Category: Film Review

“Hooking Up” offers a very dramatic premise, but the feature is more interested in surveying the comedic potential of the material. The writing presents troubling experiences involving two very anxious characters, both facing incredible attacks on their sanity and health as they try to keep things cool on a day-to-day basis. There’s a great deal of potential in tracking the challenges found in these lives. However, co-writer/director Nico Raineau isn’t comfortable remaining in the bubble of worry, searching for ways to make “Hooking Up” approachable, often going silly with the effort when there’s a distinctly sobering tone waiting to claim the picture. Thankfully, Raineau has his cast, with leads Brittany Snow and Sam Richardson adding enough charisma and timing to stabilize the tonal imbalance the helmer struggles with as he tries to find his way through murky psychological spaces. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Swallow” appears intended to be a major showcase for the acting skills of Haley Bennett, who takes a producing role on the picture, gifting herself a little more control over the final product. It’s been a rocky road for the talent, who failed to breakout in efforts such as “The Girl on the Train” and “The Magnificent Seven,” with “Swallow” delivering a juicy leading part that’s completely focused on her abilities, offering a tonal challenge with strange material that deals uncomfortably with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. The good news about the movie is that it truly makes the most of Bennett’s screen appeal, and she delivers refreshingly alert work for director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, skillfully reaching some interesting psychological spaces as the feature conjures plenty of compelling darkness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As actors scramble to find their place in superhero cinema, Vin Diesel takes a chance on “Bloodshot,” a big-budget adaptation of the cult comic book character, trying to bring his sludgy charisma to a sci-fi tale about a super soldier on the loose. As with most Diesel endeavors, he’s the least interesting element in the production, but this take on the titular bruiser (who’s been around since the early 1990s) has a few surprises to share before it becomes another tepid actioner for the star. A sense of the unexpected is what “Bloodshot” needs more of, and additional mayhem would be nice too, as so much of the feature is devoted to expositional needs, keeping what promises to be a roller coaster ride of death and revenge into a largely talky effort that’s constantly attentive to explaining its complicated premise. The end result doesn’t do much for Diesel’s filmography, but at least the man still has Groot. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Hunt” was originally due for release last September before it was hastily shelved by Universal Pictures, who didn’t want to be responsible for the film at that time. Some blame real-world violence for the cancellation, while others suggest the charged political content found in Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof’s screenplay may have been the reason for its dismissal, with the studio unsure such material had a place in an increasingly divided country. Now, six months later, the movie is finally being released, or perhaps toss hastily into theaters, and while the project carries a certain air of danger, it’s mostly dreadful, offering an underwhelming sense of humor and horror, perhaps revealing that any delay wasn’t ordered due to fear, but out of growing shame. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jason Orley is trying to go a little softer with his take on bad influences in “Big Time Adolescence.” It’s a comedy, showcasing all sorts of tomfoolery from young men unable to grow up, but the screenplay is attentive to the sensitivities of the situation, striving to approach the reality of a corrupting presence in a teenager’s life without losing the entertainment value of the whole offering. “Big Time Adolescence” battles superficiality at times, but there are laughs to be had and hearts to be squeezed, as Orley understands the primary crisis of the movie, where a teenager is caught between the person he was raised to be and the toxic attention he receives from an unlikely source of friendship. It’s been done before, but the helmer provides dramatic stability to best understand the issues at hand. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Benh Zeitlin made his big debut with “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a restless study of fantasy and childhood that managed to trigger a response at the box office and collect a handful of Oscar nominations. But that was 2012. It’s been quite some time since Zeitlin made a movie, building expectations for his follow-up, and he’s settled on the story of “Peter Pan” for “Wendy,” a reworking of J.M. Barrie’s beloved book and play, which once again returns the helmer to a restless study of fantasy and childhood. Content to repeat himself, Zeitlin uses “Wendy” to dig deeper into his favorite themes of youth and aging, working with an amateur cast to best summon a special level of excitement and raw emotion. The vision for the feature is there, but the execution is fatigued and familiar, straining to summon a dark magic with screen poetry we’ve seen before, and in a much better film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2017, there was “The Snowman.” Intended to be the beginning of a detective series for the character Harry Hole, his initial outing was plagued with production and editing problems, turning an adaptation of a Jo Nesbo book into a bizarre mess. “The Postcard Killings” doesn’t have the same marketplace profile or notable cast, but it shares a cluelessness with “The Snowman,” trying to make something noteworthy from a book (titled “The Postcard Killers”) by James Patterson and Liza Marklund (who co-scripts with Andrew Stern), but nothing seems to go right for the production. Burdened by a severely limited cast, strangely self-destructive editing, and poor direction from Danis Tanovic, “The Postcard Killings” is quite tedious before it becomes unintentionally hilarious, with its drive to be a sincere serial killer mystery at odds with its poor execution. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a strange last four years for director Peter Berg. A helmer with wild swings of quality in his filmography, Berg hit career highlights with 2016’s “Patriots Day” and “Deepwater Horizon,” proving his ability to stick with dramatic study and mute his invasively impish sense of humor, slowing down his often chaotic stylistics. Such creative success was short-lived, with Berg returning to the land of excess with 2018’s “Mile 22,” a box office bomb that failed to launch an action franchise. Berg is back with “Spenser Confidential,” reuniting with star Mark Wahlberg to attempt another screen series, this time utilizing the well-worn pages of Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” line of books for inspiration. The helmer comes up with a minor success in “Spenser Confidential,” which digs into the Boston attitude for a shallow but satisfying mystery/actioner, keeping Berg on task as he tries very carefully to create a feature that will inspire more features to come. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For their latest production, Pixar Animation Studios turns to the world of “Dungeons & Dragons” to inspire screen adventure. It’s not a true homage to the classic role-playing game, but there’s enough of an influence to give “Onward” a charmingly nerdy vibe to go with the company’s formula of family and heart. Director Dan Scanlon (“Monsters University”) gets a little sneaky with his sentimentality, and that’s one of the many charms found in the feature, which has a way of being predictable, reliable Pixar entertainment before it makes a noticeable effort to do some things a little differently when it comes to character and message. There’s a rich animated realm to explore in “Onward,” which plays mirthfully with fantasy, delivering terrific character designs and broad voice work to bring an odd adventure to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the world anticipates the release of a new “Ghostbusters” sequel this summer, the comedy “Extra Ordinary” comes out of nowhere to actually deliver all kinds of supernatural happenings and consistently hilarious comedy. Co-writers/directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman present an Irish take on demonic problems, but instead of going wild with visual effects and sheer noise, the duo plays everything with a terrific dryness, enjoying the weirdness of the material instead of trying to emphasize all levels of quirk. “Extra Ordinary” isn’t a massive production, but it uses its moments well, creating a snowballing sense of the absurd while tending to the genre aspects of the story, finding a near-perfect balance of outrageousness and subtlety. It’s a special film with a large imagination, and Loughman and Ahern do whatever they can to protect the project’s stealthy charms. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Four years ago, director Gavin O’Connor and actor Ben Affleck tried to do something different with the thriller genre with “The Accountant.” The attempt was admirable but the execution was flawed. The pair reteams for “The Way Back,” which hopes to bring something different to the underdog sports movie, adding some grit to formula that’s typically about broad highs and lows. The partnership is more effective the second time around, and while Brad Ingelsby’s screenplay isn’t entirely concentrated on providing dramatic hospital corners, O’Connor endeavors to supply deep feeling to the proceedings, while Affleck delivers one of his very best performances, tasked with playing a profoundly depressed and angry man, while still working to keep the character open for inspection. “The Way Back” is no classic, but there’s power in small moments and performances, rising above cliché to provide a sincere study of burning introspection. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While “Corpus Christi” is a study of faith as it takes many forms, it’s more surprising as a tale of survival, tracking the ways of a juvenile murderer as he experiences an awakening of sorts while perpetuating fraud on a small Polish town. Director Jan Komasa and screenwriter Mateusz Pacewicz don’t have an original idea with the feature, but they have distinct execution, endeavoring to inspect the evolution of a troubled teen as he’s immersed in a community that’s possibly more distorted than he is, finding purpose while trying to stay out of sight. “Corpus Christi” is unexpected in the way it looks at crime and punishment, taking great care to be mindful of character nuance and reaction, while the general misdirection of the movie is thrilling in a way, maintaining distance from cliché that’s right there for the taking, heading to a more profound sense of feeling instead. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Escape from Pretoria” is based on the true story of Tim Jenkin, who, in 1979, joined two other inmates on a mission to break out of a South African prison. The event occurred during a politically charged time in the country’s history, and the act itself was viewed as an ultimate statement of defiance during an era of violent divide. Co-writer/director Francis Annan isn’t afraid of exploring the tension of South Africa during a volatile decade, but he’s also attentive to thriller cinema, keeping “Escape from Pretoria” involving as portrait of corruption and gripping as a prison escape extravaganza, dealing with all sorts of near-misses and sweaty momentum, making the feature livelier than it initially appears. The effort is never preachy or throttled by unnecessary asides, going full charge as a nail-biting ride of impossible planning and luck, with Annan finding the thrills and chills in Jenkin’s tale of survival. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Michael Winterbottom has always held a great interest in highlighting troubled times, with economic disparity a popular topic of his pictures. With “Greed,” Winterbottom does away with any sort of subtlety, instead going for the throat with his vision of a billionaire celebrating his 60th birthday, with his grotesque life opened up for study as a decadent party is planned. The material has its comedic moments, but Winterbottom is aiming for a more sobering depiction of the haves and have nots, constructing a briskly paced overview of financial manipulation, workplace abuse, and the blind absurdity of privilege, reteaming with frequent collaborator Steve Coogan to assess the ruination of lives as the few retain everything while the many fight for survival. