese. It's a restrained and surprisingly somber affair that primarily explores the process of aging and loss - loss of family, friends, vitality, and era. At 3.5 hours the deliberate pacing and ruminative tone become a bit of a challenge, though the length is instrumental in truly exploring these themes and achieving the impact of the final act. If you've seen mafia films before there are some familiar beats here, though the acting and Scorsese's execution are so top-notch that the familiarity doesn't detract from the experience. It's not the most exciting film in his cannon and it's unlikely to become a personal favorite, though it's always a pleasure to spend a few hours absorbed in an experience so richly crafted.
Strong 3.5/5
Waves (2019)
Strong 4 // One of the most exciting young American directors
Trey Edward Shults solidifies himself as one of the most exciting young American directors working today. Like Krisha and It Comes at Night before it, Waves is another deep dive into family psychology, though with a far grander scope and an operatic tone reminiscent of the work of Terrance Mallick. The pure energy and style of the filmmaking here, particularly in the first half, is truly something to behold. The camera whips and whirls, the music surges, the emotions sear, and scenes transition between one another in a fluid stream of consciousness. Then things settle down as the movie unexpectedly switches gears. It's an interesting structural choice that makes for a unique flow to the film and certainly helps put you in the emotional headspace of the characters, though the slowness of the last third compared to the first and its relative lack of narrative thrust can become a bit patience-testing. Ambition is one of the film's greatest strengths but also winds up being one of its weaknesses. If there's one thing that holds it back, it's that the execution just doesn't quite match that ambition in the film's final act. It just barely misses the mark on the emotional resolution it really needed to tie things up after its long, emotional journey. Still, when this film is at its best, it offers up some of the most powerful images and drama of the year. Shults has a masterpiece in him somewhere, and I can't wait to see him realize it.
Strong 4/5
Marriage Story (2019)
Solid 4.5 // Family dramas don't get much better than this.
Easily one of the best films of the year. Noah Baumbach tells this story of divorce with a level of insight and grace that could only come from an intimate personal connection with the material. It's a profoundly empathic film that cares deeply for the flawed humanity of its characters, honest people who become incrementally entangled in a treacherous legal and emotional web. And despite the darkness of the subject matter, Baumbach, Johansson, and Driver are able to inject so many moments of tenderness, honesty, and raw emotion that the film manages to leave you with a sense of hope for its characters despite the seemingly hopeless situation. Family dramas don't get much better than this.
Solid 4.5/5
Knives Out (2019)
Solid 3.5 // Shines brightest when focused on the ensemble
An entertaining murder mystery with a colorful cast and playful energy. The first half or so is particularly strong and layers on the plot twists at a satisfying clip. The film is at its strongest when the ensemble convenes and the characters are able to play off of one another. As the plot progresses though, there is increasingly less opportunity for this and the film narrows its focus to only a few characters for a significant portion of the run time. It loses some of its charm in the process and the double, triple, and quadruple plot reversals start to feel shallow when the humanity of the characters has taken a back seat. I also didn't care so much for the forced political commentary, not because it wasn't an interesting angle to take but rather the execution just felt a bit too obvious and preachy. An enjoyable and lighthearted film on the whole, but it didn't resonate far beyond that.
Solid 3.5/5
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Weak 1.5 // Side Show
Listen. I wasn't expecting Doctor Sleep to approach Kubrick's towering horror masterpiece. But what I also didn't expect was the film would manage to fall far, far below my severely tempered expectations. Having been a fan of Gerald's Game though unconvinced by the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, I was curious to see what Mike Flanagan could accomplish with this adaptation. The novel is no masterpiece and the tone strays significantly from King's original The Shining, but it's a solid enough story that could certainly have made for a compelling film with the right direction.
Unfortunately, as with The Haunting of Hill House, the direction seems to be the weak link as this film is plagued with a similar sense of dullness and inertia. Simply put, the film just plain fails at generating compelling and visceral sequences so crucial to a good horror film. It does have its moments, particularly the "baseball boy" scene, but so much of the film is populated with flatly-lensed, stilted dialogue sequences that kill any developing momentum. The script calls attention to itself far too frequently, perhaps most hilariously at the atrocious climax where our main villain and protagonist threaten to make each other scream in a manner befitting of a hammy C action movie. And the stilted dialogue and flat execution severely hinder investment in the characters who ultimately come off as underdeveloped and nebulous, the only exception being Rose who at least has a personality despite her non-threatening goofiness.
