BLONDE
Ana de Armas absolutely stuns in a powerhouse performance where she miraculously disappears into a role for the ages in this fictional Marilyn Monroe biopic that drenches viewers in objectification, cruelty, exploitation, and misery. Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ book of the same name, writer/director Andrew Dominik’s dense, choppy, and way too long depiction of Norma Jean’s torment and trauma and the use and abuse of Monroe is indisputably a difficult and draining watch. So much is flat-out disregarded, her talent, brilliance, and the impact she has on audiences to this day isn’t acknowledged in the slightest. Apparently a better use of Dominik’s time is to repeatedly and relentlessly pile on to her pain.
For Norma, her and Marilyn were two separate individuals, though their suffering is tragically the same. They’re both handled like toy dolls having the stuffing ripped right out of them for pure pleasure. Still, not all is dismal as the cinematography is gorgeous and the score is hauntingly sublime. But it’s de Armas who will leave you the most breathless. In the re-creations of Monroe’s most iconic images, she’s spectacularly spot-on. Going well beyond just looking the part, she’s captivating in every way imaginable – a truly unforgettable transformation. Regrettably, it occurs in a misogynistic, colorless exercise that feels achingly unnecessary and empty.
LOU
Living off the grid, Lou (Allison Janney) is a hardened lady whose dangerous past catches up with her when a mother (Jurnee Smollett) has no other option than to turn to her to help rescue her kidnapped daughter. After all, what are neighbors for? Director Anna Foerster (Westworld, Outlander) takes no risks in this generic thriller that exists only as an excuse for Janney to get rough and tough out in the wet wilderness. Besides a shoddy script, the story is quite predictable with action scenes that hardly excite. It’s all been done before and better. Janney is the main attraction and is dependable no matter the circumstances. When everything else is quickly forgettable, she’s the viewer’s last hope in staying engaged. She ain’t going down without a fight.
DO REVENGE
Coming in hot with 90’s movie vibes and tunes, co-writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s overly stylish yet familiar high school teen dark comedy works more than it probably should thanks to the fierce duo of Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke. Drea (Mendes) sits on the throne at her fancy private high school right next to her boyfriend, Max (Austin Abrams). She’s designed a perfect existence where she has it all. That is until her sex tape is leaked (allegedly by Max) and everything comes crashing down. Then there’s Eleanor (Hawke), a new transfer student who has now been reunited with an old crush who started a venomous rumor about her at summer camp some years back. The thirst for vengeance pushes the two ladies to join forces so to take down their tormentors, and in the midst of doing so – they just might realize they aren’t as different as they may seem. That’s not necessarily a compliment, either.
Do Revenge has its own crush on flicks like Clueless, She’s All That, and Heathers to name just a few. For a good portion of this, it definitely feels like we have been here before on several other occasions. However, there’s a late twist in the story that actually surprises and makes things a lot more enthralling. That’s not to say predictability doesn’t win in the end, but nonetheless still manages to defy certain expectations as far as what you think you’re watching. Ultimately, it’s a high school popularity game where labels are being thrown at rapid speed, and Hawke and Mendes are the most alluring players involved. Oh how easy it is to lose sight of who you are when playing at the highest level possible.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern 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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