Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Decision to Leave” (2022)

by

7

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

South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook is a very distinct filmmaker, yet he’s one who is impossible to put into a box. He has certain signatures fans will often look for. For example, he’s well known for his use of extreme violence, and it’s often fused with pitch-black humor. His subject matter and themes can be notoriously bleak and brutal. And his characters are often defined by their complexities and usually driven by some form of revenge.

But for every ”Oldboy” there is something dramatically different like “Joint Security Area” or “Stoker” (a vastly underrated 2013 English-language thriller). Now the 59-year-old Park is back with “Decision to Leave”, his first feature film since 2016’s “The Handmaiden”. It’s coming off a terrific festival run with Park winning Best Director at Cannes. Better yet, this very well may be his best film to date.

Park’s fans will notice the filmmaker’s fingerprints all over “Decision to Leave”, from his treatment of characters to his sheer technical savvy. His story (which he co-wrote with Jeong Seo-kyeong) revolves around two emotionally intricate people and their complicated relationship that uncoils over the movie’s 138 minutes. It’s not always clear where Park is going. But a big part of the movie’s allure is trying to piece together its knotty human puzzle while navigating the shifting emotions and shaky morality. It’s made even better with Park’s precision and DP Kim Ji-yong’s arresting visual language as our guide.

Image Courtesy of MUBI

Among the many joys of watching “Decision to Leave” is taking in Park’s use of genre. Early on his film plays like a Hitchcockian crime noir, complete with a hardboiled detective and a seductive femme fatale. Later it evolves into a simmering psychological romance – one that makes for an exquisite examination of obsession and the many forms it can take. Along the way we get pinches of dark humor that often come in the most unexpected moments. But it’s also a movie with a steady ache and full of longing. It all comes together into one spellbinding web that constantly has us questioning what we’re being shown.

Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is a Busan homicide detective who’s dedicated to his work at the expense of his marriage. He and his wife of 16 years, Jung-an (Lee Jung-hyun) have a stable relationship and a comfortable life. But their marriage has lost its spark. Hae-jun spends weekdays in the city close to his work, only coming home on weekends. There is no noticeable tension or hard feelings. They’re simply a couple who have grown apart, and they don’t know what to do about it.

Rather than finding fulfillment in his marriage, Hae-jun finds it in his work. So naturally he’s quick to jump on a new murder case. He’s sent to investigate the death of a mountain climber who plummeted from the top of a tall, oddly flat-topped mountain peak. After examining the scene, Hae-jun pays a visit to the deceased’s beautiful Chinese-speaking wife, Seo-rae (an absolutely magnetic Tang Wei). She doesn’t come across as mournful or even surprised by her husband’s death which immediately pique’s Hae-jun’s curiosity.

Image Courtesy of MUBI

Over time, that curiosity slowly evolves into an unhealthy obsession. Hae-Jun begins staking out Seo-rae’s home and following her to work where she’s a caretaker for the elderly (make note of that – there are no wasted details in a Park Chan-wook film). Soon he’s bringing her into the police station for dinner over “questioning”. The deeper we get into the story the more infatuated Hae-Jun gets. He begins using his detective status as a means of satisfying that infatuation. Never mind that he’s supposed to be determining whether Seo-rae shoved her husband off the mountain ledge.

Most interesting is that Seo-rae is perfectly aware of Hae-Jun’s evolving feelings for her, and she’s not above using them to her advantage. Yet over time she too shows a growing affection. How deep are her feelings? Despite the simmer between them, it’s always hard to tell. Seo-rae is a beguiling mystery, and much of what makes Tang Wei’s performance so great is her ability to keep so much hidden. One minute she has us convinced Seo-rae is crooked and playing Hae-Jun like a fiddle. But then she’ll catch us off guard with an unexpected line. Sometimes it’s a simple look. Tang Wei keeps us asking the question – is this a psychological chess match or is it a forbidden love story? Maybe a little bit of both.

Park keeps us guessing throughout. Even later on when it appears everything is taking form, he broadsides us with another jolt – one that eases the film towards a powerful and heart-rending conclusion. It’s an ending perfectly tuned for a movie so full of melancholy and longing. And the final few minutes offer yet another example of Park’s impeccable control of his characters and also his audience. “Decision to Leave” is now showing in select theaters.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

New on Home Video: Four Warner Bros. Holiday Classics on 4K UHD

by

10

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just brought four perennial holiday classics to 4K UHD for the first time. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, and “The Polar Express” are now available in their own individual Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Packs in sparkling 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and with gorgeous new cover art. Each film will come with 4K, Blu-ray, and digital versions of the film along with their pre-existing special features.

