Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Out of all the genres Hollywood could ever produce, it's got to be that of the 'whodunit'. Perhaps it's the element of surprise when finding out who did it, or maybe because these films are typically crammed with leading stars of the day, but, suffice it to say, they are intriguing. When I saw "Knives Out", I felt that was a very well executed and thought out film, but how could they improve on that? Well, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" is as good or possibly better.

Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest list are Miles' former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monae), current Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), cutting edge scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her conscientious assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). As in all the best murder mysteries, each character harbors their own secrets, lies and motivations. When someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. 

Others to round out the cast Are Noah Segan as Derol, Jackie Hoffman as Ma, Dallas Roberts as Devon Debella, Ethan Hawke as efficient man, Hugh Grant as Phillip, Stephen Sondheim as himself and Angela Lansbury as herself. 

This was directed with such amazing delineation by Rian Johnson ("Brick" '05, "The Brothers Bloom" '08, "Looper" '12, "Star Wars: Episode VIII--The Last Jedi" '17, "Knives Out" '19) plus TV, videos and shorts. As with "Knives Out", he carried the same flavor from one film to the other obviously to connect the two in order for Blanc to remain the same. This was just another place with an entirely different cast, and it excelled in spades. If you like this brand of directing, his "Knives Out 3" has been announced. This was also well crafted by writer Johnson (Same as resume above) plus TV and shorts. There's a lot to be said for penning previous installments of franchises in that it keeps a similar feel to the story even when most of the cast has been  purposely changed. Considering this, it would be extremely difficult for another writer or director to take over the reins and still establish continuity. There were two very small issues with this, however to divulge one of them would cause a spoiler alert, but the other is that Blanc played by Craig just happened to be in ear shot of potential incriminating discussions more than once. Coincidence? I think not, but then how would he figure out what happened? These issues certainly didn't taint the screenplay, because it was still spot on and I never had to look at my watch because I thought the film was too long. The more than two hour running time simply moved right along. 

This being as entertaining as it was, I can't wait to see "Knives Out 3" whenever that is released. The eclectic cast in this made it even better--something the audience can sink their teeth into. With the same writer and director, this franchise could go on for a while. The sky is definitely the limit. Grab the popcorn and enjoy this gem!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                             Rated: PG-13                                         140mins.

The Fabelmans

In Hollywood there are biopics, but, at times, there are semi-autobiographical films made as well. There are several out there, but one that comes to mind is Neil Simon's "Biloxi Blues" looseley based on Simon's time in boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi. Well, in the same vein, we are offered "The Fabelmans", a loosely based film about Spielberg's youth and teenage years grappling with the idea of pondering making films. 

Loosely based on Spielberg's childhood growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, from age seven to eighteen, a young man named Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) inadvertently discovers a shattering family secret, and explores how the power of movies help us see the truth about each other and ourselves. Sammy quickly falls in love with movies after parents Mitzi and Burt Fabelman (Michelle Williams and Paul Dano) respectively, take him to see "The Greatest Show on Earth". Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mom. Sammy gets much other support from the family friend, Bennie Loewy (Seth Rogen) and uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch). 

Others to round out the cast are Jeannie Berlin as Hadassah Fabelman, Julia Butters as Reggie Fabelman, Robin Bartlett as Tina Schildkraut, Keeley Karsten as Natalie Fabelman, Oakes Fegley as Chad Thomas, Sam Rechner as Logan Hall, Sophia Kopera as Lisa Fabelman and Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord as younger Sammy Fabelman. 

This was directed effortlessly by the incomparable Steven Spielberg ("Duel" (TV movie) '71, "Jaws" '75, "1941" '79, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" '81, "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial" '82, "The Color Purple" '85, "Hook" '91, "Jurassic Park" '93, "Schindler's List" '93, "Amistad" '97, "Minority Report" '02, "Catch Me If You Can" '02, "Munich" '05, "War Horse" '11, "Lincoln" '12, "The BFG" '16, "Ready Player One" '18, "West Side Story" '21) plus many others, TV and shorts. Spielberg is, yet again, one of those directors that if you see his name on it, it will undoubtedly be quality artistry at its finest, and this is definitely what you get with this story. Being a very personal film, the quality does show in spades, however Spielberg always gives his audience more than they bargained for. He, as with this and all his films simply make the characters come alive. It was penned well  also by Spielberg ("Firelight" 64, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" '77, "Poltergeist" '82, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" '01) plus TV and video games, and Tony Kushner ("Angels in Ameica: The Opera" (TV movie) '04, "Munich" '05, "Lincoln" '12, "Fifty Years on Stage" (TV movie) (segment, "Angels in America") '13, "Angels in America" (TV movie) '21, "West Side Story" '21) plus others, TV, a video and a short. It certainly is no surprise that this script was as tight and concise as it was considering that, not only have these two writers worked together many times, but that this is, like said prior, a very personal film for Spielberg which can allow for much ease when it comes to penning the story. And really, other than a very small place of a continuity issue within the story, this was spot on. I believe there is already Oscar buzz for not only Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch, but Spielberg as well in the directing category. I also have to give high praise for Gabriel LaBelle as the teenage Sammy Fabelman. I've never heard of him, but he will assuredly receive more work since his performance was riveting.

