News of the World

With all the genres that Hollywood has tackled, westerns are probably one of the oldest ones produced. We've seen a plethora of them: "High Noon", "Stagecoach", "Rio Lobo", "The Outlaw Jpsie Wales", "Unforgiven", "The Magnificent Seven" (two versions), "Open Range", Dances With Wolves", "The Revenant" to mention but a handful, so when I realized yet another western had been produced in the form of "News of the World", I felt this would be amazing.

Five years after the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl, Johanna (Helena Zengel) taken in by the Kiowa people and raised as one of their own. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place they can call home.

Others to round out the cast are Michael Angelo Covino as Almay, Ray McKinnon as Simon Boudin, Mare Winningham as Doris Boudin, Thomas Francis Murphy as Mr. Farley, Fred Hechinger as John Calley, Elizabeth Marvel as Mrs. Gannett, Bill Camp as Mr. Branholme, Neil Sandilands as Wilhelm Leonberger and Winsome Brown as Anna Leonberger.

This was painstakingly directed with incredible realism by Paul Greengrass ("Resurrected" '89, "Open Fire" (TV movie) '94, "The One That Got Away" (TV movie) '96, "The Fix" (TV movie) '97, "The Theory of Flight" '98, "The Murder of Stephen Lawrence" (TV movie) '99, "Bloody Sunday" '02, "The Bourne Supremacy" '04, "United 93" '06, "The Bourne Ultimatum" '07, "Green Zone" '10, "Captain Phillips" '13, "Jason Bourne" '16, "22 July" '18) plus TV. As with so many other Greengrass films I've seen, this film's direction certainly has that realistic feel to it. His eye for detail is consummate as the characters unfold before the audience's eyes. And since this is not the first film working with Tom Hanks--the other being "Captain Phillips", it simply had to make his job that much easier. His pacing with this, being somewhat slower in places, didn't seem to bother me, considering that their is a definite trust factor that was imperative to establish between the two., so slowness was purposed. Her inability to speak english--she only spoke Kiowa language and the fact he didn't know the language himself, made getting to know and trust one another quite the challenge. This was pure genius with the direction. If this brand of directing interests you, his "1984" has been announced. It was also written by Greengrass (""Open Fire (TV movie) '94, "The One That Got Away" (TV movie) '96, "The Fix" (TV movie) '97, "The Murder of Stephen Lawrence" (TV movie) '99, "Bloody Sunday" '02, "Omagh" (TV movie) '04, "United 93" '06, "Jason Bourne" '16, "22 July" '18) plus TV and also was written by Luke Davies ("Angel of Mine" '19) plus TV, based on the novel by Paulette Jiles. Clearly this filmmaker is incredibly adept at putting an amazing film together. Even though he has the lion's share of the experience, I'm sure Davies was pivotal in his ideas. Usually when I see films that are created with character development and with the slowness of pacing that this conveyed, I typically start getting fidgety with it about half way through, but the slow pace here was  strategic. It simply builds the intensity when the script calls for it. And, of course, Hanks is consummate with his role as he usually is. The one that intrigued me was Zengel as Johanna. Where did they get her? I've never heard of her, but she was amazingly captivating. 

This has been nominated for more than one Academy Award and should win. Please be patient with this film; it seems to drag, but before you know it, you'll get caught up with all that's happening. This was originally released on 12-25-20, but because of the pandemic, it wasn't really released until last month. Unfortunately, the closest theater for me to see it at this time is a 30 mile trek, so I opted to purchase it and critique it for you.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                               Rated: PG-13                                            118mins.

Wander

Many times when watching films, we are either offered a genre depicting private investigation or one of showcasing mental obsession (given two different genres), however "Wander" teeters on the precipice of both genres. What's interesting about this film is it's about a 'good guy' with way too many flaws which shows its audience the raw humanity with its lead performer.

