Category: Film Review

In 2004, co-writer/director Peter Berg set out to understand the power of community and competition with “Friday Night Lights,” looking to move beyond the world of high school football to capture the energy of small town America. It was an adaptation of a book by journalist H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger, and now Berg tries to find his way around “The Mosquito Bowl.” It’s another Bissinger endeavor (published in 2022), also about the strange influence of football over the lives of young men in conflict. This time the battleground is World War II, putting Berg (and co-writer Mark L. Smith, “The Dog Stars”) to work generating emotional and physical intensity as a global conflict comes for individual lives just beginning to form. “The Mosquito Bowl” attempts to overwhelm with violence, but Berg doesn’t trust his audience, repeatedly taking the whole film into overkill when he isn’t drowning the movie in speeches and irksome cinematography. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In his last picture, 2024’s “The Room Next Door,” writer/director Pedro Almodovar ventured out of his comfort zone just a little bit, working with English-language actors (including Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton) to give the feature a higher profile and different vibe than his usual Spanish offerings. The stretch was interesting but not overpowering, returning the helmer to his home country for “Bitter Christmas.” It’s the latest melodrama from Almodovar, with the screenplay following his interests in troubled relationships, adding an overall examination of creativity and manipulation in the process. “Bitter Christmas” retains the vibrant filmmaking Almodovar is known for, with impeccable technical credits, but it’s not entirely gripping work, playing with timelines and realities without much of a dramatic hold, though the endeavor periodically scores with moments of passion and distress that help to snap the feature to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

To celebrate the release of 1976’s “Rocky,” producers have elected to skip on the creation of a new sequel or spin-off continuation, electing to dramatize the formation of the original picture instead. Screenwriter Peter Gamble is out to make an underdog movie about an underdog movie in “I Play Rocky,” which tracks the hardships and great successes for Sylvester Stallone as he tried to make his acting dream happen on his own terms. The rough edges of reality are completely sanded down by Gamble, and director Peter Farrelly is no stranger to soft cheese filmmaking, previously scoring a major success in 2018’s “Green Book.” “I Play Rocky” is meant to be a crowd-pleaser, not a documentary, and it’s mildly successful in primary color mode, with Gamble attempting to land easy emotion with Stallone’s battle for respectability and his rise to tremendous success when the whole world seemed to be against him. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dot-Marie Jones is a veteran actress who’s made her way through many film and television roles. She has a defined physical presence, often hired to play tough or imposing characters, and that’s exactly the energy writer/director Alex Goyette needs for “Breeder,” which follows a young man getting into deep trouble with a poodle breeder who’s up to no good on her remote ranch. The picture isn’t a fierce genre offering, but a slow-burn study of psychology, sticking with the characters as they dole out and endure punishment for lengthy periods of time, playing a long game of intimidation. Goyette doesn’t summon much creepiness with “Breeder,” but he has Jones, who’s commanding in the villain role, adding enough unsettling behavior to keep the overlong movie alive, delivering the pressure the helmer is hoping to provide. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2019, co-writer/director Taika Waititi pulled off a bit of a magic trick with “Jojo Rabbit.” He managed to marry the extremes of the material, handling silliness and absolute severity during the World War II tale, emerging with a unique viewing experience when all initial signs pointed to a cinematic disaster. Waititi is back to try again with “Klara and the Sun,” endeavoring to adapt a 2021 book by Kazuo Ishiguro, which follows the experiences of an android sent to live with a sick girl, exposed to a whole new world while managing family life. Once again, Waititi is faced with a delicate tone to balance, but the new film is no “Jojo Rabbit,” often struggling to make sense of itself as whimsy and gloominess compete for screen time. “Klara and the Sun” is clearly out to be charming and heartbreaking, but the helmer visibly wrestles with the assignment, ending up with a frustratingly flat picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Clayface” is the latest offering from the DC Extended Universe, with producers looking to test the fanbase with a live-action depiction of a character previously realized in comic books, video games, and animation. It’s quite a challenge for director James Watkins (“Eden Lake,” “Speak No Evil”), who’s handed a limited budget and a cult character, tasked with bringing something menacing and messy with what’s ultimately a body horror crime picture. Screenwriters Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini come up with a decent story to support a bizarre evolution, landing close-ish to a remake of 1990’s “Darkman” with a tale of a sensitive soul who has access to many faces, out to seek revenge on those who destroyed his. “Clayface” has a few creative limitations, but it’s an enjoyably gruesome ride and sturdy origin story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2022, actor Noah Segan made his feature-length directorial debut with “Blood Relatives.” It followed a vampire coming to terms with his new role as a father to a teenager, allowing Segan to play with elements of horror and drama as he constructed a flawed but engaging picture. He’s back with “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” and Segan shows improvement with this endeavor, getting leaner with a study of a small-time criminal who’s made a mess of his life suddenly confronted by big trouble he doesn’t fully understand. “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” is invitingly direct in its storytelling and superbly cast for the most part, with star John Turturro delivering layered, internalized work in a part that does something with his unusual screen presence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Maria Bamford