One Movie Punch

Today’s movie is “Anon” (2018), the Netflix Original drama written and directed by Andrew Niccol. The film follows Sal Frieland (Clive Owen), who is investigating a series of murders in the near future where electronic surveillance has rendered privacy obsolete. During the investigation, he encounters The Girl (Amanda Seyfried), a person who has somehow remained off the grid.

Spoilers ahead.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to see a new Andrew Niccol dystopian film, considering his work on “Gattaca”, “The Truman Show”, and “S1m0ne”. I can tell you, though, how worried I was after seeing both “Bright” (Episode #002) and “Mute” (Episode #055) earlier this year, both films which over-promised and under-delivered. It’s also been a while since I’ve seen a film I’ve liked with either Clive Owen or Amanda Seyfried, so I wasn’t overly confident sitting down for this one.

In many ways, “Anon” is a return to Niccol’s dystopian roots, zeroing in on one or two facets of our social framework, and taking them to the extremes. In this case, we have a world where not just everything is recorded, but everything can be presented as a form of augmented reality. And the premise is that someone has figured out how to hack all that, where you literally can’t trust what you see. Niccol really does a great job bringing that world to life, switching between “the real world” and “the augmented world” with a neat kind of heads-up AR display, turning drab buildings and minimal sets into overlaid advertisements.

I just wish the story was something a bit more original, instead of the same old, tired neo-noir future detective story. The gritty detective is certainly a role fit for Clive Owen, who does a nice job, but Amanda Seyfried shines as The Girl, even if her character has its own limitations. The rest of the cast is all right, but mostly fade into the background. Even the ultimate baddie, when revealed, isn’t that remarkable, which is kind of a bummer, but also keeps the focus on the relationship between Sal and The Girl, such as it is.

“Anon” (2018) is like a smarter, more forward-thinking “Mute” in a better developed world, but with the same kind of recycled story. The film hits all the social issues that are raised, sometimes a little too directly, showing the flaws in taking these ideas to the extreme. Fans of dystopian science-fiction or noir films who don’t mind thought-provoking premises should definitely enjoy this film. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 33%

Metacritic: 46

One Movie Punch: 7.2/10

“Anon” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Psychokinesis” (2018), the Netflix Original South Korean superhero film written and directed by Sang-ho Yeon, the creative force behind “Train to Busan” (2016). The film follows Seok-hyeon (Seung-ryong Ryu), a bank security guard who drinks from a mountain spring and gains the power of psychokinesis, the ability to move objects with your mind. He uses that ability to defend his daughter Roo-mi (Eun-kyung Shim), and the rest of her shopping arcade business owners against a development company attempting to evict them.

Spoilers ahead.

I was super stoked for this film, because I thoroughly enjoyed “Train to Busan” (2016) and I was looking forward to his take on the superhero genre. I wasn’t expecting a film that felt this campy, however, almost corny at times. Seung-ryong’s performance as Seok-hyeon is peppered with a lot of slapstick physical comedy, which feels out of place next to some really serious and deadly scenes.

The story has a classic superhero arc, with a period of discovery, development, and ultimately, mastery of their new powers, which are used to protect the weak against the strong. The psychokinetic powers are brought to life by a combination of awesome special effects and incredible group direction, particularly in the arcade fight. The effects can sometimes fall apart at the extremes, though, particularly in some of the final battle scenes.

But the film ends with the strong winning anyway, and with Seok-hyeon going to jail for four years, and not the nearest scientific lab for sedated study. And he returns to find that while the arcade was torn down, the land remained undeveloped, and Roo-mi moved to a new, more successful restaurant, making the entire battle almost meaningless and completely avoidable, including the death of her mother in many respects. Which is an odd place for a superhero film to end up.