Arthur Bretnik (Aaron Eckhart) is a mentally unstable conspiracy theorist and private detective with a traumatic past. While working with friend, Jimmy Cleats (Tommy Lee Jones), they are hired to investigate a possible murder cover up by a distraught mother Elena (Deborah Chavez) who's claiming her daughter was targeted, then killed. This cover up is in the small town of Wander, where Elena claims the cover up has been orchestrated by the authorities there, namely Sheriff Luis Santiago (Raymond Cruz), Elsa (Katheryn Winnick) and others. Arthur is plunged into a world of lies and deceit, as he quickly suspects the murder may be part of the same 'conspiracy cover up' that caused the death of his daughter. Increasingly paranoid, Arthur's sanity is tested as he attempts to filter fact from fiction and solve the case, all the while questioning if he is a pawn in a much bigger game. 

Others to round out the cast are Heather Graham as Shelley Luscomb, Brendan Fehr as Nick, Roger Dorman as Leiland, Nicole Steinwedell as Tanya, David Gibson as Canton, Tylannie Smith-Scott as Cleo, Alaina Warren Zachary as Glenda, Sheryl Bailey as Alice, Ian McLaren as Caleb, Elizabeth Selby as Zoe and El Perro as Charlie the dog. 

This was intensely directed by April Mullen ("Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Way of the Tosser" '07, "GravyTrain" '10, "Dead Before Dawn 3D" '12, "88" '15, "Farhope Tower" '15, "Below Her Mouth" '16, "Badsville" '17) plus TV. Truly Eckhart is a very talented actor, however it takes an incredibly honed director to make this actor appear to the audience as though he's sane one minute, then paranoid the next. The emotion she was able to extract from Eckhart was phenomenal. By her very resume, she has proven herself time and again, so her next project should be amazing. It was written by longtime collaborator of Mullen by Tim Doiron ("Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Way of the Tosser" '07, "GravyTrain" '10, "Dead Before Dawn 3D" '12, "88" '15) plus TV. Considering this writer has worked along side of Mullen for the majority of his career, is no surprise that he would continue the pattern. Even though there's been a few other films that depict the lead actor playing detectives that are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, i.e. "Memento", "Motherless Brooklyn", even "LA Confidential", this was still an interesting approach showing its audience that even flawed (even incredibly so) characters can solve a case, no matter how difficult, or horrendous the case. In other words, these heroes don't always have to be 'perfect' in order to solve the case and 'get their man'. It was extremely suspenseful, but showcasing Arthur Bretnik like this writer did was pure genius. Although it was only a 90 minute running time, it did have a couple of places that seemed slow, but that was, I'm sure, to build the suspense and set the scene, otherwise this was very effective.

If you like films with heroes that are less than perfect (flaws and all), this will definitely be the film for you. Is Arthur sane? Is he crazy? Is he right about a conspiracy theory, or is it just all in his mind? All interesting questions. This was actually released on 12-4-20, but since it wasn't able to make it to the theater because of the pandemic, I purchased it so I could critique it for you.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                                     92mins.

Greenland

Audiences love to go to the movies in order to escape from their problems, which is probably why disaster type films have certainly gained much popularity through the many decades they've been around. We've seen a plethora: "Airport", "The Towering Inferno", "Earthquake", "Titanic", "Jurassic Park", "Meteor", and the like. So when "Greenland" came into being, I thought it was time for yet another disaster film to sink their teeth into.

A family fights for survival as a planet-killing comet races to Earth. John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and young son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) make a perilous journey to their only hope for sanctuary. Amid terrifying news accounts of cities around the world being leveled by the comet's fragments, the Garritys experience the best and worst in humanity while they battle the increasing panic and lawlessness surrounding them. As the countdown to global apocalypse approaches zero, their incredible trek culminates in a desperate and last-minute flight to a possible safe haven. 

Others to round out the cast are Scott Glenn as Dale, Allison's father, David Denman as Ralph Vento, Hope Davis as Judy Vento, Holt McCallany as Twin Otter Pilot, Merrin Dungey as Major Breen, Andrew Huntoon as Robins AFB airman, Gary Weeks as Ed Pruitt, Tracey Bonner as Peggy Pruitt and Andrew Byron Bachelor as Colin. 

