Movie Review

Film Review: KAYAK TO KLEMTU (Canada 2017)

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Kayak to Klemtu Poster
14-year-old Ella is determined to travel the length of the Inside Passage, along the shores of the Great Bear Rainforest by kayak in order to testify against a proposed pipeline that would …See full summary »

Director:

Zoe Leigh Hopkins

Writers:

Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Michael Sparaga

Stars:

Evan Adams, Jared Ager-Foster, Carmel Amit

 

What begins like a documentary eventually turns into a story settling on a teenage girl’s mission.  The words displayed during the opening credits inform the audience of an upcoming native hearing on a judgement of oil tankers passing through their lands that may cause damage to native resources.  The 14-year old Ella, a native, (Ta’Kaiya Blaney), is asked by her Uncle Dave (Evan Admas) before his death to testify at this hearing to be held in the community of Klemtu. 

The title, KAYAL TO KELMTU refers to the trip by kayak undertaken by Ella.  Ella decides to grant her Uncle Dave’s dying wishes – which includes scattering his ashs along the way.  The trip allows Ella (and the audience, obviously) to discover the land and then deliver her testimony at the end of the trip at Klemtu.

This is a film that delivers a strong message for the indigenous people.  Their lands have been stolen and violated.  It is time to stop – beginning at halting the oil tankers from travelling through their inland waters.  One oil spill and the damage will be irreversible. Klemtu, is a tiny community in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, where Ella’s family used to live.  Ella is thrown for a loop when she’s joined by her wacky aunt (Sonja Bennett), wayward cousin (Jared Ager-Foster) and cranky uncle (Lorne Cardinal).  As they make their way up the Inside Passage to Klemtu, not only is the trip a challenge, so too are the family dynamics. 

Despite the filmmakers’ good intentions, the film aimed at a family audience turns out too crowd pleasing, manipulative (like the the bear hunting encounter) and at times unbelievable.  The script also (too obvious) contains some Hollywood-style powerful crowd arousing dialogue.  Ella’s mother says: “That pipeline does not stand a chance, ” as Ella partakes of the trip to the hearing.

One of the most impressive aspects of the film are the stunning scenery of the British Columbia natural landscapes.  The camera lingers from the rocks on the shores of the rives to the forests to the mountains and even the pretty little flowers and vegetation, all part of the greater nature of things.

Young actress Ta’Kaiya Blaney who in real life is an environmental activist delivers a winning performance.  The only trouble is that she always looks too perfect with perfect make-up and tidy hair even after spending 4 consecutive days and nights in a rainstorm. At Klemtu, the audience suddenly sees her and her aunt wearing fashionable coordinated bright new parkas.  

Despite the film’s faults, credit must be given to Hopkins and crew for trying.  The film sends an important message to save native natural resources.  But the more important message is that everyone, whether directly affected or not, should do his/her own to save Mother Earth.  The film, a crowd pleaser, won the audience award at the 2017 imagineNATIVE and Powell River festivals, and took Best Canadian First Feature at Victoria 2018.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKpcZdlqYKw

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Film Review: GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI (UK/Ireland 2017)

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Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami Poster
Trailer

Larger than life, wild, scary and androgynous – Grace Jones plays all these parts. Yet here we also discover her as a lover, daughter, mother, sister and even grandmother, as she submits …See full summary »

Director:

Sophie Fiennes

Stars:

Grace Jones, Jean-Paul Goude, Sly & Robbie

 

Directed by Sophie Fiennes (sister of Ralph and Joseph Fiennes) who made THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY, this doc on Grace Jones is not the typical biographical doc.  

The doc shares Fiennes’ sense of humour, evident in the aforesaid mentioned film about ideology seen from the point of view of Slovene philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek.  In the case of GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI, the doc follows the model, actress and drama queen as she travels to world, particularly to her home country of Jamaica where the audience sees her at home with family.  In short, the doc plays like a Grace Jones reality show.

Many first heard of Grace Jones in the role of bad woman MAY DAY in the James Bond flick A VIEW TO A KILL with 007 Bond Roger Moore.  Of all the Bond secondary villains, only two have survived the test of time – Jaws and May Day.  From then on, Jones has become larger than life, wild, scary and androgynous.  She is now a pop culture icon at the ripe age of almost 70, but still blessed with the good looks of a woman under 40.  

