REVIEW: “Gigi & Nate” (2022)

September 6, 2022 by Keith Garlington

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

The new feel-good drama “Gigi & Tate” taps into that well-worn but tried-and-true ‘a boy and his dog’ formula. Except this time it’s a boy and his capuchin monkey. Directed by Nick Hamm from a script by David Hudgins, “Gigi & Nate” tells the touching true story of an unexpected friendship and shows how it saved a young man’s life and brought a hurting family together following a devastating tragedy.

Charlie Rowe plays 18-year-old Nate Gibson who we first meet only a couple of weeks before he’s to head off for college. He has big plans and a bright future ahead. That is until his life is forever changed. Nate contracts bacterial meningitis after cliff diving. Nate is med-flighted to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee where his parents, Claire (Marcia Gay Harden) and Dan (Jim Belushi) and his two sisters, Katy (Josephine Langford) and Annabelle (Hannah Riley) are given some heart-shattering news.

**Image Courtesy of Roadside Attractions**

The movie leaps ahead four years where we learn Nate is a quadriplegic. Confined to a wheelchair and spiraling into depression, he finds solace in a capuchin monkey named Gigi. She was rescued from an abusive petting zoo in California and nurtured and trained to be a service animal. After some initial hesitation (by both Gigi and some of his family) Nate and the pint-sized primate bond. They develop a tender relationship that not only helps Nate and his outlook on life, but helps bring a splintering family back together.

But these days it seems like we always have to have an antagonist. Here we get it in the form of an absurdly one-note animal rights activist named Chloe Gaines (Welker White). She heads a group called Americans for Animal Protection, and she immediately puts Nate and Gigi in her legal crosshairs. The second half of the movie gets bogged down in their room-temperature conflict that includes a laughably phony protest sequence outside the Gibson’s home and some tensionless courtroom drama.

The clunky storytelling doesn’t exactly help things. The movie tends to skimp on details, often bypassing opportunities for some good character building. For example, there’s an early scene where we seen Nate in such a bad state of mind that he attempts to take his own life. But less than a minute later we see him at a service animal training facility, smiling and eager to meet Gigi for the first time. There’s not a single scene devoted to showing how Nate went from completely broken and suicidal to optimistic and excited. It turns out to be a reoccurring frustration.

While it’s hard not to take note of the Gibson family’s wealth, Hamm and Hudgins do a good job of helping us see the people beyond the privilege. The filmmakers put in the effort to connect us with this tight-knit family as they each try to cope with Nate’s condition in their own ways. As with other story elements, sometimes the movie breezes past opportunities to make this family dynamic even richer. But as a whole, we get a good sense of who these people are and of their efforts to recover individually and collectively.

And then there’s Gigi. She’s brought to life by blending the work from a real capuchin monkey named Allie with digital effects. Of course we get a few saccharine scenes of animal cuteness meant to melt our hearts. But as a whole, the filmmakers use Gigi smartly and to great effect. She plays a pivotal part, not just in realizing the story, but in opening up a number of themes the movie is interested in. She too ends up undercut by some of the second-half sloppiness. But as animal portrayals go, Gigi is used well and has an undeniably heartwarming presence.

I can’t say enough about the movie’s message of hope and triumph. I love what it says about coping with tragedy and overcoming adversity. Yet while “Gigi & Nate” is full of compelling themes and scenes that are tender and earnest, it’s hampered by some nagging frustrations that make it hard to focus on the more meaningful moments. The corny villain angle, the jolts in the pacing, some wobbly performances – they pulled me out of a movie that really hinges on our emotional investment. “Gigi & Nate” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “The Good Boss” (2022)

September 5, 2022 by Keith Garlington

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

Writer-director Fernando León de Aranoa’s biting anti-corporate satire “The Good Boss” is the kind of movie that can have you snickering one minute and squirming the next. It’s a dark workplace comedy with a subtle edge; one driven by a tour de force performance from Javier Bardem, whose smooth-talking charisma-rich presence turns megalomania, duplicity, and self-serving passive-aggression into a captivating image you can’t turn away from. It’s some of the 53-year-old Oscar winner’s best work.