“Psychokinesis” (2018) is an unbalanced, but fun superhero romp, with mostly great special effects, and some really awesome practical effects and direction. It is a major tonal shift from “Train to Busan” (2016), but still a good film, even if it has a few plot holes. If you like superhero films, or just a fun comedy with some graphic moments, then you will definitely enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.6/10

“Psychokinesis” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Rachel Divide” (2018), the Netflix documentary directed by Laura Brownson and written in collaboration with Jeff Seymann Gilbert. The documentary delves into the life of Rachel Dolezal, the infamous Spokane NAACP chapter leader outed by a reporter as white, causing a major scandal, a media roller coaster, and raising the idea of transracial identity.

I remember when the Dolezal scandal broke, following the initial reactions across the spectrum and the social media backlash that followed. Her life felt like the ultimate act of white privilege, to fully adopt another culture by choice. I was upset that the media was giving her a larger platform, and I was disappointed by the subtle racism that entered the discussion surrounding her identity. So, making a documentary that follows her life in the wake of that scandal felt more like TMZ and less like Netflix.

“The Rachel Divide” does succeed in adding a whole lot more context to Dolezal’s life, exploring her flight from abusive parents and her relationship to her adopted black siblings, free from sound bite era questioning. I found her Howard University background interesting even as I questioned the wisdom of taking the documentary team there. However, Brownson undercuts all this added context with a not-so-subtle suggestion throughout the film that Dolezal could be making up everything about her life, and it feels like we’re back in a news channel documentary, ordering the details of her life to ask more questions that it ever answers.

And that’s the real missed opportunity here, to discuss the interesting social questions raised by her life. The documentary doesn’t bother discussing the difference between individual and social identity, the real “Rachel Divide” if there ever was one. It does make an at-best misguided attempt to equate transgender and transracial as equal expressions of identity, which while it can be possible at the individual level, is only possible at the social level if that particular social group accepts you. And it is clear in the film that virtually none of the black community accepts Rachel’s individual identity, nor should they given the white privilege she would still receive in society regardless of her chosen identity.

“The Rachel Divide” (2018) was a bad idea, from concept though execution, and ultimately fails to fulfill what Netflix promised with the documentary. Brownson and Gilbert ask more questions than they answer, using Dolezal’s life to extend her platform, and sometimes fail to see their own privilege in making the documentary itself. Viewers who want a little more insight into the Dolezal scandal will find the documentary informative, but will probably find little else to like about the film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

Metacritic: 59

One Movie Punch: 4.0/10

“The Rachel Divide” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Handmaiden” (2016), the South Korean drama directed by Chan-wook Park and written in collaboration with Seo-kyeong Jeong, based on the novel Fingersmithby Sarah Waters. The film follows Lady Hideko (Min-hee Kim), who is convinced to hire Sook-Hee (Tae-ri Kim) as a handmaiden based on the advice of a conman known as Count Fujiwara (Jung-woo Ha), in an effort to deceive Lady Hideko out of her inheritance. 

Spoilers ahead.

I didn’t realize just how sexual this film would be when I started it. This film has all the lesbian intensity of “Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013), but set during the Japanese annexation of Korea in the early 20thcentury. The story has an emphasis on Lady Hideko’s uncle, Kouzuki (Jin-Woong Cho), and his collection of rare pornographic books, which he trained Lady Hideko to read and, in some cases, act out for other rich collectors.

Set in front of this erotic tapestry, however, is a very clever crime thriller told in a very excellent way. The first part walks through the proposed scam, with a surprise twist in story at the end. The second part serves as almost an origin story for Lady Hideko, with new perspectives during her courtship, and another surprise twist. And the final part finishes the story, in a simultaneously gruesome and erotic manner. Chan-Wook Park and Seo-kyeong Jeong’s translation to 20thcentury Korea is masterful, and Park’s direction and composition are incredible.

So, if there are any drawbacks, one is that this film is extremely erotic, which is necessary to the source material, but can sometimes upstage the overall narrative. And that upstaging is pretty amazing, given the two hour twenty-four minute running time, sometimes not really adding anything more to the story aside from another peek at the steamier events. It can also be extremely graphic, with lots of blood and physical abuse, which might be off-putting to many viewers.

