Category: Film Review

“Dope” emerges as a film of many perspectives, but none of them are particularly captivating. It’s the latest from director Rick Famuyiwa, helmer of tepid comedies such as “Our Family Wedding” and “The Wood,” while showing a more appealing side with 2002’s “Brown Sugar.” “Dope” is meant to sharp, satirical, and silly, but it’s often confused when it comes to tone, with a callousness that doesn’t mine any significant laughs. It’s not messy, but unfocused and non-confrontational when it comes to truly testing its characters and their supposed intelligence. It has style and caustic, primitive screenwriting, but its soullessness seems at odds with its cheery ambition, delivering a whole mess of unappealing behavior in a movie about an underdog. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 novel “Madame Bovary” has been adapted for the stage and screen numerous times, with its tale of temptation and tragedy making a easy fit for dramatic interpretation, often gifting the lead actress a meaty role in an unusually itchy period piece. Director Sophie Barthes (“Cold Souls”) has plenty of insecurity to explore in her feature, but surprisingly little emotion sticks to the screen as intended. Instead, “Madame Bovary” is sumptuously crafted, highly detailed and lived-in, making it a visual event instead a poignant inspection of a lost soul. It’s incredible to look at, but once it steps away from pure cinematic storytelling, the latest round of tightly-corseted depressive desperation dissolves on impact. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Gabriel” is a dark odyssey into mental instability and obsessive behavior that also acts as something of a celebration for actor Rory Culkin. Typically stone-faced and mumbly, Culkin is tasked with creating a full-blooded character with deep-seated, cleverly masked issues, requiring thespian subtlety, not indie film mummification. He pulls off the role in spectacular fashion, delivering substantial work that aids writer/director Lou Howe in his quest to generate an unsettling atmosphere of determination, only the end game for the lead character and the movie is left a compelling mystery that’s worth a closer look. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2010, the documentary “Catfish” debuted under criticism that some of the feature, if not all of it, was faked. In a world where fiction is frequently passed off as “reality,” it’s easy to see why “Catfish” was targeted for suspicion, especially when so much of the movie was poorly performed and, dramatically, a little too neatly designed. “The Wolfpack” conjures the same itchy vibes of manipulation, as audiences are asked to believe in the story of seven siblings locked away in a New York City apartment for most of their lives, despite evidence contained in the picture that suggests the opposite. Inconsistencies, mysteries, and exaggeration weigh heavy on “The Wolfpack.” If the events depicted here are true, it’s a horrifying record of abuse that should trigger an investigation, not observation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Cutesiness plays a major role in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” Even the title of the movie is trying to be playful. Its joviality would be a blessing if the picture wasn’t actually about the slow drain of cancer, creating quite a problem for the production as it works to maintain light and dark without establishing a comfortable middle ground. It’s difficult to gauge the effort’s sincerity when it’s frequently working to show off its knowledge of film and home video history, but “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” does connect in a few areas of empathy. Unfortunately, it takes some work to claw away the preciousness of the project to get to its heart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

To pull off a crime movie these days, a production needs imagination or a decidedly thrilling show of force. The limply titled “American Heist” doesn’t have any personality or presence, electing to work on a to-do list of clichés instead of trying to rework known elements for optimal surprise. It’s dreary work, cynical and unfinished, using familiar beats of reluctant criminality and brotherly bonding to work through material we’ve all seen before. Not even performances can wake this sleeping film, which is primarily interested in camera placement, not searing storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When considering the wide range of locations for a horror production, the basement of tattoo parlor doesn’t immediately present itself as a nightmarish playground of the damned. Attempting to redefine everyday artistry as a potential disaster area, “Anarchy Parlor” succeeds in being strange, but falters with just about everything else. A hackneyed, pitifully acted picture that’s roughly a decade behind genre trends, “Anarchy Parlor” is only truly interested in providing a grim arrangement of gore, nudity, and cursing. Expectations for anything more interesting or inventive are going to be left unfulfilled, as directors Devon Downs and Kenny Gage have zero patience for anything that doesn’t bleed, jiggle, or scream. