Category: Film Review

Halle Berry collected an Academy Award for her work in 2001’s “Monster’s Ball,” portraying a broken character dealing with an enormous amount of grief. The part gave Berry a chance to lose control on-screen, slamming around her emotional range, displaying her ability to dig deep and abandon vanity. “Bruised” is Berry’s directorial debut, and she plays it safe in a strange way, returning to the “Monster’s Ball” era of her career with another turn as a shattered woman clawing around for something to help numb her pain. It’s not the exact same performance, but a similar concept, only this time around, the character has a bit more power to explore, with the picture taking place in the world of mixed martial arts. Berry delivers gut-rot work in the feature, trying her best to make the material meaningful, but “Bruised” is basically a “Rocky” remake with a more violent sense of relationships and sporting achievement, doing little with the opportunities it has to explore different areas of responsibility and sacrifice. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The year of Lin-Manuel Miranda continues with “Encanto,” which follows “Vivo,” “In the Heights,” and “Tick, Tick…Boom!” as the songwriter takes over big screen musicals for 2021. Offered a smaller role in this production, Miranda’s special ways remain, overseeing a roster of expressive, jubilant tunes to help the feature reach its creative goals. It’s the 60th offering from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and while they don’t stray too far from company formula, they manage to make their best film since “Moana” with “Encanto.” It’s a celebration of family and an interesting dissection of fears, also boasting an incredible lead performance from Stephanie Beatriz, who reaches impossible levels of warmth and personality in her voicework, giving the endeavor a rich sense of humanity as the animation explores some brightly colored areas of magic and music. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“A Boy Called Christmas” first appeared as a book by Matt Haig, who attempted to manufacture his own origin story for Santa Claus, creating a fantasy adventure that gradually introduced all the elements associated with the magic of Saint Nick. Co-writers Ol Parker and Gil Kenan (who also directs) are in charge of bringing such world-building to the screen, and they arrive armed with a capable cast and excellent technical achievements. “A Boy Called Christmas” doesn’t feel particularly set-bound or hostile, instead trying to work in some valuable ideas on love and loss while managing the discovery of elves and reindeer. Kenan finds the right tone for the feature, and he’s ready to be playful with the effort, creating an engaging family film that works well with the holiday spirit, approaching the Father Christmas tale from an enjoyably weird angle. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Nobody likes to talk about Kevin Smith more than Kevin Smith, which makes the documentary “Clerk” a bit strange. The filmmaker, podcaster, and comedian has spent over 25 years sharing intimate details about himself on all forms of media, inviting outsiders into his private life, exploring all kinds of topics related to the business of being Kevin Smith. Close friend and documentarian Malcolm Ingram (“Small Town Gay Bar”) clearly thinks there’s more to mine when tracking the life and times of Smith, offering “Clerk,” which is more of a general overview of personal and professional difficulties endured by Smith, who’s front and center for the picture. Those new to Smith’s universe are certainly going to get more out of the movie, which offers a decent education on the helmer’s history and choices. Longtime fans are going to hear some of the same stories here, but Smith’s arc of triumph remains compelling, even in an abbreviated form. Laughs are plentiful and memories are crystal clear, following Smith as he returns to past experiences for Ingram, trying to make sense of a career that’s endured for decades. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his second film of 2021, director Ridley Scott moves from the chilly setting of medieval France (“The Last Duel”) to the chiller setting of the fashion industry in the 1980s, tracking the house of horrors that was the House of Gucci. “Inspired” by a true story, Scott takes such permission and runs with it, working with a screenplay by Becky Johnson and Roberto Bentivegna that transforms the saga of Patrizia Reggiai and Maurizio Gucci into a Shakespearian display of power plays and escalating madness. “House of Gucci” has it all, with Scott presiding over sex, lies, and murder, but he’s not interested in keeping the downward spiral tightly organized, permitting the feature to succumb to excessive length and intensely showy performances. “House of Gucci” offers an introductory hour of compelling deal-making and subtle manipulations, but it doesn’t sustain such speed, eventually slowing a full stop to enjoy the view. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“King Richard” is designed to be loved. It’s feel-good cinema from director Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Joe Bell”) and screenwriter Zach Baylin (making his debut), who bring the story of Richard Williams to the screen. Normally, the bio-pic treatment would be afforded to his daughters, tennis champions Venus and Serena, but the production isn’t quite ready to tackle the siblings, preferring a cozier story of their father and his tenacious ways, working to transform his daughters into sporting legends. The rougher aspects of Richard’s tale have been sanded down for the film, which is mostly interested in becoming inspirational cinema, simplifying the subject’s journey as a man who wanted it all for his two kids, fully recognizing the dangers of a world without such steadfast parental support. “King Richard” isn’t raw-nerve work about the subject’s life, instead concentrating on the basics of his empowerment message. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” represents a new beginning for the franchise that mostly deals with the past. Cynics will likely scoff at the screenplay’s desire to connect to the 1984 original, but such memories of what’s come before act as a way forward for the series, with the new installment working hard to revive the magic of the first feature and its underappreciated 1989 sequel. And who better to deal with “Ghostbusters” than a Reitman? Well, Jason Reitman to be exact, who takes over directorial control from his father, Ivan (who remains as a producer), teaming with Gil Kenan to script an adventure that explores the world of ghostbusting, with focus primarily placed on the family business nature of the gig. Familiar sights and sounds return in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” but so does excitement, humor, and charm, with the second sequel a wonderful realignment of the brand name, getting back to basics while the writers attempt to introduce a more emotional atmosphere to the effort, finding big heart along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As the clever main title sequence for the film hints at, Black Friday has already become a zombie apocalypse in a way. The production offers hazy imagery of masses gathered to storm into buildings, filled with dead-eyed shoppers hoping to save a few bucks on worthless items, stampeding into stores like monsters eager to kill. “Black Friday” plays up the potential for violent mayhem on the corporate holiday, exaggerating the activities of average human maniacs, transforming them into an alien menace overwhelming a toy store on Thanksgiving, threatening the terrified staff. The satiric elements of the material (scripted by Andy Greskoviak) aren’t razor sharp, but “Black Friday” has the advantage of being tremendous amounts of fun to watch, and it's blessedly short, never overstaying its welcome as director Casey Tebo arranges a clash between vicious creatures and the minimum-wage warriors not paid enough to save the store. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A few weeks ago, “One Shot” made its debut in theaters, presenting a version of “single take” cinema that followed the escalation of a military situation that could only be solved through action fantasy. “Boiling Point” is another offering of one-take storytelling, but this tale remains in the claustrophobic confines of a busy restaurant, trying to remain as realistic as possible, dealing with profound human concerns. “One Shot” was a gripping study of violence and technical tricks, but “Boiling Point” tries to do more with its gimmick. Co-writer/director Philip Barantini extracts an incredible amount of suspense from a seemingly mundane setting, using the natural tensions of the kitchen experience to successfully knot up a dramatic understanding of breaking points, making the one-shot approach invisible as he concentrates on the pressures of restaurant performance, creating fascinating characterizations and generating some nail-biting moments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was a moment in the mid-1990s when Alanis Morissette was everywhere. The 1995 release of her album, “Jagged Little Pill,” wasn’t expected to attract much attention, only to go on to attract all of the attention, sending Morissette to a level of mega-fame few artists achieve. She hit at the right time with a brilliant record, reaching an untapped audience with confessional lyrics and an unmistakable sound, transforming a 20-year-old Canadian into a global sensation. It’s been a little over 25 years since Morissette made such a mark on the world, and “Jagged” attempts to document not only the event of the album, but the experience of being Alanis Morissette during this time, when everyone was dying to understand her, consume her, and process intense feelings triggered by astronomical triumph of “Jagged Little Pill.