REVIEW: “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (2022)

July 8, 2022 by Keith Garlington

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

Since it was first announced that Ewan McGregor would be reprising his role of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, I immediately began measuring the possibilities. For clarity, I’m a bonafide Star Wars fan. I grew up on the original trilogy, actually enjoyed the sequel trilogy, and liked the prequel trilogy before it became cool to do so. So having McGregor back in one of the franchise’s most pivotal roles was exciting. News of Hayden Christensen’s return only made this six-part limited series more intriguing, especially for die-hands and canon junkies who consume every morsel of Star Wars content available.

Directed by Deborah Chow, the series fits in the mostly unexplored space on the Star Wars timeline between “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (McGregor’s last appearance) and 1977’s “Episode IV: A New Hope” (which featured Alec Guinness as Old Man Ben). It’s set ten years after “Episode III” with McGregor’s Obi-Wan hiding out on the desert planet of Tatooine. There he goes about his mundane daily ritual, blending in with the locals while keeping a watchful eye from afar on 10-year-old Luke Skywalker, the son of his old friend and Padawan Anakin (aka Darth Vader). Luke lives on a moisture farm where he is being raised by Owen Lars and his wife Beru (a returning Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse).

When not cutting meat for his brutish boss, Obi-Wan hangs out in his remote cave where he tries to reconnect with the force ghost of his old master Qui-Gon Jinn. Otherwise, in order to remain undetected by Vader, Obi-Wan has distanced himself from the Force and anything that remains of the Jedi Order. But that doesn’t stop the dogged Vader (played by Christensen, voiced by the great James Earl Jones), who oversees an ominous band of Force-sensitives called Inquisitors to eliminate any remaining Jedi. And once he gets a whiff of Kenobi, the true hunt begins.

These hunters are led by the Grand Inquisitor (a slyly menacing Rupert Friend) who answers directly to Vader. But the film is most interested in an ambitious young Inquisitor named Reva (Moses Ingram). She has a ruthless edge and seems intent on impressing Vader. Is it to ultimately become the Grand Inquisitor herself or are there other motivations at work?

Reva quickly grows into a key character and at times the series seems more dedicated to her than the show’s namesake. Unfortunately her story arc never reaches the fullness of its potential. It starts strong and the hint of mystery surrounding Reva really drives the early episodes. But her arc, specifically in the final two episodes, feels rushed and in need of more attention. It’s as if chunks of her story are missing which makes it hard to really latch onto her as a character. Meanwhile Ingram’s performance begins shaky, but the actress seems to grow more comfortable as she progresses.

Obi-Wan comes out of hiding after he’s contacted by Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) whose adopted daughter (and the twin sister of Luke), a young Princess Leia (Vivian Lyra Blair), has been kidnapped. Obi-Wan reluctantly agrees to find her and bring her home. But doing so draws the attention of Reva and Darth Vader himself who has a score to settle with his former Jedi master. This Obi-Wan/Anakin link turns out to be more than just a nostalgic nod. It forms the emotional core of the series and leads to some truly epic moments that are custom-made for the Star Wars faithful.

You could call Obi-Wan Kenobi” a series of big moments. There are callbacks, reveals, appearances, and showdowns that fans will be talking about for years to come. There are moments that many have been imagining for decades and answers to questions that some have mulled over since “Revenge of the Sith”. Some of the best moments involve Anakin/Vader – his psychological conflict, his revenge-seared conscience, and the path of violence he leaves in his wake. It’s hardly thorough, but it does leave you thirsting for more.

At the same time, there are some noticeably far-fetched bits. Some are small; others are a little more obvious (such as a haggard Obi-Wan sneaking Leia by countless Imperials in the highly secure Fortress Inquisitorious by simply stuffing her under an oversized trench coat). And despite its many highly enjoyable peaks, there are instances where character logic is nearly impossible to reconcile (and I really tried to). Small quibbles overall but sometimes they’re too noticeable to overlook.

Performance wise, McGregor is terrific as is the adorable Blair who really embodies young Leia. And I love the Christensen/Jones dual effort in portraying Vader. The new characters are more of a mixed bag. I’ve mentioned Reva who teases better things than she delivers. The same could be said for the Inquisitors, some of whom simply vanish in the second half. Kumail Nanjiani is essentially comic relief who never feels in-tune with the tone of the show. And O’Shea Jackson Jr. plays an underground resistance leader who works at a single super-serious temperature. One exception is Indira Varma. She’s really good playing a double-agent who Obi-Wan and Leia encounter on their journey.

