At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

Skinamarink

Fisher-Price Telephone scene > The ending shot of The Blair Witch Project

This was such a crazy experimental horror film that challenges your senses and uses your fear of the dark when you were a child trying to get to another room at night to its advantage. It makes great use of white noise, dark and grainy imagery, and abstract jump scares to create fear... And while this won't work on some people who are impatient, it will if you're into that sort of thing. The story is mostly non-existent other than the premise they present to you. It also kinda requires you to watch this completely alone and in the dark (with headphones) for the immersion to be effective. Overall, it's by far the one of scariest movies I've seen even if it doesn't really have a story.
4/5

 

[3rdstone]

Decision to Leave

Incredible stuff. This was Park Chan-wook trying to channel his inner Alfred Hitchcock and Paul Verhoeven (particularly Vertigo and Basic Instinct) in this romantic crime drama. It's definitely got some of the most interesting direction, editing, and camera work all year where it's so stylish and fits the tone of a raunchy detective novel from the 50s come to life. Park Hae Il was pretty good but Tang Wei pretty steals the movie from the moment she shows up. I did appreciate how much of a role smartphones and smart technology play in the investigation, it just makes the film stand out a little more. Overall, while I don't think it's my favorite Park Chan-wook film, it's definitely up there.
4/5

I've been so damn curious about this one, from what I've read. Looking forward to watch it.

 

[flickchick85]

This was Park Chan-wook trying to channel his inner Alfred Hitchcock and Paul Verhoeven

By God, what a description!

 

[Kane52630]

Dead for a Dollar

I guess I can see what Walter Hill was going for but this was a snooze fest to get through. This was definitely inspired by the low tier westerns in the 50s and the tv westerns of later years but it's too cheap looking and lifeless to work. Even the color grading felt like something out of a tv movie in the 70s. That being said, I thought Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz, and Rachel Brosnahan were decent with what they were given. There are a couple of moments that were entertaining but not enough to keep you going. Overall, it's pretty forgettable which is a shame because Walter Hill deserves better.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Strange World

It was alright. It's another of these Disney movies where they coast around and kinda do the bare minimum with the storytelling, but overdo it in the animation department. It's more of an effects reel than a movie and what movie they do wanna tell about generational trauma has been done before and done better (IE Turning Red). I feel like even the movie knows that it's a Disneyfication of a better movie the moment one of the characters looked at some tiny weird creature and said "It's so cute! I wanna merchandise it." It's got some decent moments towards the end but overall, it's just another safe animated Disney movie.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

White Noise

So is Elvis, Hitler? or is Hitler, Elvis?

I feel kinda mixed about how I feel about this. It's basically one of the best old-school Spielbergian blockbusters baked into the first half of this and then it's a completely different movie in the last 30 minutes. Noah Baumbach does well with the overblown budget where it very much feels and shot like a grand Hollywood movie that was made back in the 80s and 90s. It uses the chemical spill plot as an obvious metaphor for the recent pandemic and it does a great job showcasing panic in a more comedic/family-friendly way. Despite how I feel about the way this movie shifts toward the end, I thought Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig were phenomenal. And Raffey Cassidy and Don Cheadle were also pretty good in this. I thought when the chemical spill plot resolves it's when the movie takes a dip and it's almost like you're watching a completely different movie. I wanna say I got what it's trying to say, but it left me pretty confused. Overall, it's a mostly solid movie that I wish had a better ending or kept the main plot going.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

This Place Rules

You know it's bad out here when Florida Man dressed up like Leto's Joker with more face tattoos is spittin facts.

Andrew Callaghan continues to be one of the lone true reporters out here with this documentary that focuses on the 2020 election leading up to January 6th. Just like with Andrew Callaghan's other reports, he does a great job just showing a raw look inside one of the chaotic moments in American history without any filter. It's hilarious, it's depressing, it's educational, and it's poetic all at the same time. The documentary does a pretty good job wrapping it around and comparing/contrasting several things and what happens at the very end is easily one of the best twists I've seen all year. Overall, a phenomenal doc. To quote the random old dude in this doc, The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. There is no end.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Aftersun

If it weren't for the camcorder, I like how you know exactly what year this took place the moment older people started doing the Macarena unironically.