“The Handmaiden” (2016) is an excellent film that everyone should walk into knowing what to expect. It deals with dark and erotic themes, but with a clever story and an excellent cast brought to life by masterful direction. Viewers not offended by the subject material will find an excellent film, set during a unique time in history.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 84

One Movie Punch: 8.2/10

“The Handmaiden” (2016) is not rated and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s movie is “The Week Of” (2018), the Netflix Original comedy directed by Robert Smigel and written in collaboration with Adam Sandler. The film follows Kenny Lustig (Adam Sandler), the father of the bride Sarah (Allison Strong), who is doing his best to pull together her wedding to Tyler (Roland Buck III). However, despite a few major setbacks, Kenny refuses any help from Kirby (Chris Rock), the father of the groom.

Spoilers ahead.

“The Week Of” is the last of the original four-picture deal between Adam Sandler and Netflix, and critically speaking, it has been a pretty awful ride. Then again, Happy Madison Productions has never been about making critically successful films so much as delivering a distinct, somewhat predictable style of comedy, born out of the mid-1990s SNL years, and that’s exactly the basis of this film as well, with a little bit more.

The weird thing about this film is that the wedding couple are almost non-existent for most of the film, only showing up to help move the plot along as one thing after another goes wrong for Kenny. And a lot does go wrong for Kenny, partly through his own terrible choices, partly to help create the necessary crucible of pressure at his own home. Eventually, too much starts to happen to too many people, which turns a simple story arc into a series of sketch comedy scenes, some really funny, others borderline offensive, particularly those relating to the hotel owner.

But there’s a reason why it makes sense for Netflix to sign another four-picture deal with Happy Madison Productions. Subscribers. In some respects, Netflix being able to back up a dump truck of money at the front-end takes a lot of pressure off the affiliated studios, for better or worse. And quite honestly, it doesn’t matter what the critics think about the overall film, because what this film does right is the entirely predictable and formulaic, but still heartwarming ending which people will remember and recommend. That’s the new show business!

“The Week Of” (2018) is not a critically great film, but I would say it is probably my favorite from the first four-picture deal by far. The cast is excellent when the script allows, and the chemistry between Sandler and Rock is something that takes years to develop, and always a joy to watch. If you like Sandler’s previous work, or enjoy the work of SNL alumni, then you will definitely enjoy this film. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 31%

Metacritic: 41

One Movie Punch: 6.8/10

“The Week Of” (2018) is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.

It’s Marvel Monday and we’re finally here! Today’s movie is “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), the culmination of a decade of box office hits, written for the screen by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and directed by Anthony & Joe Russo.  The film stars our many heroes, played by everyone you know, bringing their tales together as Thanos (Josh Brolin) has a date with destiny.

Spoilers ahead.

I’m serious. Like, there’s no way to talk about this film without spoiling it. So, stop, and go see it, then come back. 

I have been wondering since the first tease how Feige envisioned tackling the Infinity Gauntlet, one of the most massive crossover events in Marvel history, and especially in this particular continuity. And with a title suggesting the Infinity War saga, without a completed gauntlet, certainly made me scratch my head. However, as “Guardians of the Galaxy” brought us closer, and with last year’s suite of films suggesting any which way, I sat down in that theatre and waited for the magic to happen.

And it did happen, even if they had to tell a lot of story to get there. I mean, a LOT of story, way more than two and a half hours worth, perhaps even topping four hours of content. The Russo brothers do a great job pacing it out, going as slow as they can without shorting screen time for anyone, and letting the rising body count still have significance each step of the way. They also have the benefit of leveraging all the previous special effects budgets, creating a truly dazzling film with a very solid cast.

But that ending. Sure, it makes perfect sense that Thanos would reach his goal of eliminating half the universe, but it also makes this film feel less like the culmination of ten years of storytelling and more like an incomplete story, one we’ll have to wait quite a while to hear the rest of it. I’m in it for the long haul, and it is truly a masterfully crafted film, but it ends on a real downer, leaving this fan feeling pretty adrift, with little hope to be gained from the post-credits scene.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) is a high-stakes, universe-altering superhero film that ends up in the most unlikely place for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So much comes together to craft this story and so much remains untold, the film’s one true weakness. It has the power to move hearts, and astound our senses, but it may leave a few folks feeling something between disappointment and anticipation for the wait ahead of us.

