The Apprentice is a biographical drama that follows Donald Trump’s career as a real estate businessman in New York and in the 70’s and 80’s, as well as his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn. The film is directed by Ali Abbasi from a script written by Gabriel Sherman. Sebastian Stan stars as Donald Trump, Jeremey Strong as Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as Trump’s first wife, Ivana.
I can’t say that I was particularly excited for this when it was first announced. Stan as Trump sounded like an odd casting choice. After seeing the film, I even debated whether or not I should talk about it. There was a lady in my theater who clearly went into this to support Trump based on the American flags she was waving around. After some thought, I decided to talk about this. Coming at this from unbiased perspective, I still think it’s important for people to watch what interests them and to still have a healthy dialogue about it.
To my surprise, I actually think Stan did a great job as Trump. After seeing his performance in A Different Man, I had more confidence in him to do a great job. It does take a while for him to actually mimic Trump. It’s clear he is a completely different person in the beginning. The film has the intentions of trying to show that his lawyer Roy Cohn made him into the person he is today. Once we see the impact his lawyer had made on him, you can start to really see that change in Stan’s performance. I wouldn’t say it’s Award worthy compared to his performance in A Different Man, but I’d like to see Jeremy Strong get some recognition for his performance as Cohn. The guy can just flip like a switch.
Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the film is the overall look. It looks like a film I would put in my VCR in the 80’s. I wouldn’t say its groundbreaking by any means, but it certainly transports us back to the time this film takes place in. The film also brings a chaotic nature through its music choice, which helps fit the overall tone.
At 2 hours, there is no denying the film feels longer than what it really is, which can be a good and bad thing. Every moment matters, yet the film tends to jump over important information that could have helped understand the characters better. The film chooses to slow down in certain scenes to dig deep into its core themes, but it doesn’t do it for the scenes that should matter most.
Unfortunately, I didn’t quite understand why Trump becomes the person that he is in the film. Sure, it’s clear Cohn has an impact on him in the beginning of the film. Strong & Bakalova’s screentime feels restrained, hindering the impact they have on the story. Just as you see where Trump becomes more unhinged, Cohn tries to reason with him, but it’s too late. It’s not like Trump’s parents were that bad. Personally, there just wasn’t enough of a reason for Trump to change for the worst if this film is trying to be a villain origin story. Instead, it’s a villain origin story that lacks substance.
Overall, the film capitalizes more on its performances more than its story. The story jumps over a lot of vital information, hindering any importance. Instead, this film is just going to continue to divide people, which is unfortunate. I really only went into this, because I like the on-screen talent. For that, I think it was entertaining, but it’s certainly not something I would go out of my way to recommend nor watch again, and yet, I don’t regret my time with it. I enjoy films that challenge viewers. This is something different and will challenge viewers. If that’s your cup of tea, then go for it.
Piece by Piece tells the true story of singer/songwriter and record producer Pharrell Williams’ life through the use of LEGO animation. Presented as a documentary, the film uses the voices of Pharrell Williams, director Morgan Neville, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg.
This film is a perfect example as to why I avoid trailers. While I was under the assumption that this film told the story of Pharrell Williams, I did not know it was more of a documentary. That aspect really surprised me, especially since it was told through LEGO animation. I thought at least it would be told through a story from start to finish. Instead, I really liked the documentary style. It invites younger viewers to visit a story of one person who has had a major impact on the music industry.
I have always enjoyed Pharrell’s music growing up. N.E.R.D.’s music used to be amongst my favorite music growing up with Sooner or Later being one of my all-time favorite songs. His contribution in movie’s have always had an impact on me. However, there is still quite a bit that I didn’t know about him. Without him, we wouldn’t have the like of artists like Gwen Stefani or Snoop Dogg. While I am sure these artists would still be relevant to a certain degree, Williams made beats for them that forever changed their career.
It’s understandable why this story is worth telling. Through his upbringing, I could also see myself. Back in middle and high school, I also just wanted to play music. I could see others who are at that age being inspired by the film to keep pushing themselves to be in the music industry. Beyond his foundation in the music scene, Williams has gone through a hero’s arc. Just as he becomes big, what made him once relevant quickly makes him irrelevant as he lets his guard down. Once he lets what others tell him to do, you can see where his musical genius begins to quickly diminish, putting him in a place where he is lost and has to find his way again.
Through his journey getting back in the music scene, he realizes how much of an impact he has had on others around the world. I never knew he helped produce Kendrick Lamar’s track, “Alright,” which is also one of my all-time favorite songs. I did know he created “Happy” for Despicable Me, but I never knew the impact he had around the world with that song. “Alright” and “Happy” have two completely different meanings, and yet they have both had a major impact on the world. I’d like to think that through his music, he is able to unify people from around the world. Not only do I think I’d be where I am without his music, I simply don’t think the world would be where it is now without his contribution. He seems to know what the world needs through his music.