I thought this was really good, it's a slow-paced character drama about a father-daughter going on a vacation and the importance of memories that were captured through a camcorder. It's pretty melancholic and minimalistic with the plot but that's kinda what they were going for. It uses the trope of the photograph as a window into memory by showcasing old video footage of their trip mixed in with the traditional movie format. Frankie Corio & Paul Mescal were really great here and you buy their relationship almost instantly. The soundtrack plays a major part in the movie and it was used so perfectly well, especially in the scenes that use Losing my Religion by REM and Under Pressure by Queen. Charlotte Wells direction almost reminds me of Leave No Trace by Debra Granik where it does a great job making you feel like it's meandering but in reality, all the scenes do matter by the end. Overall, while it didn't completely blow me away like most people, it was an emotionally tender and devastating movie that does a great job using the power of memories.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Nitram

It's a horrific character drama that revolves around the lead up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. I thought it was interesting they showed it from the POV of the shooter which might be hard for some to watch. Either way, it's Caleb Landry Jones showcasing what a great actor he is and how the film doesn't necessarily glorify what he does, but shows how someone who's mentally unstable doesn't get the help they need and is set in the wrong direction. The movie also does a sensible thing by not actually showing what he does at the end but using the gun shop scene right before it as the big shocker moment. Overall, while the subject matter might not be for everyone, thought this was a pretty well-put-together film by Justin Kurzel that does more good than harm.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Significant Other

It's an interesting scifi thriller where the most interesting part has nothing to do with aliens or whatever that 2nd half was. I really enjoyed the first half when it was just the couple going around having a backpack adventure in Oregon. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen did a great job directing the set up for this and even when the scifi plot kicks in, I did like how everything was shot and put together. Maika Monroe continues to be one of my favorite actors working today (especially after her incredible performance in Watcher) and she's great here as well. Jake Lacy was also pretty good in here playing the boyfriend who kinda f**ks up the relationship. I thought the movie kinda lost me when it became a low-brow version of Annailation meets Under The Skin. The writing was so well done until that point, so I was sorta disappointed it became another average scifi flick. That being said, there are a few moments I did like in the 2nd half and it kinda kept the flow going. Overall, it's a decent movie with some lazy influences of better films that could have been better.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Apology

Once again Skyler White has done nothing wrong.

It's a slow burn bottle thriller set during Christmas that has a great premise, but it doesn't have the reach to get it done. Alison Locke does a pretty good job of setting the mood and atmosphere of what the story is going to be about. The story itself is pretty interesting and twisted, but I think this script needed some polishing to liven things up, especially if you're doing a bottle film like this. That being said, the performances from Anna Gunn and Linus Roache do bring it despite the lackluster script. Janeane Garofalo feels totally out of place here even if she's supposed to be the comic relief. There are some good moments in here when things do heat up despite knowing how this plays out. Overall, it's decent at best but I wish they had a better writer.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

A Man Called Otto

Actually not bad. I haven't seen the original film this was based on, but this is what you expect from a crowdpleaser and from a Tom Hanks dramedy. It's essentially about a grumpy old man who's trying to end it all but keeps getting bothered by the neighbors. There's a lot of repeating scenes that evolve each time and it's got a nice pace to it that makes it a good watch on a lazy afternoon. I thought Mariana Treviño was one of highlights of movie where her chemistry works really well with Tom Hanks. The movie deals with flashbacks a lot and I thought a lot of it worked despite Truman Hanks (Tom's youngest son) not really working and that's mostly because of Rachel Keller who carries it. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's not a complicated movie whatsoever, but that's kinda the charm of it and the director does a good job putting this together.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

M3GAN

Who knew M3GAN singing Titanium as a lullaby was the scariest scene in the movie.