If you are a Spielberg fan, you will undoubtedly love this film since it's basically based on his life, but even if you're not, this is a well crafted film just to sit back and enjoy the pure artistry of the production. Spielberg never seizes to amaze me with such talent. He can do it all: direct, write or produce. Is there anything this guy can't do? 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                            Rated: PG-13                                        150mins.

The Menu

The best aspect of most independent films is that they are typically original in their concept and executed with amazing finesse. As with the case of "The Menu", while having a fresh and original concept, the execution could've been a bit more polished, in that some things weren't explained.

A young couple, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travel to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef, Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) and his staff has prepared a lavish menu with some shocking surprises. The patron list is a who's who: an actor (John Leguizamo), a food critic, Lillian Bloom (Janet McTeer), and a head of staff, Elsa (Hong Chau) who definitely puts the 'I' in intensity. 

Others to round out the cast are Judith Light as Anne, Reed Birney as Richard, Paul Adelstein as Ted, Aimee Carrero as Felicity, Arturo Castro as Soren, Mark St. Cyr as Dave and Rob Yang as Bryce.

This was directed with such subtle intensity by Mark Mylod ("All G Indahouse" '02, "The Big White" '05, "The Royle Family: The New Sofa" (TV movie) '08, "Washingtonienne" (TV movie) '09, "What's Your Number?" '11) plus TV and shorts. This filmmaker truly was able to extract just the accurate amount of intensity within the characters so they neither came across as terrified necessarily nor weren't under-played so the audience would still see the potential peril these patrons would, or could, receive. This was executed well by writers Seth Reiss (TV and shorts) and Will Tracy (TV). Obviously, by reading the above resumes, neither of these writers have any feature film experience, however, considering this aspect, the script was crisp and concise. The fact both of them have extensive TV and/or short experience certainly paved the way in their ability to create an interesting story--they simply need more feature film writing. There were definitely a number of places in the script that simply were not explained, especially in places that could have helped with the screenplay. I could mention a few places, but so not to give any spoil alerts, suffice it to say, if the audience knew of these omitted places, there would have been a bit more understanding with certain characters. Where the character development became sharp was that between the chef and Margot. It took time to build, however after a certain point, one could tell that they were playing a 'cat and mouse' game and knew exactly where each were coming from. This was the best part of the screenplay. Fiennes gives his usual fine performance, however Taylor-Joy was stunning in her role as well. 

If you like films that become great fodder for psychological character studies, look no farther. This film would give any psychologist a field since just about everyone in this film was disturbed. It was well directed, photographed and edited, and leaves you with a basic bittersweet ending not to throw you off. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                                 Rated: R                                         105mins.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Any more, films based on a comic book or series isn't exclusively a flick that's shown during the summer film season. As with the point of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", it is released during the end of the year film season where typically Hollywood brings out the more artistically crafted films 'for your consideration' seeing as 12-31-22 is the Oscar deadline for nominated films. Perhaps Marvel has high hopes for this film that reach higher than just the bottom line. 

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Guira) and the Dora Milaje, including Ayo (Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Without T'Challa at their side, can they survive the peril that has yet to come?

Others to round out the cast are Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Dominique Thorne as Riri, Michaela Coel as Aneka, Alex Livinalli as Attuma, Mabel Cadena as Namora, Isaach De Bankole as river tribe elder and Danny Sapani as border tribe elder. 

This was directed with such subtle intensity and tenacity by Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station" '13, "Creed" '15, "Black Panther" '18) plus shorts. Although his experience isn't vast, the quality of Coogler's work is undeniable. He's in that 'club' of directors that when you see any film that they have helmed, the bet is that it will be consummate. The connection he created within these characters were amazing--you felt that they knew one another for their whole lives. If you like Coogler's brand of directing, his "Wrong Answer" has been announced. It was surprising written well by Coogler ("Fruitvale Station" '13, "Creed" '15, "Black Panther" '18, "Creed II" (based on characters) '18), and Joe Robert Cole ("Black Panther" '18, "All Day and a Night" '20) plus TV, based on a story by Coogler. I say surprisingly because typically the 'comic book films' are not known for their quality writing as much as for the visuals, photography, sets, costumes, etc. So much of the time, if the script is well written, it becomes a backdrop for the visuals and CGI involved. The things that I can only point out as constructed criticism is that there were a few places of sequence inconsistencies and it was simply too long. Approximately 15-20 mins could've been shaved off the final print and still would've had the same impact. Coogler didn't write "Creed III", however it was based on a story by Coogler, which is in post production. And, as with other big-budget films, the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), Cinesite and Digital Domain were stunning and actually enhanced the story. 

I don't think it's a spoiler alert to say that  this franchise will be back since Marvel Studios is the franchise king. I originally felt that they could never pull off a sequel since Chadwick Boseman's demise, but they actually did pull it off. It will be interesting to see how they handle the next sequel. This is worthy of the price of admission if for no other reason than it's so grandiose, that it would be a waste on your TV screen. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG-13                                       161mins.