Since seeing this yesterday, I am going to keep all of my thoughts on the plot there. This film gave me a lot to think about. More importantly, I am amazed at how much I want to see this again. I typically don’t have a desire to rewatch documentaries. Through the use of animation, the film is able to solidify on its own ideas. For one, there is some creativity that the film uses to dive deeper into Pharrell’s mindset. Second, the film wouldn’t be able to get away with what it does without its animation. There are some genuinely funny moments in the film that I won’t give away. When I saw what the film got away with to meet its PG rating, I had to register it for a second and then genuinely laugh-out-loud as to how they pulled it off.
As for the flaws I had with the film, I do believe the film doesn’t cover as much as it could have. I would have liked to have known more about the formation of N.E.R.D. and where they are at today. One character that has a poignant impact on Pharrell’s life is a character named Chad. I would have liked to have seen more from him. Without him, there probably wouldn’t be the Pharrell Williams that we know today. Even at 93 minutes, the film could have tackled more, but I am sure they had to keep it shorter to fit the tone of the film.
Overall, Piece by Piece is a film you certainly need to see. Whether you are familiar with the name or not, you will be familiar with the music he has made. I am going to keep my thoughts here rather short, because I think I have tackled everything that’s on my mind without spoiling anything else. It is unlike I have ever seen. The music and themes hits. The animation is beautiful. Please. Go see this. I am interested in seeing if this will be nominated for Best Documentary or Best Animated Film at the Oscars. That’s how groundbreaking the film is.
Saturday Night is a biographical comedy-drama that follows the night of the 1975 premiere of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Leading up to the premiere, tensions run high as producer & creator Lorne Michaels, along with other comedians & writers, try to prepare for the very first broadcast. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by himself & Gil Kenan, the film stars an ensemble cast that includes Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J.K. Simmons.
To be honest, this film got more hype than I could have ever anticipated. Jason Reitman, while great in his own right, has not delivered a film like this before, especially one that is already getting quite a bit of award recognition. Co-written by Gil Kenan, Kenan also didn’t quite deliver with his Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire either earlier this year. With a wonky release rollout this year, Saturday Night certainly seemed like… something. Needless to say, the end result easily settled those worries away.
From a production standpoint, I loved this movie. I used to work in production management on film sets, so I could easily understand the drive that Lorne Michaels (LaBelle) has. Even though he acts more as the creator of the show, he is still the one that has to deal with the behind-the-scenes drama. I’ve been there. It can be tough, yet it is so rewarding in the end. You are having to make stuff up as you go along and trust the process. I feel good with where I am in life, but this film easily made me miss working in production management more than any other film as of recently. More than The Fabelmans, which is ironic since LaBelle also starred in that.
I am not too sure what this film could be nominated for. Maybe Best Picture, Best Costume Design, or even Best Original Screenplay, but I know one thing for sure… this film works because of its stellar cast. I can’t emphasize how spot on the casting is. Cory Michael Smith is an easy standout as Chevy Chase. He literally becomes him and you cannot see the difference. Matt Wood as John Belushi is also incredible. Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman AND Jim Henson is just terrific. I cannot emphasize how perfect the casting is for the film and how well directed each and everyone of them are.
Jason Reitman’s direction feels like his old school days. He has experience in indie films, but now he has even more experience directing ensemble casts. There is a lot that he has to manage here. While the story focuses solely from Michaels’ perspective for the most part, Reitman still finds time to incorporate other key figures that help push its story and its themes forward.
Some may some that the script for this mimics something that Aaron Sorkin would make. While that may be partially true, there is no denying that Sorkin actually couldn’t create this. It feels like Reitman has a first-hand account on the film’s event. Reitman was only born two years after the film takes place. I believe between his own experience in the film industry and being the son of Ivan Reitman that this made him the perfect choice to tell this story that is funny, sincere, and cutthroat.
The film has a chaotic nature. The camera work is almost entirely shot handheld, bringing the audience into the scenario. We are panicking just as much as everyone else is in the film. With a 109-minute runtime that includes credits, it’s amazing how fast paced the editing is, because it certainly feels longer than 109 minutes. What makes this runtime so unique is the fact that it is shot like it is in real time. There is always something going on and we are seeing every minute of it. That actually makes me believe this film could get a nomination for Best Editing.
Throughout the film, I was certainly teetering on my score. After some thought, I feel good with where I am with it. While the writing and acting are solid, and I can relate to it to a certain extent, it does feel like the film can have a lot of cliches & coincidences. Just as one problem rises, it is quickly resolved through something that doesn’t quite feel like actually happened. There is also the climax that truly made me question if it really happened. It felt like it was added by the studio to give the viewers something rewarding. Maybe I am wrong, but coming from my own personal experience in production, I have a hard time buying that it happened that way. Even if it did, give it more realism, much like the rest of the script can be.
In order to make this film work, you have to be thrown right into the situation. Unfortunately, that results in a lot of backstory in terms of plot & characterization that are missing. If the film had an extra 20 minutes to explain what was going on, it would help viewers understand the situation better. I can’t imagine viewers unfamiliar with SNL to truly understand what’s going on. The film is missing that purpose in the beginning to care about the outcome.