is a comedian loved by other comedians. She’s been on the precipice of major fame for quite some time, but never reached media omnipresence, and there’s a good reason why. “Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story” puts directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley to work investigating the subject, getting to understand her particular ways on-stage and off, also examining her lifelong struggle with various mental disorders she’s battled with and turned into material for her act. There’s nobody quite like Maria Bamford, and the helmers know it, presenting a raw but hilarious portrait of a woman who’s navigated so much in her life, yet remains committed to being a performer. She’s also incredibly open with Apatow and Berkeley, willing to inspect the darkness she’s been trying to make sense of since she was a child, adding to a sensational documentary about a gifted performer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Laika, the stop-motion animation studio, has maintained a reputation for elegant visuals and challenging storytelling, trying to give viewers of all ages a bit more to process than the competition provides. Their last endeavor, 2019’s “Missing Link,” took a tumble at the box office, but the company isn’t retreating with their new picture. Instead, they’re going deeper into fantasy and mature tastes with “Wildwood,” which is an adaptation of a 2011 novel by author Colin Meloy. Laika goes PG-13 with the offering, delivering a darker, more violent adventure into magical lands, and director Travis Knight (who recently helmed “Masters of the Universe”) isn’t compromising the tone of the material, which deals with death and madness, also providing harder hits of adventure as the characters face challenges that could take their lives. “Wildwood” retains gorgeous animation, maintaining a feast for the eyes as screenwriter Chris Butler (“ParaNorman,” “Kubo and the Two Strings”) tries to manage many elements of survival and power, out to generate Laika’s biggest movie yet. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wicker” is an adaptation of a short story written by Ursula Wills-Jones in 2008, with emphasis on the word “short.” The writer only claimed 14 pages to explore her story, leaving writer/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson (“Save Yourselves!”) with a substantial creative challenge as they attempt to fill over 100 minutes of movie. Stretchmarks are visible on the screenwriting, which endeavors to do some world-building while adding a number of supporting characters to help extend the effort. Additions are noticeable, but the central premise of “Wicker” is quite interesting, putting Fischer and Wilson to work examining the loneliness and shamed existence of a woman who turns to magic to create her ideal husband, and he just so happens to be made out of wicker. There’s a touch of humor involved in the picture, but the material tends to feel most balanced when investigating jealousies and insecurities that arise when a fantasy man comes to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Jordan Downey was previously involved in the B-movie business. He helmed pictures such as “ThanksKilling” and “ThanksKilling 3,” and added a bit of ghoulishness to “V/H/S/Beyond.” Downey aims to get somewhat restrained and atmospheric with “The Cycle,” which follows a forensic anthropologist as she’s called in to investigate a horrible crime, getting in touch with her past in the process. There’s more to the tale, a lot more, but Downey (who co-scripts with Kevin Stewart) goes slow-burn with the offering, creating a first half that’s primarily about character histories and procedural events, eventually reaching increasingly intense matters that change the tone of the movie. “The Cycle” isn’t the most tightly edited endeavor, but it does maintain an involving case to follow, and Downey scores some surges of horror during the investigation, nailing intensity when the effort gets around to physical events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Love Language” is a romantic comedy, and one with a decent premise ready to be explored in full. The story concerns a young woman who’s burnt when it comes to love, but her writing skills are recognized by others, falling into a gig crafting wedding vows for a growing number of clients. It’s a classic study of a tortured person finding their way back to life through creative expression and research, but writer/director Joey Power doesn’t follow the grittier side of the material in full. He’s out to make something soft and warm-ish, investing in a cozy mood for material that isn’t inherently gentle. “Love Language” is propped up by agreeable performances and decent chemistry, but Power has no plans to avoid formula with the picture, making sure predictability is preserved throughout most of the viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Nathan Fielder is a filmmaker and comedic actor who’s worked with the documentary format for most of his career, though he’s mostly set out to bend reality with his satiric interests, generating incredible television with work on “Nathan for You” and “The Rehearsal.” He knows how to deploy his deadpan persona, even happy to play the dumb guy to help interact with his subjects, creating thought-provoking and often hilarious encounters along the way. Fielder joins co-director Lance Oppenheim (“Primetime”) for “You Can See Everything,” out to generate a cinematic portrait of Theranos co-founder Elizabeth Holmes during a 34 day countdown to the beginning of her prison sentence, about to spend the next 11 years of her life behind bars for multiple counts of fraud. Elizabeth is someone who’s been explored in all forms of media, but she offers the filmmakers access to this vulnerable time in her life, putting Fielder on the case to best understand the woman, her decisions, and her relationship with partner Billy Evans, who promises the production “radical transparency” as the month commences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When Norm MacDonald passed away in 2021, nobody took the news harder than other comedians. In an industry of rivalries, bitterness, and ego, MacDonald was someone who managed to transcend ugliness, uniting colleagues in a collective appreciation of wit, delivery, and a general personal presence that was unique and, for the most part, uncompromising. Director Judd Apatow oversees the construction of “Norm: The Tale of Norm MacDonald,” which isn’t the usual in talking head-focused documentary filmmaking. Instead of allowing