Director Fiennes reveals Jones also as a lover, daughter, mother, sister, and even grandmother.  Filmed over the course of a decade, Grace Jones has become an electrifying journey through the performance, private and public worlds of the Jamaican-born singer. 

Fiennes intersperses the doc with various spritely musical numbers that lifts her film to ecstatic nights as Grace know how to captivate her audience.  Her performances are colourful from the lighting of the shows to her elaborate costumes that include the most outrageous hats.

The film running quite long at almost 2 hours, could have been trimmed.   The best thing about this doc is watching these performances including the song numbers “Slave to the Rhythm” and “Hurricane”.  Still, what is missing that should be included is a clip of Jones fighting James Bond in A VIEW TO A KILL.  (I had to Youtube the film trailer to catch a glimpse of Jones when writing this review.) 

Jones is also shown as a tough cookie.  She only performs when paid in advance.  Once she refuses to perform around surrounding females (in Paris) as she claims she looks like a Madame in a female brothel.  She wants the female dancers replaced by males.  Jones can also speak English with a French accent (she does speak French too) and also with a British and Jamaican accent.

The prize segment of the doc is Grace chatting with her grandmother.  Her grandmother is beyond shy, with her breasts (despite her age) being the best in show.  Her words to Grace are all hilarious.

The film premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival with Grace present as one knows this woman just loves the spotlight.  

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyo55F44bU4

 

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Film Review: BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

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Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat Poster
Trailer

Exploring the pre-fame years of the celebrated American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and how New York City, its people, and tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970s and ’80s shaped his vision.

Director:

Sara Driver

Stars:

Alexis Adler, Fab 5 Freddy, Patricia Field

 

Sara Driver’s doc of THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT is just that.  It is the story of the NYC Graffiti artist pre-fame.  None of his most famous paintings are shown on the screen till the end of the film.

The doc begins with a lengthy History of New York City – when it was run down, ugly and poor with a high occupancy rate.  As the voiceover informs, landlords were aware that they were not going to rent out their places any time soon, so they were burning them to claim the insurance money.  Then-President Gerald Ford announces that he will never ok a bill that will bail out the city by default.  It is almost a full 15 minutes in this hour and 15 minute film that Basquiat is first introduced into the picture.

Director Driver’s aim for her film is twofold – firstly to create the atmosphere and period of the times where street artists of that era touted their wares among the elite art groups.  The second is to reveal Basqiuat’s talent in these difficult and challenging times.

This she accomplishes using never-before-seen works, writings and photographs. Driver herself was part of the New York arts scene, so she knows her stuff and it shows.  She had worked closely and collaboratively with friends and other artists who emerged from that period.

Among them are film director Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quinones, Patricia Field, Luc Sante and many others.  Jarmusch and Sante are given the most screen time, having the most to say.  Those interviewed draw upon their memories and anecdotes.  The film also uses period film footage, music and images to visually re-recreate the era, drawing a portrait of Jean- Michel and Downtown New York City -pre AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art booms – before anyone was motivated by money and ambition. 

Besides Basqiuat’s talent, he is also revealed to be penniless and occasionally homeless, crashing at friends’ apartments and even allowing himself to become a rent-boy for a roof over his head for the night.  A lady’s man who would steal anyone’s pretty girlfriend.  According to Jarmusch, he would disappear around the block to steal a flower to present to his friend’s lady.  Basqiuat also indulged with the drugs of the time, like LSD, which explains many of his psychedelic pieces.

An interviewee claimed that Basqiaut would eventually become as famous as Andy Warhol, who everyone respected at the time.  Indeed Basqiaut did.  His famous and most recognized works are shown at the end of the film.  These are the 7 or so years before Basqiaut achieved that status.  An eye-opening film on Basqiaut’s late teenage years.  If he was still alive today, he would be of the age of many of those interviewed, and would provide priceless insight of himself when interviewed.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUsy5RObL2U

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Film Review: BIRTHMARKED (Canada/Ireland 2017)

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Birthmarked Poster
Trailer

Two scientists raise 3 children contrarily to their genetic tendencies to prove the ultimate power of nurture over nature.