The thing that drags Doctor Sleep down from being an uninspired horror film to borderline offensive, though, is the absolutely shameless capitalization on the iconic imagery of Kubrick's film. The final act of the story has been completely re-written from the novel, and the purpose couldn't be more crystal clear: show us all the things we remember from the original film! It's so blatant that the film's narrative comes to a screeching halt so that adult Danny can slowly walk around the Overlook Hotel fun house to give the audience a chance to look at the things we've all seen before. The rich subtext, surrealism, and ambiguity of the original film is reduced to what feels like a cheap side show attraction where you pay a nickle to see some mannequins jut out at you via air-compressed pistons. It feels like a mockery, and King (who famously despises the original film) appears to have been heavily involved in constructing the ending which retcons Kubrick's haunting modifications into something similar to his somewhat overblown and cheesy final act of the original novel.
I probably sound more angry than I really am. At the end of the day, the legacy of Kubrick's film will live on unscathed, leaving Doctor Sleep to function as a disconnected diversion for the straight-to-Netflix crowd. Or at least that's what I'll keep telling myself.
Gisaengchung (2019)
Strong 4.5 // Well-oiled Machine
Wow. A truly exceptional film that somehow lives up to the immense praise. It manages to be so many things at once: an operatic satire, a classist takedown, a cheeky comedy, a twisty thriller, a chilling horror, a somber rumination. Much of the success is owed to the absolutely phenomenal screenplay which is one of the most intricately constructed in recent memory. Every setup is paid off, every tonal shift deftly balanced, every progression carefully timed. The movie feels like a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders, thrusting you through the densely layered narrative without so much as a hiccup. And perhaps most importantly, despite its highly allegorical nature, the film never compromises on the entertainment value and emotional catharsis of its literal story and characters. It's not often you see a film realize its ambition this resoundingly. Don't miss it.
Strong 4.5/5
The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
Solid 4.5 // Child's Eye
A positively charming little horror movie with a surprising amount of psychological depth. Though seeing Cat People beforehand would give some helpful context, I admire how steadily this sequel stands on its own two feet. It primarily operates as an exploration of how a past relationship can burden the present, though also has much to say about parenting, family dynamics, and childhood. Surreal and dreamlike imagery richly capture the world through the child's eyes and create a potent sense of nostalgia. I suspect Guillermo Del Toro was heavily inspired by this film, particularly in Pan's Labyrinth with its child's defensive retreat into fantasy. This also has one of the best child performances I've seen in a film. Her delicate aloofness and pure-hearted innocence are incredibly endearing and fully invest you in her efforts to please her parents while staying true to her own experience. It's not likely to scare you, but it'll certainly tug the heartstrings and perhaps even coax out some treasured memories.
Solid 4.5/5
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Solid 1 // Garish
A garish film that floods your senses with as many lurid effects as possible in a futile effort to distract you from the utter lack of interesting characters or authentic drama. It certainly looks like it was made by a computer, and it feels like it too.
Solid 1/5
Joker (2019)
Solid 4 // The only superhero movie I've enjoyed in a decade
As an ardent decrier of all things superhero, this movie won me over. It manages to avoid almost all of the things that usually turn me off about the genre - the formulaic, committee-think constructions, the overwhelming test-screened safeness, the crowd appeasement, the vanilla-flavored tone. Instead, Joker establishes an absorbing atmosphere, one that was surprisingly nihilistic, grimy, and even genuinely unsettling. This is probably the closest a superhero franchise movie is ever going to come to an art-house style character study and it's pulled off quite convincingly. It isn't exactly subtle, and there are some hamfisted moments (the totally unnecessary flashbacks regarding the love interest jump to mind), but as a portrayal of a deeply disturbed individual cast off and exploited, the movie was able to generate real empathy and disgust. Much of the success is, of course, owed to the excellence of Joaquin Phoenix's performance which elevates the material. I was pleasantly surprised by how compromised and pitiful his character was written to be. Rather than rise up by some grand anarchist scheme, his notoriety happens almost entirely incidentally while his own actions are fueled by apolitical and often delusional motivations. The entire third act of the film could be viewed as a wish-fulfillment psychosis as the underbelly of the city rises fantastically around him, offering him the stage he's always dreamed of commanding. While likely either a flashback or a flashforward, the final scene also seems to subtly reinforce this suggestion of psychosis and adds a nice sprinkle of ambiguity. Even if you're a superhero skeptic, give this one a shot.
