Out of the recent flurry of awards season trailers, one that has stuck with me most is “The Good Nurse”. The film comes from Tobias Lindholm who co-wrote two of my favorite movies of the last decade, “The Hunt” and “Another Round”. Here Lindholm directs from a script by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”, “The Last Night in Soho”). That combination mixed with the star power of Oscar winners Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne puts this unsettling thriller for Netflix high on my list.
Chastain plays a nurse named Amy Loughren and Redmayne plays her co-worker Charles Cullen. Cullen was a real-life serial killer who eventually confessed to murdering a confirmed 29 people while working as a nurse in New Jersey. The most chilling part of his story is that it’s believed Cullen may be responsible for as many as 400 deaths. Both Chastain and Redmayne look tremendous in this, and the story itself carries a disturbing weight. This could be a winner for Netflix.
“The Good Nurse” opens in select theaters October 19th before streaming on Netflix October 26th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Petr Jákl writes and directs “Medieval”, a new historical action-drama billed as the most expensive Czech Republic film ever made. In it, Ben Foster plays Jan Žižka, a Hussite general and Czech national hero who is considered one of the greatest military leaders and tacticians of his day. “Medieval” tells Žižka’s story prior to his time as a renowned leader of a peasant revolt against a coalition of corrupt Catholic crusaders during the Bohemian Wars of the early 15th century.
“Medieval” sits us down in a historically and dramatically rich time period. It might help to at least have a passing knowledge of the period’s background, because outside of some very brief opening narration, the movie doesn’t do much past some surface level setup. Just knowing a little bit of the history adds a layer of context that helps the movie and more specifically the characters.
Image Courtesy of The Avenue
Jákl opens his film in 1402 with Europe already plunged into chaos. It’s a time of war, plague, and famine as powerful men with their lusts for sovereignty lead a land ruled by lawlessness and oppression. It’s believed that only the coronation of a new Holy Roman Emperor can restore the rule of law. But the Catholic Church is bitterly divided into two factions, each under the leadership of a rival pope. And both sides are determined to have their say on who is chosen as the next emperor.
It’s in this political and hierarchical powder keg that we meet Jan Žižka, who Foster plays as the proverbial stoic man of few words. Jan and his band of loyal mercenaries do an assortment of odd (and aggressively violent) jobs for well-paying dignitaries including the entirely fictional Lord Boresh (Michael Caine). But Jan soon finds himself caught in a chess match between two feuding monarchs, the Bohemian King Wenceslaus IV (Karl Roden) and his ambitious half-brother King Sigismund of Hungary (Matthew Goode).
Things heat up when Lord Boresh, a Wenceslaus loyalist, approaches Jan and his men about kidnapping Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe). She’s the fiancé of a powerful and devious nobleman, Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger) who’s in cahoots with Sigismund. Against his better judgement, Jan agrees. But the act sets off a bloody chain of events with consequences he never anticipated. And while Sigismund’s brute-for-hire Torak (Roland Møller) savagely combs the countryside in search of Jan, he gives the naive Lady Katherine a first-hand look at her future husband’s cruelty.
Aside from its healthy buffet of political posturing, double-dealing, and betrayal, the movie offers a steady diet of medieval hack-and-slash violence. Much of the film’s hefty budget can been seen in the combat which is often fierce and quite brutal. And even more money is visible in the locations, costumes, and production design which vividly recreates this harsh and relentless period.
Image Courtesy of The Avenue
Yet while the movie looks great, feels authentic, and is punctuated by some intense well-shot action, it feels like there’s something missing. Even with its compelling setting and story arc, “Medieval” never quite kicks into a higher gear. It’s not bad by any stretch, it simply lacks distinction. It’s as if it’s missing that one ingredient that would set it apart from the countless other action period pieces of its kind. So you could say its glaringly generic title is fitting.
Part of the problem may be the film’s stone-faced protagonist. I get stoicism and how it’s meant to play in a story like this one. But it’s hard to mine any feeling out of Foster’s character. He’s haunted by dreams of a past trauma, and he’s troubled by the consequences his actions have on others. But it’s hard to find any other emotions in Foster’s performance. It really stands out in the later scenes with Jan and Katherine. We’re supposed to believe a relationship sparks, but there’s hardly any warmth between them. Still, amid the beards, blood, and grime is a solid blend of history and genre. Toss in some good underlying themes of faith, heroism, and sacrifice, and you have a movie that may be garden-variety, but its entertaining nonetheless. “Medieval” is in theaters now.
With practically no fanfare whatsoever, Netflix’s “The Man From Toronto” dropped on the streaming platform with a thud. And it’s pretty obvious why. This action-driven buddy-comedy from director Patrick Hughes (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard”) is so strictly beholden to countless other movies that came before it. It has its moments, but not enough of them to make up for the overwhelming feeling that we’ve seen all of this before.