others to lead the way, Apatow turns to MacDonald himself to guide the viewing experience, compiling clips from television, film, podcasts, and social media to track the subject’s adventures in comedy and life. “The Tale of Norm MacDonald” is unusual in many ways, but for fans of the comedian, the picture is a superb reminder of talent and timing, and Apatow manages to bring some illumination to a very private life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the wild success of the video game “Street Fighter II,” Hollywood was right there to exploit the now red-hot brand name. They tried to make sense of the fighting game in 1994, with the Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring “Street Fighter” looking to turn the tale into a study of politics and military might. It didn’t set the world on fire. There was another pass in 2009’s “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” and the film was almost entirely, and rightfully, ignored by the public. The game has also been turned into television shows, comic books, and animated pictures. There’s been no shortage of “Street Fighter” adaptations over the decades, and now Hollywood is willing to try again. The new “Street Fighter” aims to more closely replicate the video game atmosphere, and director Kitao Sakurai (“Bad Trip”) is ready to put on a show with the movie, filling it with violence, soundtrack selections, and personal vendettas, generating at least a passably fun viewing experience that’s out to please the fanbase and, once again, launch a new big screen franchise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Whalefall” comes from the mind of author Daniel Kraus, with his 2023 book following the panic and pain of a young man processing the death of his father, going diving in the ocean to work through his complex feelings. It’s the stuff of classic literature, pitting man against nature during a tender time of extraordinary vulnerabilities. The main character is soon sucked into the mouth of a roving sperm whale, left with an hour of oxygen to find his way out, which is the stuff of classic survival cinema. Director Brian Duffield (who did well with 2020’s “Spontaneous” and 2023’s “No One Will Save You”) has the challenge of merging two sides of “Whalefall,” and he’s mostly successful with the adaptation, making sense of interior lives and ferocious battles for air and several forms of liberation, keeping suspense mostly involved with a story that deals with whale-related horror, but primarily wants to be a study of fathers and sons. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Works from author Patricia Highsmith have been cinematically explored for the last 75 years, with filmmakers drawn to the writer’s sense of seduction and threat, delighting in her fascination with murder. The “Ripliad” has been a particular source of inspiration, examining the ways of character Tom Ripley and his strange personal entanglements and propensity for violence. “A Talent for Murder” isn’t an adaptation of a Highsmith book, but an idea born from playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, who turns her 2014 stage production into a screenplay that toys with the world of Highsmith and her interactions with someone hired to bring her out of seclusion. “A Talent for Murder” strives to blur the line between reality and fantasy, putting director Anton Corbijn (“Control,” “A Most Wanted Man”) to work generating a special aura of pulsating creativity as the characters get down to business in this enjoyable riff on the literary highlights of Tom Ripley. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Jennifer Peedom has built most of her career around the study of nature, with emphasis on the mysteries of mountains. She scored critical hits with documentary endeavors such as 2015’s “Sherpa” and 2017’s “Mountain,” and examined the labor of mountaineering in other efforts, getting a full sense of the dangers and passions involved with such extreme physical challenges. Peedom looks to summon all this experience for “Tenzing,” embarking on a dramatic understanding of the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest, which involved leadership from Tenzing Norgay. There have been many stories about activity around Everest, leaving screenwriter Luke Davies (“inspired” by the book “Tenzing: Hero of Everest,” by Ed Douglas) to find a more emotional approach to the tale, mixing elements of an underdog story with the pained ways of climbing. “Tenzing” runs too long, spinning its wheels at times, but Peedom successfully captures an epic quality to the picture, also overseeing many strong performances. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Alex Prager is a celebrated artist and creator of short films. She’s invested in imagery, looking to grab viewers through powerful compositions and artful additions, and Prager accepts a feature-length challenge in “DreamQuil,” joining co-writer Vanessa Prager for this study of reality as humanity faces the lure of an AI-filled tomorrow. It’s an enticing exploration of purpose handed a stylish and semi-satirical approach by the helmer, who’s attempting to build worlds of temptation and domestic complication on a small budget. It’s debatable if “DreamQuil” manages to land its big ideas on identity, but Prager certainly makes an interesting looking picture, and the story’s early turns carry some dramatic power, bringing the audience into a mystery of behavior and a quest for a solution that’s open for a more aggressive examination. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Surprisingly, “Love of Your Life” isn’t based on a book. Screenwriter Julia Cox (“Nyad”) certainly takes inspiration from literary offerings for the feature, employing a patience with storytelling as she creates a decade of life for a character experiencing the highs and lows of relationships that alter her personal ways. There’s obvious intimacy in play here, but also something of an epic quality as years pass and situations change, giving the film a lot to work with despite not following much of a plot. Director Rachel Morrison (who impressed with 2024’s “The Fire Inside”) goes dreamy and dramatic with the endeavor, following Cox’s lead as they embark on a mission to detail the inner life of a woman who’s worked hard to detach herself from the world. “Love of Your Life” is a tearjerker, but also deeply felt and involving for the most part, breaking free from soap opera-y entanglements to deal with hard emotions and troubling behavior. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com