The Last Showgirl

As we have entered the dead zone for films as of Jan. 1st, once in a while during this time, we come across some gems that are written, directed and acted incredibly well. One such film is that of "The Last Showgirl". It being an independent film, there wasn't much press for it considering the cost of advertising is extremely expensive. Suffice it to say, this film has a lot to say about the changing of society whereas the change isn't complimentary for anyone striving to hold on. 

This story is a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers. It stars Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her boss, Eddie (Dave Bautista) announces abruptly indicating a 2-week advance that the show will close after a long 30-year run. So, Shelly and her close friends, Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Ann (Brenda Song), who also work at the Casino, which is in Las Vegas, also have to scramble to find something all the while having to deal with their own issues in each of their lives. 

Others to round out the cast are Billie Lourd as Hannah, Jason Schwartzman as Director, Linda Montana as Geo and Giovani L. DiCandilo as Anthony. 

This was poignantly well directed by Gia Coppola ("Palo Alto" '18, "Mainstream" '20, "The Seven Faces of Jane" '22) plus TV, shorts and music videos. Like the rest of the Coppola family, i.e. Francis Ford and Sofia, Gia has a plethora of directing talent--it must be in the genes. She truly captures the vulnerability, determination and fear of Shelly, Anderson's character. You can feel her pain, rejoice if her milestones as she reminisces and this is amazing directing--of course, this was certainly a tour-de-force for Anderson playing this showgirl. It was written with deft ability by Kate Gersten (TV and a short). She was able to sequence and stage this incredibly well, and even though there were a couple of small places of disjointedness, it certainly wasn't enough to detract anything away from the story. She will undoubtedly receive more work. Definitely her TV experience has served her well considering this was her first feature film, and with that, she will do well. Everyone in the cast was believable and effective, but truly Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis really shined in this. Anderson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and didn't win, but possibly her turn will be at the Oscars. 

If you like fine acting, directing and writing, this is a film you'll revel over. Its poignancy, resilience and hope that is experienced by these tragic characters is clear and concise, and the vulnerability of Pamela Anderson actually brought a tear to my eyes at times. It's not for everyone, but film aficionados will be studying this film for years to come. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                             Rated: R                                            89mins.

The Damned

It's the start of the film 'dead zone' this season and through my research, there's not a lot of great films coming. And, even though "The Damned" has an interesting premise, it does become mired down with some disjointedness as it unfolds in the script, It's a horror film, however there is a fair deal of suspense and keeps one on pins and needles. 

Eva (Odessa Young), a 19th century widow is tasked with making the impossible choice when, in the middle of an especially cruel winter, a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated Icelandic fishing post. Eva and her crew, including Daniel (Joe Cole), Jonas (Lewis Gribben), Helga (Siobhan Finneran), Skuli (Francis Magee) and others, must choose to either rescue the shipwrecked or survive the winter with their last remaining food. Facing the consequences of their choice and tormented by their guilt, the inhabitants wrestle with a mounting sense of dread and begin to believe they are all being punished for their choices. 

Others to round out the cast are Rory McCann as Ragnar, Tullough Convery as Hakon, Micheal Og Lane as Aron, Arnar Gray as Dead Boy and Guillermo Uria as Shipwreck Survivor. 

This was powerfully directed by virtual newcomer to feature films, Thordur Falsson ("TV/shorts). This filmmaker's ability to film in very close quarters to give that certain frenetic feel to the production was amazingly effective as was shooting a fair deal of the film in the dark. All of these actors were able to dig deep into themselves to convince us of their plight, and this is talented direction. It was effectively written by Jamie Hannigan ("Pilgrimage" '17) plus TV and shorts with not a whole lot of experience than that of Palsson, and we see that this film is extremely captivating and clearly tests the audience's ability to figure what is truly happening when it comes to questioning what's really happening to these people. Are these people truly being haunted by the shipwrecked because the others being left without enough food, or are these same people suffering due to their guilt of not rescuing the shipwrecked? Really, other than a couple of places of disjointedness in script, this was a puzzling yet captivating screenplay. Will they survive their fate and be able to figure out what is going on? There is a huge twist with this to watch out for that will leave you totally surprised. 

If you like horror, thrillers or suspense films, this is the film for you since it houses all three aspects. The cinematography by Eli Arenson and sound design by Quentin Collette is intense as it is effective to the story. Being basically 90 minutes in its running time allows it to cut to the chase so not a great deal of character develop here, but this doesn't need it. It's a gripper!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: R                                               89mins.