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Phantom Halo” endeavors to simulate the Great American Novel. Co-writer/director Antonia Bogdanovich aims to create a drama that touches on insecurity, financial ruin, fantasy, sex, and crime, using the saga of an emotionally stymied family as a foundation for the picture’s multiple narrative directions. Ambition is big with this feature, which tries to take the viewer on a ride of suspense and heartbreak, stuffing the dead spots with Shakespearean flourish. Sadly, what Bogdanovich puts into the feature is more interesting than what ultimately comes out. Confused and tedious, “Phantom Halo” is a mess of a movie that struggles to keep itself together for 90 minutes, gradually disintegrating until all that’s left are good intentions. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Independent productions, the backyard kind, need something to attract audience attention. Gone are the days when the basics in emotion and conflict provide enough oomph to entice ticketbuyers, urging filmmakers to create a commotion in place of consideration. The distractingly titled “Charlie, Trevor and a Girl Savannah” is a picture that’s out to slam bang its way into being noticed, with writer/director/star Ty Hodges investing in a collection of editorial tricks to keep the feature alert. “Charlie, Trevor and a Girl Savannah” is blasted with style, but the story doesn’t support the viewing experience as sturdily as it should, coming across almost as an afterthought as Hodges orders up all types of edits and transitions to give the effort a sufficient spin. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The prison revenge thriller has a formula, and “Vendetta” sticks to it closely. It’s the latest picture from directors Jen and Sylvia Soska, who impressed with their debut, “American Mary,” following up an original vision with 2014’s “See No Evil 2.” Maintaining their relationship with WWE Films, the Soskas return to the fray with “Vendetta,” a connect-the-dots bruiser that actually packs quite a punch, boasting a surprisingly meaty lead performance from Dean Cain. It’s a rough effort that displays encouraging speed and imagination with fight sequences, making it easy to forgive the relative nothingness of the plot. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2001’s “Jurassic Park III” was a wildly entertaining romp through dinosaur highlights first introduced by director Steven Spielberg in his 1993 classic, the last of the old-world blockbusters, “Jurassic Park.” Back then, it was clear the franchise didn’t have much room to grow, recycling horror beats to give a new group of visitors to the dino realm something to scurry away from, mostly consumed with adding fresh creatures to give the Universal Studios merchandise team something to sell. The series was retired, Spielberg grew up, and if you wanted to catch some dinosaurs on the big screen, you had to make do with inferior features. Resurrecting the brand name for one last thrill ride (or possibly reviving it for a new round of sequels), “Jurassic World” takes a slightly different approach to monster moviemaking. Instead of trying to top the first three efforts, it looks to celebrate the universe Spielberg created with author Michael Crichton. It’s a deafening, menacing, immersive tour of dino hunting/human survival, wearing its fandom like a badge of honor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Ghost stories are common fodder for low-budget horror productions, offering filmmakers an opportunity to stage eerie events in the near dark, playing up intensity without the need to spend gobs of money to execute broad visuals. “We Are Still Here” is the latest picture to try its hand at shadowy evil, emerging from the mind of writer/director Ted Geoghegan, who makes his feature-length filmmaking debut. Teasing routine, the endeavor instead spins off into its own strange world of poltergeists and family drama, supported by a full-throated moviemaking effort that gives “We Are Still Here” cinematic authority, punctuated with a killer third act. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Heaven Knows What” is a difficult film to sit through. Directors Ben and Joshua Safdie aren’t interested in crafting an overview of heroin addiction and homelessness, they want viewers to live alongside the characters, feeling every drowsy step and rambling thought. It’s certainly a challenge to process the story and learn to accept discomfort, but the reward is an evocative look at lost souls in New York City, updating “Panic in Needle Park” for a new generation of ailing young people who don’t have a future. Again, there are mental and physical endurance issues to consider before buying a ticket, but underneath the thick layer of disease remains a potent look at the demands of self-medication. