Category: Film Review

1989’s “When Harry Met Sally” is apparently a major influence on “Sweethearts.” Director Jordan Weiss not only has the movie prominently featured on a theater marquee in the picture, but she also includes full scenes from it during the final act. She must be a huge fan, and there’s an effort to channel some of that cinematic energy into “Sweethearts,” which also explores the strange friendship between a young man and a woman who team up to deal with relationships they don’t want. Weiss (who co-scripts with Dan Brier) doesn’t exactly have the same level of wit and warmth as Nora Ephron, but she manages to overcome a dispiriting opening act to find comedic balance worth sticking around for. Laughs are limited, but performances shine in the endeavor, as the actors eventually get the hang of these personalities and their unusual fight for freedom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For some people, there could never be too many documentaries about The Beatles. At this point, there’s a film for every star in the sky, but director David Tedeschi is trying again with “Beatles ’64,” and it’s actually a documentary about a documentary, which is unusual. “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.” was a 1964 look at the arrival of the iconic band in America, putting directors Albert and David Maysles to work capturing all the pandemonium that greeted the Liverpudlians as they attempted to experience the United States for the very first time. “Beatles ‘64” has a bit more than this recycled footage (nicely refreshed for 2024 viewers), as Tedeschi treats the original event as a source of memories and nostalgia for most of the interviewees. He also explores the cultural shift of the moment, as The Beatles managed to change everything over the course of 14 travel and performance days. Perhaps the feature isn’t essential viewing, but the helmer knows what viewers want to see. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the first images in “Nutcrackers” is the main character arriving at his destination, getting out of his car, and stepping in a pile of excrement. That basically represents the viewing experience for the feature, which emerges as an art-house take on a Disney production, finding director David Gordon Green trying to get back to his indie roots while still making an audience-pleasing picture. It’s been a long time since Green worked this loosely, having recently helmed three “Halloween” offerings and an “Exorcist” sequel/reboot-thingee. “Nutcrackers” plays as a creativity refresher for Green, who tries to get feral with the story of an uptight man suddenly tasked with being a guardian to four unruly kids. It’s nice to have Ben Stiller around again (who hasn’t done much acting since his last starring effort in 2017), but Green doesn’t exactly know what he wants from the film, which plays carefree until pure formula slams the brakes on a tiresome movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Spellbound” marks the return of director Vicky Jenson to animated entertainment, previously collaborating on 2004’s “Shark Tale” and 2001’s “Shrek,” helping to launch a franchise that endures in popularity to this day. She struck out with her lone live-action endeavor (2009’s “Post Grad”), putting her back on course for new fairy tale-style escapism in her latest, and she’s not taking any chances, even recruiting Alan Menken, one of the musical forces behind “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin,” to provide songs for the adventure. “Spellbound” sticks to the family film playbook for the most part, dealing with creatures, magic, and big feelings, but Jenson offers a vivid journey through such routine. Animation is accomplished and songs are plentiful here, giving the picture needed boosts of creativity. And when all else fails the feature, there’s John Lithgow voicing a mouse-like creature in panic mode. That’s more fun than most movies offer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Armor” is built to be a low-budget endeavor using occasional blasts of action to keep viewers interested in what’s a routine tale of parental guilt and criminal pressure. Screenwriters Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert are mostly interested in creating something small in scale and easy to manage, constructing a study of endurance as security guards are left in their overturned truck as a gang of crooks attempt to claim a special case contained within the vehicle. There’s not much to the effort beyond conversations and confrontations, leaving director Justin Routt (or Randall Emmett, allegedly the real helmer of the feature) to produce passably exciting ways to make a single location and a small company of actors exciting. “Armor” doesn’t achieve this goal, and while some of the performances are marginally alert, the film isn’t, struggling to sustain any level of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wicked” began life as a 1995 novel by author Gregory