This was disappointingly just okay. While I thought the concept and plot was actually not bad... in fact the movie actually invokes a little bit of Paul Verhoeven with them incorporating commercials... this was unfortunately kinda middle of the road. It also doesn't help they noticeably cut down some scenes to fit it to a PG-13 rating. And it's also unfortunate that the best scenes happen to be in both trailers. That being said, there are some fun scenes that make this more of a comedy than a straight horror film. I thought Allison Williams and Violet McGraw did a pretty good job playing up the comedy and the story about trying to heal her trauma. Overall, I guess I'll wait for the R rated edition to fully give it a proper rating, but with this cut it's just okay.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Broker

A bittersweet Korean drama from Kore-eda that's once again focused on interesting family dynamics. It centers on a mother who wants to sell her baby through the black market and two sellers who are trying to find a buyer. It's full of the obvious themes and current event issues that mostly work. And it's also a bizarre comedic road trip and a detective story in the middle of all this. Gang Dong-won and Song Kang-ho play the black market sellers and they were pretty good but Lee Ji-eun's performance was the best part of the movie. Overall, while I think Kore-eda's previous film Shoplifters was a better film, this is more of an indie drama that you kinda know where it's headed.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sissy

Part Carrie, part Bodies Bodies Bodies, and part Ingrid Goes West. It's a comedic slasher from Australia that uses some real world commentary and targets the Gen Z crowd. The directing and cinematography is probably the best thing about it where they do a great job of creating scenes that feel hyper stylized kinda like Todd Strauss-Schulson's The Final Girls. Aisha Dee was great and obviously carries the movie with her performance. There is something in here with the themes that I kinda wish was expanded upon but they don't really go that far with it. Overall, it's a solid movie that had the right idea but it could have been better.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Farha

It's a heartbreaking survival story that's set around the time of the Nakba. After the opening act which was really harrowing, the movie becomes a bottle film that mostly takes place in a storage room where you follow Farha trying to survive. The director, Darin J. Sallam does a great job using soundmixing to enhance the story and keeps you on edge. The movie mostly hangs on Karam Taher's performance and I thought she was phenomenal despite not having a lot of dialogue. There's a scene involving a Palestinian family and an Israeli military patrol that was emotionally devastating. That being said, I feel like there was more to be had with the way it ends, and seeing how it was 90 minutes long, I think they could have shown more that had more to say. Overall, it's an effective survival film that aims to show how ugly war and politics can be.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Thirteen Lives

Really surprised by how well this disaster/survival drama was. It's based on the real life events of the Tham Luang cave rescue and how difficult and complex the situation was between the rescue, the local community, and the media onslaught. It's also the best movie Ron Howard has made since Rush and he couldn't be more well suited to tell this story considering he's made Apollo 13 and Backdraft. It does a really good job of keeping you on edge and claustrophobic even though you know how it ends. In a lot of ways, this reminded me of the movie The 33 except there's no black and white antagonist except for the monsoon. There's no one main star that takes over screen time which I appreciate, but I will say I thought Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton were really good here. Overall, while I'm sure the documentary is better, this was also really solid. It's one of these effectively well made grand scale scenario dramas that feels very traditional that we also don't really see get made anymore.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Glorious

When you realize why they called it Glorious was hilarious.

As much as I dug the concept of a Cthulhu-like creature hiding in a public rest-stop bathroom and having a conversation with a dude and his broken life, this could have been better. It's got a humorous tone that definitely invokes some Ash from Evil Dead and the violet lighting kinda gives you a Mandy vibe as well with the cosmic horror of it all. And it's funny that Ryan Kwanten is sort of playing his character from Dead Silence again. My problem with it is the script isn't nearly as clever as it thinks it is and having JK Simmons voice the Cthulhu-like creature was actually a bit disappointing. It also has one of the worst red shirt guy scenes I've seen all year. I can forgive the low budget when it comes to the effects, but at the same time, I don't think it was used all that well. Overall, while I don't think it was horrible, it's one of these where the cover looks better than the actual movie.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sick

This was a fun and clever slasher that obviously borrows a lot from Scream (which Kevin Williamson wrote both). The hook of having it set during a month into covid was very interesting whether or not how you feel about it. It's got a great opener and closer with a twist, but I thought the middle part where it's a lot of running around felt kinda pedestrian despite the cool stunts and action. I thought Gideon Adlon was great here and Beth Million had some good moments. Overall, it's pretty much Scream-light but it has a few things that elevate it.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Hit The Road

An unbelievably well shot and directed comedy/drama by Panah Panahi that is essentially a family road trip movie set on the Persian landscape. It's got shades of Wes Anderson and a lot of similar indie dramas from the 90s where it's quirky but wholesome and tragic. It's the directing and cinematography that elevates the material and it really takes you places you weren't expecting. Pantea Panahiha and Mohammad Hassan Madjooni were brilliant in this as well as Amin Simiar and Rayan Sarlak who play the two brothers with the little brother being the hyperactive annoying kid. It's a movie about familiar bonds and how does parents react to a sudden change in their lives. Overall, it's so technically well done that I can see this being taught in film class.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Missing

Shout out to Javier, his service score on the app should have been at least a 4.5/5.