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The 11th Hour” is produced by Zentropa Entertainment, a Danish filmmaking company co-founded in 1992 by Lars Von Trier. Throughout their history, Zentropa has dedicated itself to becoming a European misery factory, churning out such pick-me-ups as “Antichrist,” “Brothers,” and “Dancer in the Dark.” They’re responsible for a few legitimate classics and a handful of absolute cinematic atrocities, but rarely do they play on the sunny side of the street. “The 11th Hour” is one of their bleakest endeavors, surveying struggles with miscarriages, human trafficking, drug addiction, and rape. Somehow, Kim Basinger found her way to the production, and while she’s strong here, it’s difficult for anything to register as more than simple provocation from a studio that has a template for this style of storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Legendary actor Robert Duvall received universal acclaim with his third directorial effort, 1997’s “The Apostle.” Stepping away for a few years, Duvall returned helming duty with 2002’s scattered “Assassination Tango,” co-starring with his wife, Luciana Duvall. “Wild Horses” marks Duvall’s fifth trip behind the camera (in a Hollywood career that dates back to 1960) and could very well be the most random picture he’s even been involved with. A cowboy soap opera with murder, bigotry, politics, and bible quotes, “Wild Horses” is likely the end result of a ten-hour-long rough cut that just couldn’t be tamed. It’s a mess, a complete and utter mess, but shockingly, the movie is rarely dull, embracing just enough of Duvall’s dedication to realism to make it bearable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2012, director Rodney Ascher created “Room 237,” a loving ode to the mysteries of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 effort, “The Shining.” Filled with paranoia, atmosphere, and insight, the documentary challenged everything there was to know about the movie, opening it up to a fresh round of cineaste dissection. Now intent on making his own Kubrickian picture, Ascher returns with “The Nightmare,” another voyage into psychological darkness, this time looking at the lasting effect of sleep paralysis, a phenomenon that locks the afflicted in a gray area of consciousness, typically summoning haunted visions and frightening dreamscape encounters. Ascher doesn’t have enough content to fill an entire feature, but “The Nightmare” is a fascinating study of fear and analysis, with eight subjects brave enough to share their stories with the viewer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2010’s “Insidious” was a fresh take on haunted happenings, yanking director James Wan out of a directorial slump and putting him on a new path of terror interests that pulled away from his dismal “Saw” origins. It was a snappy, scary ghost story that felt self-contained, but box office was juicy, and the moneymen rang the sequel gong quickly. In 2013, “Insidious: Chapter 2” was released, and while the sequel made a fortune, creatively, the series immediately started to sink. Without a viable story and considered scares, Wan couldn’t mask the cash-in motivation for the follow-up, effectively ruining a good thing. And now there’s “Insidious: Chapter 3,” which loses Wan, allowing writing partner and series actor Leigh Whannell to step behind the camera, making his directorial debut. Unfortunately, Whannell makes a disappointing impression, with his “Insidious: Chapter 3” the least frightening and dramatic of the bunch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Spy” is a send-up of the James Bond series, and who better to pants 007 than Melissa McCarthy. The actress is perfectly suited for the broad antics of the movie, sent through an obstacle course of slapstick, action, and one-liners, emerging as a surprisingly effective big screen hero. “Spy” is McCarthy’s third collaboration with writer/director Paul Feig, with the pair easily topping the tepid antics of “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” with this wonderfully amusing and unnervingly high-impact extravaganza. It’s one thing to simply pose the lead in funny positions as chaos erupts, milking a sight gag for everything it’s worth. But Feig is in love with McCarthy, giving her a real role to play as she works out the visual silliness she’s known for. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Hungry Hearts” is an unusual horror film. It doesn’t deal with poltergeists, zombies, or monsters, only the terrifying realm of marital manipulation. It’s a war zone where every word is a weapon and every action of protection a betrayal. As disturbing as any chainsaw massacre, “Hungry Hearts” deals in sinister business, inspecting depression and subtle acts of submission that register with realism, even as director Saverio Costanzo gradually pushes the illness into more cinematic areas of suspense. While it teases geniality, the movie gradually unleashes its poison, generating remarkable tension without indulging more grandiose acts of betrayal. Sometimes all it takes is a portrait of an unstable mother to conjure complete terror. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s a rumor circulating that Studio Ghibli, the famed Japanese house of animation, is going out of business. When legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, a studio founder, announced his retirement in 2013, it put the brakes on creative movement, with their last and possibly final effort, “When Marnie Was There,” finally making its U.S. debut. In keeping with Studio Ghibli standards, “When Marnie Was There” is mysterious and achingly human, using gorgeous animation to create an enigmatic, possibly magical world of secret friendships and otherworldly entities, using the unknown to guide the viewer through a screenplay that touches on sensitive issues of abandonment and doubt. It’s a puzzle at times, but an especially sensitive one that’s crafted with care. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com