The Fire Inside

Hollywood has produced a number of boxing films in its history--certainly more films about baseball or football, but a number still. Typically they center on the male side of boxing, however, except for "Million Dollar Baby" back in 2004, "The Fire Inside" is the only other one that focuses on female boxing.

This film is the inspirational true story of Claressa "T-Rex" Shields (Ryan Destiny), arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold metal in boxing at the summer Olympics in London, England in 2012. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.

Others to round out the cast are Adam Clarke as Clarence, De'Adre Aziza as Mickey, Olunike Adeliyi as Jackie Shields, Claressa's mother, Lanette Ware as Coach Parker, Sekhai Smith as Peanut, Claressa's boyfriend, Richard Lewis as Bean, Sarah Allen as Nicole Thompson and Teanna Weir as Keisha. 

This was incredibly directed  well by a virtual newcomer to feature films, Rachel Morrison (TV) plus she has cinematography experience under her belt as well. Her ability to sequence, pace and stage this film was amazingly real, gritty and showcased this young actress well. Certainly her TV and cinematography experience has served her well and will undoubtedly create enough notice to be involved in helming another film. It was delineated well by writer Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy" '08, "Moonlight" '16, "If Beale Street Could Talk" '18, "Charm City Kings" (story) '20) plus TV and shorts. Jenkins is quite the filmmaker in that he writes and directs film, such as he directed "Mufasa: The Lion King" which was released just recently. His work is concise, cohesive and always emulates a message we all can certainly learn. It was written in a way that, after a point, it seemed that the movie was going to end only to pick back up again. This happened a couple of times, however it was certainly planned undoubtedly. There were a couple of places that were a bit slow, but in this particular script, it didn't impede on the story line, so therefore it flowed effortlessly. The production values were spot on--Claressa's meager beginnings were definitely poverty level. And the production design and costumes and cinematography certainly showcased this. The roles played by Ryan Destiny as Claressa and that of Brian Tyree Henry as Crutchfield, her coach were realistic as they were riveting. What's more incredible is that Claressa Shields is, to date, the only female to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in boxing. 

If sports films are your liking, or even more to the point, boxing films, this is a movie you'll revel with. If you liked 2004's "Million Dollar Baby" you will definitely love this. It simply proves that the poor, people that are shunned from society can certainly make a difference in spite of their plight. This is definitely a stand up and cheer film, and don't we all need that more in our lives?

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: PG-13                                         109mins.

A Complete Unknown

We've seen many biopics where the subject happens to fall on an infamous entertainer, whether it be a singer, songwriter or actor. Well, in "A Complete Unknown", we are offered 2 out of the 3. This film, otherwise known as 'The Bob Dylan Story' is about the eclectic singer/songwriter Bob Dylan whose life was quite the whirlwind obtaining friendships with Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. 

Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet) arrived in New York City in 1961 as a hitchhiking teenager from Minnesota with no money, connections or contacts. He was quickly embraced by Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and others and became folk music's biggest star, crafting his own legacy as the ultimate mythmaker. The film follows Dylan, then in his early 20s, from 1961-65, culminating in his seminal, defiant and Joyful performance at the Newport Folk Festival--the moment that cemented his legacy as a songwriter and musician who changed culture and led him to become the global icon he is today. 

Others to round out the cast are Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Joe Tippett as Dave Van Ronk, Eriko Hatsune as Toshi Seeger, Pete's wife, Dan Folger as Albert Grossman and Riley Hashimoto as Danny Seeger. 

