Wildwood

When "Coraline" was released back in 2009, after researching the film, I felt that it would be a film worth seeing and I was certainly right.  Well, after my research and speaking to people about "Wildwood", I decided to see this, and it was an amazing film. One of the reasons is that both films were made by Laika Studios. That should've been all I needed to hear. 

This is a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerous alive world. A girl's, Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) desperate quest to save her baby brother, Mac (Arthur Knight) with assistance of her friend, Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) unfolds into a spectacular, high-stakes adventure through a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures, endearing allies such as Brendan (Mahershala Ali), Owl Rex (Richard E. Grant) and The General (Angela Bassett), and formidable adversaries such as Alexandra (Carey Mulligan)--where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance. In an era of automation, LAIKA delivers its most ambitious and globally accessible film yet--a bold fusion of human-crafted artistry and cinematic storytelling from the makers of "Coraline". 

Others to round out the cast are Awkafina as Septima, Charlie Day as Dimitri, Tom Waits as Maksim, Len Cariou as The Postmaster, Jermaine Clement as Roger, Jake Johnson as Dad and Maya Erskine as Mom.

This was directed with grit and whimsy by Travis Knight ("Kubo and the Two Strings" '16, "Bumblebee" '18, "Masters of the Universe" '26). Certainly this filmmaker is a relative newer director, however his style and the fact he can't be pigeon-holed into one genre or one kind of project makes him more marketable. His ability to stage and pace his scenes and actors is spot on and he sequences his scenes well also. If you like his style, his "Piranesi" is in pre-production at this time. It was penned well by writer Chris Butler ("ParaNorman" '12, "Kubo and the Two Strings" '16, "Missing Link" '19, "Masters of the Universe" '26) plus shorts, based upon the novel written by Colin Meloy, and based upon the novel illustrated by Carson Ellis. The script is filled with rich, developed characters that are all pivotal to their respective parts in this film. The story is written in a cohesive, tight, full-bodied way that will entertain all. And, like "Coraline", this movie is so well made--every scene is filled with beauty. color and awe-inspiring production work.The cinematography by Caleb Deschanel asc ("Intermission" '73, "The Black Stallion" '79, "Being There" '79, "The Natural" '84, "The Patriot" 2000, "The Passion of the Christ" '04, "Jack Reacher" '12, "The Lion King" '19) plus many others, is, as usual, stunning. His lighting and his angle shots are extremely effective. He's one of my favorite DP's. And the visual effects by Laika are simply amazing! 

The only thing I wasn't into as much personally was the mysticism involved to a degree, however its effect that allows Prue and Curtis to realize how well they had it in their lives after being in this dark world was the aspect I hope audiences will take home. You must see this on the big screen for the grandiose of the production. It exceeded a two hour running time, however you won't realize it.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated:PG-13                                  131mins.

 

Clayface

I typically am not attracted to 'comic book ' films, however when I saw my first trailer for "Clayface" I felt that this would be a doable film, and I was correct. This, as opposed to most other of the comic book films, turns out to be more cutting edge then that of their counterparts. It gives a one two punch in the stomach that keeps its audience glued.

This story unravels one man's horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster in a story that explores the loss of one's identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition. Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is attacked by a mob boss, Markos Szabo (David Dencik) by attacking Matt's face and ends Matt's career and life since being an actor is all about looks. Matt is shunned by all, so he accidentally comes across a scientist, Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) to help him. Since her specialty is in cell regeneration, he was healed. As with anything that is new, there are potential side-effects to contend with and these side-effects in this case are practically otherworldly. 

Others to round out the cast are Eddie Marsden as Frank Fitzpatrick, Max Minghella as John Borrelli, Dr. Corr's fiance, Sam Hazeldine as Chris, Daniel Betts as Carmine Junior, Nancy Carroll as Hildie Love, Matt's agent, Wil Coban as Bones,and Joshua James as Corey Bowery.

