REVIEW: “Empire of Light” (2022)

November 4, 2022 by Keith Garlington

(CHECK OUT my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Sam Mendes the director faces off against Sam Mendes the screenwriter in “Empire of Light”, an ambitious undertaking that feels like about four different movies crammed into one. It’s a romance, a socio-political study, an ode to cinema history, a workplace drama. It’s bevy of themes includes racism, mental illness, sexual harassment, working class struggles. Some things fare much better than others. Ultimately it’s too much to juggle, and Mendes the director can’t quite compensate for Mendes the screenwriter.

“Empire” is chock-full of compelling pieces. It has Olivia Colman as its star. It’s shot by the great Roger Deakins. It has a wonderful period appeal. It has scenes that exquisitely celebrate the movie theater experience. All of these strengths work to realize Mendes’ big vision and are driven by his obvious passion for the many subjects he attempts to tackle.

But simply put, Mendes has too much on his plate. And while I love Colman’s brilliantly layered performance, Deakins’ sumptuous cinematography, etc., the story feels like a patchwork of loosely connected ideas with some carrying enough weight to be their own movie. But here, none of them get the attention they need to project the kind of “importance” Mendes is going for. So we end up with a film that feels stitched together and that never reaches the heights it’s clearly aiming for.

**Image Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures**

The story is set in the early 1980s and spends most of its time at a movie house in an English coastal town. The Empire was once a prestigious theater with a restaurant, a bar, a ballroom, and five total screening rooms. But over time business dropped off, and the Empire was forced to downsize. Eventually everything was shutdown save two screening rooms, and it scrapes by with a small but dedicated staff (a well-handled the metaphor for the struggling theaters of today).

Colman plays Hilary Small, the duty manager at the Empire. We’re introduced to her through a terrific opening credits montage showing her opening up the theater. She unlocks doors, turns out the lights, checks on the candy display, and opens up the box office. The art deco decor, the red velvet curtains with gold trim, the shiny brass railings – its a transporting sequence shot with stunning detail.

While the movie house setting beams with nostalgic joy, Hilary is much the opposite. We can’t help but notice her lonely, detached, melancholy (at one point she fittingly describes herself as “numb”). Her eclectic blend of co-workers are an easygoing bunch, none more fun than Toby Jones as Norman, the theater’s projectionist. On the other end is Hilary’s weaselly boss Mr. Daniel Ellis (Colin Firth). He runs the theater behind a facade of respectability. In truth he’s an abusive slime who often uses his power to satisfy his sexual urges (something that gets more heinous as Hilary’s story unfolds).

Hilary‘s demeanor changes when a younger new employee named Stephen (Michael Ward) joins the Empire’s staff. Hilary is tasked with showing him the ropes and quickly becomes enamored with his youthful spirit and personality. Eventually, an unexpected and slightly underdeveloped romance develops. Mendes uses several aspects of their relationship for commentary (their age difference; she’s white, he’s Black). Some of it resonates. Some of it is glaringly on-the-nose.

Before you know it, Mendes is balancing his ‘love letter to cinema and movie theaters’ with a multi-faceted and frustratingly uneven character drama. The on-again-off-again chemistry between Colman and Ward doesn’t help. Both performances are solid, but the screenplay doesn’t always put them in the best positions. Things only get messier once Mendes shallowly digs into mental health, white supremacy, etc.

But then you have what works best, namely Mendes’ full-hearted expression of his love for movies, the theater experience, and the history of cinema itself. It shines through in several great bits, both big and easy to miss. Some are as broad as the evocative theater setting itself. Others are very specific scenes, none better than Norman giving Michael a detailed rundown of the projection room (It’s one of my favorite scenes of the year). Too bad it feels so at odds with other things the movie is trying to do.

And that gets back to the film’s biggest problem – it’s all over the map narratively, thematically, even tonally. And when making deep affecting themes part of your story, you want to give them the attention they need. That doesn’t always happen in “Empire”. It’s well-meaning for sure but pretty bare in its considerations, leaving some themes feeling tacked onto an already stuffed movie. Meanwhile we end up feeling torn between admiring the movie Mendes wanted to make and accepting the one we end up with. “Empire of Light” hits theaters December 9th.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “On the Line” (2022)

November 4, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Several actors have found new life in the world of VOD. What started in earnest during the VHS video tape era is now thriving with Video On Demand. Prior to the sad news of his retirement due to health problems, Bruce Willis was putting out several of these low-budget, straight-to-VOD action-thrillers per year (he made SEVEN in 2021 alone). While Mel Gibson is still seen in larger big screen projects, lately he’s been popping up in several of these VOD features.