Solid 4/5
Midsommar (2019)
Solid 4 // Perverse Breakup Fantasy
Given the speed with which Hereditary ascended to the company of my all-time horror favorites, Midsommar had a lot to live up to. Too much, perhaps. The weight of my expectations certainly burdened my initial viewing of the film as I hotly anticipated Aster's second helping of ratcheting tension, deepening dread, despairing tone, and delayed-gratification thrills. What I got instead was unexpected, though pleasantly so.
Where Hereditary is unequivocally steeped in traditional horror iconography and tone, Midsommar is difficult to categorize as horror at all. Though it certainly has a few horrific sequences, the prevailing mood of the film is lighter with a significant emphasis on dark comedy. It plays more like a perverse fantasy in which Aster uses a folk-horror setup as a means to externalize the innermost wishes of our protagonist as she slowly comes to terms with the failure of her relationship. All the hallmarks of such a scenario - growing distance, infidelity, finding new friends, cutting the cord, retreating back to family (or in this case, discovering a new one) - are playfully heightened in absurdist and operatic rituals that wring the comedy, tragedy, horror, and catharsis from the familiar.
Approaching the film on these terms is important if you're to fully appreciate it. It's just as technically brilliant and even more visually impressive than Hereditary, though lacks the immediate thrills you might expect from a follow-up. Where Hereditary is populated by numerous sharp, stand-out sequences that often result from unexpected plot turns, Midsommar operates more as a mood piece with far fewer moment-to-moment fireworks. Instead, it patiently accumulates and lands its impact in the final frames, prompting you to reflect on the clever construction of the film and retroactively unravel the subtext. At its best, the beautiful and bizarre visuals, languid pacing, and excellent score culminate in an intoxicating surrealism that's not easy to come by in modern movies.
What I miss the most from Hereditary, though, is the richness of its characters. Despite the increasingly bizarre story developments, the humanity at the core of its subjects is ever-present and does so much to anchor the film and keep the viewer invested. By comparison, the characters in Midsommar feel decidedly thinner. The only real exception is Dani, who's brought impressively to life by Pugh, though even she feels ill-defined next to Collette's multilayered and devastating turn as Annie. The extra 30 minutes of the Director's Cut thankfully does quite a bit to flesh out the dimensions of the characters and smooth the pacing, ultimately heightening the impact of the ending. It's the definitive cut by a convincing margin, though still doesn't fully rectify the somewhat insubstantial quality of the characters. I can marvel at the technical prowess, admire the carefully-tuned pacing, soak in the thick atmosphere, and contemplate the themes, but I do so at a distance, never fully losing myself in the drama as I have with Hereditary.
Still, Midsommar is a fine sophomore effort from Aster that boasts arresting visuals, bold direction, and a subtly surreal tone that sets it apart as a unique and memorable journey well-worth taking. Check your post-Hereditary expectations at the door and it will cast an intoxicating spell all its own.