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Jane Campion hasn’t directed a feature since 2009’s largely forgotten “Bright Star,” keeping busy with critically lauded television projects (“Top of the Lake”). With “The Power of the Dog,” Campion returns to screens with an adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel, playing to her strengths of character exploration and unsteady relationships, almost emerging as a companion piece to her career triumph, 1993’s “The Piano.” “The Power of the Dog” is a highly reserved look at inner thoughts and desires, also playing a larger game of manipulation and torment, with the American west becoming a battleground for emotionally wounded people toying with power. Campion doesn’t get the endeavor to a completely satisfying close, but she’s strong with actors and composition, presenting an unnerving presentation of masculinity and desperation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The creative team behind “Extinct” certainly puts the feature in a slam-dunk position. Director David Silverman and writers Joel H. Coen, John Frink, and Rob LaZebnik are all longtime veterans of “The Simpsons,” spending years on the iconic television show, responsible for delivering big laughs every week. Silverman even helmed “The Simpsons Movie,” along with many of the shorts, including the Oscar-nominated, “The Longest Daycare.” These are talented men, and their combined effort to create a different animated comedy is exciting, giving the team a new world to develop with their sharp senses of humor. Unfortunately, “Extinct” isn’t the triumph one is hoping for, dealing with pedestrian storytelling and a strange sci-fi concept, while the production’s Chinese backing keeps the endeavor away from a wilder appreciation for an adventure through time with a pair of extinct animals. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Zeros and Ones” is only notable due to its strangeness. It’s the latest from writer/director Able Ferrara, who’s been working steadily over the last decade, making movies few have seen, and usually joined by Willem Dafoe. Ferrara doesn’t aim for a wider audience with his new picture, but he does hire Ethan Hawke as his lead actor, and he talks the star into contributing a video conference intro to the picture. This is a highly unusual idea, but “Zeros and Ones” isn’t here to please anyone. Hawke details his excitement over a chance to make cinema with Ferrara, responding to the artistry of the helmer’s previous endeavors. It’s a calculated move to explain what the feature is and what kind of character he’s playing, as Hawke’s brief offering of illumination is the last bit of light to be found in this lifeless, pointless commentary on the state of politics, art, and religion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer Roger Williams and director Lee Haven Jones assess the state of the ecological world with “The Feast.” It’s a horror feature that’s about a slow-burn as they come, with the filmmakers looking to create a creeping mood of dread via a dinner party scenario, taking their time with character interactions and acts of savagery. There’s not a lot of excitement to be found in the movie, but it does go somewhere, working itself up into a frenzy with a payoff that’s not quite worth the extended time to get there. “The Feast” is atmospheric and cryptic, and Jones doesn’t extend an invitation to the viewer with the endeavor, keeping the effort distanced, and not in a way that welcomes closer attention to screen details. It’s certainly vicious, but it’s hard to work up much enthusiasm for the picture’s glacial ways. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The highest grossing movie in the “Rocky” series, 1985’s “Rocky IV” was writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone’s attempt to turn The Italian Stallion into a Cold War superhero, pitting the lovable American boxer against a seemingly indestructible opponent from the Soviet Union. Stallone had incredible timing on his side, with audiences aching to loathe a Russian villain, and he was inspired by the evolution of MTV-style filmmaking, packing the feature with montages while simplifying its story to a basic game of revenge. And it worked, with many “Rocky” fans listing the third sequel as the best of the bunch, appreciating an ultra-slick ride of broad emotions and power pop songs, while the boxing was appealingly brutal. After 35 years, “Rocky IV” has returned, with Stallone playing with the footage to create a more mature take on the original material, reworking the dramatic potential of the blockbuster to help connect it to the more personal tales of life and love found in previous installments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Last year, Edward Drake co-wrote a terrible Bruce Willis VOD actioner, “Breach,” and this year he graduated to directing a bad Bruce Willis VOD actioner with “Cosmic Sin.” Sticking close to the star, Drake returns eight months later with “Apex,” which is…a wretched Bruce Willis actioner. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on in Willis’s life that’s compelling him to burn off his thespian credibility with these low-budget, brain-dead endeavors, but he’s determined to do it, collecting fat paychecks (I’m guessing) for no noticeable effort, this time emerging from a nap to participate in the umpteenth riff on “The Most Dangerous Game.” Drake and co-writer Corey Large don’t offer much to viewers with “Apex,” which doesn’t have any tension or compelling acts of violence. It’s DOA entertainment, with Willis as tuned out of the work as he’s ever been. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Home Alone” isn’t much without John Hughes. The much-missed writer tapped into a kid POV with the 1990 holiday smash, combining the tenderness of Christmas with the blunt force trauma of cartoon violence, ending up with the biggest hit of his career. Hughes understood the mind of a child and the panic of parental exhaustion, delivering a tight, humorous screenplay for a film that managed to become a holiday viewing staple, amassing a huge fanbase. Hughes would go back to the well for two sequels, and the studio suppled two more offerings of body-breaking high jinks, eventually squeezing the teat dry as numbing repetition set in. The franchise has been dormant for nearly a decade, inspiring a new follow-up, “Home Sweet Home Alone,” which has the advantage of reaching a new generation perhaps unfamiliar with the Kevin McCallister years. “Saturday Night Live” writers Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell try to shake a few elements up in the formula, but there’s not enough subversive thinking with this endeavor, which eventually settles into the same old ultraviolent battle between intrusive adults and a wiseacre kid left behind by his vacationing family. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Clifford the Big Red Dog” began life as a children’s book series, with author Norman Bridwell delighting young readers for decades with his vision for adventure and mischief featuring a gargantuan canine and his bottomless love for his human pal, Emily Elizabeth. There were 80 books dedicated to Clifford’s curiosity and heroism, eventually inspiring a hit animated series with John Ritter as the voice of the eponymous pooch. There’s been a lot of Clifford over the years, and the brand name is newly reenergized by “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” a live-action adaptation of Bridwell’s creation, which brings the character to life through CGI, unleashing his chaos in a family comedy that’s attempting to establish a new direction for all things Clifford. There’s nothing here that’s unexpected, but the picture is an agreeable endeavor that will certainly please viewers raised on Bridwell’s simple stories. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Kenneth Branagh has been working recently to up his career profile, taking on larger productions such as “Murder on the Orient Express” (and its sequel, “Death on the Nile,” which is due in 2022) and “Artemis Fowl.” These have been large-budget offerings meant reach a global audience, and “Belfast” feels like a response to that sort of professional pressure. Instead of grand mysteries and CGI-laden adventuring, Branagh goes small with his latest feature, which is a semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Ireland during the late 1960s. For “Belfast,” coming-of-age ideas are paired with real-world horror, as the writing examines the growing troubles of Northern Ireland during this era, from the perspective of a pre-teen boy trying to make sense of all the change that surrounds him. Branagh has the clarity of memory on his side for this effort, but his editorial control isn’t nearly as focused, finding the picture a scattered series of dramatic entanglements and political content that never gels in a poetic manner. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Rawson Marshall Thurber has a special relationship with actor Dwyane Johnson, previously collaborating with the star on the comedy, “Central Intelligence,” and the disaster picture, “Skyscraper.” Thurber makes his third straight Johnson endeavor with “Red Notice,” which hopes to be a sweeping comedic caper featuring the bulky performer, delivered on a big budget that necessitates the addition of two other super-famous performers: Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. The trio are unleashed in this criminal extravaganza, tasked with bringing high levels of charm to the production while Thurber masterminds elaborate infiltration and escape sequences. Johnson, Gadot, and Reynolds are basically making a Jackie Chan movie with “Red Notice,” which isn’t advanced filmmaking by any means, but has a candied appeal for fans of nonstop quipping and large-scale stunt set pieces. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com