Director:

Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais

Writers:

Marc Tulin, Marc Tulin (story) |1 more credit »

Stars:

Matthew Goode, Toni Collette, Fionnula Flanagan

BIRTHMARKED is a Canadian/Irish comedy with a good premise but unfortunately falls flat due its script and lack of direction.

The film begins in 1977.  Two respected scientists, Ben Morin (Matthew Goode) and his wife Catherine (Toni Collette) quit their jobs at the university to conduct an experiment they think will revolutionize our understanding of human identity, after they are inspired by a speech on scientists making a difference in human beings.   The project aims to raise three children contrarily to their genetic predispositions to prove the ultimate power of nurture over nature. They want to prove that everyone has the same potential to become anything. Maya, a newborn girl adopted from two feebleminded parents, is raised to be smart, while Maurice, a newborn boy adopted from two anger-prone parents, is raised to be a pacifist.  Finally, their own biological son Luke, who comes from a long lineage of scientific brains, is raised to become a revered artist.  The film’s message is the importance of family above all.  The experiment will reveal little scientific truth, leading Ben and Catherine to discover the true value of family.

BIRTHMARKED’s script by Marc Tulin is the sloppiest script this year for a variety of reasons, a few of the more noticeable ones mentioned below.

The film begins in a 1978 setting.  For one, the script never ever mentions where it is set. Being an Irish/Canadian co-production, one can imagine the reason the filmmakers the setting ambiguous, so that the film will be marketable in the U.S., Canada and Ireland.  Director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais takes great pains with the music, wardrobe and props (vehicles) in the creation of the ’77-’78 setting, but the script completely blows it with one character using the phrase “most importantly”, a term that was never used till after 2010.   Nothing is mentioned of the other two adopted kids’ parents – who they are or why they would allow their children to be a part of human experiments.  The ethics of the experiment is never discussed.  The ending is also unsatisfactory with no closure.  Characters like Dr. Julie Bouchard (Suzanne Clement) and Mrs. Tridek (Fionnula Flanagan) appear out of nowhere.  One is played by a French Canadian and the other an Irish, to be fair.  For a film about there children, one would expect the children to be super cute with each one memorable for their own peculiarities and perhaps even stealing the movie from the more experienced actors.  No such luck as the children’s roles are underwritten.

One wonders the reason British actor Matthew Goode (hardly recognizable) has ditched his good looks, hiding under a beard and spectacles for the role of the scientist, after all he kept his good looks as a mathematician/scientist in THE IMITATION GAME.  Director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais gives himself a cameo as a fellow scientist.  Toni Collette assumes another quirky role after the recent MADAME.

The main subject on nature vs. nurture is is never debated or concluded resulting in the film’s good intentions being insufficient to save it. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFS9zWOSUnM

Film Review: SHOW DOGS (USA 2018)

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Show Dogs Poster
Trailer

Max, a macho, solitary Rottweiler police dog is ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog in a prestigious Dog Show, along with his human partner, to avert a disaster from happening.

Director:

Raja Gosnell

Writers:

Max Botkin, Marc Hyman

Stars:

Alan Cumming, Natasha Lyonne, Will Arnett

 

Watching the first 15 minutes of a film’s opening can usually determine what can expected from the rest of the film.  At the start of SHOW DOGS, Max (Ludacris ), a talking Rottweiler that works as a police dog mistakenly takes down an undercover cop while three talking pigeons explain what is gong on to each other and the audience as if the scene needs to be explained.  The baddies have a British accent, of course and the camera tilts sideways for no apparent reason.  The antics include the dog unimpressively tumbling around and dodging vehicles.  Max bites the cop in the butt.  This is a sequence that is neither funny or exciting or worthy of mention.

So, in this world where humans and sentient dogs co-exist, the macho but lonely Rottweiler police dog named Max has bungled his duty to save a kidnapped baby panda.  Max promises the panda that he will return to save her.  Max is eventually ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog at a prestigious dog show with his human partner Frank (Will Arnett), the one he bit on the butt earlier in the film.

An impressive cast of celebrities voice the canine characters.  RuPaul voices Persephone, 

Gabriel Iglesias, Sprinkles, a Pug, Shaquille O’Neal, Karma, Stanley Tucci, Philippe and Alan Cumming, Dante.  One wonders the decision for Tucci doing a French accent, thus making his voice hardly recognizable for the Belgium dog, Philippe.