This was directed with such fine dissection by the seasoned James Mangold ("Heavy" '95, "Cop Land" '97, "Girl, Interrupted" '99, "Kate & Leopold" '01, "Identity" '03, "Walk the Line" '05, "3:10 to Yuma" '07, "Knight & Day" '10, "The Wolverine" '13, "Logan" '17, "Ford v Ferrari" '19, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" '23) plus TV. This filmmaker's ability to sequence his film made observing it effortless. This was a film where his actors were able to go into that place to convince us that they were the personas we were watching. If you like his brand of directing, his "Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi" is in pre production. It was equally well penned by writers James Mangold ("Oliver & Company" (animation screenplay) '88, "Heavy" '95, "Cop Land" '97, "Girl, Interrupted" '99, "Kate & Leopold" '01, "Walk the Line" '05, "Logan" '17, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" '23) plus TV and Jay Cocks ("Made in Milan" '90, "The Age of Innocence" '93, "Strange Days" '95, "Gangs of New York" '02, "De-Lovely" '04, "Silence" '16) plus TV, based on the book, "Dylan Goes Electric" by Elijah Wald. It assuredly was a stroke of genius to devote this story with the first four years of the beginning of Dylan's career so as to help keep the screenplay tighter to create more depth about this part of his life. Other than a couple of very small places of slowness in the script (about 5 minutes could've been cut), this was a spot on story. The dialect Chalamet acquired was amazing, but then again Tim Monich was his dialect coach who has trained the best of actors. And the fact that Chalamet sung all of the songs with a convincing dialect was brilliant acting. In fact, come Oscar time, I see both Chalamet copping a best actor nod as well as Norton receiving a supporting acting nod. We'll see. 

As biopics go, this was certainly one of the best, and considering it only covered four years of Dylan's life tells me that he has led an interesting life to say the least. This was a captivating film with great acting, directing and music and gives us an appealing look at Dylan--the man behind the music. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                          141mins.

Homestead

In recent years we've seen studios bring their TV shows to the big screen either after the TV show has been seasoned or if the film is to premiere the program. Just as "The Chosen" was remade as a film, the TV show"Homestead" has been made into a film as well. Is this an effective approach? Only if it succeeds.

A nuclear bomb is detonated off the shore of Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Ex-Green Beret Jeff Ericksson (Bailey Chase) and his family, including wife, Tara (Kearran Giovanni), son, Abe (Tyler Loftin), escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper's Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) and his wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri) fortress nestled in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their perimeter, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at the doorstep? 

Others to round out the cast are Susan Misner as Evie McNulty, Jesse Hutch as Evan Lee, Kevin Lawson as Tick, Currie Graham as Blake Masterson, Olivia Sanabia as Claire Ross, Grace Powell as Molly McNulty and Manny McCord as Bing. 

This was grippingly directed by Ben Smallbone ("Priceless" '16, "Steve McQueen: American Icon" '17, "A Rush of Hope: Find Answers to Life's Questions" '20, "Christmas with the Chosen: The messengers" '21, "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon" '22, "Fame: Fortunes, Failure, and Faith" '23, "Stoned Cold Country" '23) plus TV, music videos and shorts. This director was certainly able to get his actors to truly emulate their respective characters in which they portrayed, especially that of McDonough and Chase. Smallbone's staging and pacing were also spot on as well. It was effectively written by Jason Ross, based on his story as well. It being an upcoming  TV show, it was created by Ben Kasica and Jason Ross, based on the book, "Black Autumn" by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. Considering Ross has no other writing experience in the feature film or TV platform, this was engaging and carried the premise that this could very easily happen in our near future which makes it that much more chilling. There were a few places of slowness and disjointedness around the middle of the film, but once that hurdle passed, it definitely became the film it was meant to be. This is the prelude of the TV show of the same name which should be starting soon--so it should, if they can keep up the momentum, be interesting, or will it evolve into another nighttime soap opera like so many shows out there?

If you're an apocalyptic film junkie, you'll revel with this movie. No, it doesn't show people wretching because of the radiation--I guess that hasn't kicked in yet, but does give a look at how people cannot handle any of their conveniences being cut off even if they know what's happening. It speaks of faith that needs to be tapped into at a time like this, if they have any chance of survival whether from the radiation or each other's chaotic behavior.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                 Rated: PG-13                              112mins.

     

Mufasa: The Lion King

When Disney released the original animated version of "The Lion King" back in 1994, little did we, if not them as well, realize the phenomena it would become. Certainly Disney copies a plethora of their own work, however even with that aspect, they truly know how to create a great rendition of the story. This film, "Mufasa: The Lion King" is basically a prequel to its predecessor.

As a cub, Mufasa (Aaron Pierce) shows hints of the confident and courageous king he will one day become. But he's faced with unimaginable tragedy early in his life that leaves him all alone--far away from his family and everything he's ever known. Befriended by another lion cub, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Mufasa finds brotherhood and, eventually, purpose when he's once again thrust from his home, forced on a life-changing journey. This all being told as a flashback by Rafiki (John Kani) with an audience including Pumbaa (Seth Rogen )and Timon (Billy Eichner), it takes us back to Mufasa who became the Lion King. 