This film was directed with grit and with a cutting edge approach by James Watkins ("Eden Lake" '08, "The Woman in Black" '12,"The Take" '16, "Speak No Evil" '24) plus TV. Unlike other 'comic book' films, this movie was more slickly handled where its editing, photography and even visuals and prosthetics were treated with a more realistic way as compared to a typical comic book way. He certainly stays within his comfort zone which is how he stays fresh in his genre. It was creatively written by Mike Flanagan ("Makebelieve" 2000, "Still Life" '01, "Ghosts of Hamilton Street" '03, "Absentia" '11, "Oculus" '13, "Hush" '16, "Before I Wake" '16, "Ouija: Origin of Evil" '16, "Gerald's Game" '17, "Doctor Sleep" '19, "The Life of Chuck" '24, "V/H/S/Beyond" '24) plus TV and a short, and Hossein Amini ("Jude" '96, "The Wings of the Dove" '97, "The Four Feathers" '02, "Killshot" '08, "Shanghai" '10, "Drive" '11, "Snow White and the Huntsman" '12, "47 Ronin" '13, "The Two Faces of January" '14, "Our Kind of Traitor" '16, "The Snowman" '17, "Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Patterson Cut" '23) plus TV movies, TV and a short, based on a story by Mike Flanagan. With the culmination of these two screenwriter's experience, it's no surprise this film was written in this cutting edge and dark way since their resumes are a who's who of these type of films. The film was sequenced well and other than a couple of small places of inconsistencies in script, this story was spot on. The acting by both Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie were very believable and executed well and the prosthetic makeup effects by Legacy Effects were seamlessly designed and excelled well.

If you like 'comic book' films, you'll love this, but if not, like me, you'll enjoy the way this story was handled. And, as long as this film makes a truck load of money, there will be a sequel. I know, what a shock! A comic book film with a sequel--unheard of! It's a fun flick to enjoy for a couple of hours. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                           108mins.

Whalefall

Underwater films are typically presented in an extremely claustrophobic way in order to give it that suffocating aspect, i.e, "The Abyss", "The Meg", "U-570", "Crimson Tide" among a handful. So when "Whalefall" was released, it clearly showcased the claustrophobic  aspect in a very purposed way.

Following the death of his father, Mitt Gardiner (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape. Will he be able to figure it out and be able to escape the clutches of this whale before his air comes to an end?

Others to round out the cast are Elisabeth Shue as Zara Gardiner, Jay's mom, John Ortiz as Hewey, Mitt's friend, Jane Levy as Jay's sister, Emily Rudd as another of Jay's sisters and Nicholas Gould as US Coast Guard Perry Officer Third Class Whaley. 

This was directed with a gut-wrenching amount of grit and intensity by Brian Duffield ("Spontaneous" '20, "No One Will Save You" '23). Even though this filmmaker has limited experience behind the camera, he definitely gave a one two punch in his position to convince his audience that this young man, not only was swallowed, but how he is constantly challenged in his survival. The tension of the situation coupled with the tenacity of Jay, the scuba diver,  was amazing direction. Duffield's pacing, staging and sequencing were also crafted well. It was also executed well by writers Brian Duffield ("The Divergent Series: Insurgent" '15, "Jane Got a Gun" '15, "The Babysitter" '17, "Underwater" '20, "Sponraneous" '20, "Love and Monsters" '20, "No One Will Save You" '23) plus TV and a short and Daniel Kraus ("Jefftowne" '97, "Ball of Wax" '03) plus TV, based on the book by Daniel Kraus. The sequencing was stunning in this script, however considering Kraus, who wrote the book this film is based on, and was one of the screenwriters along with Duffield, the other screenwriter who is experienced, wrote this, it's no wonder it was sequenced and cohesive as it was. Unless Austin Abrams as Jay has been in a lot of TV, which I'm not really into, his performance was riveting even though I've never heard of him. Much of his performance was facial and emotional and not verbal since he was wearing a scuba device, and his expressions spoke volumes. The underwater cinematography by Jamie Alac was descript as it was stunning, and the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless and were created in a very subtle way which added to the story. 

If you light this type of 'claustrophobic' fare in a film, this will certainly hit home, however if you are experiencing claustrophobia in your own life, this might create a feeling of uncomfortableness. It's truly a roller coaster ride and is a real nail-biter, but that's what makes this ride. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                    Rated: PG-13                                      105min.

The Social Reckoning

When "The Social Network" was released back in 2010, the social media, especially Facebook was a relatively new concept, and being told how Facebook came about and what involved that, it made for an interesting film. But now we have "The Social Reckoning" as a follow up of how Facebook got totally out of hand. Why can't people take something that is helpful and not bastardize it?

A companion piece to the hit film, "The Social Network", Aaron Sorkin's original screenplay tells the true story of how Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets involving algorithms, greed, manipulation and plotting to divide society against itself.

Others to round out the cast are Betty Gilpin as Christina, Billy Magnussen as Teddy Marks, Bill Burr as Charlie Garrigan, Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Wunmi Mosaku as Raya, Gbenga Akinnagbe as Andy Butler, Anna Lambe as Morgan, Nelson Franklin as Tom and Aidan Laprete as Zach.

