Interview with Glass Castle author, Jeannette Walls by Jeff Mitchell

Author Jeannette Walls wrote her astonishing memoir “The Glass Castle” in 2005, and her book became a sensation.  It spent years on The New York Times Best Sellers List and is currently sitting at #1 for Print/E-Book Nonfiction as well as Paperback.  Jeannette’s work garnered director Destin Daniel Cretton’s (“Short Term 12” (2013)) attention, and he has brought her book to life on the big screen!  “The Glass Castle” is now a feature film, starring Brie Larson as Jeannette, and Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts play her parents, Rex and Rose Mary.  Last week, Ms. Walls stopped in the Valley to host a screening of the film and sat down to speak with the Phoenix Film Festival as well.   Ms. Walls talked about her time living in Phoenix as a kid, her reactions to watching her life portrayed on-screen and much more.  “The Glass Castle” is rated PG-13, and it opens on Aug. 11. 

PFF:  Jeannette, you lived in Phoenix for a while as a kid.  What did you enjoy about Phoenix?

JW:  The warmth, the sun, the mountains, and people just felt very accepting.  We lived in a largely Mexican neighborhood, and everyone was just so nice and friendly and embraced our family in a way that we weren’t always embraced.  (After) moving to West Virginia, I missed the sunshine, the warmth and the openness.   It’s a lot easier to be poor in a place that’s warm, than a place that’s cold. 

PFF:  In the movie, your fiancé, David (Max Greenfield), arm wrestles your dad, Rex (Harrelson).  On-screen Jeannette (Larson) was very spirited in rooting for David to win, but what was going through her mind at that time?

JW:  That scene was pivotal, because it was a battle:  which side is Jeannette going to align herself with, David or Rex, and who is stronger?  If David wins, that “means” that she can continue (her comfortable, prosperous) lifestyle (with him).  If Rex wins, she’s got to acknowledge that he – in some way – is superior.  So, that’s why she was so desperately cheering for David to win.  It was to validate her choice.  Rex knew that, and that’s why he popped David in the “snot locker”.  Rex knew that he has to physically best David, because the physical (confrontation) was somehow an embodiment of emotions…of her lifestyle. 

PFF:  When you saw Woody and Naomi on-screen, what did they get right about your parents?

JW:  Everything.  It was breathtaking.  I don’t have a single criticism.  I mean, it was eerie to the degree in which these actors get inside people.  As a writer, I’m more of an observer.  I fancy myself as somebody who is astute on picking up mannerisms or whatever that I am observing, and Woody and Naomi just blew me out of the water.  They (work) from the inside out.  They get the heart and the soul of somebody, and they attach these physical movements to (the performances).   The body language, the posture, the eyes.  Taking to Sarah Snook (who plays my older sister, Lori) was a little bit weird, because looking into her eyes, it felt just like I was looking into my older sister’s.  It was unreal. 

My brother, Brian, talked to Josh Caras (who played him as a kid).  I talked to Josh afterwards, and he said, “I didn’t need to talk to (Brian) that long.  I got it.”  

And he got it!

PFF:  It’s remarkable how actors work.

JW:  They understand.  It’s a language that good actors speak, and this world that they inhabit.  It’s almost like, and I hope that this doesn’t sound derogatory, but they are almost like wild animals. The level of intuition is staggering.  It all comes together, and I didn’t expect that.  I expected them to be good, but not that good. The thing about the performances is that no one was ever looking to make fun of anybody.  That’s why I think the movie is filled with love. 

PFF:  So, your mom lives with your husband and you in Virginia.  Does she live under your rules, or does she operate under own rules, or is it a mix of both? 

JW:  A little bit of both.  I tried to make her live by my rules, but that just wasn’t working.  We just got into too many fights.  I built her a little cottage, and in no time at all, it was all filled up, because she is a hoarder.  I didn’t realize it, because our houses were always burning down when I grew up.  She collects everything, because she thinks everything is beautiful.  She tells me that many artists are hoarders. Picasso was, and Andy Warhol was, but because they have so much money, they aren’t considered hoarders, but collectors.  They can buy extra houses, and they see everything as beautiful.  I eventually just hired somebody to clean up her place, because I was getting into too many fights, and now we have a better relationship than we ever had in our lives.  She is an interesting, complicated and unique human being, and if I can let go of the disputes over housecleaning, she’s a lot of fun to be around. 

PFF:  That’s great that your relationship has grown stronger.

JW:  Absolutely.  My husband thinks that she’s one of the most interesting people that he’s ever met.  He’s a great intellectual, and he said, “I’ve never met anyone as smart as your mother.”

She (has so much knowledge about life), but she has no idea what her own Social Security number is.  If you ask her, she’ll say, “I don’t find my Social Number particularly interesting.” 

So, if she loves something or has interest in it, she keeps it, whether it’s an object or information.  She keeps it forever. 

PFF:  She has interesting philosophies of life and her own logic which was portrayed in the film. 

JW:  Absolutely.  A logic that is cohesive within her world.  It doesn’t make sense to most people, and she’ll say some things that are simultaneously absolutely inane and absolutely brilliant.  

PFF:  Yes, for instance, the hot dog scene, when young Jeannette asks Rose Mary for lunch.  She replies that she wants to finish her painting first, because it will exist forever, while a hot dog will only last a few minutes.

JW:   Yea, and it’s true!  It’s true that art is more valuable than hot dogs.  She’s also said that she considers buying paints the wisest investment in the world.  For the price of paints and a canvas, you might get a million-dollar masterpiece.  She’s right, but nobody thinks like that except for her. 

PFF:  The movie and the book primarily portray your relationship with your father, and your mom is seen as more of a supporting character.   Was your mom more of a supporting character in real life, and did you like that the movie depicts her that way?

JW:  Dad sucks all of the oxygen out of the room.  The minute that he walks into a room, it is all about him, and it used to drive my mom nuts. 

She would say, “I’m this talented artist, and I’m constantly battling for center stage.”

That was one of the (reasons) for their fights.  Destin was just very smart in realizing that the book is about the relationship between the father and the daughter.  I think Naomi realized that too.  How do you be on screen with somebody who is that powerful and that potent?  It’s not that Rose Mary plays second fiddle, but nobody can compete with my father, and nobody can compete with Woody Harreleson.  I don’t know about you, but whenever Woody was on-screen, I could not pull my eyes off of him.  He just exploded.  I’ll be candid with you.  I wasn’t sure whether Woody could capture the energy, but he did.  He got it completely, and Naomi quickly understood that if you are costarring with Rex Walls - whether it’s in life or in a movie – you are going to be almost the supporting cast.  Rose Mary was profound and fabulous, but Rex wouldn’t let anybody else be center stage. 

PFF:  It’s all on Rex.

JW:  Always.  Always, and the minute that it wasn’t, it would get it back on him.

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Detroit - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Detroit

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Will Poulter, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Kaitlyn Dever, Jack Reynor, and Ben O’ Toole

In the summer of 1967 in Detroit, race issues between Black Americans and authority figures divided the city; turning it into a war zone of military patrolled streets filled with angry and frustrated protestors. Things were escalating for some time in Detroit before the rioting and looting began, and this was only the beginning as merely a year later Dr. Martin Luther King would be assassinated further escalating the fight for equality in America.

50 years later and the fight is still being fought; portraits of Black Americans and uniformed authority figures still flash in the media with headlines that echo sentiments of justice and injustice for a divided world.  It places director Kathryn Bigelow’s film “Detroit” in an all too pertinent place in history, one which is similar to the world we live in today in both emotion and context. Ms. Bigelow’s film takes a snap shot moment from the Detroit riots and transports the viewer into an uncomfortable yet insightful place, it’s not an entertaining film but rather a bold expression of emotions that compose many of the social concerns that have and are still relevant in the world today.

“Detroit” focuses its attention on a single night, with a group of people at the Algiers motel on the west side of the city. Musician Larry (Algee Smith) and his friend Fred (Jacob Latimore) are staying at the motel, escaping the chaos of the city after a failed performance earlier in the night. The young men meet two girls, Karen (Kaitlyn Dever) and Julie (Hannah Murray), and join them at a party with some other hotel guests. Things take a terrifying turn when three local policemen, one of them still working after fatally shooting an unarmed looting suspect, and a patrol of National Guardsmen respond to reports of sniper gunfire coming from the motel.

Ms. Bigelow takes the events of the Algiers Motel incident and turns it into something similar to a horror film. For a large majority of the film the viewer is placed in the middle of unrelenting terror. The interrogation of a group of black men, but also two white women, is disturbing; events escalate from harsh language, to physical abuse, to mental torture, and ultimately death. Ms. Bigelow and writer Mark Boal aren’t too concerned with providing surprise developments, ingenious plot structuring, or even much of a historical lesson, instead they focus on the raw emotion of the moment, the fear that motivates action, and the individualized perception of how people remember a significant situation. While this method allows the filmmaker the opportunity to burrow into the feelings of the viewer within the specific moment, it also at times prevents the film from displaying why this moment meant so much for the city of Detroit and the civil rights movement.

“Detroit” is shot in a very specific way, with an emphasis on the feeling of chaos and uncertainty. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, who’s credits include “The Hurt Locker” and “United 93”, takes the camera and puts it in the middle of all the action and in the face of the characters. You can see the ignorance and blind compliance many of the people within the film are experiencing. The city burns and smolders in the background as the camera walks with characters and tightly frames them within terrible situations, in an essence trapping the viewer within the experience. It’s a technique that has been done before in cinema but the sturdy direction of a talent like Ms. Bigelow really makes this technical choice shine.