Overall, Saturday Night exceeded my own expectations. I would not be upset at all to see this get award recognition. The casting is extraordinary, with some mimicking their counterpart. It’s a film that truly captures the chaotic nature of production. It’s certainly a film that I believe everyone should seek out as soon as they can.
A Different Man follows an aspiring actor named Edward with neurofibromatosis, played by Sebastian Stan, who undergoes a radical medical procedure to change his appearance. When his new appearance turns into a personal nightmare, he becomes obsessed with what he lost. Renate Reinsve & Adam Person star in supporting roles under the direction & writing of Aaron Schimberg. While I wasn’t particularly excited to see this, I am always down for whatever A24 has to put out, plus it was exciting to see Adam Pearson in a big role again.
Writer & director Aaron Schimberg has all of the right reasons to make a movie like this. Born with a cleft palate, the filmmaker has finds his inspiration through telling stories on characters with facial disfigurement and how the world views them. I am particularly hard on myself at times with the way I look, so I can relate to this to a certain extent. I think viewers of The Substance could say there is some resemblance between the two films. However, I cannot relate directly to facial disfigurement. Even without facial disfigurement, I hope viewers can understand that those with some sort of disfigurement are people too, and that they can still be secure in their own bodies.
In a year that is sure to highlight that he is more than just his MCU character, this is actor Sebastian Stan’s first major role of the year that I believe will take the world by storm. It’s a transformative performance that I believe will earn him an Oscar nomination for his performance. Furthermore, I have him placed right below Colman Domingo for the top performance from an actor for the year. With almost 200 2024 released films under my belt, I think it says a lot about how I feel with her performance. The fact that he has to continue playing the same character both in and out of the makeup is truly outstanding.
In their supporting roles, Reinsve & Pearson help get the overall message across. Viewers might be familiar with Reinsve from The Worst Person in the World & Adam Pearson from Under the Skin – a film that came out a little over 10 years ago! Reinsve has to effectively portray as someone who finds heart over appearance in a partner. Without her character, the film would not be able to effectively get its point across. As for Pearson, I am so happy Schimberg put him into this kind of role. It’s so important to show others that facial disfigurement should not make anyone insecure. Here’s to hoping that Pearson will be in more going forward.
To elaborate on the messages I keep mentioning, there is quite a bit and I am going to do my best to explain them without any spoilers. No matter what synopsis you read on this film, it’s more or less incorrect. It’s vague in its approach, because it’s about so much more. At first, we are made to believe that this medical procedure will change Edward’s life. While it is sad to see him go through his insecurities, we are almost rooting for him as he transforms into someone else. At the same time, how do we, the audience, know what’s best for him? Things don’t seem all that bad for him to begin with.
Once he does transform, his life appears to be better. He’s with attractive women and he has a nice place. However, he works as a realtor, not being the person he once wanted to become. It’s not until he comes across a stage play that was about his former life directed by his former neighbor, Ingrid (Reinsve). As he starts to become more obsessed with chasing his prior life, it’s not until Oswald (Pearson) comes in and truly makes him rethink everything. He’s frustrated by the way Oswald is confident in everything that he wasn’t. Oswald has it all where he doesn’t even with his new transformation. The film paints an important message about embracing who you are and tells everyone else to be on board with it through its positivity.
The technical components help bring it all together quite nicely. The score is probably one of my favorites of the year. The cinematography can be claustrophobic at times, but also uses color to help paint the emotion of the characters. The production design teleports you into the film with the wardrobe heavily symbolizing who these characters are. The plot balances humor with thrills with both being just as effective as the other, making this easily one of the best movies of the year.
Upon finishing the film, I needed time to sit with it due to its conclusion. I knew I personally loved it, but I didn’t know how to word it in the way for others as I could see others not enjoying the conclusion. The conclusion isn’t particularly groundbreaking. It jumps through a lot and it’s incredibly subtle. It stuck with me long after watching it and made me appreciate it even more, because it allows for further discussions of what you just watched. I love how there are important films coming out this year that is making people not only talk about what they watched, but also work on being better people for it.
Overall, A Different Man exceeded my own expectations. It transcends through its themes, direction, and performances. It’s funny, thrilling, and thought-provoking. If you haven’t it yet, please take the time to try to watch it as soon as possible.
Joker: Folie à Deux picks up two years after where the first one ends. Struggling with his dual identity, the film finds failed comedian Arthur Fleck meeting the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital for the killing of 6 people. While the film has been heavily marketed as a musical love story, the film is even more focused on being a courtroom drama as Fleck tries to prove his innocence.
This film was easily one of my most anticipated of the year. I really enjoyed the first, and with news coming out of who was being cast and what it was going to be about, it sounded like it could be really good. Needless to say, my friend and I walked out of theater frustrated and disappointed. We both haven’t felt that way with a film in quite some time. I initially told him I was just going to stick with my Instagram review. As I have thought about it more, I decided to talk about this more in length.
