THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME
In a small, postwar town that has nothing good going for it – corruption, violence, and church is its past, present and future. In this gritty, Southern Gothic tale, the jim-dandy cast – Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson being the most compelling – are not afraid to get more than a little blood on their hands. And the longer this harrowing film goes, the more intriguing it becomes as paths are crossed and bodies are buried. Directed and co-written by Antonio Campos, he encompasses an absorbing atmosphere with constant dread, staying aware of the evil lying underneath the surface of God-fearing folks. This slow-burning, brutal backwoods thriller is unapologetic in being morbid and unsettling. Why would we be excluded from having to witness the suffering of their sins? The cracking, murderous manner in which the film is told, along with the excellent ensemble, frames a painful yet poetic deterioration of morality that runs through mothers and fathers and their sons and daughters.
RISING PHOENIX
In this sensational and uplifting documentary, the athletes of the Paralympic Games resemble superheroes and their powers have a profound effect on the lives they live. Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui stylishly present an outstanding overview of this phenomenal event and what it means for those putting it together and participating in it. Together, they are changing the perspective through sports that having a disability is not a weakness. It’s actually quite the opposite for the resilient competitors that are celebrated who share their inspiring stories, refusing to be defined by their differences. They’re here to compete like everyone else. Period.
I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS
Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemmons are both brilliantly bizarre and bewitching in writer-director Charlie Kaufman’s daring and dreamy depiction of memory, identity, and loneliness. He crafts his own idiomatic version of Iain Reid’s debut novel that’s delusional and definitely deliberate. So don’t freak out if you start to feel nutso when things constantly start changing, lifetimes dwindling down to scattershot moments, and a dog who shakes for unnaturally too long. Feeling uncomfortable and uncertain is what Kaufman’s concoction is all about. You’ll watch in disbelief until it slowly forms into disappointment as the surreal and erratic storytelling takes its toll. As we hear multiple times, there’s just one question to answer, but getting there is more or less irksome…as they say.
This psychological horror rubs our faces in the disconnection suffered by being trapped in your own head while re-running possibilities that could’ve changed one’s direction in life. The pace can be painful at times, as well as almost any discussion had feels pompous and exhausting. The final straw is Kaufman’s ridiculous ending. After dragging us along for the ride in the freezing cold for over two hours, it’s a huge let down. Kaufman’s brilliance is incredible, there’s nothing he does that’s standard or straightforward. And when it works it really works, though when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. Multiple viewings may make a difference, but it’s too damn draining to put oneself through the film’s frenzied nature more than once.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
It’s easier to forgive director Brett Haley for playing it safe with the material and presenting it in expected ways when this teen drama is so uplifting, tenderhearted and sweetly told. Auli’i Cravalho is enchanting as the heart and soul of a story focusing on a talented and optimistic young girl who gives and gives, but the hardships that continue to pile up on her causes some serious damage to the hope she’s been clinging to. It’s her turn to get a little help from friends, the legendary Carol Burnett and music – each playing their part in the healing process. It unabashedly goes out of its way to get us to shed a tear or two, but I can’t say it doesn’t work.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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