With Roofman, a true story that’s too crazy to believe based on the logline alone, Derek Cianfrance leaves meditative tear-jerker territory to tackle an unbelievable story that’s outrageous only conceptually, but still executed with patience — and a lot of charisma from its actors. Channing Tatum plays real-life robber Jeffrey Manchester with a deeply terrible set of decision-making skills. Tatum is physically comedic yet also gives the role more depth than many of his other characters in the tonally lighter films we’re used to from him lately. That said, despite the film’s awareness of the craziness of his actions, it also stops to reflect on the consequences of those actions on others and his own sense of acceptance within the new life he’s adapted into. Kirsten Dunst is also very layered in her performance and shares great chemistry with Tatum, and Peter Dinklage is a scene-stealing highlight, too.
Roofman is an entertaining time throughout that accomplishes exactly the mission it sets out to do while wisely refraining from becoming an all-out comedy and letting us sit with the characters and their circumstances. Best of all, it may also make you want to research more about the real story behind the movie — and wish for more great leading roles for Tatum like it.
Strangers David and Sarah meet at a wedding and find themselves embarking on a surreal journey on the way home that combines the abstract with the personal, and the past with the present.
Kogonada is a brilliant filmmaker who knows how to unlock the human soul to his audiences with a patient and tender approach. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey isn’t lacking in vision, but in finding a cohesive and meaningful whole within its story. Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie are cast well together in an almost Eternal Sunshine-like odyssey, but Robbie’s character still feels distant as we still know too little about her by the end. Kogonada’s wondrous imagery gives a sense of curiosity and whimsicality, from actions, objects, and colors that stand out in the frame to a hilarious supporting character who’s also a car GPS. Some scenes entertain as the characters look back at regret, loss, and their own lack of self-confidence in creative ways, but it only makes much sense for about half an hour, until the intrigue loses steam and the dialogue in which the characters discuss the film’s themes begins to feel somewhat hollow. As a romance, the film also falls flat, not by looking back at the lead characters’ mistakes in their past relationships, but when a romance between the two of them then comes way too quickly without feeling earned.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey digs deep into ideas such as confidence, fear, commitment, and remorse, in ways that feel emotionally earnest yet never come together to say something big, bold, and beautiful, like the title says. It’s arguably worth watching for the ambition alone, but also a shame to thing of how much better it could’ve been in the hands of this director and two magnificent stars.
Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson make for the most unlikely but welcome director-actor pairing of the year, and the latter gives a performance that not only transforms him on screen, but his image for audiences. The massive movie star persona we’re used to from him completely disappears and Johnson becomes one with Mark Kerr, the MMA fighter he plays in the film. Kerr is incredibly ferocious and determined, but sees losing as a non-option and can’t quite cope with the idea of it, even when it’s bound to happen for all athletes. Emily Blunt is also phenomenal as Dawn, Kerr’s girlfriend, matching his anger and desire to be heard in many great scenes.
The Smashing Machine, thanks to Safdie’s brilliant directions, captures a feel beyond that of a three-act screenplay with actors reading dialogue, but rather feels like you’re merely a fly on the wall inhabiting and moving through this space with the characters as you get to know them deeply and intimately. One of the beautiful things the film captures is the community MMA builds, with players training together and bonding as friends who feel like family to one another, even when there’s a chance they may face each other in the ring. It also has wrestling scenes that put many other films to shame, that are captivating even when the camera is hardly filming from inside the ring. It’s a movie so gripping you won’t realize how quick the runtime has flown by, winding up a lesser known and scale but still strong success story that’s expertly put together for an exhilarating 2 hours that demand your full attention.
After a ruthless enemy resurfaces after sixteen years, a former revolutionary must come out of hiding to protect his daughter from a terrifying power coming after them.
Paul Thomas Anderson, already one of the most sweeping and daring filmmaker of the last few decades, is not only at his most ambitious in scope here. With One Battle After Another, the director challenges himself and his audiences into discomfort and nail-biting suspense, while transcending and recontextualizing his body of work. His direction is not only at its most cinematic and maximalist, but one of his most thematically profound.