First off, I do want to commend everyone who clearly worked hard to make this movie look and sound good. The trailers clearly show the phenomenal camera work, but it doesn’t do the film the justice it deserves. There are some lengthy one-take shots that I know wasn’t easy to pull off. The colors that are used also show the imagination of Arthur Fleck and how he still looks at the world, even when the world has been cruel to him. Watching this in a Dolby theater really heightened the sound design between the musical and courtroom scenes. The production and costume design is also quite impressive. The people behind this helps bring this world to life that makes this world so interesting.
Lady Gaga gracefully brings her own version of Harley Quinn to screen that feels unique and worth exploring. She has become quite the actress that shows range and her vocals brings so much quality to the film. I wouldn’t say she is the best version of Quinn, but she still easily makes every scene she is in work.
As I sit on this film longer, the themes really makes me feel things. I feel mostly frustrated, but that is Todd Phillips’ intention. He isn’t setting out to make an easy movie to digest. He makes you see different perspectives of mental health. I hope, if anything, this will get people talking about it more. I am not exactly sure if this is a positive, but I will say that Phillips make this film so pointless that proves why it didn’t need a sequel in the first place. I truly hope this will prove to studios to STOP making sequels that are not necessary.
The first act actually starts off pretty strong. I enjoyed the set up between the location and the relationship with Fleck & Quinn. After that, the film quickly nosedives in quality. I knew this film was going to be more of a courtroom drama than what the marketing made us to believe, but I never expected it to be as bad as it is. I am no law expert, but I know there are scenes here that are highly implausible. The things that characters are able to get away with is so laughably bad.
To make these scenes worse, they are treated like a clip show of the greatest hits from the first film. It’s the equivalent of the Seinfeld series finale. It’s redundant and adds nothing new to the story that we didn’t already know. Musical set pieces are springled throughout to help us look more into Fleck’s mindset and seeing what is helping him feel better throughout all of this. The problem is that they are awkwardly edited into the film that hinders the pacing and tone of the film.
I really loved Phoenix’s performance in the first one. While the first one should have been a one and done, I can also understand why he would want to come back to the role. He won an Oscar for his performance! Unfortunately, I felt nothing here with his performance. He tries to do too many different things that do not land with me. There’s a lot of moments where he isn’t doing much that I honestly forgot about his laughing condition. His impressions when he represents himself feel out of character for him. Even his musical scenes didn’t do much for me. I won’t put all of the blame on him here as this requires good direction and writing, and I think he does the best that he can with what he has.
Director Todd Phillips needs to stop making sequels. Instead of rehashing an exact replica like he did with The Hangover Part II, he goes for something completely different and subverts expectations. When I heard this from early reviews, this got me excited. I love when a film subverts expectations. The problem here is that he does it to the point where it feels like a slap in the face to the people who enjoyed the first movie, especially with what he does in the last 30 minutes of the film. Instead of going in one direction, he goes in another that acts completely out of line with these characters.
There are hints of Phillips trying to establish thematic messages that get people talking. but at what cost? I won’t get into the graphic spoilers here, but there was a scene that truly made me mad. They don’t show exactly what happens, but I knew. My friend didn’t catch it when I brought up to him. When I looked at the wiki plot, I couldn’t believe I was right. What the film does in this scene is so unnecessary and added nothing of value to the plot.
As for the runtime, the film does go on 20 minutes longer than the first one, which is crazy in hindsight when so much of it is just telling you things that we know happened in the first. Unfortunately, we get a plot involving a prison guard played by Brendan Gleeson that was not necessary. We get little to no background to Harvey Dent, played by Harry Lawtey. The guy is a great actor, but I could consistently hear his British accent slip. At least there was a cool little Industry reunion with actor Ken Leung. There are three too many musical songs. I think if the story focused more on advancing the story, it could have been tons better. The film also needed more focus on the Bruce Wayne character that was established in the film film.
Overall, Joker: Folie à Deux has moments of greatness in its production value, but made me beyond frustrated and disappointed with the direction of its story. As a Batman fan, there was so much more potential to make this better than what it was. I think the film will hopefully spark important conversations about mental health. If you are like me and will still go see it even with the mixed reviews, I get it. I will always support people to go see whatever they want to see. I can just already tell a lot of people are walking out of the theater with the same thoughts as me. I will personally never watch this again. I will do my best to erase this from my memory and act like there is only one from 2019.
My Old Ass stars Maisy Stella as a young 18-year-old named Elliot. When she got on a mushroom trip with her friends, she comes face-to-face with an older 39-year-old version of herself, played by Aubrey Plaza. The interaction forces the younger Elliot to start rethinking everything from family to love to her future. The film has been receiving critical acclaim since it first came out, and I got the chance to finally see it this weekend when it released everywhere in the states.