Gibson’s latest “On the Line” comes from writer, director, and co-producer Romuald Boulanger, and technically it fits within the VOD sphere in terms of budget and (at times) quality. But Boulanger creates a few moments that elevate it beyond the box that so many of these movies snugly fit in. And we get a few scenes that tease us with the old Mel Gibson who can carry a movie with his gravelly charisma alone.

But “On the Line” can’t quite shake the nagging problem of its utterly preposterous scenario. It left me with so many questions. It’s also a movie that hinges so much on its final act twist. But getting to that twist isn’t easy. The movie’s shaky opening gives way to a middle section that ranges from head-scratching to astonishingly bad. But what makes this such a hard review to consider is that the ending actually explains why the long and bumpy middle is the way it is. But that doesn’t make our first sitting through the stretch any more satisfying.

Gibson plays Elvis Cooney, a “legendary” LA shock jock who hosts a popular midnight radio show called On the Line. After arriving at the station for his evening slot, Elvis butts heads with his on-air rival, Justin (Kevin Dillon), gets an earful from his ratings-worried boss, Sam (Nadia Farès), and is introduced to his new producer named Dylan (William Moseley). He then sits down with his switchboard operator, Mary (Alia Seror-O’Neill) and kicks off his caller-based program.

Early into the show, Elvis takes a disturbing call from a troubled man named Gary from Pasadena. He claims to be outside of the home of the man who “ruined his life”, and if Elvis takes him off the air he’ll kill everyone inside. It puts Elvis in a tricky predicament that only gets thornier once Gary reveals he’s at Elvis’ house. So with his wife and daughter held hostage by an armed madman, all Elvis can do is keep him on the line and play his demented game of wits.

It all makes for a fairly interesting premise that’s easy to latch onto but hard to stay connected with, especially as things get more and more absurd. Outside of Elvis, all we get are wafer-thin characters, some weird decision-making, and bits of cringe-worthy dialogue that’s hard to get past. But then we get that twist which makes you second guess your frustrations with the earlier stuff. It’s just as ridiculous, but it does catch you off-guard and help make sense of what you’ve seen up to that point. But it’s hard to toss aside the experience leading up to the reveal. It’s ultimately what keeps the film from hitting its ambitious mark. “On the Line” premieres today, November 4th, in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

First Glance: “Avatar: The Way of Water”

November 3, 2022 by Keith Garlington

James Cameron’s much anticipated sequel to his quintessential blockbuster “Avatar” is finally upon us. A while back 20th Century Studios gave us our first tease. Yesterday they dropped the first full trailer for “Avatar: The Way of Water”, and to no surprise it was a visual showcase more than a story reveal. While many of the effects look amazing, it was hard not to notice the clear CGI in some scenes. Still, for me the biggest question mark is the story. So much about the first film’s narrative felt copied-and-pasted from several other movies. I’m really hoping the new “Avatar” has a fresh story to tell.

In the trailer Cameron again treats us to the glory of Pandora. We see its forests, animal life, and most significantly this time around, its waters. We also see Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprising their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri. Set a decade after the events of the first film, we see the couple starting a family and enjoying life on their planet. But we also see the dangers they face just to survive and it’s pretty clear that a greater threat looms in the near distance. Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, CCH Pounder, and Giovanni Ribisi also return while Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, and Jemaine Clement are among the newcomers. I’m really anxious to see how the $250 million investment turns out, especially 13 years after the original.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” hits theaters December 16, 2022. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

New on Home Video: “Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.” Blu-Ray Collector’s Edition

November 3, 2022 by Keith Garlington

One of my favorite films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival was “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”, a biting and often hilarious critique of pseudo-Christianity and megachurch corruption. Now Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing this snarky satire home with a brand new Blu-Ray Collectors Edition. The film marks the feature directorial debut for writer-director Adamma Ebo and stars the superbly cast Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown as a megachurch power couple trying to bounce back following a huge public scandal. You can read my full film review HERE.

This new Blu-Ray Collector’s Edition of “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” hit shelves NOVEMBER 1, 2022. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 Minutes

Director: Adamma Ebo

Starring: Regina Hall, Sterling K. Hall, Nicole Beharie, Conphidance, Austin Crute, Devere Rogers, Avis Marie Barnes

“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” is a satirical comedy starring Regina Hall as Trinitie Childs – the proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, who together with her husband Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown), once served a congregation in the tens of thousands. But after a scandal forces their church to temporarily close, Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must reopen their church and rebuild their congregation to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.