Leonardo DiCaprio shines as a man who is task-oriented and protective yet fragile in his sense of self, portraying a character who’s funny in his messiness as he is loud and dangerous if a nervous wreck. Sean Penn is vicious and terrifying, giving his best performance in decades that could even get him another Oscar, and a villain that will go down as one of the all-time greats. The ensemble cast all deserve their flowers in their own right and offer the film lots of strength. Chase Infiniti is fantastic as DiCaprio’s daughter who gives much strength to every scene she’s in, and her scenes are riveting. Teyana Taylor leaves such an impression with a tremendous performance that gives weight and immense depth to the entire film, even when she’s not on screen. Benicio del Toro shines in a lovable and entertaining performance that steals the screen while letting other performances be “bigger” at the same time, and Regina Hall is also excellent.
There isn’t one element to Anderson’s approach that turns One Battle After Another into a masterpiece; it’s the whole the parts create. The gorgeous cinematography, Jonny Greenwood’s booming score, the swift pace and dark tone, and the magnificent sound design create the unpredictability and transfixing nature of the film you’re in. It’s the most shockingly and horrifically relevant film to today’s America I can remember, with imagery mirroring current power dynamics. The imagery is so visceral and mirrors real-life conflict in a way that screams like a warning, but one for a reality that’s already begun. In the world of One Battle After Another, each person has convinced themselves of an enemy or an other, and that violence is a justified means to an end that signifies a greater good. Nobody in this film becomes a true hero, there are simply people with worse beliefs and who have codes and are willing to commit deeds that are less acceptable to our moral standards. There are many moments that stand out in One Battle After Another that invoke suspense and epic magnitude, but that feeling is felt in every moment and frame. Even for a legendary director of PTA’s rapport, One Battle After Another is a breathtaking experience that’s among one of the best films of the last ten years, and one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s most visionary and unforgettable movies.
Architect Theo Rose and his wife, chef Ivy Rose, live a seemingly perfect life with their two children, until buried resentments start to surface and threaten to destroy the marriage and lives they’ve worked so hard to build.
An amusing update of The War of the Roses, this film retains a similar basic premise but takes a much humbler, less slapstick tone to feel distinct from that previous film which famously saw Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner butting heads as the titular couple as their marriage hideously crashed and burned. Here, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are the “perfect” pair who make the film worth watching. Cumberbatch shines as a man struggling to find steam and purpose after losing it all professionally, while Colman’s performance as relatively restrained compared to some of her others, but still kills it while matching his smugness. The film has its good laughs, and does justice to some of its great supporting players including Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon. The first hour tends to drag in the writing, but once it gets to the main point over halfway in, it gets fun. The film works best when highlighting the rockiness in the seemingly best of marriages, and when allowing its two leads to trade insults and threats and try to bring one another down with the sinking ship.
Paul Greengrass is truly a master of suspense, and of creating massive events and sequences that feel like a ticking time bomb that might not end until the film does. The Lost Bus is no exception, and proves his love yet again for humans’ cooperation and resilience in the face of unimaginable fear and adversity.
The film is set during the horrific 2018 fires in Paradise, California, which may still feel fresh for many Californians and even more so due to this last year’s events. The movie focuses on the area’s fire department wide efforts to fight the fires and save lives, while also zooming on Matthew McConaughey (giving an amazing performance) as bus driver Kevin McCay, trying to rescue 22 children from the fast-spreading inferno, together with a teacher of theirs, Mary Ludwig, also played wonderfully by the terrific America Ferrera.
The movie does an excellent job bringing you into the terror of the events faced by the characters, including from the perspective of a child and a parent. All the while, the visual effects and sound design immerse you into these almost real-time events and put you on the edge of your seat — save for a few noticeable shots of CGI. The handheld cam Greengrass is known for elevates every moment and glues the pace together along with the tense music. You’re invested in the characters and the community’s pain and loss, while some devastating truths about the fires and their causes are revealed. The Lost Bus is a gripping true story that will stick with you not only because it’s a not-so-recent story, but also because of its humanity and implications that reach far and wide.
Darren Aronofsky goes for a tone that’s a lot more entertaining and less devastating or frightening than his last few films, though it’s still very violent, unpredictably so. Austin Butler gives a fantastic performance as a bartender whose dreams of baseball glory were crushed after a tragedy, and now finds himself in the crosshairs of a dangerous plot involving numerous crime leaders. Butler’s character is serious but not quite strong, driven more by his fear of harm coming his way. His character is flawed, vulnerable, and plagued by his past, but doesn’t have some violent dark side — he’s simply caught in the crosshairs of a plot involving his neighbor. Regina King also shines greatly, and Zoe Kravitz shares wonderful chemistry with Butler.