I never thought I would ever go to the theater and have an unexpected Aubrey Plaza double feature. I made it work to where I was able to see this immediately after Megalopolis. While Plaza serves an important part to the story in each, she is certainly more of a supporting character. I’d even go to say that he considerably less screentime in this film. Plaza is great with what she is given and make her presence truly felt, but the main star Maisy Stella gives one of my favorite performances of the year.
For the sake of the story, you have to believe Stella’s performance as someone who is selfish, yet has the best of intentions. She loves her family and where she lives, but she is eager to move on with her life and do something important. The confusion she faces with her sexuality also requires her to go out and embrace the world to get a better understanding of she is. I honestly thought I had seen Maisy Stella before. To my surprise, I never did before. I thought I had seen here before, because she is that good. She is so good that I currently have her placed in my top 10 performances from an actress for the year and I hope that doesn’t change. There is so much of this story that requires to go through some drastic emotional changes that is not easy to do.
While it is only her second feature film, Megan Park is quickly becoming one of my favorite working directors today. She did also write this story on her own here, but her direction makes her one of the most important people to tell story for the younger generation. Her first film, The Fallout, is a lot more dark and gloomy, yet the message she leaves behind in that film is the importance of understanding the younger generation in a certain way. This one is not as dark & gloomy. It’s a lot more upbeat and comedic, yet there is still a challenge for the main character that she has to overcome between trying to be better to her family and understanding her sexuality. Park never intends for us to understand it all. We are just as confused as the main character, but at least we go away knowing that everything is going to be okay, which is something the main character goes through.
For a movie that only runs 89-minutes including credits, a lot is accomplished quite well here. For one, the cinematography gives a grand overview of its location, which never limits the crew to capture what they need to for this film. The music offers some originality in its score. The music they borrow however fits the tone this movie is going for perfectly, with some making me nostalgic of my own upbringing where challenges were different. It doesn’t matter how old you are what you identify as, I think a lot of people will relate to the situations this main character will go through. I know I wish I could tell my younger self that everything will work out.
As for negatives, I few tidbits where I think it could have been improved and where my score would have gone up significantly. For one, the story seems to cut out moments that offer little to no closure. I personally would have liked to have seen more interaction between Elliot and her father. I also would have liked to have seen more closure with her female romantic interest. I think having these interactions would have really helped enhance the story and character development.
I also wasn’t crazy how the movie segues into something else at times. In particular, I wasn’t crazy about when Elliot goes on her second trip in the hopes to find her older self again. Instead of offering more insight into her relationship with her older self, we get a musical replica of her singing something from Justin Bieber. It’s funny to a certain extent, but I would have liked to have seen that go in a different direction. There is also a reveal that happens towards the end that isn’t totally revealed as to how it happens. I think there was a missed opportunity to explain more as to what happens.
Overall, My Old Ass exceeded my expectations thanks to its humor, heart, and emotion. 2024 might be a rough year for movies. If there is one thing I can appreciate, it’s how so many of the great films this year have a hopeful message. I really wouldn’t mind seeing this again in the near future. Unfortunately, I don’t know if the title itself is going to appeal to a lot of people. I think if people do seek it out, they won’t regret it.
Megalopolis is the latest film from acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola that has been in the works for about 40 years. After spending $136 million of his own money, Coppola has now unleased what may be his final movie. Set in an imagined New York City landscape, the film follows the rivalry between architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) and corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) and how they rebuild New Rome after a devasting disaster. The ensemble supporting cast includes Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman.
Like many other cinephiles, I have been looking forward to this for quite some time. Reflecting back on it, I couldn’t tell you what exactly excited me, because it has been an incredibly long time since Coppola came out with a movie. I think between him selling a portion of his winery to spend $120 million of his own money to fund it and the stacked cast that it injected more than enough enthusiasm into me to make me believe this would be worth watching. Even with meddling reviews and reports of toxic behavior on set, I wanted to see this through to the end. I finally got to see this in IMAX, and… it was pretty good. Not awful, but also not a masterpiece.
On top of the rivalry that this film follows, it also follows a relationship between Cesar & the mayor’s daughter, Julia Cicero (Emmanuel). I wasn’t sure how this would play out in the film. It’s clear Adam Driver is intent on working with auteur filmmakers as of lately, but Emmanuel’s filmography has been all over the place to say the least. To my surprise, I think they are both effective, especially in their relationship. The writing may not always work, but I believed the relationship and I rooted for them from start to finish.
As for Driver’s sole performance, I do believe he gave a solid performance. His character is almost Messiah-like. We never know why Cesar is able to stop time, but I think it’s more of a symbol as to his vision and his want to stop time before things get even more out of control. Many of the characters around him are either wanting to embrace the past or embrace the future, putting him in a position where the way he speaks sounds like a combination of both mindsets.