Maguire, eventually transformed into a major 2003 Broadway musical event by writer Winnie Holzman, while Steven Schwartz handled music and lyrics. The show amassed a massive fanbase, but producers kept the stage production away from a cinematic interpretation for an exceptionally long time, content to launch tours and revivals instead. And now it’s a film, finding “Wicked” (which is actually titled “Wicked: Part I” in the feature) handed a massive movie adaptation from screenwriters Holzman and Dana Fox, and directorial duties are managed by John Chu, who previously accepted musical guardianship in 2021’s “In the Heights.” It’s an epic return to the Land of Oz in the endeavor, which boasts marvelous technical achievements and a rich sense of scale. There’s also a more intimate story to examine in the offering, but only half of the journey is presented here, creating some needless confusion, especially for those new to the material. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987’s “Street Trash” is a bizarre feature. It was part of the “body melt” filmmaking movement of the decade, as moviemakers hunted for new ways to deliver exceptional gore to a rabid audience. Director J. Michael Muro and screenwriter Roy Frumkes actually managed the impossible, putting thought and care into their low-budget gross-out, which had something to share about the cruel disposability of life while turning characters into multi-colored puddles of flesh and blood. Co-writer/director Ryan Kruger bravely tries to recapture the vibe of the original picture with a remake of “Street Trash” (billed as “A Ryan Kruger Thing”), taking the action to South Africa for a new round of disgusting events and miserable people. The update doesn’t match the ’87 endeavor, as Kruger struggles with uneven tone and weak humor throughout the offering, which only really comes alive when destroying bodies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Washington Family business expands with “The Piano Lesson,” which serves as the feature-length directorial debut for Malcom Washington, son of Denzel (who co-produces the movie) and sibling to John David, who stars in the endeavor. It’s an adaptation of a 1987 play by August Wilson, and serves as something of a reunion for part of the cast, who participated in a 2022 Broadway version of the play. Thespian ease is on full display in the film, which offers powerful, committed performances from everyone, watching the players get their hands around Wilson’s language and fondness for unusual confrontations. “The Piano Lesson” doesn’t always offer involving subplots, but the story remains commanding in Washington’s care. He works to retain the material’s inherent fury and add his own spin here and there, creating a compellingly hostile examination of familial pain and the Black Experience, seasoned with some supernatural ideas to keep it surprising. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jacques Audiard has enjoyed a long career filled with colorful features, including “Rust and Bone,” “A Prophet,” “The Sisters Brothers,” and “The Beat That My Heart Skipped.” He’s an exploratory moviemaker, valuing the art of dramatic complication and character encounters, finding a ripe creative challenge with “Emilia Perez.” It’s a compelling tale of a life experiencing tremendous change, but it also involves a number of characters directly connected to a secret situation. The writing (which adapts a novel by Boris Razon) follows these people as they process major shifts in reality, but Audiard doesn’t create a simple drama, turning to the power of a musical to help the personalities express themselves in highly cinematic ways. “Emilia Perez” hits a few bad notes as it unfolds, but it’s memorable work from the helmer, who delivers a passionate understanding of need, using the pressures of heartache and the lift of fantasy to detail such an odyssey. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Two years ago, actor Jesse Eisenberg made an impressive debut as a writer/director with “When You Finish Saving the World.” It was a character-based journey through waves of neuroses, retaining the creative fingerprints of a performer who mostly takes roles involving unsettled people. He’s back in “A Real Pain,” which is also a study of raw feelings and social pleasantries, only here there’s a bit more intimacy when it comes to relationships and communication. It’s something of a cinematic odyssey, following two cousins getting in touch with their past while confronting certain uncomfortable realities about their relationship, and Eisenberg doesn’t stray far from the irritations that fascinate him as a helmer. “A Real Pain” has pieces of humor, but it’s primarily a study of two relatives learning to understand each other once again, hitting some vivid moments of behavior and reflection along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Just in time for the holiday season comes a story about a sexy snowman. I’m sure few productions have