As the film ventures further into the tragic events of the evening, the film begins to lose its way. Instead of developing the situation and characters in delicate and subtle ways, like they do with the relationship of two friends or with the motives of a security guard (John Boyega) trying to promote peaceful relationships, the film resorts to a disordered commentary promoted by violence and brutality.

“Detroit” is many times an observant look at a complicated, appalling situation. The opening of the film sets the precedent that issues in Detroit, but also in America, were at a boiling point; it was a progression of events highlighted by discrimination, segregation, and the abuse of authority and it slowly happened over decades of time. While the narrative never encapsulates the point of how rebellion led to change or how this change played a role in shaping American sentiments at the time, it does painfully display how familiar the past can look in the present.

Monte’s Rating

3.75 out of 5.00

Detroit - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Detroit’ is a powerful film that presents an unfiltered abuse of power

Directed by:  Kathryn Bigelow

Written by:  Mark Boal

Starring:  John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Will Poulter, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Kaitlyn Dever, and Jack Reynor

“Detroit” – The definition of power:  possession of control, authority or influence over others; a controlling group.

On July 23, 1967, a group of Detroit policemen raided a private gathering at the Economy Printing Company Building.  In a very public display, white police officers forced their way into the facility and grabbed, mishandled and arrested several black patrons, because party organizers served alcohol without a license.  With decades of racial tension already woven into the collective fabric of a frequently aggressive white police force and overcrowded black neighborhoods, the incident sparked outrage in the Motor City, which incited a riot.  A five-day riot which resulted in over 40 people killed and 2,000 buildings destroyed.

In director Kathyrn Bigelow’s picture, she dramatically recreates this ferocious, large scale uprising by traveling 50 years into the past.  Looters smash rocks through store windows and torch local businesses, and soon, city blocks are reduced to rubble, not unlike many scenes depicting Iraq in Bigelow’s Academy-award winning “The Hurt Locker” (2008).  While some residents actively damage property and take merchandise, in turn, some police officers damage human beings and take lives, as this combustible powder keg of concrete, brick and racial inequality blows into another horrifying stain on race relations in the United States. 

Bigelow weaves actual footage of this real-life, domestic warzone with her own staged creation, and the differences between the two feel negligible in a frightening, cinematic spectacle.  As difficult as the riots are to digest, the true horror show appears in an ordinary hotel, a place without an angry crowd.  On July 25 - Day 3 of the riots - no one staying at the Algiers Motel committed any violent acts, but the Detroit Police arrived and delivered a sick and brutal tragedy on the soil of a previously peaceful oasis. 

“Detroit” runs for 2 hours and 23 minutes, but the events within the Algiers Motel purposely and agonizingly crawl for probably an hour during the film’s second act.  Bigelow throws the audience, a nearby security guard named Melvin Dismukes (John Boyega) and two teenagers, Larry (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), into this now infamous urban inn.  Earlier in the evening, the two teens were searching for shelter from the hurled rocks and raised billy clubs in Detroit’s streets, and for $11, they bought themselves some presumed safety at the Algiers.  They meet two 20-somethings – Julie (Hannah Murray) and Karen (Kaitlyn Dever) - and the girls introduce Larry and Fred to others – like Carl (Jason Mitchell) and Greene (Anthony Mackie) – staying at the motel as well, and weathering the storm.

The ferocius, stormy events which occur next are a twisted collection of ugly, racist moments from white police officers who exercise their power over a group of unarmed black men and two white women.  As the cops – led by Officer Krauss (Will Poulter) – point guns, bark orders, force the men and women to face the wall, and randomly and routinely deliver beatings to squeeze information, Bigelow’s camera does not pull punches or provide any reprieve for the audience.

In a recent interview, Bigelow explained that she invited the real Julie, Melvin and Larry to the set to help reconstruct the events of the horrific night, and their fears and anxieties from 50 years ago certainly translate onto the screen.  During these particular hours at the Algiers, one can almost feel the years of an uneven playing field and a city under siege for decades, as the black men always comply - through distinct layers of distress and tears - to the unrelenting white police officers.  At times, one can easily imagine this particularly vicious 1967 power play on a southern plantation a couple hundred years ago, in Ferguson, Mo. today or quite frankly, take your pick on any place and time in America.

Now, the film could have ended at the motel on July 25, but it takes a surprising turn in its third act.  At first, the direction is not entirely clear, but Bigelow eventually reveals an important fact in the denouement, a key person’s very personal, post-traumatic stress caused by the murderous events at the Algiers.   With all of the jaw dropping scenes of suppression and rage throughout the streets of Detroit and the perverse use of authority within an ordinary motel, this one individual’s PTSD is both a subtle and powerful reminder that an abuse of power during a random July evening can trigger a lifetime of damage. 

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Brave New Jersey - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Brave New Jersey’ is a charming, almost-alien invasion story

Directed by:  Jody Lambert

Written by:  Jody Lambert and Michael Dowling

Starring:  Tony Hale, Heather Burns, Anna Camp, Sam Jaegar, Leonard Earl Howze, Dan Bakkedahl, Raymond J. Barry, and Erika Alexander

“Brave New Jersey” – “For one night, you can let go of your inhibitions and become someone completely different.” – Peg (Anna Camp)

Peg, a schoolteacher who lives in the small, farming community of Lullaby, NJ, harmlessly explains her interpretation of this one night, Halloween, to her students.  Little does she realize that Halloween and its effects will arrive one day early on Oct. 30, 1938. 

For history buffs, this date owns significant meaning:  Orson Welles’ radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds”.  Seventy-nine years ago, his famous/infamous retelling of H.G. Wells’ alien invasion story caused an unnecessary panic over a portion of the American public, and for the residents in the sleepy town of Lullaby, they are not exempt from this collective anxiety in director Jody Lambert’s enjoyable first feature film “Brave New Jersey”. 

Lambert’s picture is not a horror film.  Instead, it is a throwback to old-fashioned movies of yesterdecade.

Now, any negative, preconceived notions of New Jersey’s crowded freeways, industrial corridor eyesores and aging concrete neighborhoods will be quickly dismissed.  Lullaby completely feels like a Norman Rockwell painting waltzing on the big screen, as its main street promenade – complete with a general store and an ice cream shop - nice compliments the inviting, rolling green hills.   Mayor Clark Hill (Tony Hale) embodies the town’s surroundings as a soft-spoken protagonist who writes his never-ending list of errands in his trusty notebook and greets everyone with a smile, especially towards the sweet – but also very married – Lorraine (Heather Burns).

Clark, Lorraine, Lorraine’s Husband (Sam Jaeger), Peg, Peg’s boyfriend (Matt Oberg), a reverend (Dan Bakkedahl), a church-going couple (Leonard Earl Howze and Erika Alexander), and a host of other folks run through their own normal patterns of small-town life, but when the aforementioned radio broadcast reaches their collective eardrums, this nearby alien invasion sparks their true, inner feelings which suddenly disrupt their familiar routines. 

The film nicely maneuvers between the plethora of “Lullabians” and their individual journeys prior to and after the Oct. 30th broadcast, as some characters emotionally travel farther within the confines of Lullaby than they ever could via a physical trip to a proposed-alien home world.  Lambert and writer Michael Dowling explore slices of the human condition with the characters’ true selves that suddenly burst onto the scene, triggered by the possibility of death or alien enslavement.   Human beings – as we all know - are far from perfect, and with a community of individuals exploring their ids, several changes in behavior do not always result in collective kumbayas, but rather, the worst in people. 

With an invisible Frankenstein’s Monster who might stomp its feet in their little town – a place that boasts the fourth tallest water tower in three counties – Lullaby residents sharpen their pitchforks and ready their rifles.  Cooler heads might prevail, but Clark’s gentle hand might not be enough to douse the agitated flames.  Whether or not Clark saves the day, we just hope that a romance will spark with Lorraine.  Hale and Burns share a warm chemistry of two kind souls half-reaching towards one another, and their welcoming on-screen presence anchors this nostalgic, cinematic trip.  Camp delivers a notable performance as well, as Peg takes the film’s most pronounced turn in a series of surprises, including her final close-up.   

Whether one sits close to the theatre screen or far away in the last row, “Brave New Jersey” looks richly filmed with dozens of nice touches, including bookend shots of a picturesque country road, an occasional glace to the stars and flawlessly lit night scenes that never allow the audience to struggle with shadows or dim obscurities.  There is nothing obscure about the film’s presence at the 2017 Phoenix Film Festival, as “Brave New Jersey” took the Best Ensemble Acting, Best Director and Best Picture awards.  In turn, this almost-alien invasion story will reward its audience with a charming trip to Lullaby and a foreign concept for too many of us:  expressing one’s true feelings.

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Dark Tower - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

The Dark Tower

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Abbey Lee, Dennis Haysbert, and Jackie Earle Haley

Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” was in the development trenches for some time, with filmmakers like J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard in the seat to make the book series come to life.  All that time and attention unfortunately didn’t help the final version of this film, even with the capable cast lead by the stoic, heroic Idris Elba and the talent of a villainous Matthew McConaughey “The Dark Tower” is an incoherent mess.

Three of Stephen King’s stories will be seen in some way throughout the year. “The Mist” television show has already premiered and later next month the new version of “It” will float into theaters. With “The Dark Tower”, one of Mr. King’s more complex novels, the film adaptation focuses less on the story from the books and more on a continuation of sorts.

Jake (Tom Taylor) is having nightmares about otherworldly happenings that consist of a battle between good and evil and a plot to destroy a tower that keeps evil out of Earth, referred to by characters in the film as Keystone Earth. Protecting the realm, known as Mid-World, is a gunslinger named Roland (Idris Elba) who comes from a lineage of brave protectors who once fought the good fight long ago. Evil is winning and leading the charge to destroy the tower is the man in black, otherwise known as Walter (Matthew McConaughey). It is up to Jake and Roland to battle this evil force and protect the realm of Earth.