For some reason, Coppola adopted an experimental style where the on-screen talent got to improvise, resulting in Coppola consistently making changes to the script. That never made sense to me. Why would he do that for a passion project for so long? It’s no wonder the art and visual effects team resigned halfway through production. I’ll get more into that later. I want to take this one thing at a time, otherwise my thoughts are going to be as chaotic as much as the film can be. What I want to get at here is that Coppola’s style on the film results in the supporting cast not really being sure what kind of movie they are in.
Other than Driver & Emmanuel, I do believe Esposito is pretty good even if it’s the same character he has done many times before. Aubrey Plaza is also not bad. She tries to do her best with what she is given. Ironically, the two cast members that drove me nuts the most were also the same two cast members that were cast, because Coppola said they were “cancelled.” Those two actors are Shia LaBeouf & Jon Voight. The two may have had a solid career at one point, but I think after watching this, I am mentally done with them. LaBeouf is consistently acting bizarre with zero likability. He’s in a completely different film. Voight is also just there acting like he’s 30 years younger. The delivery of his dialogue is so cringey. Between those two guys and a few others who didn’t have much to do with anything (Duston Hoffman is in this… for some reason), I wish the film cut down on its cast to help develop the main story. This would have also helped bring the bloated budget down immensely.
Going back to the art & visual effects team that left, I can understand why. It’s clear how good the film looks versus how bad it looks after they left. There are some creatively unique shots thanks to the cinematography. There were a lot of other visual effects that looked cheap, and pulled out of a 2000’s movie. The art department actually did a great job here! I felt like this was something that was nearly perfected. Realistically, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oscars tried to give the film a production & costume design nomination to help sympathize with them, because it is clear there is effort put into these technical components.
Two of the other technical components that worked for me is here with the editing and the score. Many may not appreciate how the film uses jump cuts. Personally, it never once bothered me. The film that came to mind with this was 1960’s Breathless. I saw that back in college and didn’t care much for it. Now, I am seeing the importance of watching that movie. That movie wasn’t well-received at the time due to this, and yet it seems like people enjoy it more today. Megalopolis takes almost the same approach with the way it consistently jump cuts. I was never confused with the story, but I can see where others would be confused as it misses context that is needed to help understand the story. When the film isn’t using jump cuts, the film cuts up the screen to help you understand what’s going on in different parts of the story at times. I suppose other example of this would in 2006’s Southland Tales, another film that has also been divisive.
The score embraces the film’s core messages and overall tone. I was really getting into it at one point. The film can take scores from other forms of media, but when the originality in its score is heard, you can’t help but to get into it. I do hope this will get some more recognition. You can see where there is a lot of hard-working people on this project who is trying to create something bold, unique, and unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Coppola’s writing and direction may be messy, but I don’t think the quality of the film should be hindered due to that when everyone else is trying their best and even make the film work.
As divisive as a film this going to be to many, I strongly encourage anyone and everyone who is interested in it to seek it out. It challenges the way a film is supposed to be. I can see this going on to motivate many other filmmakers to do it and maybe even do it better. I am not sure if someone like Coppola was the right pick to make such an ambitious film like this at his age. It’s clear how much he loves film with the way he utilizes arthouse techniques. Coppola’s thematic messages do hit home for me, especially in the film’s third act with messages of hope of the future.
When trying to decide what to score this, this was a challenge. Throughout most of the movie, I was teetering between a 2.5 and a 3 out of a 5. While reflecting back on my ranking for the year, I knew it was better than something than the Speak No Evil remake, but no better than something like Alien: Romulus. It’s far from perfect, but it’s also much better than what I would have thought.
Overall, Megalopolis provides enough originality in the film that makes it worth watching, even if you may think it’s bad or good. It might be the final movie from someone who tried to do something different and unique as a big-budget arthouse film. I personally love a divisive movie as they can offer something new and exciting. The film can certainly be a mess both in its writing and its visuals. I have no regrets about watching it, but I also have no desire to ever rewatch it.
Sing Sing stars Colman Domingo as incarcerated prisoner, John “Divine G” Whitfield, who is imprisoned at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility for a crime he did not commit. During his time, he finds purpose through acting in a theater group known as the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) alongside incarcerated men, as well as a cautious newcomer, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin. Sing Sing has been one of my most anticipated movies of the year solely for actor Colman Domingo. I managed to really go out of my way to the closest theater to me before it went away. Needless to say, it was well worth it.
My thoughts after seeing Sing Sing are not easy to compose. There is clearly a lot of heart and emotion put into this story. What director Greg Kwedar does helps elevate this story to a new level that makes it unlike other movie I have seen, and I have seen a lot of movies. The film is also written by one of the actors who plays as himself, Clarence Maclin. I am not all that familiar with Kwedar’s filmography, but it’s quite clear how intimate of a story he is able to craft with people who have also been incarcerated.
I think in today’s age, it’s hard to watch a movie, or even a TV show, about imprisoned people. In the past, you either see people continuing to be the worst in jail, either because they haven’t changed or that’s what they have to do to survive. This story brings a refreshing spin on prison life that ends up making this movie hopeful. It helps us understand another perspective of prison life. You can see where these men who are performing are clearly doing so to either escape the pain they have caused others or to help them pass the time when they were wrongly imprisoned.