This was directed with the intensity one would expect considering the storyline by Ric Roman Waugh ("In the Shadows" '01, "Felon" '08, "Snitch" '13, "That Which I Love Destroys Me" (documentary) '15, "Shot Caller" '17, "Angel Has Fallen" '19) plus a video. Considering this film starred Butler who also starred in "Angel Has Fallen", this definitely was familiar territory for this filmmaker. This definitely had the same feel, pace and staging which made it gripping and intense. Even though Waugh seems to stay in that comfort zone, he certainly does so with preciseness. If you can respect this director's ability behind the camera, his "Kandahar" is in pre-production. This was written by seasoned pro Chris Sparling ("An Uzi at the Alamo" '05, "Buried" '10, "ATM" '12, "The Atticus Institute" '15, "The Sea of Trees" '15, "Mercy" '16, "The Warning" '18, "Down a Dark Hall" '18, "Falling Slowly" '20) plus a short. When I viewed the trailer, I went away thinking it would have more devastation from this comet, however afterwards, although there was a fair amount of that, it was more centered around this family's domestic issues with an apocalypic backdrop ensuing. There seemed to be a bit of buildup to get the audience to the comet plunging to the planet--possibly a bit too much, but once the devastation started, it definitely kept you at the edge of your seat. Certainly if you liked "Angel Has Fallen", you'll love this. If this kind of strong, solid writing if something you can sink your teeth into, his "Intrusion" is in post-production for a 2021 release, "Lakewood" is also in post-production and "Incident on 459" is in pre-production. This writer is definitely very busy, so there must be something to his talent.

This film is certainly something any filmgoer would come to expect, especially the lead role by Gerard. He's performed so many of these types of films prior that he could practically perform them in his sleep. This film was supposed to be released on 12-18-2020, but considering that was during the pandemic, and the theaters being closed, it went to VOD and subsequently up for sale. I would've purchased before, however I could only find it in blue-ray of which I don't have. So, I found a DVD so I could critique it for you.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                                  Rated: PG-13                                              120mins.

Silk Road

 

In this day and age, there are a certain amount of millennials that believe they can make a ton of money with the stroke of their computer. There have been many films produced about the underground drug world, but "Silk Road" certainly brings that more into the virtual world than ever imagined. 

Inspired by larger-than-life actual events, this riveting crime thriller follows the rise and fall of Silk Road, the infamous darknet site that sent a seismic shock through the World Wide Web. Young, idealistic and driven to succeed, Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson), along with friend, Max (Daniel David Stewart) and girlfriend, Julia (Alexandra Shipp), creates the internet's first unregulated marketplace: Silk Road. But when it becomes a multimillion-dollar pipeline for illicit drugs, Ross is set on a collision course with Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke), a disreputable and dangerously unpredictable DEA agent who will use any means necessary to take him down...and I mean any!

Others to round out the cast are Jimmi Simpson as Chris Tarbell, Darrell Brit-Gibson as Ray, an informant of Rick's, Katie Aselton as Sandy, Rick's wife, Paul Walter Hauser as Curtis Clark Green, Lexi Rabe as Edie, Rick and Sandy's daughter, Will Ropp as Shields, David DeLao as Johnny Morales, Walter Anaruk as Adrian Chen and Kenneth Miller as H.T. Palmer.

