REVIEW: “Oppenheimer” (2023)

July 22, 2023 by Keith Garlington

In a year that is showering us with cinematic treats such as the latest Mission: Impossible movie, a new Martin Scorsese epic, and the second chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” (just to name a few), no movie has had me more excited than Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”. This historical thriller is based on the 2005 biography “American Prometheus: The triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” which in normal hands could have been your prototypical biopic. But this is Christopher Nolan and there’s nothing prototypical about his work.

“Oppenheimer” is Nolan’s twelfth feature film and I can honestly say I’ve been a big fan of all eleven movies that preceded it. Even more (and at the risk of coming across as an acolyte), his last SIX movies each ended up being my favorite film of their individual years. I know how suspect that sounds. But simply put, Nolan makes movies that wow me, captivate me, and in their own ways enhance my appreciate for the art form. To no surprise Nolan has done it again with “Oppenheimer”.

Sporting an incredible vision and one of the most fascinating casts in recent history, Nolan delivers what is a staggering cinematic achievement. With extraordinary craft, masterful pacing, and a truly exquisite management of tone, Nolan tells the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of most consequential figures in world history. A theoretical physicist credited as the “father of the atomic bomb”, Oppenheimer was a brilliant but flawed man. Nolan captures all of his complexity and contradictions in this dense and layered study that plays on a massive scale.

**Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures**

Riveting from start to finish, “Oppenheimer” examines its titular personality by placing us inside the head of a man looking beyond the world he lives in until that very world consumes him. We watch as he is lured in by scientific innovation and the prospect of saving the world. And later we see him crumbling under the enormous weight of what he has created; torn by ethical conundrums that are only matched by the guilt of his own personal moral failings.

“Oppenheimer” is anchored by what might be the best screenplay of Nolan’s career and easily the best screenplay of the year so far. The movie is three hours long and dialogue heavy yet there’s never a dull moment. You won’t find a wasted scene or a throwaway line. Nolan is always going somewhere and strategically moving his story and the characters who inhabit it forward. It’s a textbook case of a movie earning every second of its running time.

Cillian Murphy has never been better and gives a stunning three-dimensional performance, portraying Oppenheimer at various stages in his life with spellbinding commitment. We first meet him in his early days studying at the University of Cambridge and then later at the University of Göttingen. We watch as he goes home to America determined to bring quantum physics to the States. He begins teaching at Berkeley where he meets nuclear physicist Ernest Lawrence (a terrific Josh Hartnett).

Outside of science and academics, Oppenheimer has an on-and-off romance with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh – more on her in a bit), a psychiatrist and member of the Communist Party USA. Their relationship comes back to haunt him in more ways than one. Later he weds biologist Katherine “Kitty” Puening (Emily Blunt) and they have two children together. But we see their marriage has its own share of self-inflicted challenges.

And of course Nolan takes us through Oppenheimer’s involvement with the Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bomb in the remote makeshift town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. There, under the direction of General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), Oppenheimer assembles a crack team of scientists to build the government a weapon that can end World War II. Oppenheimer hides from the inevitable consequences of such a weapon by dwelling on the alternative. He doesn’t know if America can be trusted with a bomb. But he does know that the Nazis can’t. So he pushes forward, intent on beating Germany to the bomb while slowly coming to realize what it is they’re unleashing.

As Nolan’s intricate story unfolds we’re given flash-forwards that shine a light on Oppenheimer’s tense relationship with Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss (a sublime and awards-worthy Robert Downey Jr.). These absorbing sequences follow Strauss as he’s set to be confirmed for United States Secretary of Commerce. But they’re shrewdly interlaced with scenes showing Oppenheimer’s 1954 security hearing where he faced trumped up charges that he was a Soviet agent. Watching these two threads tie together is nothing short of captivating.

Nolan’s lone miscalculation comes with his handling of Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock. She’s certainly a meaningful character, especially in how the filmmaker envisions her impact on Oppenheimer’s life. But Nolan’s needlessly explicit portrayal does little more than ensure an R rating. You can count Jean’s scenes on one hand, but Nolan’s unfortunate emphasis leaves Jean (and Pugh) feeling terribly shortchanged.

Aside from that, it’s hard to do anything but praise this monumental cinematic work. The phenomenal performances top to bottom. The incredible visuals from DP Hoyte van Hoytema. Ludwig Göransson’s beguiling score. Nolan’s impeccable precision and control. It’s all seamlessly bound together in a movie of both historical importance and present day urgency. Yes, “Oppenheimer” is a compelling look at a fascinating historical figure. It also holds a mirror to our world, warning of humanity’s propensity to focus so much on the now that we rarely consider the future. That truth is captured most in the film’s sobering gut-punch final scene – a movie moment that will stay etched in my mind for a long time. “Oppenheimer” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 5 DAYS

REVIEW: “They Cloned Tyrone” (2023)

July 21, 2023 by Keith Garlington

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Huel Taylor makes his directorial debut in the ambitious yet uneven “They Cloned Tyrone”. At its best this wild genre mashup feels like what we would get if the Coen brothers made a 1970s blaxploitation movie. At its shakiest the film has a hard time maintaining any kind of consistent tone. Written by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, the film is constantly bouncing back and forth between super seriousness to over-the-top absurdity. It ends up impacting everything from the story, the characters, and even the sometimes clever yet sometimes on-the-nose messaging.