The latter can speak for itself for Domingo’s performance as Divine G. Due to his wrongful imprisonment, he’s tried his best to leave behind a positive impact to those incarcerated. To him, acting helps him escape his troubles, especially when he can’t pass a parole hearing, but others who are worse than him can pass their parole hearing. It brings an earnest & deeply profound performance from Domingo. I have been championing for him for about a decade now. I have no clue how he has managed to fit in so many projects in his career, but it has paid off with this performance. I am going to be campaigning for his Best Actor win at the Oscars.
Alongside Domingo is Clarence Maclin, who as mentioned also wrote the story. Getting someone who has gone through this kind of experience was the right move as it ensures accuracy to this story for a wide audience. Maclin, if he hasn’t yet, will surely make a name for himself by the end. His dynamic with Domingo looks so effortless. Speaking of a wide audience, it is beyond me why didn’t get the wider release that it deserved. I have a feeling A24 got scared with how little money it was bringing in and scrapped most of the showings. It will be interesting to see how they handle awards season and if this will get rereleased. It should get released as I believe this movie came out at literally the worst time of the year.
There’s the rest of the supporting cast who are mainly incarcerated men, except for Paul Raci. All of the imprisoned men brought a sense of realism to the story. This approach brings the authenticity of its true story to life. I really got the impression that I was not only there with these guys, but that these were real people. Bringing people in who are familiar with this program even helps with the importance of why this story needs to be told. As for Paul Raci, I honestly forgot that his last big performance was that of a deaf man in Sound of Metal. In that film, I honestly thought he was deaf. Here, I really thought he was the guy’s teacher in real life and didn’t register he was the same person from Sound of Metal.
The technical aspects, such as the cinematography and score, helps hone in on the emotion and the reality of the story. The cinematography allows the camera to capture symmetrical shots to give the impression how these guys are locked into a system. That everyday is, and should be, the same. When these guys are acting, the colors represent how much life they bring to their performances. The score helps heighten the emotion that reminded me of my experience watching Minari. It’s quite clear every technical level of the film makes this film deserving of a Best Picture nomination.
While the film does have glowing reviews, I also went in knowing that it wasn’t going to be for everyone. The film is rather short and the plays not fully shown. If a slow-burn, character-driven film doesn’t seem appealing, I am not sure if it will be for everyone. But if you are looking for that kind of movie, you will get something sincere and meaningful. The film effectively makes use of its time with only a 107-minute runtime with not a single moment ever wasted. As for the plays, I saw them reaching that point where they could perform in front of others the end of their character arcs. These characters are driven to be better people through acting, and once they reach the point of acting in front of others, they have reached their individual purpose.
Overall, Sing Sing is unlike any other movie I have ever seen. Colman Domingo turns in his best performance yet, Clarence Maclin will make a name for himself after this, and the technical components bring plenty of emotion to the film. It’s easily one of the best movies of the year that will surely earn many awards nominations, and hopefully, win some big ones.
The Wild Robot follows a robot named Roz, shipwrecked on a deserted island, who must adapt to its new surroundings. As Roz attempts to build relationships with the animals, she soon finds herself parenting a young orphaned gosling. Starring in the lead voice role is Lupita Nyong’o with an ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Kit Connor. This is DreamWorks Animation’s final movies to be animated entirely in-house before they begin relying on outside studios after this year.
When I saw the stills and the cast attached to the project, that sold me immediately. I didn’t need to watch the trailers or know the plot, so I went in cold. That’s a first for me in a long, long time. I am so glad that I did, because there a lot of surprises here. Director Chris Sanders said that he took inspiration from Disney classic animated movies and the works of Hayao Miyazaki. I didn’t know that was the intent until after the movie, because that’s exactly the impression I got when I was watching it. It’s clear that the film took inspiration from that and embraced the studio’s originality and where they came up from.
The film embraces a lot of thematic messages that I haven’t seen a whole lot in DreamWorks films. Sure, there can be a few, but not to this extent. I found myself enthralled from beginning to end with its messaging of parenting, belonging, and community. At the end of the day, the film’s biggest message is to simply be a good person and look out for those around you. You can’t go wrong with that. The film certainly embraces the Disney style without making it into a direct replica. I think they were able to do that with the story and the humor.
The story manages to pack multiple layers into one cohesive film that doesn’t need a sequel. The film is smart for doing that. I honestly thought as one story was about to end, the film was about to end. I was just thinking there was no way the film could end that soon. To my surprise, the film finds a way to keep going without feeling like it needs to fit the runtime. There’s a lot to say in this world, and the film effectively finds a way to make it happen within its runtime.
As for the humor, I don’t think I have laughed out that loud since the Shrek early days. It got really, really dark to the point where my jaw dropped. Not only was it funny, but I was so happy to see DreamWorks take risks in its humor again that works for the adults as well and doesn’t just cater to the kids.