“The Man From Toronto” puts together the mismatched couple of Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in a movie that’s never as funny as it tries to be or as thrilling as it wants to be. It features Hart doing his usual little-man routine and Harrelson doing variations of several characters he has played in the past. As usual, Hart is skittish, shrill, and utterly reliant on a straight man for his act to work. Harrelson is a decent foil despite never being as menacing or funny as the movie needs. He looks like Christopher Lloyd‘s Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” – decked in black with a round brimmed hat and dark glasses.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
Hart plays Teddy Jackson, a failed inventor (sort of) and wannabe fitness instructor. He’s a guy who always has big (and often dumb) ideas but never pays attention to the details. So it’s no surprise that they inevitably fail. Yet despite his constant blunders and languid career, Teddy still has the love and support of his incredibly tolerant wife Lori (a good but woefully underused Jasmine Matthews). For her birthday, Teddy whisks her away to the resort town of Onancock, Virginia. But wouldn’t you know it, his slapdash antics makes a mess of things.
Harrelson plays a ruthless interrogator/hitman simply known as “The Man From Toronto”. He’s part of a network of assassins, each named after the different cities around the world where they’re based. He gets his jobs from a mysterious voice on his phone called The Handler (Ellen Barkin). After successfully collecting a healthy payday in Utah, TMFT gets a call from The Handler who offers him a $2 million job. It’s a two-phase extraction that (wouldn’t you know it) begins in Onancock, Virginia.
After arriving in Onancock, Terry drops Lori off at a day spa and heads to their rental cabin to meet with the owner. But, he goofs up and ends up in the wrong cabin where he is mistaken for The Man From Toronto. Meanwhile, the actual TMFT watches from a distance. From there, the FBI gets involved and force Teddy to carry on his ruse while an exiled Venezuelan Colonel (Alejandro de Hoyos) and his equally sinister wife Daniela (Lela Loren) plot to assassinate Venezuela’s president. Oh, and there’s an exploding cake.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
If that sounds like a jumbled up mess, it’s because it kinda is. Co-writers Robbie Fox and Chris Bremner toss in and spin together too many story angles, most of which are fairly conventional on their own. We also get several amusing yet overall inconsequential side-characters. For example, singer and telenovela star Jencarlos Canela plays a debonair FBI agent tasked with watching over Lori while Teddy is at work for the government. Pierson Fodé gets in a few good licks playing The Man From Miami. Even Kaley Cuoco shows up later with her signature zany energy. But her character isn’t given an inkling of a backstory and is handcuffed by some really bad writing.
Ultimately it all falls on Hart and Harrelson who make for an quirky pairing. As Teddy and TMFT rollick along in full buddy-movie mode, the two actors give it their all. They deliver the occasional comical moment and we get a couple of good action scenes (there’s one hilariously kinetic and proudly over-the-top fight sequence near the end that almost saves the movie). Interestingly, Jason Statham was originally tagged to play the titular character, and it would have been interesting to see what he would have brought to the film. But in his defense, Harrelson isn’t the issue here. It’s the movie’s beat-by-beat familiarity and lack of punch. I suppose it’s passable entertainment. Just don’t expect too much. “The Man From Toronto” is streaming now on Netflix.
Without question, one of the most audacious cinematic undertakings in recent history begins with the new film “Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva”. From the creative mind of Ayan Mukerji, this Hindi-language epic is the first film of a sprawling blockbuster trilogy and the first installment in Mukerji’s vast extended cinematic universe known as the Astraverse. The filmmaker poured six years into crafting this original story and expects to spend ten years making his trilogy. Part One certainly gets things off on the right foot.
In more ways than one, “Brahmāstra” closely resembles a classic superhero origin story. And unlike the current state of the West’s biggest shared universe, the MCU, “Brahmāstra” gets back to larger-than-life storytelling, openly embracing the crazy and fantastical, and piquing our imaginations while Mukerji impresses us with his. The results are often thrilling, highly entertaining, a little cheesy, but always fun.
Image Courtesy of Star Studios
With Part One of his trilogy, Mukerji serves us a delicious cocktail of fantasy, action, and the supernatural. He builds his story on some rich mythology which he created from scratch – a mythology full of magic and mystique. But as with every origin story, we’re bound to certain inevitabilities such character introductions, rule-making, and exposition. In “Brahmāstra: Part One” we get a ton of each which makes sense considering what Mukerji is building. It’s a necessary convention, but a convention nonetheless.
But I have to admit, I didn’t mind it as much in “Brahmāstra” as I expected to. That’s because I often found myself enamored with the sheer creativity behind what Mukerji was piecing together. It’s undeniably silly, and it doesn’t always make sense. And its firm adherence to certain Bollywood formulas inevitably leaves a few segments feeling hopelessly contrived. But here’s the thing, that same Bollywood formula adds to the film’s charm. And when incorporated with Mukerji’s story, we get something that I found more exciting than redundant.