This was directed with tenseness and grit by Aaron Sorkin ("Molly's Game" '17, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" '20, "Being the Ricardos" '21). This filmmaker usually gives a clarity and conciseness to his direction and this film is no exception. White gives this tense, but underlying tenacity to his role, and this is fine directing. It was also well penned by writer Aaron Sorkin ("A Few Good Men" '92, "Malice" '93, "The American President" '95, "Charlie Wilson's War" '07, "The Social Network" '10, "Moneyball" '11, "Steve Jobs" '15, "Molly's Game" '17, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" '20, "Being the Ricardos" '21) plus TV, including "West Wing". Even though Sorkin excels when the subject of which he writes is politics, however, as his resume indicates, he is quite adept at just about any subject. Certainly writing is his love and his ability is undeniable--"A Few Good Men" was also based on his play, he gradually approached the directing realm in 2017 with "Molly's Game". "The Social Reckoning" was concise and powerful, but there were a couple of very small places of choppiness which made it not flow as much as it needed. If you like his style of writing, his TV movie of "A Few Good Men" is in the works, however the production is unknown at this time. 

The best aspect of this film was to uncover the secrets and manipulations of the big corporate world--this following the goings on with Facebook. Sorkin is a talented writer and his ability to direct only improves with each film he directs. Certainly if you liked "The Social Network", you'll like this follow up. It really makes us wonder what really goes on with these companies.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                        112mins.

Angel and the Badman

Back many decades ago, Hollywood produced many westerns including "Stagecoach" '39, "High Noon" '52, "Rio Bravo" '59, "The Searchers" '56, "Shane" '53 "The Alamo" '60, etc, and since then, we have seen a resurgence of this genre, i.e. "Hell or High Water"'16  , "No Country for Old Men" '07 and others. So now we have "Angel and the Badman" to sink our teeth into.

When feared outlaw Quirt Evans (Zachary Levi) staggers onto a rancher's land with a bullet in his back, he expects a quick death, not mercy. But Penny Worth (Meg Fraser), the rancher's daughter, offers him a chance at something he's never had: a life beyond violence. However, the past doesn't forgive. With the Marshal (Tommy Lee Jones) closing in and an outlaw gang headed up by Laredo (Neal McDonough) ready to burn the ranch to the ground, Quirt must decide what kind of man he'll be when the world demands blood. 

Others to round out the cast are Jean Louisa Kelly as Irene Worth, Penny's mother, Barrett Ellis Luca as Johnny Worth, Penny's brother, Melissa Chambers as Harriet, Maurice Greene as Tully, Jesus Carus as Hondo, Sean Bridgers as Deputy Eli, Manny Greenfield as Dr. Mangram and Eric T. Esparza as Nelson. 

This classic western was directed with grit and familiarity by Julio Quintana ("The Vessel" '16, "Blue Miracle" '21, "The Long Game" '26) plus shorts. This was formatted in a way that one could feel that they were viewing an older western film where there was a definite distinction between the 'good guy' and the 'bad guy' which made it a much more welcoming script going back to simpler days. His staging and pacing were expressly spot on as well. It was well executed by writers Kevin M. Townsend, Christopher Tuffin and Jaime Hernandez.Usually, my formula for a better script is for there not to be any more than two writers on the project, but with this, having an extra writer didn't really hamper it, especially since none of these writers have extensive experience in the writing realm. The best thing about this writing, as like the directing, was that it was formatted in a classical western feel of a film. It simply took me back to a simpler day of going to the movies and enjoying a western, with a newsreel, cartoons and popcorn. It wasn't a complicated plot, but that's part of its charm. Other than a couple of places of inconsistencies, this was surely the film it was meant to be. 

If you like westerns, or even more to the point, if you yearn for the old-fashioned type western, this should be a real treat. The stars, Zachary Levi, Neal McDonough, Tommy Lee Jones and Meg Fraser all were believable in their respective characters. It's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG-13                                 107mins.

Digger

Through the years, Hollywood has produced many quirky and odd films, and they have also produced many satirical comedic films, and many times never the twain shall meet. However "Digger" has combined the two and the effort was admiral, but also a bit convoluted as the film progressed. 

The most powerful, wealthy and egotistical man in the world, Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything. It's a satirical black comedy that when Digger realizes his blunder, assumes he can con the public by actually being honest hoping that approach will win. His associates including President Compson (John Goodman), Dr. Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), and others reluctantly agree that it might just work...or will it?