The best part of Caught Stealing is how unpredictable it is. The story itself is so fresh that there isn’t a way to guess quite where it’s going or will end up. The violence is very dark but also provides for moments of humor, even when the shootouts and car chases result in bloody carnage. The cinematography feels vintage without overly indulging in 90s nostalgia, and makes for both bigger and more intimate moments, and two characters who play a principal part in the later act are scene-stealing. At the end of the day, though, the film works because we’re rooting for Butler’s character so much against frightening odds. Aronosky treats his characters and world here with a sense of fun and wit, while Butler proves himself as a true movie star in an original and thrilling film that’s a welcome change of pace for the director but still at the top of his game.
If it ain’t broke, is there any need to fix it? The Naked Gun doesn’t set out to reinvent its franchise — it tries the exact same things its predecessors would’ve, and works so well for it. The humor is still silly and not limited by the same political correctness many adhere to today, and once the laughs start coming, they never stop. Everything from visual comedy, pop culture references, wordplay, and more NSFW humor are thrown at you at light speed, and the laughs hardly miss, even when they’re not very “smart”.
Liam Neeson does a stellar job following in the footsteps of the legendary Leslie Nielsen, with Frank Drebin, Jr. just as dim-witted but lovable as his dad. Neeson’s comedic and clueless turn serves as a huge and much-needed breath of fresh air from his far more brooding and serious action movie roles in the last two decades, perhaps making us wish more of his movie choices were comedies. Pamela Anderson’s romantic lead isn’t necessarily an interesting character, but her performance shines and makes the role fun to watch while sharing strong chemistry with Neeson that works in a weirdly endearing way. Paul Walter Hauser is also great while Danny Houston’s awful villain not only makes no sense, but his evil plot is stolen from another semi-recent spy movie.
Just like classic screwball action comedies like Top Secret and Austin Powers, The Naked Gun’s pleasure comes from its ridiculousness, and isn’t focused on coming off as high-brow or satirical as Kingsman. It’s irreverent and frankly dumb, but always on the audience’s side and undeniably a great time.
Bob Odenkirk is back as Hutch Mansell in a sequel where the action is just as wild, but the script doesn’t pack the same punch. Odenkirk is both outrageously funny and gritty in the leading role, while Connie Nielsen gets even more to do as his wife. Christopher Lloyd again shines as Hutch’s father who gets even more opportunities to completely steal the screen, and effortlessly so. John Ortiz is also solid, but many supporting characters who serves as antagonistic forces don’t really have much to do, or at least their motivations don’t feel like a natural part of the story. Sharon Stone is very well-cast, but her lines are sometimes iffy and her screen time leaves more to be desired.
Nobody 2’s family vacation premise sets it apart from its predecessor, but it also lacks the thrills that those slow revelations had in the first film — none of which really have an impact here besides Hutch being really, really good at killing people. The conflict itself feels both low-stakes and never explained in a manner that’s clear, interesting, or original. That said, the action is still fun and the final act in particular offers an awesome and massive set piece. That said, compared to its predecessor, it leaves much to be desired narratively and thematically, while still working as harmless and bloody entertainment.
Celine Song enlists big names and a larger budget for her second feature after the Earth-shattering Past Lives, but this feels like a Celine Song movie first and never compromises for a more mainstream rom-com approach. In fact, despite some great humorous moments and consistent wit from its characters, the movie hardly feels like a comedy, rather a deep and patient romantic drama. Dakota Johnson finds herself in another hard-hitting role among some of her best like Cha Cha Real Smooth and The Peanut Butter Falcon. Her journey is flawed yet always sympathetic. Chris Evans also gives one of his most heartfelt turns in a long time, with the part of John here fitting him like a glove. Pedro Pascal also has some irresistible scenes with Johnson and the dialogue Song gives him to work with really stands out.
The film dissects how modern superficial worldviews complicate the once-simple idea of love and relationships, while romance and love can sometimes not be more different. Song is an expert at rhythmic and sophisticated dialogue, and builds a quiet and meditative atmosphere with a lovely 35mm film look and Daniel Pemberton’s strong score. There may be more than a few films that tackle similar ideas of love and, well, materialism, but it’s only through Song’s words and style that Materialists works so intimately and profoundly.
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