dared to explore such a situation, giving screenwriter Russell Hainline (“The Santa Summit,” “In Merry Measure”) some room to discover the weirdness of “Hot Frosty.” A kind of magic is meant to drive most of the endeavor, which, indeed, follows the newborn-like eponymous character as he emerges from a sculpture and tries to understand the human world around him. This isn’t a family film, and it doesn’t involve puppetry (like 1998’s “Jack Frost”). It's a romantic comedy made for a select audience that wants something palatable and gentle for Christmas viewing, and director Jerry Ciccoritti (“Angel Falls Christmas,” “Holidaze”) tries to deliver just that. “Hot Frosty” is pure Hallmark Channel-like vanilla, and as these things go, it’s not too rough, benefitting greatly from star Dustin Mulligan’s desire to add as much energy to the picture as possible, lifting the effort up with his enthusiasm. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been reported that a sequel or a prequel to 2000’s “Gladiator” has been in some form of development since 2001. And why wouldn’t the producers want to try their luck again? The film was not only a major success at the box office, but the summer release managed to claim five Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Russell Crowe) and Best Picture. It was an actioner that went the distance, but it also was a story about finality, making any continuation difficult to launch. 24 years later, there’s “Gladiator II,” as director Ridley Scott returns to duty to oversee this examination of Roman rule, with the tale picking up 16 years after the original feature. It’s a sequel, but it doesn’t behave as one, as screenwriter David Scarpa (“Napoleon,” “All the Money in the World”) basically concocts a remake here, following a plot of revenge for the main character, who tracks his grief as it turns into ice, tasked with surviving colosseum horrors. And perhaps this will be enough for certain viewers, but the staleness of “Gladiator II” is difficult to ignore. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Flow” is an unusual adventure story from co-writer/director Gints Zilbaodis. There is no dialogue in the picture, which doesn’t include any human characters, sticking close to a cat instead, tracking experiences as the animal joins others on a hunt for higher ground during a catastrophic flood. It’s an animated endeavor, and Zilbaodis remains artful and intense with the feature, using a pure cinematic language to communicate an amazing journey for the feline and its partners. Land is crossed, mountains are climbed, and waters are navigated, giving viewers an active tale of survival that takes interesting turns during the run time. “Flow” is simple in some ways, remaining observational, but it maintains impressive artistry and commitment to the characters, who clearly express themselves as they experience a life-changing challenge of endurance during strange days of catastrophe. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his second release of 2024, writer/director Quentin Dupieux continues his pursuit of screen mischief. He toyed in the world of art and ego in “Daaaaaali!” and develops these themes in “The Second Act,” which dissects the acting process and problems with professionalism. It’s a shot of selfishness and mockery from Dupieux, who assumes a substantial technical challenge in the use of lengthy tracking shots, and tries to break down the filmmaking process in his own impish ways. It takes some time to really understand what’s happening in the movie, perhaps too much time, but when focus is finally revealed, there are a lot of laughs to be had in the endeavor, which enjoys poking fun at thespian sensitivities. Dupieux remains his usual self in the effort, going sneaky, silly, and dark with the picture, and for those who possess the patience, there’s an enjoyably weird viewing experience to be had. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Jake Kasdan isn’t the most inspired filmmaker working today, but he’s had his moments, especially with early career endeavors such as “Zero Effect,” “The T.V. Set,” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” Over the last 15 years, he’s lost his way, making D.O.A. comedies (“Bad Teacher,” “Sex Tape”) and glossy, hostile visual effects-driven adventures in two “Jumanji” sequels. The helmer goes deep into CGI excess and weak humor in “Red One,” which intends to be a large-scale presentation of holiday fun, merging violence and Christmastime tenderness. Kasdan and screenwriter Chris Morgan (“Hobbs & Shaw,” “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”) don’t seem to understand what kind of picture they’re making here, as all sentiment rings hollow and cinematic extravaganza looks more like a video game. “Red One” is deadening to watch, as so much technical and thespian effort has gone into a feature that carries no sense of spirit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