While Bardem is undeniably magnetic, just as key to the movie’s success is de Aranoa’s cracking script. With its many side characters and smorgasbord of sub-plots, there are so many ways this could have turned messy. But de Aranoa has such a firm and confident control of the material. It’s nicely paced; it has a near perfect balance of storytelling and character development; and the subtle shots of humor often come from the most hilariously unexpected places. Most importantly, the story maintains a remarkably tight cohesion throughout. Not easy for a movie with this many moving parts.

**Image Courtesy of Bright Iris Film Co.**

The story revolves around Julio Blanco (Bardem), the titular head of Blanco Scales. It’s a mid-sized company he inherited from his father that makes and sells weight scales of every shape and size (the richness of that reoccurring metaphor is impossible to miss). Along with his wife Adela (a really good Sonia Almarcha) who runs her own fashion boutique, the two are a working couple who never had children. Instead, Blanco claims his employees as his “children” to the point of frequently involving himself in their personal lives.

In reality, Blanco uses his “One Big Family” spiel as a tool to manipulate and control his workforce. Some see through his fatherly ruse and have learned how to manage it. Others fall victim. Take Jose (Óscar de la Fuente), a disgruntled former employee (and perpetual thorn in Blanco’s side) who sets up camp on a splotch of public land near the factory’s main entrance to protest being laid off. Or the string of young female interns who Blanco is quick to bring onboard and even quicker to replace once he’s had his way with them. So the irony in the movie’s title is pretty glaring.

Blanco’s company is one of three finalists for a prestigious industry award which he desperately wants to win. Winning would secure some much-needed subsidies, but deep down it’s all about the glory. Ever the narcissist, Blanco craves the adulation, and he even has a trophy wall which the film routinely cuts back to, highlighting the empty space that he has already prepared. And with the awards committee set to make a surprise visit, Blanco wants to make sure everything at the factory is in top form. Of course that proves to be easier said than done.

The bulk of the film follows Blanco’s attempts at managing his employees and their range of problems (many of which he is directly or indirectly responsible for) before the awards committee shows up. Days serve as chapters, starting on a Sunday, and the story moves throughout the week chronicling the growing workplace and personal drama.

Along the way we’re introduced to a fun array of surprisingly layered supporting characters. There’s Blanco’s oldest friend and the company’s Head of Production Miralles (Manolo Solo), his handyman and jack-of-all-trades Fortuna (Celso Bugallo), his dutiful second in command Rubio (Rafa Castejón), his factory’s front gate security guard Román (Fernando Albizu), an ambitious floor worker Khaled (Tarik Rmili), and a young marketing intern, Liliana (Almudena Amor) who proves to be more than some new flavor of the month. The more Blanco meddles in their lives the more complicated things get and his paternal charade quickly starts to crumble.

That may not sound like the most compelling story, but don’t be fooled. Even at two hours, “The Good Boss” keeps you locked in thanks to its whip-smart script and a powerhouse Javier Bardem lead performance. Again, this is some of his best work, and he takes this rich character and embodies him to the fullest. And Fernando León de Aranoa clearly knows what he has in Bardem and gives the actor the material he needs to vividly bring Blanco to life. De Aranoa does the rest, using his know-how to wrangle everything else together to fill out a story that never loses its wit or it’s bite. “The Good Boss” opens in select theaters August 26th.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Ep. 1 & 2

September 2, 2022 by Keith Garlington

It’s safe to say Amazon is pretty serious about “The Lord of the Rings”. The mega-company forked out $250 million for the television rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien classic following the successes of two Peter Jackson-helmed movie trilogies. Even more, Amazon has committed $1 BILLION to their new Prime Video streaming series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”. In unison with the Tolkien Estate, Amazon is eyeing five seasons and around fifty episodes to tell their massive story set thousands of years before Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”.