Others to round out the cast are Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandie Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, Keith David as Masego, Donald Glover as Simba, Kagiso Lediga as young Rafiki and Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara. 

This was beautifully sequenced well by director Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy" '08, "Moonlight" '16, "If Beale Street Could Talk" '18) plus TV, shorts and a video. He hasn't a great amount of experience under his belt, but what he's created is exceptional. The live-action edited with the CGI were dissected with precision and carried this production. It was able to showcase Lin-Manuel Miranda's original songs in a story that seamed effortless. It was executed well by writer Jeff Nathanson ("For Better or Worse" '95, "Fenway" (TV movie) '96, "Speed 2: Cruise Control" '97, "The 900 Lives of Jackie Frye" (TV movie) '98, "Rush Hour 2" '01, "Catch Me If You Can" '02, "Terminal" '04, "The Last Shot" '04, "Rush Hour 3" '07, "New York, I Love You" '08, "Tower Heist" '11, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" '17, "The Lion King" '19, "Young Woman and the Sea" '24) plus TV and a video game, based on characters by Linda Woolverton, Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts. This script excelled more at the beginning and about the middle until the end. There were a few areas of slowness in the story that I questioned of their importance, but otherwise it was concise, cohesive and exciting especially nearing the end when it starts reaching its climatic moments. Certainly, no one can argue about the production values i.e. photography, editing, music and the visual effects predominately created by MPC (Moving Pictiure Company). Being a prequel, it did give us a look of how Rafiki's staff came into being, how the huge famous ledge came into being as well as how Scar got his name--it's interesting bits of trivia for sure.

If you are a 'Lion King' or even a Disney aficionado, this will certainly check all the boxes. The music and lyrics by the comparable Lin-Manuel Miranda truly fit the story and cleverly created. Will there be another 'Lion King'? Only if Disney can make a truck load of money will it have any chance at all. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                         Rated: PG                                                    118mins.

The Order

Ever since the popularity of religious cults in our country, there have been follow up films about the rise and ultimate fall of them--whether they be based in fact or fiction. One such case was that of the 1983 situation of a sect that were criminals, but not necessarily religiously as much as they were bent on over-throwing the federal government of the United States simply called "The Order".

In 1983, a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents including officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), and FBI agent Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett) scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coer d'Alene, Idaho, came to believe the crimes were not the work of traditional, financially motivated criminals but a group of dangerous domestic terrorists, inspired by a radical, charismatic leader, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), along with followers, Bruce Pierce (Sebastian Pigott), Gary Yarbrough (George Tchorton), David Lane (Phillip Forest Lewitski) and others, plotting a devastating war against the federal government of the United States. 

Others to round out the cast are Mark Maron as Alan Berg, Sean Tyler Foley as Tony Bentley, Bradley Stryker as Sam Stinson, Philip Granger as Sheriff Loftlin, Daniel Doheny as Walter West, Alison Oliver as Debbie Mathews and Morgan Holmstrom as Kimmy Bowen. 

This was helmed using an interesting treatment of 'cat and mouse' by Justin Kurzel ("The Snowtown Murders" '11, "Macbeth" '15, "Assassin's Creed" '16, "True History of the Kelly Gang" '19, "Nitram" '21, "Ellis Park" '24) plus music videos and a short. This filmmaker has a true ability to encourage his actors to dig deep in order to bring that particular character to the surface so we become convinced that they are the person they are portraying, especially that of Hoult. This film simply showcased the talent of this actor as a convincing whacked out terrorist leader. Kurzel's sequencing, pacing and staging were consummate. It was equally well penned by Zach Baylin ("King Richard" '21, "Creed III" '23, "Gran Turismo" '23, "Bob Marley: One Love" '24, "The Crow" '24) plus a short, based on the book, "Silent Brothers" by Gary Gerhardt and Kevin Flynn. The way this writer wrote the script in a way where the action slowly creeped up into the climax it then met was an effective way to build the suspense in the story where the story culminated in a fight between Mathews and Agent Husk. This really kept the audience on their respective seats certainly from the middle of the story until the end. The performances by Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult were amazing, especially that of Hoult, although he has the tendency to be a chameleon when it comes to choosing the roles he accepts. 

If you like stories based on fact or screenplays that have that cat-and-mouse feel to them, this film is directed toward you. It's gritty, intense, suspenseful all rolled up in a story based in fact. The writing, directing and acting is consummate as it is riveting. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: R                                          116mins.

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