Idris Elba is the best thing about this film; the actor is a sullen loner who journeys across the different realms in search for vengeance. Mr. Elba has an appealing quality that shines through his otherwise downtrodden character’s personality. Matthew McConaughey mostly wanders into scenes, waves his hands, and whispers things like “stop breathing” to everyone that gets in his way. In small moments you can see what this film may have been trying to do, there is potential in the characterizations but the film never develops it.

The narrative is a complete clutter of ideas that don’t add up to anything more than cheap hero journey clichés. The movie attempts to build momentum towards some kind of conclusion, but the beginning and middle meander from the Mid-World to Keystone Earth, from foggy forests to the commotion of New York City with only a vague plot line of defeating an evil threat. We are introduced to characters that offer information about the journey only to have them disappear from the story. Jake’s family is given a small role to promote his future heroism, but the relationship with them is never really established with any kind of meaning. From scene to scene the movie progressively makes less sense.

For fans of Stephen King’s stories it may be a fun distraction to look for all the telling nods to the author’s works, the world here is trying to pay some kind of homage to the stories crafted by the author. Aside from a few qualities found in the lead performance, there isn’t much to really appreciate about this film. That’s a shame because “The Dark Tower” deserved better.

Monte’s Rating

1.00 out of 5.00

Atomic Blonde - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Atomic Blonde

Director: David Leitch

Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella, and Bill Skarsgård

Actress Charlize Theron commands your attention whenever she is on the screen. It’s more than just her stunning beauty however; Ms. Theron has always had a unique, mysterious quality about her. It would seem that by this time in her career, considering her extensive filmography, that she should have tackled, punched, kicked her way through a cool, hard-hitting, spy film. However, this is one role that Ms. Theron hasn’t portrayed, it’s odd considering she would seem to be the perfect female version of James Bond. 

Director David Leitch took the simplistic, crowd-pleasing appeal of a revenge film called “John Wick”, starring Keanu Reeves, and turned it into one of the best action movie surprises of recent memory. Mr. Leitch’s blend of swift editing and detailed choreography turned his action fight scenes into something akin to early John Woo films. “Atomic Blonde”, based on a minimalist, black-and-white graphic novel by Antony Johnston, has a whole lot of style, fun characters, and some impressive fight scenes unfortunately mixed into a hallow, meandering script. 

It's 1989 and British secret agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is sent to Berlin on a mission before the fall of the wall. Her job is to infiltrate an espionage ring that has recently killed an undercover agent. Lorraine is assigned to work with the local station chief, David Percival (James McAvoy), to investigate and amend by any means necessary the threat to British and American intelligence agencies. However, from the moment she arrives in Berlin there is a target on her back.

Director David Leitch understands how to compose an action sequence, they are stylized, edited with an emphasis on continuity, and ingeniously choreographed. Early in "Atomic Blonde" Ms. Theron fights a group of bad guys with a garden hose in a tight apartment space set to the George Michael's song "Father Figure". It's an impressive scene that operates with an aggression that you can feel; all the hits, all the crashes pulse off the screen. 

Based off the graphic novel "The Coldest City", Mr. Leitch makes the most of the late 80's setting. Lorraine's style and costume are sleek and bold examples of runway fashion for the period, making every scene that Ms. Theron walks into look like she is sauntering for a fashion magazine. Her wardrobe also seems to be a nod to the artistic and character design of the graphic novel. Lorraine is in mostly black and white wardrobe, a highlight of how she was drawn in the comic but also displaying the nature of her character which in one moment can be passive and and in another aggressive. Most of these fashionable moments, along with some action moments, are set to an 80's soundtrack that features hits from The Clash, Public Enemy, Nena, and A Flock of Seagulls. 

Unfortunately all the style can't substitute for the lack of substance. Between the action scenes and fun music moments is a narrative that just doesn't do much. It's a story about spies and double agents, we know double crosses and twists are coming, but it never seems to pay off the way it would in other films like it. The problem lies with the composition of the lead character Lorraine, who isn't afforded an ambition to really pursue. In "John Wick" the character is out of vengeance, in "The Bourne Identity" the character is out for discovery, these small character motivations move the film from scene to scene. In "Atomic Blonde" the lead character may be operating for numerous reasons, which is fine, but it's never focused clear enough. Add to this a plot that wanders incoherently at times, utilizing a flashback narrative design that suffocates any momentum that it may be building.

Charlize Theron is fantastic when given the opportunity. This mostly happens during the action which displays an unshakable demeanor that is always cool, calm, and collected. In other small moments Ms. Theron's dominant presence is felt loud and clear, specifically when Lorraine is under investigation by a CIA Agent played by John Goodman and her MI6 higher-up played by Toby Jones. The highlight performance of the film comes from James McAvoy who oozes confidence, walks with an undeniable 80's punk swagger, and gives that devilish grin that adds mystery to his motivations. 

"Atomic Blonde" has impressive style and great action, and that's unfortunately about it. Still, even a few days after watching the film, the impressive action sequences and utter coolness of the characters still weighed positively. That alone may be worth the price of admission for some.

Monte's Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

Five Must-See Charlize Theron Performances by Jeff Mitchell

Five must-see Charlize Theron performances

Charlize Theron plays a dangerous spy - looking for answers in 1989 Berlin - in the stylish action picture “Atomic Blonde” which arrives in theatres on July 28.  Explosive performances are nothing new for Theron, because this very talented actress has been lighting up the big screen for over 20 years.   Versatility is one of her trademarks, as she can easily play a soft romantic lead, delve into a hard-hitting drama or jump into the fray of chaos and fisticuffs.   At 41, Theron shows no signs of slowing down, but let’s pause a moment to reflect upon her career.  With over 40 film credits to her name, she owns plenty of memorable roles, but here are five must-see Charlize Theron performances.

“The Cider House Rules” (1999), Candy Kendall – Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine) wonders why Homer (Tobey Maguire) has chosen apple picking as a career, but with just one glimpse into the young man’s life, the answer is as clear as day, Candy Kendall (Theron).   In a supporting role, Theron plays Homer’s beautiful muse, outside the safe confines of his 18 plus years in Dr. Larch’s orphanage.  Although, Candy is out of Homer’s “league”, Theron carefully weaves enough insecurity into her character for the audience to believe in their love affair and also give hope that it could last.  In 1999, “The Cider House Rules” was Theron’s most critically acclaimed film, and her performance catapulted her towards a steady stream of fruitful roles in her star-studded future. 

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), Imperator Furiosa -  After a 30-year absence, Mad Max makes a triumphant return to the big screen in an absolutely enthralling action picture which is vastly superior to its three predecessors.  Nearly the entire movie plays out as a nonstop, mindboggling chase through a barren Australian wasteland, as Furiosa (Theron) defies her city’s deranged leader, Immortan Joe, by attempting to free his five wives from a lifetime of marital misery.  Mad Max (Tom Hardy) joins Furiosa on her death-defying journey, but not before they work out their differences through violent means.  Theron is so charismatic as the assured, confident, one-armed heroine, director George Miller’s film could have been easily named “Mad Max & Furiosa: Fury Road” without a complaint from anyone. 

“Monster” (2003), Aileen Wuornos – Theron truly delivers one of the most seminal performances in cinematic history as Aileen Wuornos, a real-life serial killer.  Writer/director Patty Jenkins does not spare the audience from the brutality of Aileen’s lifestyle (a homeless prostitute) and explores the frank talk and seedy moments of Theron’s character’s chosen profession.  Throughout the picture, Jenkins includes Aileen’s homicidal actions and designed reminders that hookers and murderers are not born…but made.   The screenplay’s overwhelming tones of despair are only topped by Theron’s jaw dropping emotional and physical transformation into this damaged, deranged person with no clear paths towards anything resembling a normal life.  Theron earned the 2004 Best Actress Oscar in the biggest no-brainer win in recent, movie award memory.    

“North Country” (2005), Josey Aimes – In 1989, Josey Aimes (Theron) leaves her abusing husband, grabs her children and moves back to her small hometown in Minnesota.  With no other viable ways to earn a living wage, she applies and lands a job at the local mine.  Josey realizes that the work would be demanding, but had no idea that she would become a victim of an avalanche of sexual harassment and emotional/physical abuse within the male-dominated environment.  From 9 to 5, Josey and other women live a nightmare, and while watching this movie, it absolutely makes one sick that this type of chauvinism existed just 28 years ago.  Based on a true story, Theron’s character summons the strength to stand up to seemingly impossible odds, while also toiling with her own vulnerabilities.  Theron and Frances McDormand rightfully earned Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

“Young Adult” (2011), Mavis Gary – Mavis (Theron) lives in an expensive, beautiful apartment in Minneapolis, but disregards it with clothes and her belongings spewed everywhere.  She also neglects Dolce (her toy dog) and herself.  Mavis drinks way too much, dates the wrong men, and her problems include a serious case of arrested development.   In Theron’s wonderfully dark, comedic turn, Mavis runs back to her hometown of Mercury to win back her high school boyfriend, Buddy (Patrick Wilson), except there is one problem.  Buddy is happily married with a new baby.  This, of course, doesn’t faze Mavis in the least, as she pleads with him, “We can beat this thing together.”  Utterly relentless and equally ignorant, Mavis feels undeterred in her quest, while believing that everyone else has issues.  Patton Oswalt costars as her unlikely friend who she completely ignored in high school, but don’t overlook this movie and Theron’s terrific performance.