He was incredibly mean to a pure-hearted bear in “Paddington 2,” tried to take command of a fantasy kingdom in “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” and portrayed a surly Oompa Loompa in “Wonka.” And now actor Hugh Grant gets downright evil in “Heretic,” the latest addition to his villainous career turn over the last decade. The star remains in top form for this chiller, inhabiting a slippery sense of superiority as a seemingly mild-mannered man looking to teach two Mormon missionaries a profound lesson on the history and reality of religion. Filmmaking team Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (“Haunt,” “65”) go small-scale with “Heretic,” supplying more of a puzzle than a horror endeavor, and one that invests heavily in speeches to fill the run time. It’s not a suspenseful effort, but acting helps the cause immensely, finding Grant and co-stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East contributing excellent performances to keep some level of tension in play as the writing forgoes a stronger offering of terror. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Leave it to the animated comedy duo Wallace and Gromit to provide one of the clearest understandings of our futureworld of A.I. assistance. The man and dog go full tech with “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” which is actually a sequel to the 1993 short, “The Wrong Trousers,” resurrecting an old enemy to inspire the second feature-length endeavor featuring the duo, who were last seen on screens in 2005’s delightful “Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” Director Nick Park and his Aardman Animation crew return to duty for another romp in stop-motion goodness, and the material remains in step with franchise expectations. “Vengeance Most Fowl” is a delightful comedy from a company that specializes in such efforts, as Park oversees a snappily paced adventure that includes plenty of goofiness and inspired physical comedy. And, indeed, a little commentary on the state of the world helps to shape an unexpectedly thought-provoking romp. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Tyler Thomas Taormina made an impression on indie film audiences with 2019’s “Ham on Rye.” The helmer invested in atmosphere, not storytelling, examining the behaviors and social interactions of teenagers as they prepare for a party. Taormina wasn’t interested in plot, just the vibe, and he returns to the same idea for “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” which takes the “Ham on Rye” concept and transfers it to the holiday season. There’s a family gathering to inspect in the feature, bringing all types of personalities together for a celebratory evening where relationships are revisited and experiences are pursued. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” sustains Taormina’s filmmaking interests in shapelessness, but he’s remarkably observant when it comes to the creation of a reunion event with holiday flair. The picture is practically 3D in the way it captures household bustle and indulgence, creating some superbly vivid moments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriters John Glenn, Jacob Roman, and Kenny Ryan create an unusual alien invasion story for “Elevation.” Creatures emerge from the depths of the Earth and clear out 95% of the world’s population, and it’s impossible to kill them due to impenetrable scales and swift movements. The only thing they can’t do is move above 8,000 feet, pushing survivors into the mountains, creating a new way of life. There’s a decent hook with “Elevation,” which supplies a few different locations when depicting creature rampages, allowing director George Nolfi (“The Banker,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) to stage some passably intense screen action. The rest of the feature is less confident, stumbling through clumsy dialogue exchanges and dealing with a grand franchise plan that requires the first film in the series to grab viewer imagination. And that doesn’t happen so easily in the endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Richard Curtis is known for his work in Christmas-themed entertainment, previously writing and directing 2003’s “Love Actually,” which explored more adult concerns when it came to seasonal blues. He’s back in the yuletide spirit with “That Christmas,” co-scripting (with Peter Souter) an adaptation of three of his children’s books, exploring the ways of rambunctious kids separated from their parents on December 25th. It’s an animated offering of youthful shenanigans and Santa-minded adventuring, with director Simon Otto (a former animator who contributed to the “How to Train Your Dragon” series) simply out to make something a little silly and kind for viewers. “That Christmas” doesn’t exactly know when to quit, but it retains plenty of charm, also offering a flavorful voice cast and enjoyable animation to add a fresh display of seasonal entertainment for those in need of it. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com