Others to round out the cast are Sandra Huller as Emma, Michael Stuhlbarg as the Vice President Eddie, Jesse Plemons as Kenny, Robert John Burke as General Fitzgerald, Emma D'Arcy as Lina, Burn Gorman as Defense Secretary Amos, Sophie Wilde as Hannah, Danny Kirrane as Clarkson and Ross Hatt as Dr. Berg/Reader.

This was directed in an odd and quirky style by Alejandro G. Inarritu ("Amores Perros" 2000, "September 11" (Segment "Mexico") '02, "21 Grams" '03, "Babel" '06, "Biutiful" '10, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" '14, "The Revenant" '15, "Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths" '22) plus TV, shorts, videos and music videos. This filmmaker definitely pushes the envelope of what is sellable and how much can he get away with for the price tag of art. His ability to get his actors to convey the virtues of their respective characters so as to convince the audience is amazing. "His "The Revenant" and "Birdman..." were incredible in their directing as the same goes for this film as well. His staging and pacing was strong. It was interestingly written by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolas Giacobone and Sabina Berman, based on a story by Sabina Berman, Alejandro G. Inarritu and Jez Butterworth. Now, did you catch the number of names here? As I've mentioned before, when there is more than two writers on any given project, it has a tendency to become convoluted and confusing--too many hands in the pot? Probably, but less writers typically equates with a stronger script. This isn't always true, but usually its a wise realization. The premise here was uproarious and quite clever, but the way it was written simply became confusing. Such as there were scenes where we were viewing a film, and then it was then a film within a film. It was an original format, but it became bogged down around a third of the way through. The first part of the film was funnier and better crafted (writing wise). The best aspect of this film was that of Tom Cruise as Digger. His performance and John Goodman's performance as the President were incredible and both could be looking at Oscar nods come that time along with the cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezski asc/amc "Birdman..." '14, "The Revenant" '15).His style is amazing and this was shot in VistaVision and presented in an IMAX version if you like.

Certainly if you like director Inarritu and actor Cruise, you'll love this. This is definitely a film that Cruise went out on a limb to perform and he did a phenomenal job. Is this film for a wide audience appeal? Probably not, but the acting, direction and photography is well worth the price of admission.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                          Rated: R                                    129mins.

Verity

The whole genre of the psychological thriller has certainly been around for a couple of decades, and with the popularity, isn't slowing down anytime soon. Films like "Shutter Island", "Gone Baby Gone", "What Lies Beneath" and many others can be and are bone-chilling, so keeps the audiences coming back. So, with that popularity, we have "Verity" to sink our teeth into.

This psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) and Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity after a horrible accident that Verity is involved in. After Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity's chilling autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and finds it difficult to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession. 

Others to round out the cast are Ismael Cruz Cordova as Corey, Brady Wagner as Crew Crawford, Jeremy's son, Irina Dvorovenko as Anna, Sienna Kulovitz as Harper Crawford, Jeremy's daughter, K.K. Moggie as Amanda Thomas and Tom Galantich as Barron Stephens.

This was directed with grit and clear intensity by Michael Showalter ("The Baxter" '05, "Hello, My Name Is Doris" '15, "Giles Vanderhoot" (TV movie) '16, "The Big Sick" '17, "The Lovebirds" '2020, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" '21, "Spoiler Alert" '22, "The Idea of You" '24, "Oh. What. Fun."'25) plus TV, videos and a music video. This filmmaker was able to get his actors to really dig deep so as to flesh out the characters they were having to convince the audience with. He knows intensity well. It was equally well written by Nick Antosca ("The Cottage" '12, "The Forest" '16, "Antlers" '21) plus TV and shorts, based on the book by Colleen Hoover. With the amount of plot twists, different forms of manipulation by the different characters and doubts they were enduring, this script was amazingly moved along well. This writer doesn't have extensive experience, but he was actually able to hold his own. There were a couple a places that weren't fully explained, and a bit of continuity issues, but considering all that was going on in this story, a seasoned writer would've been hard-pressed to write this any better. Of course, all the major actors--Hartnett, Hathaway and Johnson were all on top of their game, and it showed in spades. 

If this genre of the psychological thriller is your favorite, you'll love this. It's a real cat and mouse game involving three individuals where manipulation reigns and the stakes are high. There are several twists and turns that will keep you wondering. The old adage of "oh what tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive" only came to mind during this.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                             116mins.