Something that doesn’t miss the mark is the cracking chemistry between the film’s three stars, John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx. All three embody their characters with a streetwise panache. Yet it’s the distinctions between them that make them an interesting trio. The writing doesn’t always help them, at times relying so much on petty profanity-laced bickering and babbling that they almost become caricatures. But Boyega. Parris, and Foxx are crafty talents and they’re often elevating the material.

The movie begins on a pretty serious note by introducing us to Fontaine (Boyega), a small-time drug dealer who has his hands full fending off rival neighborhood gangs and collecting money from his non-paying customers. One such customer is a hilariously decked-out pimp named Slick Charles (played by Foxx who looks like he stepped right out of a certain flashback sequence in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” – fans to that hilarious 1988 film will know what I mean).

Slick Charles runs his sleazy operation out of a dirt-cheap motel called The Royal. There he’s constantly clashing with his strong-willed worker Yo-Yo (Parris) who claims she’s ready to retire so she can go to Memphis and find her “a real man”. Fontaine goes to Slick Charles’ motel room to squeeze out some money owed. But as he’s leaving he’s brutally gunned down by a rival gang member.

So Fontaine is dead right? Well not so fast. Suddenly we see him wake up in bed and once again start his daily routine (ala “Groundhog Day”). But when he shows up to collect his money from Slick Charles, he scares the self-proclaimed “1995 Players Ball Pimp of the Year” who witnessed Fontaine’s murder the night before. Slick Charles tries to explain what happened but Fontaine doesn’t buy it. He finally convinces Fontaine to go find Yo-Yo who can corroborate his story.

Without giving too much away, the three become neighborhood gumshoes, eventually uncovering a nefarious (and utterly ludicrous) plot against their predominantly Black inner-city community being carried out by an evil white extension of the US government. At least that’s the best way I can describe the film’s baddies. It’s hard to say for sure because the secret “scientific” agency is never explained all that well. Regardless, it sets up a pretty zany story that attempts to mix serious emotion and messaging with an utterly preposterous scenario that goes well beyond the cloning in the title.

To its credit, the movie does have its funny moments that work well in large part thanks to Jamie Foxx. The comedy really ramps up the very moment he hits the screen. Over time the humor does take a backseat as Taylor tries to turn his potty-mouthed Three Stooges into characters with a (somewhat) serious side. But even then we still get some inherently funny bits that flow naturally out of the story.

Yet blending and managing tone is a tricky task and frankly “They Cloned Tyrone” is all over the map. The movie clearly wants to bring together a number of obvious influences and it’s that love for genre and style that gives the movie a certain allure. But it jumps around too much and doesn’t always seem to know what to do with its characters (take Kiefer Sutherland’s paper-thin villain who’s only purpose is to dump some exposition and shoot a few bullets). It turns out to be a nagging thorn in the film’s side that keeps it from being all that it could be. “They Cloned Tyrone” premieres today on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

First Glance: “A Haunting in Venice”

July 20, 2023 by Keith Garlington

What can I say, I’ve been a sucker for Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded adventures of Hercule Poirot. Branagh has directed and starred in 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile”. Now he returns with “A Haunting in Venice”, his third Agatha Christie adaptation that follows the ace detective as he solves murders across various exotic locations. The latest trailer is a lot of fun and it looks like Branagh is having a blast with the supernatural twist.

This time around we see Branagh’s Poirot take on a supernatural mystery in (obviously) Venice. Retired and living a quite life alone, Poirot reluctantly finds himself back on a case after a guest is murdered during a séance at an old and supposedly haunted palazzo. Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, and Ricardo Scamarcio fill out yet another intriguing cast – something the series has been known for. I’m in.

“A Haunting in Venice” hits theaters September 15th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

RETRO REVIEW: “The Boss” (aka “Wipeout!)(1973)

July 19, 2023 by Keith Garlington

In the dark of night, a man in blue coveralls and carrying a long narrow case slips into the side door of a movie theater. He makes his way to a service elevator and heads up to the roof. Once there he walks across and enters a door that takes him down several stairs and to the projection booth. He opens up his case and pulls out a bolt-action rifle. In the theater below a mob boss and his wise guys sit watching a Swedish skin flick, unaware that a gun is pointing at them from above.