Solid 4/5
Ready or Not (2019)
Strong 2.5 // Doesn't quite capitalize on a promising premise
I typically enjoy schlocky horror-comedies a la Drag Me To Hell or The Cabin in the Woods, but Ready or Not just didn't quite do it for me. It has a neat premise that toys with ideas of class, privilege, and entitlement all while, of course, reveling in comic absurdity and bloodshed. It doesn't have anything particularly insightful to say but hey, I'll take a novel premise over another Annabelle copy-and-paste job any day, regardless of how shallow the subtext. My issues, then, lie more in its execution: the cartoony and somewhat irritating quality of the characters, the limpness of the humor, and the lack of memorable set pieces. I walked away from the other two aforementioned films with a head full of stand-out gags and striking images. Here, the experience largely blended together and slipped by without truly shocking, scaring, or amusing me. Perhaps that's the fault of the direction, which is so crucial in translating a good premise into a kinetic, absorbing, and visually compelling film. Still, I can see why others may enjoy this and I do appreciate the original and playfully-executed concept. Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Strong 2.5/5
Blinded by the Light (2019)
Weak 3 // Sporadically endearing
A mildly entertaining coming-of-age tale set to the music of Bruce Springsteen. It has a free-spirited, playful quality that's sporadically endearing. This is especially true of the first act which sets up well-worn coming-of-age tropes but contains enough playful energy and leading-man charisma to engage. The proceedings become considerably rougher through the middle portion of the film which spreads itself thin over far too many thematic elements: friendship conflict, first love, prejudice, father-son tensions, public protests, and even racially-motivated violence. The forward beam of the story hits a prism and diffracts into rays of all different colors and directions, none of which are given satisfying attention or exploration. The endearing cheapness of the film occasionally crosses the line as well, particularly with the musical numbers involving pop-up text with the production value of a YouTube video edited with Windows Movie Maker. You can imagine my surprise, then, when the finale of the film managed to win me back over with a hail-mary speech that satisfyingly resolved the core conflicts and packed a legitimately emotional punch. It's a mixed experience, to be sure, but good-natured and ultimately leaves you feeling warm.
Weak 3/5
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Strong 3 // Spooky but slight
Despite its PG-13 rating, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark manages to offer up some effectively creepy imagery and set pieces. It relies a bit too much on computer-generated imagery for my liking, which was especially disappointing given the attachment of Del Toro to the project. Still, the production design and creatures manage to be memorable and constitute the primary draw for the film. I'm also always a fan of the small-town-on-Halloween setting for a horror film. There's something about the crunch of fallen leaves, buttoned jackets over plaid, and amber-hued scenery that tickles my nostalgia centers. Still, I can't justify giving this film more than a mild recommendation mainly due to the somewhat limp characters. They're serviceable and the young actors do a fine job with the material, but the characterizations lack the depth necessary to motivate investment beyond a superficial admiration of the production design. The overarching story, too, fails to really rise above the minimum quality standards. It's spooky, but slight.
Strong 3/5
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Strong 2 // A film cannot stand on intentions alone
**Mild Spoilers**
I'd like to give this film a positive review. It's low in budget, pure in heart, and earnest in intent. It's a film about friendship, acceptance, following your dreams and staying true to yourself. What's not to like? A lot, unfortunately. Intent will only carry a film so far, and it can't excuse a non-sensical plot filled with contrivances and clichés. A retirement home sends a key employee on a wild goose chase, with the company shuttle no less? And the employee happens upon that goose on a random riverbank seemingly in the middle of nowhere? And then she just decides to go with them instead of calling the police in a situation that's at worst a kidnapping and at best just plain dangerous? And she doesn't even rethink this decision after they're nearly shot and killed by third party pursuers seemingly intent on revenge? I know we're going for the heartstrings here and, I'll admit, there are moments that succeed in strumming some chords. But these moments ultimately succumb to a nagging banality, and the meat-and-potatoes filmmaking doesn't do anything to add some much-needed spice. The cherry on top is a puzzlingly abrupt ending that fails to deliver on the catharsis the film seems to be aiming for. An unfortunate misfire on a well-meaning premise.
Strong 2/5
Rocketman (2019)
Strong 2.5 // Breathing Room
I'm no expert on Elton John, but in learning what I have about him through this film I've come to realize that two hours really just doesn't cut it. To do a story like his justice you need time, time to develop his character, sculpt the family dynamics, probe the internal and external conflicts, and, most importantly, time for the audience to digest such a meteoric rise and devastating fall. There's so much ground to cover and so many moments to address that the film feels like a highlight reel rather than the character portrait it seems to be striving for. Friendships, relationships, and conflicts are introduced and left behind at a speed that ultimately distanced me. It's not without its charms, though. There are some resonant tunes and flashy setpieces that manage to entertain, though other musical numbers fall decidedly flat with somewhat sluggish camerawork. It'd be interesting to see what a more visionary director like Damien Chazelle could've done with the material. As is, it's a mildly pleasant experience with a strong central performance that does a lot to carry the weight. The compact narrative just really lacked the breathing room it needed to resonate.
Strong 2.5/5