Armageddon Time

Hollywood has produced many rites-of-passage films through the years, whether it be through a biopic or someone striving to 'make it' in an otherwise difficult situation. While "Armageddon Time" is a rites-of-passage film, it is basically seen through the eyes of the one going through the process in his life.

This is a deeply personal coming-of-age story in 1980 about the strength of family, particularly that of the Graff family, Irving (Jeremy Strong), his wife, Esther (Anne Hathaway), their son, Paul (Banks Repeta), their other son, Ted (Ryan Sell) and grandpa, Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins), and involving the generational pursuit of the American Dream. This is seen through the eyes of Paul Graff, the 16-year-old of the family as he's struggling to fit in at school, his family and the world.

Others to round out the cast are Jaylin Webb as Johnny Davis, friend of Paul's, Tovah Feldshuh as Grandma Mickey, John Diehl as Fred Trump, Andrew Polk as Mr. Turkeltaub and Jessica Chastain as Maryanne Trump. 

This was grittingly and intensely directed by James Gray ("Little Odessa" '94, "The Yards" 2000, "We Own the Night" '07, "Two Lovers" '08, "The Immigrant" '13, "The Lost City of Z" '16, "Ad Astra" '19) plus TV and shorts. Gray is not only a talented director, but especially with films that are heavy-laden as with this film. Watching these actors is so realistically portrayed that it appears like you're eavesdropping on people living their lives, and that's talented directing. It was also equally well executed by writer James Gray ("Above resume plus "Blood Ties" '13). Although the plot is about the struggles of a family where we've seen films with this premise in the past, the way it's written makes this a cut above films as this. Another film that had a premise we had seen before and after was that of "Kramer vs Kramer '79 with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. It had a seemingly unremarkable plot, but the way it was written (by Robert Benton),  became this incredible, poignant film that contained so many nuances of subtlety that no wonder it won the Oscar for best writing. This is the same in that the subtlety is amazing in this film--the better part of 2 hours long, it moved right along and this is all about the writing. Other than a couple of very small places of inconsistencies, and I mean very small, this was a spot on script. This proves that even if the premise of a film isn't necessarily original, if it's written with enough pathos, subtlety and finesse, it can excel as a powerful film as with "Armageddon Time".

If intense, powerful, but subtle films are something you like, this is the film for you. It's a small independent film about life from a struggling family. If you're looking for fine acting, look no farther. Anthony Hopkins is stunning as the patriarch of the family and could be courting a supporting actor nod come Oscar time. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: R                                                   114mins.

   

Triangle of Sadness

There are independent films, and then there is "Triangle of Sadness". For a relatively simple ship sinking and a subsequent survival of passengers on a desert island, this certainly went into many tributaries for plot and story. I sort of akin this film to those such as "The Lord of the Flies" and "The Beach" when it comes to survival.

In Ruben Ostlund's sardonically funny Palme d'Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an alcoholic, unhinged boat captain named Thomas (Woody Harrelson); a major storm brews and subsequent sickness ensues with the passengers. What starts as an instagrammable time, ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival mostly with certain crew members, Paula (Vicki Berlin) and Abigail (Dolly De Leon), then with each other. 

Others to round out the cast are Zlatko Buric as Dimitry, Alicia Eriksson as Alicia, Arvin Kananian as Darius, Oliver Ford Davies as Winston, Iris Berben as Therese, Sunnyi Melles as Vera,  Carolina Gynning as Ludmilla and Thobias Thorwid as Lewis. 

This was directed with such subtle intensity by Ruben Ostlund ("Family Again" (documentary) '02, "The Guitar Mongoloid" '04, "Involuntary" '08, "Play" '11, "Force Majeure" '14, "The Square" '17) plus shorts. He has the innate ability to not only get his actors to emit the emotions the way he needs for it to happen, but he also knows how to create that subtleness when it comes to increasing that intensity or other emotion that's involved. It was also executed in an interesting way by writer Ostlund (same as resume above except "Family Again"). The best aspect of this story is that of the premise. Think about it: a luxury cruise filled with spoiled, rich, self-centered passengers ending up on a desert island after their ship sinks, and is put in a situation of total survival mode. It is incredible fodder for a very funny script, however, the delivery just didn't come across as very funny at all. It had some dry humorous parts, but overall, it lacked, and thereby didn't have that punch it could've had. Also, there were some things not explained, such as, what happened to most of the passengers and crew, especially the captain? The assumption is that they didn't make, but that was never mentioned, and with a 147 minute running time, it could've been mentioned. Plus, it was simply too long-in-the-tooth--approximately 20-30 minutes could've been cut and still have the same impact. Was it a total wash? Absolutely not--the acting and character development was fine and creative respectively. Also, it was truly difficult to have much sympathy for these passengers because of the many issues that didn't lead the audience to empathize with. Ostlund will truly receive more work since most of his experience lies in the independent realm, and that carries a whole different audience base.

If you like independent films, you'll love this since it is a quintessential indie film. I just wish it was a bit funnier, because that would've been more captivating--not a physical comedy, but one where the writing would be more satirical in nature. Both Dickinson and Harrelson gave memorable performances which certainly added to that intensity. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                            Rated: R                                               147mins.