AVAILABLE TO OWN NOW ON BLU-RAY AND DVD FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

BONUS FEATURES:

Alternate Opening – Watch the never-before-seen alternate opening for a different take on the beginning of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes – Watch unreleased scenes from the laugh-out-loud comedy.
- Showtime
- Skate Rink
- Childs in the Attic
- Trinitie in the Bath
- Highway Pedestrian Guy
- Trinitie Bringing Food
- Trinitie Praying Over Lee-Curtis in Bed
- Trinitie Sees Sidewalk Woman Again
- Anita Speaks
Gag Reel – A highlight reel of bloopers and outtakes featuring main cast.
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature and Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content) and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

REVIEW: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (2022)

November 3, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Easily one of the more unique success stories in music entertainment is that of Alfred Matthew Yankovic. Born October 23, 1959, this polka-loving accordion-playing kid from Downey, California would become a five-time Grammy winner with six platinum and four gold records to his credit. Over his extraordinary 46-year career, “Weird Al” (who he would become known as) has parodied songs from Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Madonna, Joan Jett, Coolio, and Lady Gaga among others while also finding success as a record producer, actor, and children’s author.

So naturally a star like Weird Al needs his own music biopic, right? Well he gets one…sort of…with “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”. But rather than tell his true-life story, “Weird” is a full-on unabashed parody of the Hollywood biopic formula that has become so wildly popular today. This wacky and at times utterly hysterical creation leans heavy into the music/celebrity biopic tropes. There’s the ambitious dreamer, the meteoric rise to stardom, the seduction of fame, the crushing fall, and the inevitable ascension from the ashes. But you’ve never seen it exaggerated quite like this.

But here’s the thing, most of what we get in “Weird” is absolutely malarkey – outlandish fiction conceived from the minds of co-writers Eric Appel and Weird Al Yankovic himself. And while it may not make for the most accurate account, this outright ridiculous spoof is loaded with laughs, especially the first half which is some of the funniest material I’ve seen all year. There are tidbits of truth scattered throughout (Al was introduced to the accordion by a door-to-door salesman; his mother did forbid him from listening to Dr. Demento; Coolio wasn’t too happy with Al’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” parody, etc.). But don’t take too much of what you see seriously.

None other than Daniel Radcliffe is tasked with filling the Weird one’s shoes, and he turns out to be a great fit. His big glasses, curly mop, two-piece mustache, and loud Hawaiian shirts certainly nail the appearance. But it’s Radcliffe’s unshakable earnestness that’s the icing on the cake. Regardless of how ludicrous things get, he always sells us on his character’s sincerity. It’s quite the performance – odd, funny, strangely empathetic, and 100% committed.

But before the baton is handed to Radcliffe, Appel (who also directs the film) carries us back in time to highlight some key not-so-real moments from Al’s youth. We see his struggles with his uptight mother, Mary (Julianne Nicholson) and his temperamental (and borderline deranged) father, Nick (Toby Huss). Al’s mother doesn’t condone what he listens to, especially the Dr. Demento radio show, his favorite. Meanwhile his father sees all of his interests as a complete waste of time. Instead, Nick believes his son should be working at the town’s hilariously indistinct factory (there is a joke there) with all the other ‘real’ men.

That doesn’t make for an easy road to stardom, but Al’s desire to make music is insatiable. He becomes a closet accordion player, hiding his real self from his disapproving father. But when things get a little too wild at a teen polka party (as they tend to do at teen polka parties), Al’s love for the accordion is exposed. It causes a rift between him and his family leading to Al leaving home as quickly as he can.

But in one magical (and utterly absurd) moment of inspiration, Al Yankovic’s dream is set on a path to reality. While hanging out and making sandwiches for his three roommates, he hears the 1979 pop hit “My Sharona” from The Knack. Suddenly Al grabs his accordion and plays as the words “Oh, my little hungry one, hungry one. Open up a package of My Bologna” streams through his lips. “Dude I’ve got chills“, expresses one of his awestruck pals. And a star is born. Soon Al is playing his first gig at a rough-and-tumble biker bar where none other than Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) hears his act. Smitten, Demento takes Al on as his protégé, introducing him to a wild assortment of other eccentric entertainers and (more importantly) playing his music on his radio show.

The entire first half is filled with one funny bit after another. It’s a farcical assembly line of hilarious conversations and outrageous dialogue, and all spoken with straight-faced conviction. It features a cavalcade of funny cameos including Jack Black, Conan O’Brien, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patton Oswalt, David Dastmalchian, Quinta Brunson, Will Forte, and even Weird Al himself. The zany first half culminates in a whirlwind romance with a gum-smacking Madonna (a scene-stealing Evan Rachel Wood who looks as if she stepped right off the “Desperately Seeking Susan” set).