There are no shortage of jokes in the film.  The trouble is that they are only mildly funny at best.  The best example is the fast sloth joke, humorous a little, but laugh-out loud, it is not.  To illustrate how good the jokes are, I did not laugh once during the entire comedy!  The film is also not short of ass-hole and gross jokes.  It is easy to calculate the jokes hit/miss ratio for this film.  Zero!

The film contains many show dogs that are perfectly groomed that are great to look at.  Still, this is insufficient to lift the film out of the doldrums.  Max, the Rottweiler looks sloppy compared to all the other dogs, kind of dirty looking an always drooling.  It does not help that the script insists on having a romantic angle between Max and Daisy (Jordin Sparks), a Border Collie.   To make matters worse, there is also a hint of romance between Frank and another dog handler, Mattie (Natasha Lyonne).

The script by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman, at best makes reference to better dog films like TURNER AND HOOCH.  At one point, Max calls his partner, Hooch.  Again, a little humorous at best!

2018 has so far seen the best and worst dog films of the decade.  Wes Andersons’ ISLE OF DOGS is so far the best dog film this year.  SHOW DOGS, lands on the other end of the spectrum. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8s36yLaLQ

 

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Film Review: BOOK CLUB (USA 2018)

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Book Club Poster
Trailer

Four lifelong friends have their lives forever changed after reading 50 Shades of Grey in their monthly book club.

Director:

Bill Holderman

Writers:

Bill Holderman, Erin Simms

Stars:

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen

 

The BOOK CLUB is made up of Diane, Vivian, Sharon and Carol played by veteran stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen respectively, and listed in order of both their popularity and importance of their roles in the film.  All four have had their hey day, Fonda with her Oscar Winning KLUTE, breaking into fame with CAT BALLOU (I have seen this film 7 times), Keaton with ANNIE HALL, REDS, Bergen with 11 HARROW HOUSE, THE HUNTING PARTY and SOLDIER BLUE and Steenburgen with CROSS CREEK and DEAD OF WINTER.  Watching them on screen is the best thing about the film.  Unfortunately, they are unable to save this sorry feminine old farts comedy.

The film’s premise is simple enough with the script stretching it into a tired full length feature.   Four older women spend their lives attending a book club where they bond over the typical suggested literature.  Each member takes her turn to suggest a book.  One day, they end up reading Fifty Shades of Grey (with Christian Grey and his sexual frolics) and are turned on by the content.  Viewing it as a wake up call, they decide to expand their lives and chase pleasures that have eluded them. 

With four and not one character, the audiences has to sit through all four and not only one story as they sort out their lives. 

When the club first meets, it is a long drawn out affair of introductions.  One by one, they appear, each apparently trying to outdo each other in wardrobe and appearance.  The dialogue is obviously written by a team of comedy writers (though only mildly funny).  One liners and punch liners come out of the members’ mouths instead of authentic everyday dialogue.  

Later on in the film, the audience sees Keaton wearing all her ANNIE HALL outfits from male jacket, to loose tie to beret.  It is clear that the film pays more attention to wardrobe, the  mansions with their interior design and stuff that make the elders look good that more urgent matters like script and direction.  Choice of popular songs at appropriate parts of the film is ‘cute’ at best.

As the film progresses, it appears that this is a film that shows only one side of the American life – that of the wealthy.  All the characters are white and wealthy, with for example, Diane’s boyfriend, Mitchell the pilot (Andy Garcia) owning a mansion with his own private plane or Vivian’s Arthur (Don Johnson) rich enough to miss airline flights at a whim.  Even the supposedly middle class couple Carol (Steenburgen) and Bruce (POLTERGEIST’s Craig T. Nelson) has a house to die for.  An Asian is shown at one point in the film, but she is only the server of ice-cream sodas.

Of all the 4 stars, the most watchable and most amusing is Bergen playing the judge Sharon, prim and proper but trying to get a date on her dating site.  She is best known to the younger generation for her TV role in MURPHY BROWN though this one, in my opinion was the true beauty in her younger days.  Her match with Richard Dreyfuss (JAWS, THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ, AMERICAN GRAFFITI) is the one that brought the most laughs in the audience in the promo screening I attended.  Her other match up with Wallace Shawn falls flat.  The audience seems to love (though this has been done before) the segment with Bruce with a uncontrollable hard-on, the result of his wife spiking his beer with a Viagara.