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

City of Ghosts - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

City of Ghosts

Director: Matthew Heineman

I grew up with Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather who shaped our opinions and our discussions.  We as an audience had trust in what they had to say, and more importantly in how they delivered it.  Today, the news needs to be delivered as quickly as possible, and corrections issued if a mistake is discovered.  It has become so much a part of my everyday life that I have all but abandoned traditional news outlets.  Despite this, I find myself living inside the vacuum created by social media and online news media and yet, I’m still all-too-well aware of what’s happening in the world.  However, I find that online media introduces a high-level of bias colored by a cacophony of voices rather than one person delivering the news each night.  That’s why, when I sat down to watch “City of Ghosts,” I was quite taken by surprise.  I was only peripherally aware of the Arab Spring rising of ISIL and its dangerous stranglehold on the Middle East.  I was not aware of a group of citizen journalists who have risked everything to raise awareness of the occupation of Raqqa, a city deep inside Syria on the Euphrates.  Academy Award – nominated director Matthew Heineman managed to open my eyes very quickly to the true nature of both sides of this conflict as he lays out ISIL’s ascension to power and the rapid growth of citizen journalist network Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS).

After opening the film with the group receiving the International Press Freedom Award in 2015, Heineman goes on to describe ISIL’s rise to power, appeasing a war-torn populous looking for freedom.  The state-run news agency portrays life in Raqqa as peaceful, where basic services meet the needs of the people.  RBBS starts capturing footage of ISIL’s atrocities; using social media, they work tirelessly to create an online campaign attracting the attention of global media outlets and the ire of ISIL.

With unprecedented access to the core members of the group, Heineman depicts their everyday struggles to flee Syria for a safe haven in Turkey and Germany while the team remaining in Raqqa struggle to anonymously capture footage and photos of the atrocities that ISIL forces are inflicting. The team that remains in Raqqa upload the photos and videos of the atrocities to the teams in Europe.

As ISIL becomes aware of the clandestine efforts inside their borders we discover that there is truly no safe haven, for anyone.  In Raqqa, they order the citizens to destroy satellite dishes restricting internet access and cellular communications.  On the European continent, they execute members of RBBS.

In its simplest form, the picture Heineman paints is that of a propaganda war similar to one the British had with Nazi Germany during the early stages of WWII.  History is repeating itself.  Here, time is on the side of RBSS as they viral nature of social media works in their favor.  The more they post, the more it puts innocents in other countries at risk as evidenced by the attacks in France and in the United States.  And, it puts their own family members in harm’s way. 

The efforts of this citizen journalist network bring to light real-world problems.  The images and the flow of the narrative convey the situation succinctly.  I could imagine audiences who watch this would be shell shocked at best.  Not for the feint at heart, Matthew Heineman touches a raw nerve here and it will stick with you long after you leave the theater.

5 out of 5 stars.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Director: Luc Besson

Starring: Dane DeHann, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Kris Wu, Sam Spruell, and Herbie Hancock

Filmmaker Luc Besson, who has composed a long career of interesting and successful choices like "The Fifth Element" and "Leon: The Professional", returns with a passion project adapted from a science fiction comic book first published in 1967 called "Valerian and Laureline". The French comic series, which has been linked as an uncredited source to George Lucas' space opera, follows two characters who travel the universe through space and time on different adventures. It's easy to see, from the opening moments of Mr. Besson's dazzling and daft "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets", that this story has shaped and molded everything the director has done throughout his career. 

Valerian (Dane DeHann) is a soldier, strong willed, brave, and obedient of the orders from his superiors. Laureline (Cara Delevingne) is independent, intelligent, and opinionated about every order that is given her. Valerian and Laureline are partners, space special agents (the comics called them Spaciotemporal Agents) is probably the best term to describe them. 

Mr. Besson fills his films with a very specific style, characters talk and walk in a certain way and scenes are composed with very deliberate movements. It's easy to see from the first moments of the film, during an origin scene that shows the cultivation of culture and knowledge in an ever growing megalopolis known as Alpha, that the director plans on filling the visual palette with lavish designs and boisterous characterizations. Surprisingly this has always been a quality that the director has been good at capturing, and even when it becomes overindulgent the images are never boring or dull.

Unfortunately what hurts this film is the narrative, the story wanders from one atmosphere to another without much more purpose than to serve as a visual treat, Valerian and Laureline are introduced to new creatures and characters that work to serve small narrative device adventures, and the primary focus of the story is never given the attention it should. 

Dane DeHann and Cara Delevingne have a few moments of chemistry but unfortunately it is mostly lacking. However, whenever Ms. Delevingne is offered the spotlight she completely owns the scene. Mr. DeHann seems lost in the lead role, Valerian seems to have a bit of swagger and attitude but it's never provided through the actors performance. Supporting cast like Clive Owen and Ethan Hawke are given caricatures to animate and pop singer Rihanna performs an unnecessary burlesque dance and is almost immediately turned into a CGI alien, while her character is amusing it also don't serve much of a purpose.

"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" functions as a beautiful space adventure with lots of interesting visual ideas and atmospheres to occupy time, maybe not the entire 2 hour plus running time but enough. Unfortunately the characters and overall story are hard to invest in, which is unfortunately because something as visually captivating and creative as this film deserves more attention to the people and actions that is take place in it.

Monte's Rating

2.75 out of 5.00

Dunkirk - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Dunkirk

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, James D'Arcy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Glynn-Carney, Barry Keoghan, and Harry Styles

In the chaos and confusion during an evacuation of more than 300,000 British and Allied Forces from the shores of France in director Christopher Nolan's World War II film "Dunkirk", one soldier tells another "Survival is not fair". Indeed, with the shores of England so close, safety for the Allied Forces was still far from being achieved.

For those keen on history, you'll understand why the Battle of France, specifically the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo, are such unique historical pieces. Forced into the option of surrendering or dying; the Allied Forces, having been surrounded by German Troops, where defeated. However, neither surrender or complete destruction happened, as an evacuation from the beach saved many lives.

Film has a funny way of changing how one perceives historical events, the lens of cinema can paint new pictures and compose narratives in ways that alter the true significance of what happened in the past. Christopher Nolan, understanding of this concept, dramatizes "Dunkirk"; looking at the state of the war through the fictionalized eyes of people on land, in the air, and on the water but keeping the time, dates, and events of the war intact. In doing this Mr. Nolan has crafted an immersive experience, a war film that has all the technical aptitude the director has built his career upon but also the emotional quality associated with the aspect of a soldier's survival.

We are provided perspective through three different characters; a father (Mark Rylance) and son (Tom Glynn-Carney) traveling across the water directly into threatening territory, a soldier on land (Fionn Whitehead) who narrowly escapes the enemy and tries by numerous means to board a ship to get off the beach, and a pilot(Tom Hardy) engaging in dog fights in an attempt to offer the soldiers some safe passage. Mr. Nolan ingeniously interweaves these stories together, seamlessly and without recognition of specific time during the battle. One might think this non-linear aspect of storytelling would be confusing or frustrating to keep up with, the director has already done this once with the film "Memento", but it effectively sustains an unsuspecting quality which helps keep the tension building throughout the film and reinforcing the overwhelming nature of war in which violence and death can strike at any time.

There is very little dialogue in the film aside from a few key moments that help in establishing the events and decisions during the historical aspects of the battle, what fills these silent moments are actions that bring the viewer further into the atmosphere of the film. The photography is gorgeous and bleak, a wash of grey and blue with an impressive scope accommodated through wide angles but also through unique camera perspectives like a cockpit view from a Spitfire combat plane or a tracking shot that follows two soldiers carrying a wounded soldier along the shoreline.

To assist the picture is a unique composition from frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer. With a mix of strong bass notes that never seems to stop rattling the walls of the theater, to building crescendos of atmospheric sounds that serve to heighten the stimulation overload, and even in one scene the matching of a ticking stop watch with the music, it's unwieldy at times but also completely effective in making you more anxious about everything happen on the screen. It echoes the ominous nature of survival, especially when the enemy is on the verge of capturing or killing one another.

The performances are also a great attribution, Fionn Whitehead embodies the toil of survival, Cillian Murphy effective displays the traumatic nature of war, and Tom Hardy tells an entire emotional arc with his eyes. Add Kenneth Branagh as a Commander who refuses to say "surrender" and Mark Rylance as a determined citizen dangerously doing his part to help his country, and the result is impressively composed.

"Dunkirk", at mere 106 minutes and without the overwhelming effect of violence that a R rating would establish, could be Christopher Nolan's best directed film. It's a phenomenal survival film that has an exceptional technical quality and rousing unexpected heart. Mr. Nolan proves again why he is one of best directors to do the job.

Monte's Rating

5.00 out of 5.00

A Ghost Story - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘A Ghost Story’ does not scare, but it deeply haunts

Written and directed by:  David Lowery

Starring:  Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara

“A Ghost Story” – “Enjoy life.  There’s plenty of time to be dead.” – Hans Christian Anderson

Although writer/director David Lowery’s new film contains one arguably scary moment – in which several dishes fly around an ordinary kitchen – ironically, “A Ghost Story” is not a horror film.  Not at all. Instead, it best resembles a 1-hour 32-minute lesson:  to embrace, savor and enjoy the time that we have on this planet…while we are alive.  Heaven forbid if one carries significant, unfinished business at the time of death, because the results could be a painful existence for this individual, who will linger around the grounds in which he or she walked upon during life.

This picture walks around the grounds of an aging, three-bedroom ranch, sitting on - probably - an acre of land along a rural route.  A close, 30-something couple – played by Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara - rent this particular residence, and it is haunted by a ghost.   A ghost with unfinished business while it was a living, breathing human being, and now, it is led by a compulsion to seek earthly answers while desperately looking towards the past. 