It's another screen thriller from Aneesh Chaganty who made Searching from a few years ago and this time he's just producing it (with a story credit). While it is a connected universe, this tells a completely different story but it follows the same kind of formula that made the first one worked. Much like Searching, while there have been other screen movies, this has the added benefit of not being static with what you're looking at. It moves at a kinetic pace where it shows you what you should be looking at as the story progress. They do a good job updating the apps to stuff people are using at this moment and they even use a smart watch which was pretty interesting. I thought the story really worked for the most part until the reveal at the end which kinda makes this more of a conventional thriller than the last movie. While she doesn't ruin the movie, I still don't think Storm Reid is that good of an actor but I guess you buy it just enough. However, I thought Nia Long and Joaquim de Almeida were excellent in this. Overall, it's somewhat of a disappointment compared to the last one, but I still enjoyed it.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Piggy

A phenomenal revenge flick that takes some interesting and unpredictable routes. It takes what we think the movie is about with our main protagonist being bullied for her weight from girls her own age, her family and the community itself and we assume it's her taking her revenge but it doesn't really go there. I like how it starts off conventional, but once they introduced another element into the story, the movie shifts what it's focuses on with the characters. I thought Carlota Pereda did a great job directing this and the message of the movie really works with the way it wraps up by the end. There's a ode to Texas Chainsaw Massacre that I thought was brilliant and it doesn't try to rip it off like so many other movies because the context is slightly different. Overall, it's a great slow burn thriller that ultimately pays off at the end.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

You would think this would be another low brow animated IP cash grab for the holiday season but... it's actually... very good? It's a story that takes place in the Shrek universe, but they actually do the work of trying to tell its own compelling story among the crazy animated hi-jinks that you'd expect from this. The animation itself breaks away from the common Shrek looking animation and it seems like it's borrowing heavily from Into The Spider-Verse which is not bad at all. The story moves on a very nice pace and the animation does a lot of the heavy lifting. Antonio Banderas sounded like he was committed to the role which was a nice surprise and I thought the rest of the cast were great. The comedy is sharper and that tries to make room for the humor that everyone can enjoy. Overall, I'm shocked to say that a sequel to a spinoff to an IP that withered and died 10 years ago was actually good.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Women Talking

No notes. Can confirm, women were indeed talking.

It's a solid bottle film that I think could have benefited if it was a little bit longer. It essentially takes the 12 Angry Men route of telling this story about a group of women who belong to an isolated Mennonite colony discussing what to do about the men that attacked them. It almost entirely takes place in the barn and it definitely has the feeling of a play. Performances are great as expected with Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley stealing the spotlight. I will say my problem with this movie is I think this movie should have included the events that led up to the giant barn discussion and more importantly, the aftermath of what they decided to do. They also don't mention enough that the movie takes place in 2010 which was odd. As much as I like Sarah Polley as a director (I thought Take This Waltz was great), the script was sometimes better than some of the directing choices like the muted color grading. Overall, it's a great scripted movie that could have been better if we had more of a scope.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

To Leslie

My headcanon for post-The Wire is that Bubbles is living his life sober with country Marc Maron.

Really good but predictable. This is one of those redemptive indie dramas with a big star about someone trying to get clean and sober. It's one we pretty much see every year especially recently whether it is Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Smashed or Jennifer Aniston in Cake or even last year with Mila Kunis in Four Good Days. It's a movie that solely lives or dies on the performance of the main actor. All that being said, Michael Morris did a great job directing this and Andrea Riseborough (who I'm always a fan of ) is indeed phenomenal playing this role. As far as the supporting cast goes, Owen Teague and Allison Janney were both really great here, especially with her scene at the end. And there's no good way to say this, but I thought Marc Maron with that west Texas accent was kinda bad and it actually takes you out of some of the scenes with him and Andrea Riseborough. Overall, it's a great character piece.. that you've kinda seen before.
3.5/5