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 68

One Movie Punch: 8.8/10

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) is rated PG-13 and is currently playing in theatres.

Today’s movie is “Some Like It Hot” (1959), the classic romantic comedy directed by Billy Wilder, and written in collaboration with I.A.L. Diamond, based on the French comedy film “Fanfar d’amour” (1935). The film follows two jazz musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), who witness a violent mob hit in Chicago, then posing as women to hide within an all-female traveling band, which includes Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe).

Spoilers ahead.

The best word to describe this film is playful, followed by honest. “Some Like It Hot” is rated G, and aside from some obviously dated gender roles, the humor fits the rating without losing any of its cleverness. Wilder and Diamond’s script somehow weaves a noir film, a romantic comedy, and a musical together, with each step creating its own unique version of the original work.

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon have great chemistry both as Joe and Jerry, and as Josephine and Daphne, with great physical comedy, especially in their mannerisms and facial expressions. Marilyn Monroe is, well, another version of Marilyn, this time an alcoholic woman that has a thing for sax players and just wants to marry a rich man. And I loved Joe E. Brown as Osgood Fielding III, particularly while doing the tango with Daphne. 

I found some parts of this film really interesting, especially when Joe is trying to explain to Jerry why he can’t accept Osgood’s marriage proposal. We’ve finally made marriage equal for everyone in this country, and Jerry/Daphne seemed awfully happy with him, and then again later as they’re fleeing the mobsters to Osgood’s yacht. I almost think there’s an opportunity for a modern day reboot, with just the right tweaks to the story to make it its own, of course.

“Some Like It Hot” (1959) is a classic comedy, and despite a few gender roles that are chauvinistic at best, it really holds up, perhaps even being a subversive piece on same-sex marriage and gender expression in retrospect. It has a great cast and fine direction. But most of all, it’s playful in a way that few films are. Fans of classic films and fun comedies will definitely enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 97

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

“Some Like It Hot” (1959) is rated G and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s movie is “Candy Jar” (2018), the Netflix Original comedy written by Chad Klitzman and directed by Ben Shelton. The film follows Bennett Russell (Jacob Latimore) and Lona Skinner (Sami Gayle), two prep school rival debaters who team up to compete in the state debate championship, while dealing with high expectations from themselves and their parents.

Spoilers ahead.

We’re in a world now that is learning to deal with multiple forms of privilege, which is a hard conversation to have with society. I wince every time I see a television show or film try to tackle this topic in a meaningful way, because I’m so worried that the writers don’t recognize their own privilege. So, I was skeptical walking into this film, about prep school debaters worried if they’ll get into their first choice schools.

Klitzman’s script does a pretty good job framing the conversation, using Bennett’s mother, Julia (Uzo Aduba), to demonstrate parental expectations, and Lona’s mother, Amy (Christina Hendricks), trying to get her to slow down and enjoy her life. Helen Hunt’s character, Kathy, serves both students as guidance counselor, confidant, and moral compass, although her story arc takes an unexpected turn. Having the main debate topic revolve around a discussion of the value of a college degree adds an extra dimension. Shelton’s direction is solid, with the text effects during the debate montages adding to the story, along with some really well-timed one-liners.

But honestly, the film muddles the message towards the end, with the final debate being part performance piece, part soul-bearing hot mess. And sure, the working class kids end up winning the debate tournament, but Bennett and Lona are still bound towards their second-choice Ivy League schools. So, ultimately their trials and tribulations feel less like character growth and more like teenage melodrama. Not to mention, “Candy Jar”, as a title, has very little to do with either the message, or the film, background props aside.

