Beast

Hollywood has created many different genres in their existence, and suffice it to say, many have been repeated time and again. One fairly newer genre came along a certain number of decades ago of the thriller genre that put a whole new spin of making the audience squirm or causing a great deal of nail-biting. "Beast" has only accentuated that genre and raise the intensity level to a point where your heart will be pounding about a third of the way through the film.

Idris Elba stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) who find themselves hunted by a massive rouge lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator. Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them. 

Others to round out the cast are Tafara Nyatsanza as Banji, Mduduzi Mavimbela as poacher Mizozi, Chris Gxalaba as Chipo, Chris Langa as Specs and Kazi Khuboni as pilot.

This film was intensely directed by Baltasar Kormakur ("101 Reykjavik" 2000, "Jar City" '06, "Inhale" '10, "Contraband" '12, "The Deep" '12, "2 Guns" '13, "Everest" '15, "Adrift" '18) plus others, TV and a TV movie. By his very resume, Kormakur truly knows how to put his audience in just the right amount of peril that the audience doesn't see a good deal coming. The subtlety in starting with a nice safari and slowly ending up with this ferocious lion ready to kill was amazing. And did I mention that this filmmaker definitely puts the 'I' in intensity? Once the action took place, the adrenaline, action-packed feel of the flick was non-stop. As with the incredible intensity of the array of films this director has helmed, this filmmaker will continue to wow us with many more films in the future, and we will all be the victors. It was equally well penned by writer Ryan Engle ("Non-Stop" '14, "The Commuter" '18, "Rampage" '18, "Breaking In" '22) plus TV, based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan. One wouldn't think that a film about a lion being a beast attacking people would be that scary--as compared to an unknown monster, but the way this story was penned, any massive size animal would deem scary and lethal if it is written in a way that exuded a permanence and finality within the story. The cast was believable as it was credible, and once this film is over, it leaves an indelible impression on one's psyche. 

If you are a thriller aficionado or junkie, you'll love this film. You can't beat a well thought-out and compelling thriller, and this is one of the better of this genre. The shear intensity warrants the price of admission to this film, and as you're watching it, prepare for a white-knuckle ride!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: R                                              93mins.

                                                                                                               

 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

As we are waning from the summer movie season, we start seeing those films that are considered smaller or insignificant that are being released so as to make some sort of profit. Well, that being a typically normal assessment, once in a while, we get thrown a bone and that bone is in the image of "Mrs.Harris Goes to Paris". 

This tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady, Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) in 1957 London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress , and decides that that she must have one of her own. After she works, starves and gambles to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris which will change not only her own out look, but the very future of the House of Dior. Through her friends both old and recent including Archie (Jason Isaacs), Natasha (Alba Baptista), Andre Fauvel (Lucas Bravo) and Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), she is able to transverse her adventure through the goings on at the House of Dior.

Others to round out the cast are Rose Williams as Pamela Penrose, Isabella Huppert as Claudine Colbert, Anna Chancellor as Lady Dant, Freddie Fox as RAF officer, Roxanne Duran as Marguerite, Christian McKay as Giles Newcombe and Ellen Thomas as Vi Butterfield.

This was poignantly and compassionately directed by Anthony Fabian ("Skin" '08, "Embracing the Tiger" (documentary) '09, "Louder Than Words" '13, "Good Hope" (documentary) '19) plus TV movie documentaries and shorts. The compassion and pathos this filmmaker was able to extract out of his actors, specifically that of Manville was incredible. These characters shined throughout this film, and this speaks volumes for the directing. It was written with amazing aplomb by Fabian, Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson and Olivia Hetreed based on the novel by Paul Gallico. Usually, when there are more than two writers on any given project, the storyline becomes bogged down with inconsistencies and choppiness--too many hands in the pot, but this film was well written even with four writers involved. I had great trepidation in seeing this, however after viewing this, I was amazed how well put together it was. It was about a good-natured and compassionate person always being the forever optimist. She knows how to get involved in people's lives without coming across as mettlesome, and this is creative writing at its finest. Lesley Manville was a joy in her role as Ada Harris and could possibly garner her an Oscar nod, but we'll see. 

If you like British films, you'll love this, but even if you're not, the writing, directing and acting will bring you to tears. It's a feel good story, with a feel good message all in a two-hour running time. This film needs to be seen by so many people considering the awful, fearful world we live in these days--and because of this, this was a breath of fresh air. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                            Rated: PG                                                115mins.

Others to 

Bullet Train

Typically, the summer movie season is fraught with big-budget films, and even more to the point, action-packed films. Films such as "Speed", "The Lost City", "Sahara", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" were all released in the summer to an amazing profit. So, when "Bullet Train" was to be released this August, I felt like this was going to be quite the roller coaster ride and it was.

In this story, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, through his handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock) may have other plans. She conjoles Ladybug into his latest mission that puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries  including Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), Prince (Joey King) and Wolf (Benito A. Martinez Ocasio), from around the globe, all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives--on the world's fastest train. The end of the line is only the beginning in a wild, non-stop thrill ride through modern-day Japan. 

Others to round out the cast are Andrew Koji as Kimura, the Father, Hiroyuki Sanada as the Elder, Michael Shannon as White Death, Logan Lerman as the Son, Zazie Beetz as the Hornet and Masi Oka as Conductor.

This was rivetingly directed by David Leitch ("Atomic Blonde" '17, "Deadpool 2" '18, "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" '19) plus shorts and a music video short. By his very resume, this filmmaker knows his way around an action-packed film and with that, he knows how to put one together and make it exciting for any audience. This film was riveting, adrenaline ridden and has the ability to put his actors into perilous situations in order to convey to his audience that certain realism. If you like his brand of directing, his "The Fall Guy" is in pre-production. It was executed by writer Zak Olkewicz ("Fear Street: Part Two--1978" '21). Even though this writer doesn't have an extensive resume, he certainly was able to hold my attention throughout this film. I know he was using the flashback technique in order to convey his storyline, but there were unfortunately a number of disjointed areas in script to create a certain amount of confusion, especially during the first half of the film. As the film continued to unfold, it did pick up speed, and then moved right along and became the film this writer was looking for. You'll see a small cameo role from Channing Tatum in this which is interesting considering he, Pitt and Bullock were all in this spring's "The Lost City". Given more writing under his belt, this writer will excel--in fact, his "Last Voyage of the Demeter" is in post-production for a 2023 release.

If you like action-packed, adventurous films with an underlining humorous basis, you'll love this. It's your typical quintessential summer escapism film fraught with action, adventure, humor all while without the hint of a message or something really to think about. And in this day and age of how bad things have gotten in this country, this is a refreshing alternative to all that's transpiring.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                                Rated: R                                            126mins.