Affleck and Mara have a filmography-past with Lowery, as they starred in his richly-textured, moody Texas crime drama, “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013).  Although the plots of the two films are vastly different, they both encapsulate a profound theme of grief.  Additionally, Lowery applies his style of leaving a camera in quiet places, opening its lens and capturing everyday moments for long stretches.  Actually, in “A Ghost Story”, one particularly fascinating scene offers a prime example of this technique on steroids, as a character eats an impromptu meal over an agonizingly long stretch of three or four movie time minutes.

In addition to grief, time becomes the second key element in this afterlife concoction, and the movie routinely surprises in small and grand ways.  In our world, time always moves forward and at the same pace, but in “A Ghost Story”, these rules do not always apply, as the film challenges the audience to view existence from an apparition’s perspective.  Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” (2011) is the closest comparison film in terms of tone, mood and narrative construction to this picture, and that is an eccentric compliment.  On the other hand, Malick’s 2011 film is very polarizing.  Talk to any two people who finished watching “The Tree of Life”, and more often than not, one person embraced the picture, while the other felt very frustrated by it. 

The same sentiment will probably hold for “A Ghost Story”, but this particular critic thinks highly of this thoughtful, striking and organically-driven picture.  Trudging through raw emotions and introducing unorthodox suggestions of time and space, Lowery’s film succeeds in tapping into basic human sentiments and also profound theories of metaphysics.   All of it centers around the experience of one ghost.  A ghost designed with the simplest cinematic effect that one could possibly construct: a plain, white sheet with two eyeholes cut at its top.     

Through two dark, eye-shaped circles - from a figure dressed in an everyday sheet - Lowery delivers a sobering, powerful experience.   An experience that will certainly divide its audience, but whether the picture works for you or it does not, it will absolutely leave a mark.  In that respect, “A Ghost Story” may not be scary, but it will deeply haunt. 

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Wish Upon - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Wish Upon

Director: John R. Leonetti

Starring: Joey King, Ryan Phillippe, Ki Hong Lee, Shannon Purser, Sydney Park, Josephine Langford, Daniela Barbosa, and Mitchell Slaggert

Be careful what you wish for because it might come true. The concept of wish fulfillment in movies provides an interesting theme to play with. You can go the comedic route and have a young boys wish to be a grown-up granted by a carnival game like in the movie "Big", the fairytale route that makes a wooden marionette into a real boy in Disney's "Pinocchio", or the horror route where an ancient evil returns to make wishes come true like in the film "Wishmaster". The outcome in all these films is what they have most in common, mainly that the things you wish for come at a price. Whether the loss of childhood, the moral aspects of understanding what is right and wrong, or the trickery associated with having wishes come true.

The horror genre has utilized this concept almost as much as fairytales have, taking elements from the Arabic mythology of the "Djinn" or the W. W. Jacobs short story "The Monkey's Paw" as inspiration to turn wish making into something horrifying. "Wish Upon" is the newest genre film to tackle the subject, however instead of a monkey's paw playing the magical object it's a cursed music box.

Clare (Joey King) is a teenager in high school, surviving all the drama of adolescence. Clare has always endured a troubled life, her mother (Elizabeth Rohm) committed suicide in front of her as a child and her life was never the same. Her father (Ryan Phillippe), a former musician, spends his days digging through dumpsters, often right in front of Clare's school. Things change dramatically when Clare's father finds a music box, one that grants the wishes of the owner. Suddenly Clare is wealthy and popular, but her wishes come at a deadly expense.

"Wish Upon" operates in a very standard way, quickly establishing characters and moving them into the focus of the story. In some ways it functions similarly to its counterparts, those "teenagers-in-peril" films from the 90's that all tried to copy what "Scream" successfully achieved. It's unfortunate that it never fully commits to that blueprint or alternatively tries to craft something completely unique and different. Instead the film just lingers somewhere in the middle, throwing some of the style from "Final Destination", a familiar moment from "The Butterfly Effect", and a few callbacks to "Wishmaster" just to keep things familiar.

The cast is a mix of newcomers, lead by Joey King who has had some great turns in other films like "The Conjuring" and "Wish I Was Here". Unfortunately the young cast is hampered with terrible dialogue, like how clueless adults think teenagers today talk, and character motivations that offer unwarranted comedy and lead the characters in telegraphed directions. Ryan Phillippe, who played the role of the "teenager-in-peril" in the 90's, makes an appearance here and isn't provided much opportunity to build his character with any substance, even though there are numerous times where something meaningful could have been developed.

Director John R. Leonetti was the director of photography for "Insidious" and "The Conjuring", you can feel some of the influence from those films during the composition of the the scares here, specifically in the establishment of tension that plays well in one scene involving a garbage disposal. Unfortunately aside from a couple of scenes like this, the film never establishes an identity of its own. We've seen films with a PG-13 rating create some exceptional scares, Mr. Leonetti has worked on many of the recent examples, but "Wish Upon" struggles in this capacity throughout. Not all wishes come true.

Monte's Rating

1.50 out of 5.00

War for the Planet of the Apes - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ prefers less combat, more drama

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Written by:  Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback

Starring:  Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, and Amiah Miller

“War for the Planet of the Apes” – Lions may be the kings of the jungle, but apes are the animal rulers of dystopian civilization cinema.   Hands – with opposable thumbs – down.  Six films and two television series donned the big and small screens, respectively, before director Rupert Wyatt resurrected the franchise in 2011 with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.   Wyatt did not monkey around (sorry, I couldn’t resist), as he opened a prequel-door to reveal key moments that led to the apes’ rise.  The pronounced bond between chimpanzee and human, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and Will (James Franco), effectively pulled the audience into the narrative, and the Frankenstein’s Monster-concoctions evoked devilishly-sick feelings during the picture’s second and third acts.  “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” followed in 2014, and now, “War” completes the reboot trilogy.

With a title like “War for the Planet of the Apes”, one might anticipate a couple hours of combat within the 2-hour 20-minute runtime, but writer/director Matt Reeves and writer Mark Bomback burn many more calories on exposition and Caesar’s psychology rather than gunplay and fisticuffs.  In fact, with all the havoc that Koba (Toby Kebbell) caused in 2014’s “Dawn”, that particular movie should have been named “War”, and this 2017 picture deserves to be called “Prison Escape of the Planet of the Apes”, because for a long stretch of film, apes are trapped in captivity, stuck in a mundane, hellish existence. 

Fortunately, Reeves and Bomback construct an affecting journey for Caesar, and his specific story arc captures a fulfilling science fiction experience – especially for fans - that feels like an authentically human one. 

Humans, of course, are at war with apes, as evidenced by soldiers wearing helmets with messages like, “Monkey Killer” and “Bedtime for Bonzo” scribed on them.   With homo sapiens almost wiped off the planet, and simians currently thinking like people, a simple, continued existence for human beings has become infinitely more complicated.  Cooler heads are not prevailing, as The Colonel (Woody Harrelson) - with a psychotic, solitary style reminiscent of Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) from “Apocalypse Now” (1979) - has declared war on his targeted enemy.   

Although the fighting has endured for a while, as far as the big screen is concerned, The Colonel’s band of soldiers strike first blood, and it becomes personal for Caesar, one who would rather live a separate, peaceful existence with humankind.  Now, however, revenge consumes him, and the search for the man – who held an eerie, green laser on his rifle - is in his sights. 

From my eyesight, the motion-captured visuals of Caesar, an orangutan named Maurice (Karin Konoval), a chimp named Bad Ape (Steve Zahn), and hundreds of others can take one’s breath away, because the technology appears flawless.  I am not 100 percent certain if the special effects have improved since the 2011 picture, but they feel more advanced, as – to the “untrained” (and I count myself in this group) naked eye – the apes truly seem real.  It is a bit chilling. 

The picture’s environment carries a chill in the air too, as the apes live in the Northern California wilderness and travel north to snowy country to seek out The Colonel’s lair.  Although the story arc – at its core – is a traditional road/revenge picture, Caesar’s relationships with other key characters carry an emotional depth that peak our interest.  New faces like Bad Ape – with some effective comedic touches - and a blonde-haired, human girl (Amiah Miller) – who wonderfully pays homage to the past - are two prime examples.

Yes, two large scale confrontations help loosely define the film’s title, but the picture does not bathe in violent acts nor include involved-war planning with several large swathes of fighting.  Instead, Reeves’ film works best while occupying within its designed, conversational spaces, steering the future soul of the apes’ existence.  Caesar’s internal churn between revenge or release carries the fate of his “people”, and this becomes the primary conflict, even if humans are the obvious cause of another, more dangerous one. 

The ape/human clashes fit into the series’ universe, but these ongoing physical battles become secondary to the picture’s philosophical dance.  This, of course, makes “War for the Planet of the Apes” a worthy experience and extends the series’ rule.

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

13 Minutes - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Georg Elser’s biopic ‘13 Minutes’ is more than worth your time

Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Written by:  Leonie-Claire Breinersdorfer and Fred Breinersdorfer

Starring:  Christian Friedel, Katharina Schuttler, Burghart Klaubner, and Johann von Bulow

“13 Minutes” –  Johann Georg Elser (Christian Friedel) lived a content, happy existence in Germany.  Born in 1903, this carpenter and accordion player embraced life and seem to enjoy small moments, like playing music near a lake in the summertime and spontaneously dancing the tango with a pretty woman.  Something dark and spooky, however, began encroaching on his easy going days, as this particular form slowly changed minds within the local, modest neighborhoods in which he inhabits.  Comparable to “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956), some friends, acquaintances and many strangers welcome a new, “foreign” movement, which is actually a very nationalist one, the Nazi Party.

In “13 Minutes”, director Oliver Hirschbiegel delivers a sobering and visceral biopic about Georg Elser’s experience in Germany during the 1930s and the event that almost altered history in a most dramatic way.