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s somewhat surprising that there hasn’t been a plethora of movies and shows about the life and times of former Toronto mayor Rob Ford. The self-destructive man (who passed away in 2016) and his creepily abusive ways seem like a proper fit for an exploratory screenplay looking to understand how such an unstable man achieved incredible power, and remained there despite ample evidence of improprieties. “Run This Town” will have to do for now, with writer/director Ricky Tollman not interested in a bio-pic of Ford, instead using the controversies surrounding his abhorrent behavior to examine issues of race, privilege, employment, and sexual harassment. It’s a big bag of topics to sort through, and while Tollman puts the pedal to the metal in terms of cinematic style to keep the feature interesting, there’s a limit on how much “Run This Town” can actually process and remained a focused tale. The helmer doesn’t always succeed with his storytelling, but he’s made a lively endeavor about a profoundly disturbing situation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Banker” dramatizes the true story of Joe Morris and Bernard Garrett, two black men who challenged the white real estate and banking system during the 1950s and ‘60s, creating financial opportunities for those normally refused such chances to better their lives. It’s an interesting story, but it’s not an especially thrilling film, with co-writer/director George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau,” “Birth of the Dragon”) perhaps the wrong person for the job. Instead of creating a riveting understanding of the central mission from Morris and Garrett, Nolfi generates a television movie account of the story, aiming for a softer, audience-friendly understanding of the challenges the men faced while trying to do the impossible. Thespian emphasis saves the picture, with the actors striving to make their scenes count while Nolfi works to dilute the material, robbing it of real power. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Certainly the topic of “Ghostbusters” and its unusual production history has been covered quite a bit through featurettes, magazine articles, and books, which have all delved into the minutiae of the creative labor required to manufacture one of the biggest film releases of 1984, and one of the most beloved movies of all time. Directors Anthony and Claire Bueno appear to recognize such an informational challenge, making very careful moves to help their documentary, “Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters,” become something special for fans who’ve been handed almost everything over the last 36 years. Being a homegrown project for the duo, who’ve been carefully crafting the picture for the last 12 years, there are certain limitations in play when it comes to the full breadth of access to the world of “Ghostbusters,” but what’s here is often stunning, collecting interviews, evidence, and anecdotes to best celebrate the feature’s genesis. While there’s plenty here that’s familiar, there’s even more from the Buenos that reignites passion for “Ghostbusters” and the extraordinary effort to bring the picture to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn don’t take it easy on their audience with “Ordinary Love.” It’s a tough sit, charting the progression of a breast cancer diagnosis shared between a loving couple who’ve already been through enough hell during their life together, newly attacked by a discovery that pulls them through the gears of the medical industry and the pushes the limits of their emotional health. With such a subject matter, D’Sa and Leyburn have a distinct creative challenge, tasked with making the odyssey compelling despite the inherent discomfort of it all. Mercifully, “Ordinary Love” is a thoughtful study of a relationship tested and reinforced, with screenwriter Owen McCafferty making sure to communicate the little moments of feeling without burying the whole thing in melodrama. It’s heartbreaking, but never calculating, paying close attention to character as it paints a larger portrait of health care and partnership. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Universal Pictures spent a lot of time and money trying to revisit their horror history, hoping to trigger a new wave of creature features with expensive productions such as “Dracula Untold” and, most recently, 2017’s “The Mummy.” Unable to make something significant happen at the box office, the studio now turns to Blumhouse Productions to produce a hit, leaning on their frugal nature and fright film formula to resurrect “The Invisible Man” for contemporary audiences. Made for roughly half of Tom Cruise’s salary for “The Mummy,” “The Invisible Man” isn’t big on visual effects or flashy set pieces. It’s a Blumhouse endeavor, and they really only do long walks in dark hallways and the occasional bit of unsavory business. And that’s what they provide with the new release, which goes the minimalist route, with writer/director Leigh Whannell keeping to mild psychological freak-outs as he aims to rework the titular menace for 2020. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Disappearance at Clifton Hill” supplies a lot of strange atmospheres for what’s trying to be a murder mystery. Co-writer/director Albert Shin appears to be inspired by “Twin Peaks,” aiming for border oddity with a collection of idiosyncratic characters and their unusual jobs. The production also takes inspiration from the world of true crime podcasts, embracing the slow showcase of twists and turns as a seemingly simple act of violence becomes a hundred different motivations and backstories. At the very least, “Disappearance at Clifton Hill” strives to be something, with Shin constructing a winding journey into a specialized situation of guilt, aiming to deliver a particular detective story that’s not entirely compelling, but has moments of inspiration, especially in casting and while setting a broadcast mood of sleuthing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com