“Candy Jar” (2018) may have trouble towards the end, but the overall film is a fun watch. The cast is above average and the film is really well composed, even if the story takes a few odd turns. Fans of coming of age or feel-good comedies will definitely enjoy this film, but be ready for a rough landing.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.2/10 

“Candy Jar” (2018) is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Kodachrome” (2018), the Netflix Original drama directed by Mark Raso and written for the screen by Jonathan Tropper based on an article by A.G. Sulzberger. The film follows Ben (Ed Harris), his son Matt (Jason Sudeikis), and his nurse Zoe (Elizabeth Olsen), who are traveling across country to the last photo development lab that is processing the final batches of Kodachrome film. The film debuted at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was featured at this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival.

Spoilers ahead.

This film feels like the end of an era in more than one way. The obvious metaphor relates to part of the premise. Film photography has become a much smaller portion of all the images captured nowadays, with a small but loyal population of practitioners. It makes sense that Ben Ryder is a famous photographer in the film, one who specializes in Kodachrome film, and that his aesthetic reasons for using Kodachrome become the aesthetic guides for this film.

But “Kodachrome” also feels like the end of an era for road trips, or at least the stories that can be told using a road trip that hasn’t been told. Again, it makes sense that the means by which Ben, Matt, and Zoe would get there is a road trip, which also opens up opportunities for some rather cruel character development, all coming to a head in dramatic fashion.

And here’s where the film becomes a victim of its own structure. Ben’s dying of liver cancer, and as Matt pulls him out of the hospital to complete the journey, you know exactly where the film is heading, and exactly what pictures are on the film to be developed. The cast does an amazing job, but the ending feels like a standard landing, lacking any real resolution to the wreckage left in their wake.

“Kodachrome” (2018) is a road trip film that feels like every other road trip film, and never like its own. An excellent cast and wonderful scenery help carry a sometimes overly cruel, predictable narrative, heavy on metaphor. The overall result, however, is a good film. Viewers of independent road trip and family dramas will definitely enjoy this film, but be prepared for some dark turns. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 74%

Metacritic: 57

One Movie Punch: 7.4/10

“Kodachrome” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Mercury 13” (2018), the Netflix documentary directed by David Sington and Heather Walsh. The film documents the thirteen women who were privately screened and tested for fitness as astronauts using the same qualifications as male candidates. The film features interviews with those involved in the process, the consequences on their lives and their dreams, and their lasting impact on society.

From now on, whenever someone says they wish we could go back to the good ol’ days in the United States, I want to show them this documentary to remind them of the rampant individual and structural sexism of the 1950s and 1960s. It was so evident in the footage and audio included in the film, and it is the only reason that it took us twenty years longer to get a woman in space. It amazed me just how small-minded our space program and society as a whole were, thinking the vast and immense cosmos was “off limits” because of a second X chromosome.

In fact, the sexism on display sometimes takes away from the stories of these amazing women. The documentary as a whole charts their stories, from their individual interests in flying, their Phase I training, a little about additional testing for selected candidates, and their summary dismissal by NASA, sections of the media, and sometimes even their fellow women. But it doesn’t end there, fast-forwarding to when NASA and society got their heads on straight about women in space, culminating in Eileen Collins’ historic space shuttle flight, and the speech she gave thanking these women.

Heather Walsh & David Sington compose a wonderful documentary that effectively tells their story, with great footage and audio, and a neat “what if” edit of some footage if a woman had been the first to walk on the moon. The only complaint I have about the film is that the music could be a little intrusive, or have a melody or tone that didn’t seem to match the tone of the interviews, and sometimes the overall narrative. A small complaint, but a noticeable one.

“Mercury 13” (2018) is a solid documentary with a quality message about amazing pioneering women denied their place in our sexist space program. I only wish this documentary had been made sooner, to capture more of the voices of the participants, perhaps even a whole docuseries about their individual lives. Viewers who want an unvarnished look at the sexism present in the space program and documentary fans in general should definitely watch this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Metacritic: 81

One Movie Punch: 7.8/10

“Mercury 13” (2018) is rated TV-PG and is currently streaming on Netflix.