Regardless of the amount of money spent, venturing back into Middle-Earth, the place that Peter Jackson envisioned and visualized so well, was going to be a massive undertaking. And while I don’t hide my preference of the movie trilogy format over a streaming series, Amazon and their showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay presented a pretty compelling vision of their own. That didn’t remove every question/concern I had, but it did encourage me with its potential.

Based on Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” novel and its appendices, “The Rings of Power” sets out to cover all of the key points of Middle-Earth’s Second Age (basically the period and events summarized in the five-minute prologue in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”). Episodes 1 and 2 are all about introducing (and in some cases reintroducing) us to Tolkien’s vast and sprawling world. There are plenty of new places and even more new faces. But we also get some familiar locations and a few names fans know by heart.

Episodes 1 and 2 are directed by J. A. Bayona whose first two feature films were the dramatically different yet equally well made “The Orphanage” (2007) and “The Impossible” (2012). He later made “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (but let’s not talk about that one). With “The Rings of Power”, Bayona seems to have a good grasp of his critical task. It’s up to him to lay the enormous groundwork for what’s to come, and do it in a way that not only captivates audiences but leaves them hungry for more. Even more challenging, Bayona has to evoke those feelings of returning to Middle-Earth, recapturing the magic of the Jackson movies while presenting it a fresh new way. In a nutshell, he succeeds.

The eight-episode first season kicks off with two shows dedicated to table-setting and world-building, not unlike the first half of “The Fellowship of the Ring”. The big difference here is the series is much broader in scope meaning more characters and more time spent introducing them. Bayona and the team of writers do a good job putting faces and voices to these characters who undoubtedly will have pivotal roles to play going forward. But with so many players to ground in the world, we get a lot less action. Some might call it slow, and it occasionally is. But it’s also crucial to locking in our investment.

Among the many inhabitants of Middle-Earth we meet are a young Galadriel (played by Cate Blanchett in the Jackson movies and by a fabulous Morfydd Clark here). She’s an Elven warrior, driven by the death of her brother to root out a gathering evil that she believes is on the horizon. There’s also Elrond, a High Elven architect and politician (played by Hugo Weaving in the movies and in the series by Robert Aramayo). This young Elrond is optimistic and outgoing – much different than the cynical and world-weary leader he would become.

We also meet Durin IV (Owain Arthur), Dwarven prince of Moria (known here as the flourishing city of Khazad-dûm). And Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), a Silvan Elf and soldier who has a forbidden love for Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), a human healer in a small Southlands village. Then there’s also the adventurous young Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), a Harfoot who are this show’s hobbits. These are just some of the characters we meet in the first phase of this journey.

The performances are uniformly excellent with everyone feeling at home in their uniquely defined regions of the world. Much of Middle-Earth is still settling itself in the aftermath of war, and that weighs heavier on some races than others. This alone allows for a variety of stories to be told and an interesting range of performances. It’ll be fun watching these different experiences change and eventually meld together as this rebirth of evil once again plunges Middle-Earth into darkness.

Back to the world itself, everything looks magnificent, including the stunning production design, the exquisite costumes, the breathtaking locations, and the spectacular special-effects. You can tell Amazon tapped into the talent pool behind the Jackson movies, bringing back several people who helped to so vividly bring Middle-Earth to life. There’s still a long way to go with the series, but if it keeps this level of visual quality, we’re in for a treat.