The backstory is too deep to fully explain here, but here’s the CliffsNotes version: There exists a secret society of empowered sages called the Brahmānsh who for generations have protected supernatural weapons known as astras. These astras draw from various energy sources from the earth (wind, water, fire, etc.), and they each endow wielders with unique superpowers. The most powerful among the astras is the Brahmāstra, a divine weapon capable of destroying the universe, which the Brahmānsh secretly keep hidden to this day.
Image Courtesy of Star Studios
As the movie’s title hints, “Brahmāstra: Part One” centers on a DJ named Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) who falls for the beautiful Isha (Alia Bhatt). But what’s begins as a fairytale love story quickly turns after Shiva begins have distressing visions. Combined with his strange connection to fire, it becomes evident that a great power is awakening within him. After receiving a premonition of an impending danger, Shiva and Isha set out on an epic adventure that leads them to a hidden ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas. There they meet Guru (Amitabh Bachchan), the leader of the Brahmānsha who introduces Shiva to the secret world of astras.
Meanwhile a powerful dark force named Brahm-Dev has sent out his disciple Junoon (Mouni Roy) to seek out and obtain three fragments which when joined together will unleash the Brahmāstra. Junoon is a really fun villain (she would be right at home in the Mortal Kombat universe), yet her motivations are too opaque. Why does she follow Brahm-Dev? What’s in it for her? Despite her lack of detail, Junoon along with her two super-powered henchman, Zor (Saurav Gurjar) and Raftaar (Rohollah Ghazi), are key parts of the film’s very best action sequences.
One knock against the movie is the central romance. For clarity, there’s nothing wrong with Kapoor or Bhatt. Their performances are solid, and there is some genuinely good chemistry between them. But the buildup is incredibly shallow. Essentially, it’s your garden-variety ‘love at first sight’ scenario. He sees her across the dance floor, they eventually meet, and in a snap they’re in love.
Image Courtesy of Star Studios
The only potential tension between the young couple is their economic status. We’re told she’s rich, but we never really see it. We’re told he’s poor, but he certainly doesn’t look it. Of course, we do eventually learn more about Shiva’s past. After all, his self-discovery is a big part of the movie. But Isha isn’t given the same courtesy. We learn practically nothing about her. Bhatt makes Isha a character we enjoy rooting for, but a little more attention and detail would have helped tremendously.
Still, our first foray into Ayan Mukerji’s ambitious Astraverse turns out to be a truly fun-filled experience. The filmmaker introduces us to an inspired world full of imagination and heart. The visual effects are terrific; the action scenes are stylish and full of energy (especially the wild opening and a rousing chase sequence on a treacherous Himalayan Mountain road). And of course there’s always time for a musical number or two, with their impressive production and not-so-impressive lip-syncing. Together, it all gels into this pretty incredible adventure full of Bollywood flavor. And while it might stumble on some of the simpler things, Mukerji’s enormous vision left me dazzled and hungry for Part Two. “Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva” is now showing in select theaters.
After premiering yesterday at the Toronto International Film Festival, Universal has dropped the trailer for Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated new film “The Fabelmans”. First reactions to the movie have called it a bonafide frontrunner for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards. I certainly wouldn’t say that without seeing it, but the trailer itself features a lot of things Academy voters love. And it features a lot of things I love as well.
“The Fabelmans” is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama about Spielberg’s childhood that sees the esteemed co-writer/director not only reflecting on his family but showing the birth of his love for filmmaking. The film stars Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as Mitzi and Burt Fabelman, a working couple raising their family in Arizona. Gabriel LaBelle plays their eldest son Sammy, a bright-eyed aspiring filmmaking (guess who his character represents). There’s no denying Spielberg’s personal touch, and his sincerity and warmth oozes from every frame of the trailer. I can’t wait to see this.
“The Fabelmans” hits select theaters November 11th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
The first trailer for the DC Extended Universe’s “Black Adam” left me interested but not sold. Now the studio has dropped trailer #2 and now I can proudly say I’m all onboard. Sure there are still questions. But I really like the new footage and (more importantly) the collection of characters who will be be introduced to the DCEU. And just hearing the words “Justice Society” uttered had me smiling like a little boy. Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Atom Smasher…. Let’s go!
I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to see past Dwayne Johnson’s big personality to get to the core of the character Black Adam. But the actor certainly brings the intensity in the new trailer. I love Black Adam, and his story is tremendous movie material. And what I like even more is that this feels like the return of the larger-than-life superhero movie. While the MCU seems content with light, frothy, and more grounded content, DC is at its best when it takes its heroes seriously and tells their stories with plenty of grit. That’s what I want from this movie, and the new trailer looks promising.
“Black Adam” hits theaters October 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Keith & the Movies 