The script underwrites certain characters, which is understandable as there are too many characters in the film.  Alicia Silverstone (CLUELESS) is largely wasted as Jill, one of Diane’s daughters who is not given much to do.

BOOK CLUB is merely an excuse to watch 4 stars come together.  If watching them is all that matters, the this film might be for you.  BOOK CLUB aims low as a glossy, standard senior product with nothing fresh to offer.  The film achieves its aim.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDxgPIsv6sY

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Film Review: RBG (USA 2018) ***1/2

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RBG Poster
Trailer

A look at the life and work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Directors:

Julie Cohen, Betsy West

Stars:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Nina Totenberg

Often the first 10 minutes of tim sets the tone and mood for the rest of the movie.  As far as this doc called RBG (standing for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but using the initials of the famous rapper) goes, it is the most spirited first 10 minutes of introduction to any film beginning with the uplifting music I have witnessed in a film this year.  What an into and what anticipation the directors have created for their audience who are then introduced to this ‘witch’, ‘American’ ‘shit-disturber’ who have changed countless lives.  In her very won words: “Everyone wants to take a picture with this 80-year old lady.”

The film delivers a message in the form of Ruth’s mother’s advice to Ruth: “Be a Lady.  Be independent!”  Ruth or RBG explains that being a lady means controlling girly emotions like anger.  The way to win an argument is not to yell.  Being independent means being able to take care of oneself.”  These simple words also apply to males as well with “Be a Gentleman.”

You could do something to make the world better!  Ruth decided to become a lawyer.  If not her husband can support her, Ruth’s parents muse. 

The film benefits from the availability of archive footage.  There are marvellous grainy black and white footage with voiceover provided by Ruth.

The most amazing thing about Ruth, as the movie emphasizes to great effect, is that she did not get life handed to her on a silver platter.  She burnt the candle at both ends by looking after her daughter and ill husband (with cancer) while she was third year at Law School.  The hard work work paid off for Ruth.  Her children also speak to the camera, praising their mother.

The most important issue tackled by the doc is however, the injustices against women.  Law firms did not hire women – it was just the way it was.  Ruth fought for women’s rights.  Ruth Ginsburg used her legal education to make the difference, dealing with sex discrimination cases thus making a difference in the women’s rights movement.  She would take cases that made good law.  The film gets more personal with a specific case –  Frontiero vs. Richardson.  The film is fortunate to have the real Sharron Frontiero interview and speak her case.  She was denied a housing allowance in the Air Force.  “You are lucky to be in the Air Force at all, she was told.   Sharron filed a lawsuit, under taken by RGB.

RBG is an inspiring doc that would make even men cheer that women have attained their deserved rights through the notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg,

The film also shows her personal side.  They are shots of Ruth attending her favourite pastime – opera  She appreciates the sound of the human voice (she likens it to an electric current), the drama and the music.  Justice and mercy are all in the opera,

Ruth knew exactly what needs to be said and it was a very shrewd strategy.  Ruth wins many cases carefully outlining the words to emphasize the cause.

RBG premiered in Toronto at the Jewish Film Festival a few weeks back.  But he doc and its content has universal appeal.  The directors have created as inspirit a doc as its subject – the Notorious RBG.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biIRlcQqmOc

Film Review: DISOBEDIENCE (UK/Ireland/USA 2017) ***1/2

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Disobedience Poster
Trailer

A woman returns to the community that shunned her for her attraction to a childhood friend. Once back, their passions reignite as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.

Director:

Sebastián Lelio

Writers:

Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola

 

Three big reasons stand out for one to see DISOBEDIENCE.  The first is its director, Chilean Sebastian Leilo who won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for A FANTASTIC WOMAN this year.  The second is the script, based on Naomi Alderman’s 2006 acclaimed novel, co-written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz who wrote the Best Foreign Film Oscar Winner IDA, a few years back.  The third is the cast of Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams who go all out to do a same-sex love story compete with a no-holds barred erotic sex scene.

