Category: Film Review

Journalist and television writer Cord Jefferson makes the jump to feature-length storytelling with “American Fiction,” which is an adaptation of “Erasure,” a 2001 novel by Percival Everett. Jefferson works with the more potent ideas of Everett’s book, which details the experience of a black writer who feeds himself into the publishing world grinder for a quick buck, using broad stereotypes to help line his own pockets. And it’s also a comedy, against all odds. “American Fiction” isn’t an abrasive viewing experience, with Jefferson taking a softer route when it comes to satire and commentary. In many ways, it’s a grim look at the business of selling image, but the picture also tends to the ways of family and personal psychological issues. Jefferson handles the light and the dark in the endeavor, which finds a part for Jeffrey Wright to offer one of the most substantial performances of his career, boosting the strange ways of Everett’s storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A director of unique sensitivity, Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Broker,” “Shoplifters,” “After the Storm”) returns with “Monster,” which sustains his seemingly bottomless curiosity about the human experience. This time, the helmer and screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto examine layers of conduct and secrets involved in an accusation of assault involving a student and his teacher. It’s a film of many perspectives and ideas, with “Monster” looking to challenge viewer expectations as judgments are formed and eventually rethought, while deep fears are analyzed in full. It’s a slow-burn effort from Kore-eda, who’s caught up in shifting POVs and personal trials, coming up with a feature that takes its time to work through everything it introduces, but remains surprising and compassionate, skillfully interpreted by a talented cast and delicately scored by the late composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a writer/director, Brian Helgeland doesn’t possess the most inspired filmography, last seen on screen in 2015’s mediocre “Legend.” The “A Knight’s Tale” and “42” helmer hasn’t delivered big with his endeavors, but he goes smaller with “Finestkind,” a low-key crime story about fathers, sons, gangsters, and the delicate nature of future plans. It’s a chewy, blue-collar understanding of characters making critical mistakes, lacking the life tools to deal with such troubles, and Helgeland stays close to these personalities for the majority of the run time, getting to understand personal issues. “Finestkind” eventually evolves into something more formulaic to help locate an ending, but the material, while familiar, makes for a compelling sit, watching people wrestle with the past and communicate their needs, which hits on a few human moments before the writing tries to dazzle with underworld intimidations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s year three for the animated “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies, with Disney looking to bring author Jeff Kinney’s literary world to life in a different way after live-action efforts fizzled out six years ago. It’s a holiday mood this time around, with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever” an adaptation of a 2011 book, only Kinney (who claims screenwriting duties) largely ignores his own source material for the endeavor, which hopes to play to the holiday special crowd with its take on seasonal warmth and family bonding. “Cabin Fever” wisely avoids much of Kinney’s original mischief for a more focused and funnier yuletide adventure, working well with budget animation and direct dramatic goals, finding the writing rethinking certain boyhood behaviors for the small screen. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Batman, Batman, Batman. There’s so much Batman in the world today, it makes it difficult to encounter much freshness when it comes to the iconic character. But here comes “Merry Little Batman,” a holiday-themed adventure that turns the World’s Greatest Detective into the World’s Most Overprotective Dad, with son Damien the star of this animated feature, putting the little man in charge of saving Gotham from its worst, and most determined, enemies. Director Mike Roth presents an inspired take on the D.C. Universe with “Merry Little Batman,” which retains broad cartoon entertainment while still dealing with everything and anything Batman, giving the picture family appeal. It’s a funny, swiftly paced viewing event, doing something a little crazier with the world of the Caped Crusader, but it also reinforces seasonal feelings and care, giving this lively movie some heart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2000’s “Chicken Run” represented the first foray into feature-length filmmaking from Aardman Animation, finding the creators of the “Wallace & Gromit” series looking to expand their creative horizons with the global release. The picture found an audience, launching Aardman into the big leagues of family entertainment, managing to retain their British sense of humor and wonderful animation techniques in the process. The company hopes to revisit such highs with “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” which arrives 23 years after the original endeavor, losing a good chunk of the original voice cast but retaining all the stop-motion invention Aardman is known for. “Dawn of the Nugget” isn’t a radical departure from storytelling formula, but it maintains charm and artistry, returning to poultry-in-crisis mode with a plan to delight the fanbase. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Michael Mann hasn’t made a film since 2015’s “Blackhat,” a misguided and unexciting feature that represented a late career pull towards mediocrity for the helmer, who also suffered through some creative constipation in 2009’s “Public Enemies.” Going smaller and simpler, Mann returns with “Ferrari,” which isn’t a bio-pic of automobile titan Enzo Ferrari, but a moment in time with the man as he struggles with business and family, finding his renown focus starting to fail him as he begins to feel the weight of the world. There’s plenty of racing in the picture, but Mann and screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin (who passed away in 2009) hope to find a human experience as Enzo’s mistakes and gambles collide over the course of one important year. “Ferrari” isn’t Mann in epic mode, but he captures excitement on the track and pain in the heart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

An adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel, “Leave the World Behind” explores an apocalyptic event from the perspective of characters who almost want nothing to do with it, caught up in their own dramas as society crumbles around them. While it seems like a disaster movie, the material is more psychological in nature, following the torment of six people stuck in an enigmatic situation involving a global crisis. Writer/director Sam Esmail is tasked with sustaining tension and providing a rich sense of personality to help viewers sink into a nightmare scenario, and he scores a few scenes sequences of horror in the endeavor, bringing a strange situation of submission to life. He’s not as confident with the overall experience of anxiety, keeping “Leave the World Behind” overlong and underwhelming with personal interactions, making for a frustratingly uneven viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Origin” is a giant swing from writer/director Ava DuVernay, who hasn’t made a big screen offering since the financial and creative failure of “A Wrinkle in Time,” a production meant to bring the helmer to the big leagues of event moviemaking. DuVernay is back with a much smaller film about an expansive topic, adapting the 2020 best-seller, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” which takes a hard look at the source of prejudice as people experience it in several parts of the world and different moments in time. It’s 496 pages of journalism transformed into a 140-minute-long feature, and DuVernay doesn’t always appear to have a game plan for the endeavor. She uses a scattergun approach to “Origin,” which wants to say so much about the state of emergency numerous societies are experiencing, but DuVernay is overwhelmed by the task. It’s obviously an ambitious picture with important ideas to share, but it doesn’t take long to realize that reading “Caste” is likely more rewarding then sitting through this cluttered effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It aired only once, on November 17th, 1978, but its legacy has managed to last for 45 years. “The Star Wars Holiday Special” has been called many things, including unwatchable, but the show means something to the fanbase, who’ve managed to extend the life of the endeavor beyond its original intent, transforming an effort “Star Wars” creator George Lucas deemed a complete failure into a cult-ready offering of pure 1970s goofiness, changing those who’ve managed to sit through the entire thing. “A Disturbance in the Force” is a look at the making of the special, with directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak questing to understand how something this wild ever made it through the development system. Armed with a community of commentators and a sense of good-natured fun, the helmers strike gold with this documentary, which supplies a necessary overview of creative decisions and hirings that led what was meant to celebrate all things “Star Wars” to the television hall of shame. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Phillip Noyce has experienced a highly uneven career, managing to oversee some impressive cinematic achievements (“Rabbit-Proof Fence,” “Dead Calm”) during his prime years, while his recent output has been erratic, handling lower-budgeted fare in “The Desperate Hours” and “Above Suspicion,” looking to make textured pictures about distressed people. He returns to action and attitude with “Fast Charlie,” with star Pierce Brosnan portraying a steely man thrust into a situation of survival as organized crime power plays grow violent and personal. The screenplay by Richard Wenk (“The Equalizer,” “The Protégé”) isn’t the most original work, but the writing is more attentive to character than plot, offering viewers some compelling psychology to go with Noyce’s half-speed aggression. “Fast Charlie” doesn’t jump off the screen, but it’s an engaging ride with morally dubious people trying to figure out a future that isn’t guaranteed. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The unthinkable happened to the last film Yorgos Lanthimos directed: it became a hit. The highly eccentric and challenging moviemaker went from years in the indie film trenches to something sellable with 2018’s “The Favourite,” which didn’t dilute his love of mischief and the macabre. He connected with viewers in a new way, giving his career a marketplace and financial boost, and Lanthimos chooses to cash in with “Poor Things,” working with screenwriter Tony McNamara on an adaptation of a 1992 Alasdair Gray novel. Idiosyncrasy and general oddity remains in the picture, which is a mild take on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” only with incredible acts of oversexed behavior and a continued dedication to the strangeness Lanthimos loves to put on the screen. While “Poor Things” is lively at times and gorgeously produced, Lanthimos comes dangerously close to self-parody with the feature, which runs out of demented visuals and overall quirk long before it reaches the end credits. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Making his screenwriting debut with “A Creature Was Stirring” is Shannon Wells, and while the title suggests a holiday horror experience to come, the actual effort doesn’t head in that general direction. Wells has something else in mind for the story, which examines a mother’s fight to contain something hidden inside her daughter, doing so in the middle of a blizzard while managing the needs of two intruders. There’s a bigger idea in play for the picture, but Wells is attentive to the needs of genre cinema, ordering up monsters and mild mayhem. Director Damien LeVeck is mostly in charge of creating mood, attempting to launch a stylish endeavor on a limited budget, guiding actors through what’s meant to be a rough ride of emotions and revelations. “A Creature Was Stirring” has an interesting take on human frailty, but it’s really the stuff of short films, with LaVeck visibly struggling to stretch the story to a longer run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Eddie Murphy catches the holiday spirit in “Candy Cane Lane,” a PG-rated production that reunites the actor with his “Boomerang” director, Reginald Hudlin. Scripted by Kelly Younger (“Muppets Haunted Mansion”), the picture tries to make sense of a somewhat convoluted plot that deals with magical mayhem involving a villainous elf, community antagonisms concerning a holiday decoration competition, and family issues where each character is assigned their own little life hurdle to manage. There’s a lot to “Candy Cane Lane,” and the feature feels heavy because of it, ignoring the possibilities of a straightforward comedy about the strange ways of pride to delve into visual effects and screenwriting formula, with Hudlin showing little tenacity when it comes to delivering a tighter, funnier film. It’s not a lump of coal, but there’s certainly a better movie to be made with these working parts. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his 70th birthday, Godzilla receives a new cinematic experience with “Godzilla Minus One,” with studio Toho looking to return the giant monster to the basics of postwar Japan fears and anguished characters dealing with a mighty problem. There’s never been a shortage of Godzilla in media, with Legendary Pictures currently working on their own franchise featuring the behemoth (a new film is set for release next year), but “Godzilla Minus One” is a different viewing event. There’s little slickness and fantasy action, with writer/director Takashi Yamazaki aiming to keep things serious with the feature, which focuses on the horror of violence and the agony of dishonor. It’s a strong endeavor with a genuine feel for Godzilla-based horrors, and the effort connects on a dramatic level, getting into the minds of rattled characters tasked with dealing with a most unusual threat to an already decimated Japan. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2016, director William Oldroyd made a strong impression with “Lady Macbeth,” transforming a Russian novella into a riveting sit, and one that offered an amazing lead turn from Florence Pugh, helping to launch her visibility. After a seven-year break, Oldroyd is back with “Eileen,” which presents another adaptation challenge, bringing Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2015 book to the screen, with the author co-scripting with Luke Goebel. The filmmakers have quite a story to share with viewers, cutting into the fantasies and brutal realities of the eponymous character – a young woman facing a stagnant life of casual abuse, with her essence enlivened by the arrival of a psychologist looking for friendship, or maybe something more. “Eileen” takes its time to set mood and deal with the ways of the complex characters, and Oldroyd delivers compelling atmosphere to support the journey, also handling potent performances from stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Family Switch” claims it’s an adaptation of “Bedtime for Mommy,” a 2010 children's book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. In this story, a little girl playfully swaps roles with her mother for their bedtime ritual, putting the kid in charge of bath and book reading before moving on to her father. It’s a cute tale, but it isn’t the story used for “Family Switch,” which pulls inspiration from Mary Rodgers’s 1972 book, “Freaky Friday,” which has been adapted for screens big and small multiple times, and ripped off even more. Perhaps there’s a legal issue standing in the way of true credit, but role-swapping turns into body-switching in the new film, with director McG offering a hyperactive understanding of comedic possibilities involving parents and kids in awkward situations, creating an unexpectedly aggressive viewing experience that immediately suffocates all emotion it offers, while its overall sense of humor is dispiriting. The production would’ve been better off actually turning “Bedtime for Mommy” into a movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Shift” is a feature-length version of a 2017 short film by writer/director Brock Heasley, and he returns to make sense of material that initially ran 20 minutes, and now runs just under two hours. It’s an adaptation that initially seems ambitious, bringing viewers into a fantasy world where multiple realities are controlled through technology, and faith is the power that drives away evil. It’s not an unappealing premise, especially for an episode of television, but Heasley is determined to make a movie out of “The Shift,” and it never comes together. It’s Christian entertainment with a defined message of hope, but the rest of the writing is a little murkier, going into the multiverse while attempting to examine a relatively simple study of grief. “The Shift” isn’t compelling, with Heasley struggling to find some sort of pace to the endeavor, which largely remains in conversation mode, diluting any potential for suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Acclaimed Hong Kong director John Woo made the leap to Hollywood in 1993, commencing a decade-long run of actioners that brought his signature style to America, creating a few genre highlights in the process (including 1997’s “Face/Off”). Woo returned to his homeland to continue his artistic explorations, and now, 20 years later, he’s back in the U.S.A. with “Silent Night,” which doesn’t provide an extreme tonal challenge, retaining all the hardcore violence the helmer is known for. Instead of losing his identity, Woo tries to maintain some solemnity with “Silent Night,” laboring to preserve elements of catastrophe while still maintaining rough stunt work and chaotic gun fights. The screenplay by Robert Archer Lynn has sorrow to share involving one man’s fight for revenge against those who’ve killed his son, and Woo gets to most points of pain in the endeavor, which is an interesting return to the ways of expressionistic filmmaking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Under the Boardwalk” is a 2023 animated film that parodies the world of “Jersey Shore,” an MTV show that originally aired 14 years ago. In terms of timing, the feature has a strange sense of pop culture ribbing, trying to work with the basics of the reality program, transferring imagery and attitude to a world of crabs and their quest to find themselves in the big sweep of oceanic life. The target is stale and at least one hire in the voice cast is sure to make viewers cringe, but “Under the Boardwalk” isn’t a sloppy effort. It’s nicely animated work with a colorful sense of character design and locations, offering a pleasant New Jersey journey with the smallest of creatures, with director David Soren (“Turbo,” “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie”) doing well with some comedic activity and exploration. It’s not an especially strong picture, but as this type of entertainment goes, it has polish and some decent ideas to share with little ones concerning kindness and acceptance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com