A fundamental part of what made “The Lord of the Rings” movies so special was the sheer wonder of the creative vision combined with how beautifully it flowed from start to finish. My biggest concern with “The Rings of Power” is in its ability to maintain that same creative cohesion. Can such an massive story with so many moving parts and even more directors flow as gracefully as the movies did before it? Time will tell, but I love what they’ve given us so far. The first two episodes of “The Rings of Power” are a visual feast, and the character-building helps lay a solid foundation for what’s to come. I don’t know how it will all come together, but I can’t wait to find out.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is streaming now on Prime Video.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Burial” (2022)

September 1, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Written and directed by Ben Parker, “Burial” teased a lot of things that instantly tickled my fancy. It’s set during World War II, it’s built around a wild premise, and it’s distributed by IFC Midnight which is known for its focus on genre entertainment. I enjoyed the bits we got from the trailer, and I loved going into it with no idea of what to expect. So in all of those regards, Parker had me like a fish on a hook.

“Burial” turns out to be a crafty wartime thriller that rides its crazy idea all the way through. But that doesn’t mean it’s one-note. There’s a swirl of good ideas that keep the film’s seemingly simple story engaging. And there are several juicy themes that may not have the convincing modern-day connection Parker shoots for, but they’re still potent nonetheless. And while things do get somewhat convoluted, there’s still plenty to chew on and enjoy.

The main story is bookended by an encounter set in 1991 London. An elderly woman (Harriet Walter) has her evening interrupted by an intruder who slips into her home. After a well-timed jolt from her taser, she easily subdues the young thug. With the intruder in chains, the two begin a rather cryptic conversation. It turns out he’s not there to rob the place, and she’s not some helpless old maid. Who is she? To explain, Parker transports us back to 1945.

In the waning days of World War II, a small unit of Russian solider are tasked with transporting some special cargo from Berlin to Moscow. Transport by plane is no longer an option, so the group will have to drive their load to a train station in Poland, drawing as little attention as possible. Among the group is intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (Charlotte Vega), one of only three soldiers who knows the contents of the six-foot(ish) box they are transporting. Brana is tough and unyielding, but she needs to be. Especially among her all-male team members who routinely dismiss her and her authority.

Oh, and what are the contents of the crate they are carrying? Why none other than the remains of the Führer himself, Adolph Hitler who cowardly took his own life rather than face the punishment due.

While driving down a dirt road surrounded by a dense Polish forest, the team is attacked by werewolves. No not the snarling man-beasts who can only be killed by cutting off their heads or by a silver bullet. No, these are Nazi Werwolves – remnants of Hitler’s commandos who operated behind enemy lines as the Allies advanced through Germany. Here they’re led by an unhinged Hitler loyalist (Kristjan Üksküla) who has his own devious plans for the Führer’s corpse.

As the story moves forward with its alternative spin on history, it sets itself up for a big finish despite its small scale. We’re treated to some gorgeous location shots along the way, especially early on. And Parker’s camera is a big reason the violent final act works. And the committed performances, especially from Vega and Barry Ward, help sell the urgency and intensity.

There is a point in the middle that brings the film down a notch. During this relatively short stretch the story stalls a tad and the tepid action scenes emphasize the budget constraints. Also, I usually don’t get too caught up in this, but having the characters speak English stood out to me for reasons I can’t quite pinpoint. I wasn’t a deal-breaker by any means, but noticeable and a little distracting nonetheless.

“Burial” does a lot of things right, from its captivating setup to its blood-splattered payoff. The setting itself, soaked in the after-effects of Hitler’s reign, gives Parker room to look at different aspects of the war in a number of interesting ways. And at a swift 94 minutes, the movie doesn’t stretch itself out too long or too far. Even with its limitations, “Burial” has a lot to offer regardless of what kind of movie you’re looking for. It can’t fully overcome its issues, but it’s not overcome by them either. “Burial” opens in select theaters and on VOD tomorrow (September 2nd).

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “Carter” (2022)

August 31, 2022 by Keith Garlington

We critics often throw out the phrase “non-stop action” when describing a movie. It’s almost always an exaggeration because of course there are pauses here and there for storytelling and some degree of drama. But the new South Korean action-thriller “Carter” may be the closest thing you’ll find to actual non-stop action. Yes, we get brief interludes stuffed with exposition and information drops. But for the most part this thing is fists-swinging, guns-blazing, bones-cracking, and blood-splattering all the way through.