The film begins with a scene of a dissatisfied New York photographer, Ronit (Weisz), a single woman in the city, shown never smiling and having casual sex while receiving news of her father’s passing in London.  She travels to London only to be met with a surprise welcome by the Orthodox Jews that she ran away from.  Her father was a strong pillar, a Rabbi of the Jewish Orthodox Community and she is deemed an outcast.  This is material that moviegoers would shy less run away from.  The film takes a while to gets its footing, and if one is patient enough not to give up on the uncommercial storyline, the reward is a well told powerful tale of freedom, especially from the feminine point of view that is so relevant in today’s times.

So, with her edgy clothing and tousled hair, Ronit looks out of place among the Orthodox women in their plain black garments and synthetic wigs.  She is also in for some unsetting surprises, including the contents of her father’s obituary and will.  She is further shocked to find that her two childhood friends – Esti (McAdams) and rabbi-to-be Dovid (Novice) – are now married.  When Dovid invites Ronit to stay with them, Esti and Ronit rekindle their secret passion for each other.  The film’s second half focuses on the love affair and Esti’s demand to be freed from her marriage form Dovid.

The Jewish rituals are respectfully created with perfect voices singing of the hymns.  But the film clearly has a prejudiced view of the Orthodox Jewish ways.  It looks down at the practices from the very first scene with the over-stern sermon on devils and angels given by the Rabbi before suffering the heart attack that initiates the story’s chain of events.

The sexual scenes are very graphic and erotic especially in the sharing of saliva during a sex scene, reminiscent of Stephen Frears’ sex scene in MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE

The same-sex love is also seen for Esti’s point of view, not only from Ronit’s.  This makes the drama even more relevant.  Understandably, the film’s best scene is the confrontation between Esti and her husband when beating him on the chest, she confesses that she always loved Rachel.

The one reason the film about freedom is so powerful is that erector Leilo switches the points of view from Ronit to Esti to Dovid.  The audience sees and sympathizes with each, not only seeing each person in the love triangle’s point of view but knowing that each are trapped by the past and present emotions.

It does not matter how the story ends.  The film is about emotions and the right to choose, and Leilo’s message comes across bight and clear in his well-executed drama.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVonh8bjC0

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Film Review: DEADPOOL 2 (USA 2018) ****

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Deadpool 2 Poster
Trailer

Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.

Director:

David Leitch

Writers:

Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz

 

DEADPOOL 2 arrives 2 years after the first DEADPOOL, the 11th film in the X-Men film series.  The important question on everyone’s lips is how this film fares with regards to the first DEADPOOL and the recent Marvel films like BLACK PANTHER and AVENGERS INFINITIY WAR.  Well, it is different and notably raucously hilarious. Co-written by star Ryan Reynolds himself who did a bit on his own character’s dialogue, there are lots of swearing, so be prepared to be hearing lots of vulgarities like “fuckshit”.

DEADPOOL (Reynolds reprising his original role) is the wisecracking Marvel Comics mercenary with accelerated healing but severe scarring over his body after undergoing an experimental regenerative mutation.   He forms the X-Force, a team of mutants, most of which hilariously die while unsuccessfully parachute landing in an attempt on the job to rescue Russell (Julian Dennison), a boy Deadpool befriended while in prison.  Foremost in the story is the character of Cable (Josh Brolin) a time travelling cybernetic mutant soldier who wishes to kill Russell.  It should be noted that DEADPOOL 2’s humour is in the extreme, from fake opening credits to ridiculous subplots to senseless dialogue.  To the credit of everyone making this movie, it actually works.  It took me a while to get into the film’s groove, admittedly a full 15 minutes or so (I initially hated it, thinking it all too silly, but the tactic grows into you quickly and the effort is soon appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.)  The laugh-out loud jokes are too many to innumerate but there are prize one like the inside joke on Disney’s Frozen (since Disney has recently bought over Fox) and a running joke that makes no sense on the progress of dubstep.  The soundtrack that includes two new songs: “Ashes” by Céline Dion and “Welcome to the Party” by Diplo, French Montana and Lil Pump are especially inventive.  Those who have seen/heard “Ashes”, released as the lead single on May 3, 2018, along with a music video of the vocalist singing the song will still be laughing.