I won’t spoil how things play out, but the scene is an explosive start to writer-director’s Fernando Di Leo’s “The Boss” (which was also released as “Wipeout!”). Everything about it, from its conception to its execution, emphasizes Di Leo’s skill and tenacity as a genre filmmaker. It’s bloody and brutal and instantly sets the tone for this violent and sometimes sleazy poliziottesco crime noir.

“The Boss” is considered the be the third film in Di Leo’s Milieu Trilogy following “Caliber 9” and “The Italian Connection”, both from 1972. The killer in the above described scene is Nick Lanzetta (played by the late Henry Silva). He’s a hitman working for Don Giuseppe Daniello (Claudio Nicastro). Don Giuseppe has been a father figure to Nick, taking him in off the streets and raising him as one of his own. Now Don Giuseppe runs a crew in Palermo with Nick as his trusted right-hand-man.

While taking out the rival boss at the movie theater may have solved some problems, it also opened up others. A gangster named Cocchi (Pier Paolo Capponi) takes charge of what’s left of the dead Don’s crew and is intent on revenge. He has some men kidnap Don Giuseppe’s nympho daughter Rina (Antonia Santilli). As expected this sends Don Giuseppe into a panic. He wants Nick to find and rescue Rina but is told to stand down by the regional boss, Don Corrasco (Richard Conte). He’s an old-school Sicilian who detests Calabrians. Still he doesn’t want to start a full-blown gang war as too much noise would catch the attention of the big bosses in Rome.

But soon Nick finds himself caught in the middle. Corrasco wants him to keep an eye on Giuseppe to make sure he doesn’t make a deal with the kidnappers that would threaten the family. Giuseppe wants him to help get Rina back without alerting Corrasco. Like most good spaghetti gangster movies, a slew of characters are introduced and few are left standing at the end. Allegiances form, friends turn on friends, enemies get their comeuppances.

There are several interesting variables that add some cool layers to the story. Gianni Garko is terrific as Commissioner Torri, a dirty cop who’s impossible to read. And Marino Masé is really good playing Pignataro, a mob enforcer who helps Nick once the heat turns up. Both are crucial pieces of the story that keep things moving in unexpected directions. Not so good is Rina, who only seems there to serve as a plot device and to give the audience a woman to ogle. She’s a flimsy character and a distraction that often pulls us away from the good stuff.

Overlooking that one poorly judged annoyance, “The Boss” is a captivating mob thriller full of rich and fascinating characters and with a good eye for gritty gangland action. The story may have the markings of a conventional mob tale, but Di Leo’s shrewdly absorbing script and direction brings a fresh feel to a pretty straightforward genre flick. It’s propulsive and energetic, eventually reaching a bullet-riddled payoff that’s both fitting and satisfying.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Out-Laws” (2023)

July 18, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Back in 2020 Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions came together with director Tyler Spindel and conceived “The Wrong Missy”, an atrocious David Spade led comedy in-name-only for Netflix. The two give it another whirl with “The Out-Laws”, the new action-heist comedy that manages to be an improvement over their last effort. But let’s be honest, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement.

“The Out-Laws” sees Adam DeVine playing Owen Browning, an oblivious young bank manager, as nerdy as he is naive, who’s all set to marry the girl of his dreams, Parker McDermott (Nina Dobrev). With their special day fast approaching, the couple are surprised by an email from Parker’s parents, Billy (Pierce Brosnan) and Lilly (Ellen Barkin) saying they are coming to the wedding. Parker hasn’t seen her folks in years and Owen has never met them.

Well wouldn’t you know it, shortly after Billy, Lilly, and their mammoth-sized personalities arrive Owen’s bank is robbed. All signs point to his soon-to-be in-laws being the culprits but Owen needs proof before accusing them, especially to Parker. Hijinks and numerous vain attempts at humor ensue.

It’s hard to know how much else to share because it’s not like the story offers anything fresh or even interesting. Spindel, with screenwriters Evan Turner and Ben Zazove, run with the ‘are they or aren’t they outlaws’ bit for a while before cranking up the action in the final 30 minutes. That’s when things really get silly. Through it all the jokes steadily become less and less funny while DeVine’s act quickly grows stale and irritating. Needless to say it doesn’t take long for his character to wear out his welcome.

Along the way we’re treated to a number of other characters, many played by some great faces. The always fun Michael Rooker squeezes out a few laughs playing an FBI agent investigating the bank robbery. I can’t say the same for Lil Rel Howery who is essentially playing yet another Lil Rel Howery character. Laci Mosley and Daniel Andrew Jablons have some good moments as Owen’s bank employees but they’re barely around. The only semi-reliable source of giggles is Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty as Owen’s odd-duck parents. They’re able to generate some genuine laughs and somehow make the cringiest material digestible.