Elser’s name is widely known in German spaces, because in Nov. 1939, he attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  As the film opens, we see Elser planting a device – about the size of a briefcase – complete with several intricate gears and levers.  As he sweats and toils over this bomb, he plans for its explosion during Hitler’s speech in Munich, and thereby removing the head of the Nazi Party.  

Hirschbiegel avoids expensive productions of other Hitler assassination films like “Valkyrie” (2008) and “Inglourious Basterds” (2009), and instead focuses on a deep character study, as he transports us to the 1930s and the profoundly uncertain times within German households and town courtyards.

We do not actually see the bomb explode inside the location, but Hirschbiegel quickly informs us that Elser’s plan failed.  The words “most unfortunately” never carried so much weight, as Hitler most unfortunately left the scene early, 13 minutes before the bomb’s detonation. 

The SS quickly computes its investigation-math, and they nab Elser and hold him for several intense, difficult interrogations.  Two officers, Arthur Nebe (Burghart Klaubner) and Heinrich Muller (Johann von Bulow), ask direct questions, and when they do not receive answers, their men deliver heavy doses of pain and torture.  These scenes effectively emote a hovering sense of doom, as they treat Elser like a rag doll within a nondescript, concrete-walled room of a bureaucratic office building, as sounds of typewriters and barking orders stir throughout its hallways.

Although, the film does not unfold as a 1-hour 54-minute torturous slog through repeated, back and forth Q&As.  Hirschbiegel frequently ships us back to Elser’s history, beginning in 1932.  His backstory is incredibly important, because we see the moments which organically change this carefree pacifist to an assassin. 

In fact, at one point – via flashbacks – Elser says, “Violence has never achieved anything.”

As the film plays out, his edict clearly changes.

With many World War II movies featuring specific battles like Midway, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, and the eventual German surrender, it is rare to find films that focus on the rise of the Nazi Party, at least in U.S. cinema. “13 Minutes” is a German picture, and it displays the country’s nationalistic movement through Hitler’s influence at that time. Brownshirts spontaneously multiply within urban and rural settings, and the picture visually introduces their presence through teens and preteens wearing brown uniforms which oddly resemble Boy Scout outfits.  Of course, their attitudes certainly do not reflect the altruistic nature of the aforementioned organization, as tolerance for independent thinking dwindles, and the Nazis begin to shun, persecute and separate Jewish communities.

We receive not only an insider’s view of the country’s shifting mores, but Elser’s internal shift as well.   Friedel’s performance captures Elser’s dramatically changing attitude towards Germany’s rule of law, but he still maintains his character’s core values and clearheaded thinking.  Elser remains noble and decent, rather than succumbing to the sudden takeover of bigotry.

The film also reflects this through his loving relationship with Elsa (Katharina Schuttler), a married woman who suffers brutal, autocratic rule from her abusing husband.  As their love affair progresses, Hirschbiegel constructs a narrative parallel between Elser saving Elsa and his country.  Although sometimes her husband’s violent acts feel over-the-top and almost too vicious to be believed, an independent observer also cannot comprehend how Germany’s soul morphs from the inside during the 1930s.

Heartbreaking and emotional at times, Elser eventually wonders out loud about his failed attempt in Munich.  Look, one can turn a blind eye and ignore injustice, or one can act.  Although, Elser could not alter Germany’s path, “13 Minutes” rightfully reflects this man’s heroic place in history. 

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

The Journey - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

The Journey

Directed by Nick Hamm, Written by Colin Bateman

Starring Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Toby Stephens, Freddie Highmore, John Hurt

“Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s Children.”  ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Featuring a heavily made-up Timothy Spall as the Reverend Ian Paisley, the founder of the Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Colm Meaney as Martin McGuinness, a Sinn Fein politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) leader, “The Journey” is centered around the 2007 talks that eventually brokered a peace between the two factions and two men whose ideologies were not as far apart as they had assumed.  Toby Stephens plays British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Freddie Highmore stars as Jack and John Hurt played Harry Patterson, an aide to Tony Blair.

There is a degree of difficulty in portraying real-life people in fictional settings such as this.  Spall, who has played other real-life personae, is marvelous as Paisley.  Though they liberally applied his make-up with a trowel, his ability to act through the dental appliance was impeccable.  His character went from moments of quiet frustration and determinism to wrath-of-God-conviction inside of a few frames; it was remarkable to watch. In fact, he reminded the audience of his stature when he admonished a gas station clerk for not taking action to assist their party.  Colm Meaney’s calm demeanor has always been a hallmark of his acting abilities.  His calmness belies a forceful tone when he needs it and he and Spall made for exceptional sparring partners.  I wouldn’t want to be in the same room if they ever came to blows, though they’d probably ham-up the situation and then laugh it off.

Young Freddie Highmore who is better known to modern audiences from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, is the audience’s eyes and ears, watching history unfold with young eyes.  His character reminded me of myself growing up during the days of Russian perestroika and glasnost:  there was a level of intelligence and understanding in Jack’s playful banter with the old guard, though I would have given a jelly bean to have been in the same car as Paisley and McGuinness.  The real highlight of the film was seeing John Hurt in one of his final performances. Seeing him on the screen towards the beginning of the movie really moved me, and he anchors all of the characters really well, with his understated approach.

The majority of the film was shot inside of a Mercedes-Benz personal transporter, which was wide enough to accommodate the camera crew.  Greg Gardiner did a solid job of not making the mini-bus feel more claustrophobic then it might have seemed in real life.  Where the journey stopped long enough for our characters to continue their conversation, Gardiner’s ability to capture the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands is second to none.   One of my favorite scenes was in an abandoned church with the light filtering through the stained glass murals and the ensuing conversation in a graveyard.   The banter did get a bit repetitive though.  Colin Bateman’s script managed to keep that playfulness confined to our main characters which from what I understand, was the nature of their real-life relationship.  But the film felt a bit awkward and uneven, full of character moments more than an actual narrative.  The eventual mention of powerful figures from the past, namely Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela really wasn’t a surprise and I wish that they had let the audience discover that aspect for themselves.

Opening in theaters today, I would recommend “The Journey”.

(Ben’s Rating:  3 out of 5)

Jeff Mitchell's Top 10 of 2017....so far

Jeff Mitchell’s Top 10 Films of 2017…so far

Phoenix in July always means two things:  The year is halfway over, and it’s hot.  During hot days, air-conditioned movie theatres become sought after destinations for Valley residents.  For many movie fans, including me, theatres are always calling our names, 12 months a year. 

Out of the 109 films that I have seen so far this year, here are the 10 – in alphabetical order – that stand out to me as the very best.

“Baby Driver” – Writer/director Edgar Wright literally and figuratively puts the pedal to the metal in his utterly spectacular and stylish heist picture, in which a 20-something named Baby (Ansel Elgort) drives getaway cars for a collection of felonious types (Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Elza Gonzalez, and more).  A nifty, hip soundtrack synchronizes with intricate robbery plans, burning rubber, squealing tires, and an abundance of gunplay in a movie that resonates a specific cinematic euphoria, not unlike two pictures in semi-recent memory, “48 Hrs.” (1982) and “Pulp Fiction” (1994).  Along with the devilishly impressive, criminal choreography, Wright includes a sweet romance between Baby and a virginal waitress, Debora (Lily James), that grounds the movie with an emotional heartbeat.  Yes, “Baby Driver” is the most entertaining movie of the year…by a mile.  

“Colossal” – Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is just floating through life in New York City, and after her umpteenth, irresponsible episode, her boyfriend unceremoniously breaks up with her, so she moves back home to the small town that she gladly left behind years ago.   If Gloria thought that her life could not be more turned around, she slowly realizes that she is linked to a Godzilla-like monster who is causing havoc and panic in Seoul.  In his very clever screenplay, writer/director Nacho Vigalondo’s quirky comedy also shifts its tones in a sudden move that is almost as surprising as the aforementioned plot point.  Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis skillfully and artfully dance in their characters’ unpredictable spaces.     

“Dean” – Dean (Demetri Martin) takes a love-pursuing risk and finds himself – in a wonderfully comedic visual – dragging his luggage through the soft powder of a Southern California beach.  Martin took a risk by writing and directing his first feature film but strikes cinematic gold by crafting the funniest movie of the year, so far.  After the death of his mother, Dean struggles for answers while continuously tripping into the crossfire of Left Coast absurdities, as the picture stirs an absorbing mix of humor and angst.  Martin includes his own drawings as an added dimension to the narrative, and his thoughtfully-placed illustrations become repeated welcomes for the audience.  The film travels in dark places too, so many light moments are laced with cynicism, but that’s all part of the healing process in this heartfelt and hilarious picture.  Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen costar.  

“Hounds of Love” – John (Stephen Curry) and Evelyn (Emma Booth) kidnap teenage girls for - apparently - the “sport” of it, as writer/director Ben Young’s camera enters their home and documents the daily, grimy details of the couple’s sick escapades.  The picture feels so raw and authentic, it captures a documentary-like feel that crawls into the darkest crevice of your brain and burrows itself into your permanent memory.  Vicki’s (Ashleigh Cummings) memory is permanently scarred when John and Evelyn choose her as their latest teen prize, and escape seems hopeless except for one psychological, longshot idea by playing the lovebirds against one another.  Creepy, intense and unforgettable, this Australian thriller truly is a frightening gem. 

“Maudie” – Sally Hawkins delivers an Oscar-worthy performance with her heartbreaking and inspirational turn as Maud Lewis in a biopic about a sweet, immensely determined and talented artist from Nova Scotia.  Lewis - a fragile woman, riddled with rheumatoid arthritis - suffered emotional and physical abuse throughout her life, but still decided to move in with Everett (Ethan Hawke), a simple man who uses corrosive anger and blunt insults as his methods of communication.  Director Aisling Walsh spends long, important and difficult minutes in the couple’s modest home to build towards an emotional payoff, when life bends in more positive directions through Maud’s cheerful paintings.  Bring your tissues for tears of gloom, joy and revelations. 