These new 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo Packs for “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, and “The Polar Express” hit shelves NOVEMBER 1, 2022. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 1989

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Miriam Flynn, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

The film is directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. The screenplay is by John Hughes and based on characters by Hughes. The film is produced by Hughes and Tom Jacobsen and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 1983

Rating: PG

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Director: Bob Clark

Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward, Yano Anaya

Set in a 1940s-era Midwestern town and told from the viewpoints of a seven-year-old boy, who only wants one thing for Christmas — a Red Ryder BB gun — the episodic tale chronicles not only his schemes to convince his mother and father to buy him one, but also offers a warmly nostalgic look into 1940s middle-class American life. From the stories of, and narrated by, Jean Shepherd.

The film is directed by Bob Clark. The screenplay is by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark and is based on the novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash by Shepherd. The film is produced by Rene Dupont and Bob Clark and stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2003

Rating: PG

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Will Farrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart

This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It is produced by Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki , and Shauna Robertson, and stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner and Bob Newhart.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2004

Rating: G

Runtime: 100 Minutes

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. It is based on the classic Caldecott award-winning children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is produced by Steve Starkey, Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman, and William Teitler, and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

REVIEW: “Causeway” (2022)

by

13

Fans of Jennifer Lawrence’s more intimate and subdued work (i.e. “Winters Bone”) will probably love her latest film “Causeway”, a moving low-key drama that offers an honest and unvarnished look at working through trauma. It’s a remarkable feature film debut from director Lila Neugebauer who ushers this soulful character study along with a confident control. Yet she also knows when to simply be still, step back, and lean on her terrific actors. The results are pretty great.

Working from a script by co-writers Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, and Ottessa Moshfegh, Neugebauer navigates the film’s themes of trauma, guilt, remorse, loneliness, and the struggle to cope through two seemingly rudderless characters, each marked by their own painful tragedies. While their story maintains a serious tone, Neugebauer doesn’t wallow in their misery. Instead she unpacks it, not by force, but through the unlikely yet revealing friendship that blossoms on screen.

Image Courtesy of Apple TV+

Lawrence plays Lynsey, an American soldier who suffers a serious brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan. She returns to the States, but before going home to New Orleans she’ll have to undergo rehab. She’s looked after by a home health worker named Sharon (a wonderful Jayne Houdyshell) who helps her with once simple tasks such as standing on her own, taking off her jacket, brushing her teeth, or writing her name. Add to it severe headaches, memory loss, and sudden panic attacks. Lynsey is in a bad way.

But over time she begins to get her strength back and is eventually allowed to go home to continue her recovery. But for Lynsey, returning home comes with its own trauma. And against the better judgement of those around her, all she wants is to be redeployed. “I need to get back to work,” she says with an unconvincing confidence. But that will require her New Orleans neurologist, Dr. Lucas (the always great Stephen McKinley Henderson) to sign a waiver which isn’t something he’s in a hurry to do.

At home Lynsey has a cold relationship with her mother Gloria (Linda Emond), who at first seems selfish and insensitive, but who we later learn isn’t quite as prickly. There’s clearly some thorny family history, but we only get allusions to it, a choice that at different times works both for and against the story. In one sense, it keeps the movie very much in the moment by not wandering off into loads of backstory. In another way, it shortchanges one of the film’s key relationships and left me wanting to know more about the mother and daughter tension.

To help pass the time (and stay away from home), Lynsey takes a job cleaning pools. On her way to work one day, her old 1985 Chevy Scottsdale pickup blows a gasket. She ends up taking it to a local mechanic named James (Brian Tyree Henry), a fellow wounded soul bearing the weight of his own painful past. The majority of the movie centers on the unexpected friendship that develops between these two struggling individuals. Over time they discover they have a lot in common, and they find spending time together to be mutually therapeutic.

Image Courtesy of Apple TV+

Rather than being plot-driven, “Causeway” is all about the characters and the healing that can come from having someone to spend time with who understands your pain. For that reason, the performances are crucial, and what we get from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry is staggering. Both deliver textured and nuanced work that conveys vulnerability and quiet anguish. For Lawrence it’s a naturalistic return to form, while Henry continues to define himself as a skilled and strikingly versatile actor.

How you react to “Causeway” may come down to how much you care about the characters. There’s no story hook that grabs you. There’s no big dramatic climax. There’s no surprise twist at the end. Instead, we simply follow this young woman who masks her pain but finds the strength to deal with it through the empathy of another. “I’m going to be fine,” Lynsey says at one point. By the end we still don’t know if she’s right. But the film offers us hope. And as someone who did care for Lynsey and James, that’s all I was hoping for. “Causeway” is now streaming on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Empire of Light” (2022)

by

9

(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.

Image Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

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)

by

10

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.

Image Courtesy of Saban Films

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”

by

16

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.