BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
3.5 out of 5 stars
You have to hand it to Cohen – he has impeccable timing in bringing back the Kazakh television journalist. Borat returning in 2020 just feels right w/ his guaranteed shocking moments. Hilarious, cringeworthy, & clever, he & the sensational Bakalova (in her debut as Borat’s daughter) expose the ridiculous, rancid, & ignorant realities of America. While not quite touching the bar set by the original, this father-daughter satire is nonetheless unflinching & relevant – repeatedly hitting hot topic buttons – & I dare say sincere.
LOVE AND MONSTERS
4 out of 5 stars
Carrying an ideally charming & comical performance, O’Brien stars as Joel who is more than ready to reunite w/ his girlfriend he hasn’t seen in over 7 years due to the wiping out of 95% of the human race. The awful aftermath of chemical crud falling like rain from missiles used to destroy an asteroid will do that. What we get is a sweetly enjoyable rom-com holding hands w/ an excellent & easygoing action-adventure. It’s the jelling of a terrific relationship for a hazardous post-apocalyptic world. Director Matthews has so many delightful surprises in store for those willing to give this one a chance.
What lies beyond its plain title is finesse, fun, & laughs. Likewise, great care is shown for characters & creatures alike, the effects are braggingly disgusting, & Rooker & Greenblatt are a dynamite duo who have learned a thing a two about survival & are nice enough to share. The movie offers plenty of monsters, but it doesn’t settle on that & unexpectedly tacks on emotion & inspiration to a story about coming out of hiding to get a breathe of fresh air & start living again. What’s not to love?
THE GLORIAS
2.5 out of 5 stars
Four versions of Steinem present pivotal parts of her life – her childhood in Ohio, her early writings, her fear of public speaking, Ms. Magazine and finding her activist voice inside the women liberation movement – in a surprisingly subtle & subdued biopic from writer-director Taymor. Moore & Vikander impeccably personify the trailblazer, but narratively speaking, it’s overlong, disconnecting, & missing that required fiery spirit. In the end, this women’s rights icon has lived an exhilarating & fulfilling life that Taymor is incapable of replicating.
SYNCHRONIC
2 out of 5 stars
A time-traveling tale that can’t keep the intrigue going about a mysterious drug whose takers will go on a trip they may not come back from. Quickly after a major disappearance leads to what the crazy pill is capable of, directors Benson & Moorhead’s inventiveness fades from their trippy sci-fi story. The star power of Mackie & Dornan is an attention-getter, but these guys aren’t put to great use to kick this up a notch. Some of the visuals are cool, yet The Endless filmmakers’ fascinating concept goes kaput when stretching it over an hour & a half.
COME PLAY
3 out of 5 stars
Larry may be a silly name for a monster, but it’s no joke when he wants to be friends. With effective tricks of technology & lights & a solid cast ready to play, writer-director Chase’s first feature is a smart & scary surprise. That’s not to say there aren’t familiar frights, yet there’s definite depth offered that these kind of movies are typically missing. The direct focus on autism is a key component of that & provides real weight to a story of loneliness & a mother’s love.
THE INFORMER
1.5 out of 5 stars
So disappointing to see a solid cast – Kinnaman, Pike, Owen, de Armas – misspent playing superficial characters in a ridiculously recycled plot. Writer-director Di Stefano does nothing exciting w/ this action thriller about a FBI informant getting the shit end of a deal that could cost him his life w/ no one to trust. It’s convoluted & implausible w/ a hasty last half that seals its fate of being instantly forgettable.
TIME
4 out of 5 stars
This compassionate, ingenious doc is as personal as it gets, a tremendous true story of redemption that’ll break your heart though fill your soul w/ hope. Including the use of Fox’s video diaries, director Bradley’s powerful portrait of the Rich family shows first-hand how precious time is & how easily it can be taken away by a legal & prison system more interested in incarceration of people of color than rehabilitation.
As seen through her family, Fox’s love knows no bounds & her resolve is remarkable. She’s a wife, mother, & one hell of a fighter who is more patient than most & refuses to give up on her husband being in her arms once more. It’s a triumph in intimately illustrating injustice, suffering & resilience that so many families like this one are dealing w/ right this second.
THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW
2.5 out of 5 stars
Writer-director-star Cummings wants to do something different w/ a classic horror sub-genre & it’s not all bad. But he distinctly bites off more than he can chew w/ his latest about grizzly murders happening every full moon in a small, snow-covered town. Sounds like they have a werewolf problem.
The atmosphere is chilling & the mystery driving the plot is intriguing. Still, w/ an uneven mashup of horror & comedy – neither one gets their proper due. Also, the attempt at clawing deeper into flawed characters who have their own personal beasts to tame gets lost in the carnage. In the end, it’s nothing to howl home about.
THE WITCHES (2020)
2 out of 5 stars
There’s fun to be had when dealing w/ witches, children & mice, especially when they come from a Dahl tale. Unfortunately, there’s really only one person having a hoot in this retelling from director Zemeckis & that’s Hathaway. She goes for broke in a wicked, campy performance that you’ll either love or loathe. There’s no in between. And we know Zemeckis loves his special effects, & while they show off witches’ ugly feet – they add no excitement to an empty story. Overall, it could be creepy for small kids, though it’s by all means less than bewitching for the rest of us.
ON THE ROCKS
3.5 out of 5 stars
Writer-director Coppola pours a light but gratifying dramedy of a daughter’s knotty relationship w/ her father that spills over into her marriage. Cheers to a magnetic Murray whose charm & charisma never fails. And Jones is wonderful as his kiddo, never missing a beat while playing detective w/ her old man – hot on the trail of her husband & his presumable affair. Sort of nutty, a little emotional, & definitely bittersweet. It’s a serene & supernal reunion for Coppola & Murray that gives you a nice little buzz.
SHITHOUSE
2.5 out of 5 stars
Sparks don’t necessarily fly between writer-director-star Raiff & Gelula, but they still have a little something while portraying relatable characters dealing w/ a shitload of emotions that comes w/ college life. Raiff offers some amazing awkwardness & some genuine laughs in his first feature, yet there’s hardly anything that makes this a standout in the world of coming-of-age comedies. It’s less inventive & more imitative w/ the exception of when our two lost souls confide in each other w/ a few cathartic convos & an argument about 13 Going on 30.
JUNGLELAND
3 out of 5 stars
Hunnam & O’Connell put in prizewinning performances as two desperate brothers who are one fight away from earning a better life. Though, their injurious relationship comes out swinging when a girl comes between them. Acting aside, the biggest opponent in writer-director Winkler’s brotherly love/boxing tale is familiarity & it doesn’t go Winkler’s way. The work is in the characters & it shows, yet it’s not enough for it to really pack a punch.
AMMONITE
1.5 out of 5 stars
To be underwhelmed by a film starring two of the very best that acting has to offer sounds foolish, yet here we are. Winslet & Ronan give hushed portrayals w/ brief glimpses of passion, but it’s mostly cold between the two as this love affair is DOA. Written & directed by Lee, his period lesbian romance is boring w/ a capital B.
NINE DAYS
4 out of 5 stars
Duke is phenomenal in a superbly soul-searching sci-fi drama that has big ideas on what it means to be human. Set up as a job interview where your life literally depends on it, writer-director Oda’s first feature is imposing & intimate, breathtaking & beautiful. The uniqueness & imagination he presents on-screen is nothing short of stunning.
Along w/ Duke, the excellent ensemble (especially Beetz) profoundly questions all concepts of our existence that’s gripping & emotionally effective. This is a marvelous meditation on the meaning of life. It’s a knockout w/ an ending that’s eminently moving & has you reassessing the years you’ve spent on Earth & what you will do w/ the remaining ones you have left.
HONEST THIEF
2.5 out of 5 stars
Neeson is up to his same old tricks we’ve grown accustomed to w/ his latest old man actioner. It takes the lazy route in form of a predictable plot involving a bank robber who is ready to turn himself in because he’s found love, but corrupt FBI agents won’t make it easy for him to do so. Obviously, we all know they’re messing w/ the wrong dude. And admittedly there’s no way you can dislike Neeson & his one-liners. It’s physically impossible. However, he’s better than this as these types of roles are far from his Taken days & from the looks of it – he’s becoming pretty bored w/ them himself.
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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