Speaking of a big swing, the animation is gorgeous. They did what they did with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and kept the momentum going with its grand landscape and detailed animation. As the film integrates animals with robots and humans, the film hits a sweet spot that I believe is best seen on the big screen. The score is also worth mentioning. What a breathtaking score that really brings you in the moment and helps capitalize on its tone.
The grand landscape gives a lot of room for the film to explore and most importantly, its themes. The film manages to keep going in its pacing, because this world is quite large, giving the characters plenty to do and explore. Aside from the thematic messaging with how to be a good person, the animated nature gives purpose to its story. It’s better to be real & authentic than a computer that’s void of any feelings. There’s a lot of great opportunities of belonging when you find your tribe.
The final aspect I want to speak on is the voice acting. Sometimes you could tell where the main character was voiced by Lupita Nyong’o. For the most part, you really couldn’t tell, giving her one of the best voice performances probably of this year. I don’t know how he does it, but Pedro Pascal manages to fit his busy schedule in to voice one of the roles in this film that reminded me so much of Donkey in the Shrek movies. I don’t want to give much else away, but the rest of the cast really bring a lot of value to their respective characters.
Overall, The Wild Robot exceeded my expectations. I teared up. I laughed. I was invested. This feels like DreamWorks is getting back to what made them great in the first place. I can’t wait to see it again, and I especially can’t wait to see it get the love it deserves come awards season.
Hold Your Breath stars Sarah Paulson as a young mother in 1930’s Oklahoma. Haunted by her troubled past, she becomes convinced that a mysterious presence in the dust storms are threatening her family, resulting in her taking extreme measures to protect them. I’ve been looking forward to this since I first heard about it. I really enjoyed the last Sarah Paulson starring Hulu movie, Run. With it also being around spooky season, I was even more intrigued. Now that I have seen it thanks to this being my very first digital screener as part of the critics union, I am able to present this review to you much sooner and help you get an idea as to what to expect when it releases on Hulu on October 3rd.
The film is directed by two different people – Karrie Crouse & Will Joines. While it’s clear where both excel at delivering tone, it can also work against the film. I think it’s fair to get this out of the way, because while I really enjoyed the more intense, suspenseful scenes, the drastic changes in tone can really mess with the plot. Needless to say, it’s not what I was expecting of the film, and I think it would be fair for me to say for those to temper expectations before watching it.
Sarah Paulson has made a clear case as to why she is one of the best working actresses working today. She makes it look so effortless, and she happens to save this film. There’s a part of me that wishes she could take on bigger movies than this. The plot centers around her being a “young mother” even though Paulson is almost 50 in real-life. There’s no problem with that, but I think that’s where the film gets the plot and tone wrong (more on that later).
As for the supporting cast, it’s great to have Ebon Moss-Bachrach in this. He’s not given much to do, but when he is on screen, his menacing presence if felt through and through. I wish we got more of him, but I think that also speaks to just how good he is in the film. Then, there is Amiah Miller, who plays as one of Paulson’s character’s daughters. Like Paulson, Miller makes it look effortless. I was truly blown away by how much emotion she put into her character, and I’d be interested to see what she does next in her career.
Now that we’ve tacked the cast, I am going to elaborate on the plot and tone. With the plot, making it seem like Paulson is a young mother goes against the believability of the story. I was always waiting for some big reveal about her being a mother, but we never quite got it. While Paulson is great, the truth is that she is beyond this. I think it would have been far better to have a younger, less-known actress in the lead role to help with the realism of the story.
Then, there is the tone. The horror aspects work really well in the film’s favor. I wouldn’t be surprised if one director focused more on the horror, while the other focused more on the drama. With such a small cast, I can’t think of any other reason as to why this film needed two directors. The horror is one of the film’s strengths. Whether it’s at day time or at night time, the scares and tone were perfect. As for the drama, the tone can be almost goofy and lifeless.
The story within the drama is one of the weakest points of the film. I went in expecting one thing out of the story. Instead, I got multiple things out of it. Without any spoilers, there’s an additional plotline that helps get the movie going that I wasn’t expecting. It certainly capitalized on the film’s core themes of life & motherhood; however, the way it got there makes the film goes in way too many directions that can often make the plot more convoluted than it needs to be. The ending also didn’t really know how to wrap itself up properly and will either make viewers appreciate the themes it is trying to convey or roll their eyes in disbelief.
The other weak point of the film is the editing. I haven’t seen editing this bad in a long time. Scenes will automatically jump to characters teleporting to different locations. I couldn’t tell if it was just me at first, but then it kept happening. It’s quite clear the film not only struggled with keeping continuinity, but also keeping track of the flow of camera shots.
Overall, Hold Your Breath does enough to make it worth watching. I can’t guarantee it will be for everyone. I actually think this will have a very polarizing response when it comes to Hulu. It’s not at all the horror movie it tries to be. Between the performances and the horror, you can do much, much worse.
The Creative Cinematic Collection 
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