“The Midnighters” – Victor (Leon Russom) is free!  After 35 years in prison, this 72-year-old – who displays the effects of extensive confinement through deep etches in his face and pronounced, tired circles under his eyes – is now free.  In writer/director Julian Fort’s outstanding step into noir, he asks the question:  Will Victor remain free or fall into his criminal habits which could boomerang him back into prison or perhaps, a much worse fate?  Russom delivered the single best performance – that I saw - at the 2017 Phoenix Film Festival by embracing an empathetic character who tries to make sense of the 21st century, frequently revisits the mistakes of his past and ponders his limited time in an unknown future.

“Norman” – Richard Gere continues his recent streak of memorable performances (“The Dinner” (2017), “Time Out of Mind” (2014) and “Arbitrage” (2012)) with his work here as Norman, a scheming, aging and desperate New York City outsider looking to finally secure a seat at the big boys’ table.  Writer/director Joseph Cedar’s fascinating and relentless character study also doubles as a casually stressful thriller, as Norman attempts to turn a $1,192.18 investment into instant access to the connected world of big money and politics by constantly and figuratively knocking on a new door and leveraging the same, tired ones as well.  Steve Buscemi, Michael Sheen, Hank Azaria, and Lior Ashkenazi round out an excellent supporting cast who will witness Norman’s winding trip into either redemption or expulsion.   

“Raw” – Justine’s (Garance Marillier) parents drop her off at veterinary school, and she feels a bit nervous about her new journey.  Her older sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf), already studies there and should be an obvious friendly face, but the college feels like a horror show much of the time, as the upper classmen constantly haze the younger students.  Under a backdrop of very disturbing, organized teasing, a more gruesome horror show rises when Justine – a vegetarian – acquires her first taste of meat.  Writer/director Julia Ducournau weaves an unseemly tale of twisted hunger in a supposed bastion of learning.  Filmed in Belgium, this film keeps the audience off-balance through its story of personal despair via an uncontrollable primal urge that crosses an extremely taboo human boundary.  A highly effective and deeply disturbing horror movie.   

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” - Without watching “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), the thought of another Spider-Man reboot screams the words: completely unnecessary.  On the other hand, Tom Holland’s playful performance as your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in the aforementioned Captain America picture did lend plenty of excitement for a new big screen adventure with the famous wall crawler.  “Spider-Man: Homecoming” does not disappoint!  Director Jon Watts flings Peter Parker back to high school and spends lots of screen time there – more than any other Spider-Man film - through a multitude of charming and awkward adolescent moments but routinely hurls him into danger on New York City’s grownup streets too.  The film offers some nifty tie-ins to the Marvel Universe, and Michael Keaton is terrific as the complex villain, The Vulture.  It’s either the best or second best Spider-Man film, but I’m not sure. I better see it again and again…

“Toni Erdmann” – Sandra Huller is nothing short of sensational as Ines, a hardworking, driven management consultant coping with the constant barrage of practical jokes played by her father, Winfried (Peter Simonischek), who owns a serious case of arrested development.  Winfried is simply trying to connect with Ines, but his unconventional methods push her away even further.  Writer/director Maren Ade’s 2-hour 42-minute film magically breezes and zips along due to the kinetic, emotional dynamics between father and daughter, and she unlocks deep, soulful themes and comedic twists that constantly surprise.  The Academy nominated “Toni Erdmann” for a 2016 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but this unique comedy/drama from Germany did not play in Phoenix until 2017, so I am including on my list.  This movie fabulously and unapologetically marches to the beat of its own drum. 

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Spider-Man : Homecoming - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Director: Jon Watts

Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harriet, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Jon Favreau, and Robert Downey Jr.

It was the summer of 2002, "Spider-Man" was swinging into theaters under the steady guidance of Sam Raimi. The result was impressive, a comic-book movie that would further define the blueprint of the superhero film. Two years later the sequel would come out, a film that I still hold as one of the top three best comic-book movies ever made.

Fast forward and in a mere 15 years audiences are getting their sixth overall film and their second reboot of the Spider-Man saga. While it would be easy to write this film off, we have seen a version of this story six times already, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is the first film to be controlled by Marvel Studios; it is also the first Spider-Man film to make the character a piece of the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Director Jon Watts, coming off the acclaimed "Cop Car", takes control of the film this time around. Tom Holland steps into the role of Peter Parker, previously occupied by Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield; the noticeably younger version of Spidey is a welcome arrival, providing a tone for the film that can switch from high school comedy to action summer blockbuster with a simple change of costume. While "Spider-Man: Homecoming" plays all the safe bets and hits many of the same high notes as the earlier films, it importantly tries to add something different, some much needed life into the smaller elements that compose the web-slinging superhero.

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is just a kid in high school, he deals with many of the same concerns kids in high school have always faced; trying to fit in, trying to find a girlfriend, trying to deal with the school bully, but Peter is also unlike many kids in high school because he's hiding an alter ego, one that was recruited by his famous friend Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Together, and with help from other Avengers, they fought to keep the superhero peace. Now, Peter is itching for his next opportunity to be a hero but Tony is reluctant to give a teenager so much responsibility. Peter, wanting to prove his worth, goes looking for trouble and finds it in the shape of a weapon's dealer with a winged suit named Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton).

The film opens with a clever and funny nod to the film "Captain America: Civil War", where Spider-Man made his first appearance in a scene stealing cameo. In establishing the tone for this film, the introduction is perfection; it brings everything within this new Spider-Man universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the current while also establishing the atmosphere for the rest of the film, which is trying to very hard to emulate what John Hughes did best with his teenage comedy/dramas.

Unfortunately, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" rarely excels beyond the standard superhero movie cliches, however when it does excel the film is genuinely exciting and whole lot of fun to watch. In developing the Peter Parker character the film emphasizes, sometimes overly, that Peter is a kid. This, in the moments when the film transcends, does a great job of creating a dichotomy between Peter and his Avenging counterparts. At the end of the day what makes Peter vulnerable is his age, the fact that he still has a curfew, that he still needs to go to chemistry class, and that he is still fighting to find a place in the teenage world. In other moments, Peter's youth is mishandled and provided two different defining characteristics; instead of making him look inexperienced and stubborn, the way all new superheroes learning their skills would look, the film instead makes him look silly and foolish.

Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man, hands down. Mr. Holland is filled with charm and screen charisma, there is an undeniable likability to this Peter Parker. Part of why this works is because the actor has an exceptional group of supporting characters around him. Jacob Batalon plays Peter's best friend with excitement, Donald Glover plays a would-be criminal who has great banter with Peter, Martin Starr's comic timing is put to great mumbling use as a teacher, and Zendaya has attitude to spare. But the real accomplishment here is Michael Keaton, who plays the winged Vulture as Spider-Man's primary baddie. Mr. Keaton is menacing throughout, playing a disgruntled working man forced to a life of crime because of the Avengers. In one scene Mr. Keaton and Mr. Holland face off in a car, it feels like one of the many tense scenes from Mr. Watt's film "Cop Car" in the way it just simply allows two good actors a moment to chew up scenery.

'Spider-Man: Homecoming" has its high moments of pure entertainment, but it also has its low moments when it does much of the same thing every other superhero and Spider-Man movie has done already. It's unfortunate because Peter Parker and Spider-Man have such rich emotional qualities. Still, it's nice to have Spider-Man playing well with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here's hoping we don't need another reboot in a few years.

Monte's Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

The Beguiled - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

The Beguiled

Director: Sophia Coppola

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Colin Farrell, Oona Laurence, Angourie Rice, Addison Riecke, and Emma Howard

In the midst of the summer blockbuster season, it’s understandable that we would get a remake or ten. So why am I making this statement in review about Sophia Coppola’s “The Beguiled”, because, unknown to a few people, it’s a remake of a Don Siegel directed film of the same title from 1971, which starred Clint Eastwood. “The Beguiled” is one of Mr. Eastwood’s most overlooked and severely underrated films. A tale that straddles the line of horror and melodrama, it offered Mr. Eastwood an opportunity to take a break from the western hero character that had defined his early work and ushered in a transition for the actor to become the updated hero with a gun in “Dirty Harry”.

Sophia Coppola has quite a career already; “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation” are two highlights that display the director’s talented eye for filmmaking. It may seem obvious to those that are familiar with Ms. Coppola’s catalog to understand why she would remake “The Beguiled”, the director has a particular talent for crafting strong and complicated female leads but also creating an interesting and multifaceted ensemble. Ms. Coppola’s version of “The Beguiled” is a captivating work, one that is beautifully photographed and filled with absorbing characters.

While collecting mushrooms in the smoke of the morning surrounding an old plantation house in the South sometime during the Civil War, young Miss Amy (Oona Laurence) encounters a wounded Union soldier named John McBurney (Colin Farrell). Showing compassion on the man, Miss Amy helps him back to her home, a former school for girls that is run by Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman). The small group of women nurse Mr. McBurney back to health, an agreement is made that once he is better the group will call the Confederate troops roaming the area to take him into custody. However, Mr. McBurney manipulates his way into the lives of these women, turning them against one another..

Ms. Coppola’s style of filmmaking is restrained and quiet at times, ethereal in the way the narrative and camera evokes emotion from certain scenes and characters. The entire location is immersed in a haze of canon smoke; you can feel the destruction and isolation of the world around them. The design of the environment is exceptional, many times resembling a fairy tale in certain moments.