This was grippingly directed by documentarian, Tiller Russell ("Cockfight" (documentary) '01, "Change Up" (documentary) '02, "Bad Boys of Summer" (documentary) '07, "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride" '10, "The Seven Five" (documentary) '14"Operation Odessa" (documentary) '18) plus TV and a short. This filmmaker has only one other theatrical film to his credit for directing, however he certainly has the ability to create scenes that start off as fairly tense, and have the tensity to increase with such realism. Truly, all the documentaries he has directed has served him well. This was also interestingly written by Russell ("Bad Boys of Summer" (documentary) '07, "CMT Big Break" (TV movie) '07, "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride" '10) plus TV, based on the article "Dead End on Silk Road: Internet Crime Kingpin Ross Ulbricht's Big Fall" by David Kushner. This story being based on true events actual made it much easier for this writer to write a cohesive script considering his documentary experience. It was presented to the audience as a flashback so we could experience Ulbricht's journey to his fall. You know he has to fall, hence the true story, it's how he was brought down that makes this story more captivating. Both Robinson and Clarke's performances were portrayed with such veracity and tenaciousness that will keep any audience on the edge of their seat. My only complaint with this is that it was a bit slow in a couple of places where approximately 5-7 minutes could've been edited, but it was still a powerful script nonetheless.

The one adage that surely comes to mind while watching this film is: "oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive". This 28-year old entrepreneur should have known what was lurking down the road: nobody ever gets away with shadiness, but greediness got the best of him and soon he became obsessed with Silk Road. This was released on 2-19-2021, but since I live in California where theaters are still not open, I bought it so as to critique it for you.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: R                                            117mins.

Fear of Rain

 

There are films that are based on a true story and then there are films that are fiction, however are based in a story that could easily have happened and the way the film is written would lead one to wonder. "Fear of Rain" is based on the latter, but could've been based on a very believable story. 

Rain Burroughs (Madison Iseman) has early-onset schizophrenia, a condition that not only causes her to see vivid hallucinations but also puts a strain on her parents, Michelle (Katherine Heigl) and John (Harry Connick Jr.). When she meets Caleb (Israel Broussard), a charmingly awkward new student at school, Rain finally feels she has a lifeline to normalcy. But as Rain starts to find clues that her neighbor has kidnapped a child--and Caleb is the only one who believes her--Rain must fight to figure out who and what is real while also battling the overwhelming forces that haunt her daily life. Will anyone believe her...before it's too late?

Others to round out the cast are Eugenie Bondurant as Dani McConnell, Enuka Okuma as Dr. Ellen Pangloss, Julia Vasi as Alexa, Brian Yang as Doctor, Jannette Sepwa as Nurse Rosa, Ashley Abrams as Sylvie and Hudson Rodgers as Malia.

This was directed with just the right amount of creepiness by Castille Landon ("Albion: The Enchanted Stallion" '16, "Apple of My Eye" '17) plus a short. Even though this filmmaker isn't necessarily experienced, her ability to keep her audience on the edge of their seat through the different thrilling scenes has incredible talent. Not to worry if after seeing this you are wanting to see more of her work. Apparently her "After Ever Happy" is in post production and her "After We Fall" is now filming with a 2021 release. This was also creatively written by Landon ("Workers' Comp" (TV movie) '11, "Albion: The Enchanted Stallion" '16, "Apple of My Eye" '17) plus shorts. When a script causes one to be asking questions as the story unfolds, this is truly effective writing, which is what happened to me. There are a few twists in this--one you won't see coming, that also makes the story amazingly interesting--I  was riveted to my seat. If you've known anyone in your life who's been diagnosed with schizophrenia, that will especially make this an intriguing expose of what these people have to endure as they live their day to day lives. I knew someone with this condition, and although he was a kind-hearted soul, he was stricken with this affliction and he truly had a tough life with it. This writer definitely did her homework, and for that, my kudos to her. Other than a couple of very small places that were slow, this script was spot on. Landon is going places in the realm of film. 

If films that focus on the psychological realm, i.e. "A Beautiful Mind", "Sybill", "The Three Faces of Eve", "It's Kind of a Funny Story", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", and the like, this will resonate with you. The realism is amazing in that it gives the audience an inside look of what it's like to live this life, and it's not pretty. This was released on 2-12-2021 in the theaters, and is probably still there. I live in California where the theaters are still closed, so as this was also available for purchase, I bought it so as to critique it for you.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                                   109mins.