Star Ryan Reynolds is perfect as the hilarious Deadpool.  He makes the character including the dialogue he wrote.  He was given large creative control over this film after the success of the first one that resulted in the leaving of the original’s director Tim Miller due to artistic differences.  Josh Brolin plays Cable marvellously, as Brolin does in all his roles.  Brolin was also in the last recent Marvel film AVENGERS INFINITY WAR playing the main villain Thanos.  Fortunately, the makeup of Thanos results in Brolin hardly recognizable or that would have been a problem with Brolin being in two Marvel stories.  Familiar characters from the first DEADPOOL like Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Karan Soni as Dopinder, the taxi driver, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al (the fake opening credits has her listed as the film’s cinematographer) and T.J. Miller as Weasel, Daedpool’s best buddy bartender who has absolutely no loyalties are in the sequel.  Miller is good in this movie but was almost removed from the film due to alleged sexual misconduct and calling in a fake bomb threat during the movie filming.

DEADPOOL 2’s looks very expensive with great CGI and special effects.  The fight scenes are particularly stunning with humour always present.  Action and hilarity mix well in the funniest of the Marvel franchise.

Make sure to stay for the closing credits as they include a few extra scenes including surprises such as who is listed playing “Vanishing Man.”  The film also sets up for the next continuing film X-FORCE which may or may not be a direct sequel to DEADPOOL 2.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D86RtevtfrA

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Film Review: THE CHILD REMAINS (Canada 2017)

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The Child Remains Poster
An expectant couple’s intimate weekend turns to terror as they discover their secluded country inn is a haunted maternity home where infants and mothers were murdered.

Director:

Michael Melski

Writer:

Michael Melski

Stars:

Suzanne Clément, Allan Hawco, Shelley Thompson

 

The words ‘Inspired by True Events’ splashes on the screen at the film’s start.  This of course, can mean very little these days but here this means something as the film’s plot is actually based inspired by the early 20th century “Butterbox Babies”.

The story centres on a couple, Rae (Suzanne Clément) and Liam (Allan Hqwko).  Hawko is a music songwriter trying to make it in the music business while Rae is an expecting journalist suffering from Post Stress Traumatic Disorder (disorder that develops after exposure to a traumatic event or experience with symptoms that may include flashbacks, nightmares and intense feelings of fear or horror).  Their intimate weekend turns to terror as they discover their secluded country inn is a haunted maternity home where infants and mothers were murdered.

The film has a slow and moody first half.  Not much happens and what transpires on screen is predictable.  All that happens is  the discovery of the Inn being the former Mercy home by the pregnant guest where babies are taken away unknowingly from unexacting unwed pregnant mothers.   Director Melski uses the screen time to create a menacing atmosphere for the visiting couple.  The woman is a journalist (how appropriate as this allows her to have an investigative nature as well access to archive news) who suffers from PSTD (how appropriate as this allows her to have hallucinations)

Shelley Thompson from ‘The Trailer Park Boys” deserves credit for her role as the inn’s manager, Monica.  She is always cheery, appearing at times when least expected or when most inconvenient to her guests.  There is always something creepy about a person who always has a wide smile on her face, and Thompson nails this creepiness 100%.  Multiple Award winner Quebec actress Suzanne Clément, best known for her roles in Xavier Dolan’s films is also a pleasure to watch as the tortured character.

The film contains an unexcited twist in the plot at the end (when the audience realizes what the title of the film refers to – quite clever).  Trouble is that it is quite unbelievable for the reason that for it to happen, it will be too much of a coincidence.  The film, besides being a psychological thriller is also a ghost story so one also has to believe that ghosts not only exist but come out of the woodwork to harm the characters.

Despite all that is going for Melski’s film, THE CHILD REMAINS fails to engage the audience in its tale for a number of reasons.  The first is credibility.  The two items of  supernaturally and true events do not go together.  The other is Melski’s display of his protagonist, Jen’s character. In one scene, she is shown handing over the ointments in her room because they are chemical, which is a rude gesture.  She could have just left the ointments in the room.  In another, shed closes her lap top when Shelly is looking at the image of her baby in her womb, which is another rude gesture.  She also snaps he boyfriend and nags once too often, which makes one wonder the reason he is still putting up with her, and especially when she has PSTD.  If Melski wants the audience to route for his heroine, he should have her display a more likeable personality.  When all the plot points are finally revealed, Melski unfortunately turns his film into a horror slasher flick.

The film sends a a new meaning to the words “Inspired by True Events”.   The story may be inspired by true events but it may be totally hokum!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqtjq51pLzw

 

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