The narrative here still brings in the element of fear; is Mr. McBurney someone who can be trusted? Are his intentions pure? Where the original film went for something more akin to a gothic horror film that reveled in the exploitive elements of sex and violence, Ms. Coppola’s is more interested in developing a dramatic thriller that focuses on the atmosphere created by people and the subtle characterizations associated with women of different ages and experiences. For the director’s style, “The Beguiled” works better as the moody character piece that she is trying to create. To assist, the film also adds in some interesting narrative facets. There is a greater emphasis on the outside world invading and influencing the environment of the women. The emotions that Mr. McBurney makes the women feel allow them to envision a life away from the plantation, a life some of them are desperately trying to reach.

Unfortunately Ms. Coppola’s effort erases a significant aspect of this time period, chiefly the aspect of slavery. While the film never makes it a point to let the politics of the world surrounding the plantation to invade, aside from a few Confederate soldiers who stop by momentarily, this film is content to stay with the women and their uninvited guest.

Nicole Kidman seems made for the role of Miss Martha, her cold and methodical personality fits the structure of the school. You can feel her influence on every character in the film. The director’s reliable collaborator, Kirsten Dunst, is also great as Miss Edwina. Ms. Dunst has a consistent look of remorse on her face, it’s not until the soldier enters the equation that Miss Edwina shows a glimmer of a smile, a glimmer of hope. Elle Fanning also shines as the meddlesome and coy Miss Alicia, playing the character somewhat naïve but also completely understanding of what she is doing, her connection with Mr. McBurney is played as a game.

“The Beguiled” is a beautifully composed film, a signature quality of Ms. Coppola’s style in crafting scenes and establishing an environment. While the energy in the film wanes slightly at times, in the steady hands of Ms. Coppola it’s still a haunting and subversive take on the original story.

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

The Big Sick - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

The Big Sick

Director: Michael Showalter

Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, and Adele Akhtar

Relationships require a lot of work in general; add in complicated and unexpected life events and it makes it even harder. Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily V. Gordon are married, their relationship was struck with a difficult life event and they turned this scary encounter into a script that is the basis for the film “The Big Sick”.

It’s not hard to guess what happens in the film, the title alone is spoiler enough, but how the film develops the relationship between a comedian looking for an opportunity and a college student trying to focus on her future is the big accomplishment here. While the film exists within the stranglehold of romantic comedy familiarity, the performances and narrative do not. Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan have exceptional chemistry and the depth of the narrative keenly interweaves the relationship drama with cultural concerns/misunderstandings. “The Big Sick” is one of those films that will charm you into submission.

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is a struggling Pakistani comedian, working on his set in a nightclub with other comics looking for a break. Kumail comes from a family of devout Muslims, with a mom (Zenobia Shroff) and dad (Anupam Kher) who are looking to arrange a marriage for their son. Kumail, born and raised in Chicago, is living the American life; when he tells his parents that he is going to pray before dinner, he is actually looking at videos on his phone. Kumail meets Emily (Zoe Kazan), she heckles him during a set, and after some persuasion from Kumail the two get serious. Kumail keeps his new relationship from his parents, but he also keeps his parents intentions to marry within his culture from Emily. When Emily finds out the two break-up, then Emily falls ill, forcing Kumail to deal with everything that he has been trying to avoid. 

Romantic comedies have a tendency to operate in very familiar and formulaic ways. “The Big Sick” is familiar at times but it is far from formulaic. What keeps it from trending the same territory with the same results is the accomplishment of the performances and the narrative tone that keep the developments fresh and somewhat off kilter.

Mr. Nanjiani has a natural appeal, he has a deadpan way of telling a joke but can also switch to a serious demeanor quickly. Zoe Kazan is consistently good, a great counterbalance to her costar. Ms. Kazan is offered a few moments, especially during their breakup, that are heart breaking to watch. Veteran actors, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, play Emily’s parents. Ms. Hunter is fantastic and Mr. Romano is offered room to let his specific style of comedy to shine through. It should also be noted that famed actor Anupam Kher, who has done more than 500 films and has won numerous awards for his Hindi films, plays Kumail’s father.

The narrative does a great job creating authenticity within certain scenes. While one film might turn the illness aspect into the primary focal point, “The Big Sick” would rather display how people cope and deal with difficult situations and how culture treats aspects specific to family and raising children. While Emily’s parents may seem completely opposite of Kumail’s parents, they are actually both trying to setup the best future for their children. While one film might use the environment of a standup comedy club as an easy way to incorporate jokes, this film instead focuses on the dynamic of how vulnerable and isolating it would feel to be on a stage trying to connect with strangers, similarly to how Kumail may feel as a Muslim living in America or how he may feel being in a mixed relationship. It’s all handled with care, with attention given to the small and sometimes complicated bits that flesh out a script and make characters more relatable and stories more authentic.

“The Big Sick” hits so many satisfying notes it’s almost impossible not to find something that makes you smile. The jokes are sweet but also edgy and the romantic qualities are sincere, add in some really great performances and the combination is an enjoyable trip down relationship road.

Monte’s Rating

4.25 out of 5.00

Maudie - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Hawkins delivers an Oscar-worthy performance in ‘Maudie’

Directed by: Aisling Walsh

Written by: Sherry White

Starring: Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke

“Maudie” – “I’ll get a job or something.” – Maud Lewis

Maud (Sally Hawkins) is soft spoken, pleasant and kind, and for fun, she spends an occasional evening at a club, enjoying a drink and dancing by herself.  One night at the aforementioned club, she soaks up laughter and music but without socializing or speaking to anyone.  Maud fills her time that evening surrounded by people, smiles and feels content, but she is terribly isolated in the crowd.

She lives rent-free at her Aunt Ida’s (Gabrielle Rose) home, and on one occasion, Maud’s brother, Charles (Zachary Bennett), stops by and badgers his sister by saying that she cannot take care of herself.  In her 30s, Maud suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and has never been on her own, so this moment strikes her as an opportunity to hit the pavement, find a job and move out.   She does so in all three cases, when a local fisherman, Everett (Ethan Hawke), hires her as his housemate, to clean and cook in his very modest home, just down the road in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia. 

What is a housemate?  What are Everett’s conditions?  What are the living arrangements?  This job carries very muddy boundaries, but eventually, Maud’s purpose becomes crystal clear in the most surprising way.  

Director Aisling Walsh fulfills her crystal clear vision of Maud Lewis’ biopic.  A biopic about a sweet, immensely determined and talented artist.  Maud and her paintings left a lasting legacy, and Walsh recreates the harsh conditions in which this artist lived.  Certainly, the wind, snow and biting cold can be unforgiving in this Canadian coastal providence, but difficult weather is only one element of her hardships.  The picture begins while Maud is an adult, but Hawkins drops many reveals that her character’s past has been littered with emotional and physical abuse.  For instance, while walking with Everett, Maud casually mentions that a group of kids threw rocks at her on the way to his house, as if the pelting that she endured was simply routine. 

During another scene with Everett, Maud confidently responds to comments of her limp and irregular movements – from the arthritis - by saying, “I was born funny.”

Hawkins delivers the line to Hawke’s Everett with deep resonance, as if Maud has repeated this announcement for decades - to hundreds of people – in order to explain why she finds trouble walking.   These moments become terribly effective in painting the historical adversity of Maud’s grueling physical affliction, during a time and place when sympathy is rarely found.      

Not only does Maud clue the audience into her arduous past, but her relationship with Everett – a simple man who appears to only know corrosive anger and blunt insults as his only mode of communication – is brutal and abusive.  Everett most likely left his sensitivity at the door of the orphanage in which he grew up, and can be best described as a caveman sending showers of thoughtless decrees in Maud’s direction. 

Everett wishes for a wife, so - early in the film - he places an advertisement for a “housemate” in a general store as an awkward, 1930s/1940s version of a 21st century dating site.  Maud is not who Everett envisioned as his “housemate”, so she becomes an easy target.    

Hawke persuasively portrays this ogre in black and white terms from the start, but over the course of the picture, he slowly slips in Everett’s softer humanity towards Maud in unexpected ways.  He succeeds in this challenging acting task, as Everett’s behavior to this sensitive soul shifts, but not before our heart goes out to Maud, a woman without options. 

Thankfully, Hawkins – who has plenty of acting options - decided to play Maud, and she is extraordinary here.  She is entirely convincing as a fragile woman who has received emotional (and sometimes physical) scorn from kids, townsfolk and her own family due to her physical limitations.  In the film, Everett is just about the only person - that the audience sees - delivering mean-spirited words in her direction, but Hawkins carries – in her face, in her movements and in her spirit – the decades of toil that Maud endured off-camera.  In one on-camera instance, Everett tells Maud that his dog and chickens are more important than her, and she begrudgingly accepts these harsh words as business as usual, as her off-camera years of abuse have built up her scars.

Therefore, when Maud turns to art as a cathartic outlet from her depressing, bleak environment, her escape into paint becomes a lift of epic proportions for the viewer.  For Maud, painting makes her happy, and her lovely, adorable paintings of birds, cats, trees, blue skies, and more reflect how she sees the world, despite the cold, cruel existence that we see.   Hawkins delivers all of this, and her work here absolutely deserves an Oscar nomination in a deeply affecting, unforgettable performance.  Beautiful and heartfelt.

The movie runs nearly two hours, and Walsh carries us to some dark places, but with the excellent lead performances, a grounded tone and a gentle, moving soundtrack, the picture never loses our attention, especially as we try to embrace Maud’s spirit.

Maud simply viewed the world in a different light than most of us, but Walsh and Hawkins do not offer a secret decoder ring to unlock her secret to success.  We receive no answers but do experience massive inspiration, joy and tears.    

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.