“Carter” is both ridiculous and extraordinary. It’s a fast-paced, ultra-violent action spectacle unlike anything I’ve ever scene. The goal was to frame the entire film as one single long take. There are numerous cleverly concealed cuts and they aren’t too hard to find. But ultimately the film sets out to give audiences an adrenaline-jacked experience where their eyes are never taken off the action. It’s undeniably impressive, and I’m still not sure how director Jung Byung-gil managed to pull some of his scenes off.

But while it’s unquestionably bold, there is a downside to this style of relentless full-throttle filmmaking. It can be exhausting and even suffocating at times. And I say that as someone who truly loves big action. It’s a lot for one sitting, and there were times when I just wanted to catch my breath. It’s made even tougher by its hefty 132-minute runtime. By the time “Carter” reaches its big finale, I was a bit worn down and felt like I had already seen the best action it had to offer.

To no surprise, the story is the biggest casualty in such an action-focused movie. Joo Won plays a mystery man who wakes up in a blood-soaked hotel bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. From there it’s a frantic race to regain his identity and figure out who he can trust. Throughout the small pockets of plot we learn about a fatal DMZ virus that after thirteen days turns people into feral zombie-like killers. We learn our protagonist has a daughter who’s infected and that his mission is to retrieve a young girl and take her to a lab North Korea where her father is using an antibody in her blood to create a vaccine. Without the vaccine, our hero can’t save his own little girl.

All of that sounds like at interesting enough premise. But the problem is most of it is simply conveyed through brief info dumps. We don’t get to watch it play out or have any real dramatic moments of consequence. We get these short bits of story and then it’s off to the next action scene. This lack of attention also leaves the plot murky. For example, there’s this whole friction between North Korea, South Korea, and the CIA that is introduced early but that gets harder to follow as the movie goes on. To be honest, I quite trying.

But let’s be realistic, the huge extravagant action sequences are the movie’s bread and butter. “Carter” is an action junkie’s fantasy, and I found myself rewinding and watching some of the scenes again out of sheer amazement. The constant motion of Jung Byung-gil’s camera can be disorienting at times. But the way he captures and combines the hand-to-hand combat, the John Wick styled gunfights, and the sprawling vehicle chases is truly incredible.

And then there’s Joo Won whose physicality is mind-blowing. He may not be given a lot to do dramatically, but the steely intimidating hero more than delivers with the action. There is both a fluidity and an unbridled ferocity to his fighting which the movie utilizes to near perfection.

“Carter” is an audacious concoction that is sure to land differently for a lot of viewers. I can see some being exhilarated by the action and all-in on the movie’s grand ambition. I can see others checking out after being worn down by the unrelenting pace and incalculable body count. Me? I see both ways. I was let down by the storytelling and tired by the end. But I can’t deny the kinetic sensation brought on by action sequences and the sheer craftsmanship behind them. They are something to behold, and I would be up for more. But maybe in 90-minute form next time. “Carter” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

First Glance: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”

August 30, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Whether you’re a fan of long-time parody musician Weird Al Yankovic or not, the new film “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” looks to be worth a gander especially after seeing the recent trailer. Co-written and produced by Weird Al himself, the film is the not-so-true story of his rise from young accordion enthusiast to parody pop star. The movie openly exaggerates Weird Al’s rise to stardom and happily makes up some details along the way. Even better, the movie is a straight-up parody of the popular music biopic which makes this even more attractive.

Daniel Radcliffe plays the titular character complete with the funky mustache and big crop of curls. In the new trailer we get clips of him hamming up and down Al Yankovic’s timeline. From Al’s homelife to his discovery by Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) to his relationship with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood). The movie looks to cover (and fictionalize) a lot of ground. I’m not sure if it will all come together, but it looks to be a lot of fun nonetheless. I’m in.

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” releases November 4th on The Roku Channel. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.