“The Out-Laws” is the kind of throwaway movie that many people use to give streaming comedies a bad name. It’s generic, formulaic, and not nearly as funny as it wants to be. The writing is all over the map – funny on occasions but mostly bad. Meanwhile the performances range from decent to dreadful. All together it makes for the kind of processed time-muncher custom-made for people sitting on their couches to click on once and then never watch again. It’s not much to strive for, but if that was the goal I guess it succeeded. “The Out-Laws” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (2023)

July 17, 2023 by Keith Garlington

For me the Mission: Impossible movies have become the epitome of Hollywood blockbusters done right. Tom Cruise has taken the series from its early days of experimenting with different directors and their different styles to its more cohesive current state as a consistently jaw-dropping action franchise that has thrived under the winning watchful eye of writer-director Christopher McQuarrie.

As most know, the Mission: Impossible films are famous for steadily upping the ante in terms of mind-blowing action set pieces that repeatedly push the boundaries of practical effects and stunt work. And of course leading that charge is Tom Cruise himself whose passion for giving audiences truly memorable big screen experiences has led to him constantly one-upping himself in terms of wild death-defying stunts.

The seventh installment in the franchise is finally here and it once again delivers exactly the kind of big-budget cinematic thrills that I’ve come to expect. “Dead Reckoning Part One” is the first of an epic two-parter with its direct sequel set to release June 28, 2024. McQuarrie returns to helm the massive project and the cast is overflowing with fan favorite characters and some really intriguing new ones. But once again it’s Cruise who is the linchpin both on screen and off.

**Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures**

Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt who this time finds himself on an unsanctioned mission to hunt down a sentient A.I. called the Entity (how timely) that has gone rogue. Different governments around the world want to harness and weaponize the Entity, but Ethan believes it to be too dangerous to control and sets out to destroy it. That puts him odds with the world’s intelligence agencies including his own.

The hunt begins with the search for a key that’s said to unlock the ability to control the Entity. The key is broken into two pieces, one believed to be in the possession of Ilsa Faust (the superb Rebecca Ferguson), an ex-MI6 agent and close ally to Ethan. IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny making his first appearance since the 1996 original film) has put a bounty on Ilsa’s head yet tips off Ethan to her whereabouts.

The other part of the key is tracked to Abu Dhabi International Airport where Ethan is joined by his loyal friends and team members Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames). But they aren’t the only ones trying to retrieve it. A mysterious face from Ethan’s past named Gabriel (Esai Morales) is working for the Entity and is determined to get to the key first. Meanwhile an intelligence collective called The Community has sent a force led by Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham) to secure Ethan dead or alive.

The wild card in the story is also the film’s best new addition. Hayley Atwell plays Grace, a smart and resourceful professional thief with (as Atwell herself described them) rather ambiguous loyalties. She snatches the key in the airport but soon finds herself in way over her head. Atwell has an infectious charm and her chemistry with Cruise fuels some of the movie’s best scenes.

As the story unfolds McQuarrie and company take us all around the world, making stops in Amsterdam, the Bering Sea, the Arabian Desert, Washington DC, Abu Dahbi, Rome, Venice, and the Austrian Alps. They’re all beautifully shot by DP Fraser Taggart. McQuarrie utilizes the numerous locations incredibly well resulting in a number of strikingly unique yet equally thrilling action scenes that pop off the screen.

The story itself is compelling yet clearly building towards a proper conclusion which we should get in Part Two. Still it’s energized by the committed and often nuanced performances from a truly spot-on cast. Cruise, Ferguson, Rhames, and Pegg have a well-established chemistry which once again forms the centerpiece of the story. I’ve mentioned how great Atwell is. The same can be said for Morales who makes for a formidable antagonist who remains somewhat of a mystery even after the credits roll. Vanessa Kirby returns as the always fascinating White Widow while Pom Klementieff adds a cool maniacal twist.

It doesn’t have many, but there are a few shortcomings. For example, Ethan and Gabriel’s past certainly has a role to play in the film. Yet it doesn’t get the attention it needs to feel meaningful. Also as an unapologetic fan of Ferguson’s Ilsa, I really wish she had been given more to do. There’s a lengthy stretch in the first half where she’s nowhere to be found and then just pops up with no explanation. Same with Rhames in the third act.

But let’s be real, those are minor quibbles especially for a movie that delivers the kind of exhilarating entertainment we get from “Dead Reckoning Part One”. Cruise and McQuarrie have once again collaborated to make a poster boy summer blockbuster that lovingly embraces what makes the big screen experience so uniquely special. It’s kinetically paced and action driven, yet anchored by great characters and with more than a few laughs to break up the tension. Altogether it makes for a wonderful first part to what could be a truly unforgettable mission. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is in theaters now.