The second half isn’t quite as snappy, and its better gags are a bit more sporadic. But it still has its moments, especially as the movie goes completely over the top with the silliness. Appel’s insistence on never taking anything seriously (even when it looks like he’s taking something serious) keeps things light. Yet the movie has an unexpected amount of heart underneath its goofy veneer in large part thanks to Radcliffe. He gives us just enough of a real character to care which turns out to be all we need. That’s because most of our time will be spent laughing at just how bonkers Weird Al’s not-so-true story gets. “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” premieres tomorrow, November 4th exclusively on The Roku Channel.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Till” (2022)

November 2, 2022 by Keith Garlington

(CHECK OUT my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

The story of Emmit Till is unsettling, unspeakable, and infuriating. Yet out of such a cold-hearted and hate-driven crime came another story – one of unimaginable courage. And while the story of Emmit Till, his murder, and the travesty of justice that followed inescapably brings feelings of heartache and indignation, the story of his mother, Mamie Till-Bradley is one full of inspiration and power.

It was the summer of 1955. Emmit Louis Till was only 14-years-old when he hopped on a train in Chicago bound for Mississippi. There he was to spend a couple of weeks visiting family. A few days into his visit, he and his cousins entered Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market to buy candy. While inside Emmit, an African-America boy, had an encounter with Carolyn Bryant, the white co-owner of the store. What exactly took place in the store is still disputed, but what followed isn’t. On August 28, 1955 young Emmit Till was kidnapped, tortured, and lynched.

**Image Courtesy of United Artists Releasing**

Dramatizing stories like this in movie-form is always tricky. But rather than honing in on the barbaric killing of Emmit Till (and risk unintentionally exploiting it in the process), director Chinonye Chukwu puts her focus on Mamie Till-Bradley. Told mostly from Mamie’s perspective, “Till” spares us the visual horror of Emmit’s murder, but the pain of his death is felt in every single frame and in the emotionally raw and revelatory performance of Danielle Deadwyler whose name should be on every awards season ballot. She invigorates the role of Mamie who makes the agonizing journey from shattered mother to civil rights crusader.

“Till” features much of the same precision seen in Chukwu’s 2019 debut film, the terrific yet woefully underseen “Clemency”. This is a considerably bigger undertaking both in terms of size and scope. But Chukwu manages it well, showing off keen instincts both technically and narratively. The production design and costumes are top-notch, as is her control of the camera, from framing a shot to knowing when to keep it still. Most importantly, Chukwu and her co-writers Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp maintain a grounded and crushingly authentic approach to storytelling.

Emmit is played by Jalyn Hall whose big smile and outgoing personality can light up a room. He’s shown to be sweet, full of life, and the apple of his mother’s eye. When we first meet him he’s bubbling with excitement over visiting his cousins down South. But Mamie is uncomfortable with letting her son leave Chicago. She knows the dangers that may await a young boy of color in the Mississippi Delta, warning him, “Be small down there.” Yet despite her visible concern (aka mother’s intuition), Mamie puts her beloved son on the train with his uncle known as Preacher (John Douglas Thompson). Little did she know, that was the last time she would see her son alive.

For African-Americans in the Jim Crowe-era South, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble for simply looking at a white person the wrong way. As the well-meaning and naturally friendly Emmit enters Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, Chukwu ensures we sense the weight of what’s about to happen. And as Emmit has his ill-fated exchange with Carolyn Bryant (played by Haley Bennett), Chukwu turns up the tension. It’s palpable, from the time he leaves the store until a few days later, when Carolyn’s husband Roy (Sean Michael Weber) and his pack of goons kidnap Emmit in the dead of the night, savagely beating him beyond recognition, and then killing him. Chukwu’s handling of these scenes are masterful – showing you don’t always have submit your audience to brutality in order for them to feel it’s affects.

Back in Chicago, Mamie gets word of Emmit’s kidnapping and is directed to Rayfield Mooty (Kevin Carroll) who uses his connections to get the NAACP involved. But then comes word of Emmit’s fate, and Mamie is left devastated. Rayfield encourages her to speak out and utilize the public’s attention, but Mamie has no interest. She just wants Emmit’s body brought home. But then she sees his brutalized remains and makes a bold decision. Mamie has an open-casket public wake, determined that people actually see what happened to her son. This launches her campaign for justice which leads to a Mississippi court where her son’s killers are put on trial. “There is no testimony like a mother’s.”

Interestingly, “Till” does stumble on a few of the real-life details. Most are small, such as Emmit’s stutter which pops up in one lone scene then suddenly vanishes. Others are puzzling, like the sanitizing of Emmit’s father and his troubling backstory. But they’re hardly deal-breakers, especially in a movie that speaks with such honesty and clarity. Add to it some of the very best ensemble work of the year, impeccable 1950s period design, and storytelling that’s every bit as heart-wrenching as it needs to be. “Till” is out now in theaters October 28th”.