While not perfect, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is the kind of series many Star Wars fans were hoping for. It fully embraces the old while tossing in some new, and it leaves the door open for more. So far there has been no announcement of a second season, but several characters and story threads are sure to be explored in future Star Wars projects. Could it be in a “Kenobi” season two? Perhaps. After all, money and enthusiasm talks, especially with Disney. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is now streaming on Disney+.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

James Caan (1940 – 2022)

July 7, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Cinema legend James Caan has passed away. He was 82. The incredibly versatile and charismatic actor’s career has spanned nearly 60 years. His filmography is filled with memorable appearances from early performances in movies like Howard Hawks’ “El Dorado” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Rain People” to his most well-known performance playing Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather”. He continued to do great work in the 70’s all the way through last year – “A Bridge Too Far”, “Thief”, “Misery”, “The Program” (an underrated performance), and of course the perennial Christmas classic “Elf” among many others.

Caan always had a magnetic screen presence and an inherent toughness that really came out in a number of eccentric yet entertaining movies. But he wasn’t restricted to tough-guy roles. He also had a sly sense of humor and was more than capable of handling more dramatic roles.

James Caan leaves behind quite a legacy and is sure to be missed by fans around the world.

RIP

First Glance: “Amsterdam”

July 7, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Filmmaker David O. Russell’s long-awaited new film “Amsterdam” has dropped its first trailer and it’s something to see. The period dark comedy is Russell’s first film since 2015’s “Joy” and there’s no denying its impressive star power. It features Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Robert De Niro, Michael Shannon, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Anya Taylor-Joy, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, and Matthias Schoenaerts among others. That’s a lot of talent.

The film follows three close friends – a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney (Bale, Robbie, and Washington) who find themselves prime suspects in a murder and drawn into one of the “most shocking secret plots in American history.” This thing looks kinda bonkers and I say that as a compliment. With the tag “a lot of this actually happened,” it looks to combine a bit of history with a bit of wacky humor. I’ve always been a bit mixed when it comes to Russell’s filmography, but this one looks to be a lot of fun.

“Amsterdam” opens this November. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

First Glance: “The Woman King”

July 6, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Viola Davis stars in the upcoming historical epic “The Woman King”. It’s a movie focused on the Dahomey Amazons, a name given to the brave and tenacious all-female military regiment who defended the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood whose last movie was the not-so-good “The Old Guard” for Netflix. This one looks more promising with Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega co-starring.

In the film’s first trailer we see Davis playing General Nanisca, the ruthless leader of the Agoji warrior women. The film follows their intense training and eventually their fight to protect their kingdom from the influx of white settlers. Judging by this first look, the movie looks to be epic in scale with incredibly detailed costume design by Gersha Phillips and some intense action-fueled set pieces. How in-depth will the story be? That’s the question. But everything else looks impressive.

“The Woman King” hits theaters September 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “The Phantom of the Open” (2022)

July 5, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Mark Rylance finds another custom-fit role in “The Phantom of the Open”, a biographical dramedy that you can file in the “so crazy that it must be true” category. Directed by Craig Roberts, this delightful stranger-than-fiction tale takes the true story of golf enthusiast/hoaxer Maurice Flitcroft and gives it its own hearty fictional spin. What we get is a warm and effortlessly witty crowd-pleaser anchored by yet another great performance from the always satisfying Mark Rylance.

If you’re like me, the name Maurice Flitcroft may not immediately ring a bell. But his story is one to remember. Flitcroft was a crane operator at a shipyard in the English port town of Barrow-in-Furness. But he’s most known for his successful attempts at gate-crashing The British Open golf tournament, the oldest and arguably most prestigious golf tournament in the world. His claim to “fame” came in 1976 when posing as a professional he secured a spot in the qualifying round of The Open Championship. Flitcroft’s lack of skill became shockingly evident after he shot an abysmal 49 over par, the worst score in tournament history.

The Open’s rules were promptly changed to keep Flitcroft from entering again, but that didn’t stop him. The next several years saw him continuing his attempts to enter, often under ridiculous aliases such as Gene Paychecki and Arnold Palmtree. He would even use physical disguises to hide his appearance from the tournament officials. Flitcroft earned himself a following of fans who saw him as the antithesis to the game’s more upper-crust reputation.

Roberts smartly latches onto the ever amiable Rylance who fits so snugly into the skin of Maurice Flitcroft (or at least the movie’s version of him). The story is penned by Simon Farnaby and based on a 2010 biography he wrote with Scott Murray. Farnaby is also the co-writer of 2017’s infectiously charming “Paddington 2”. And you can tell. There are some amusing similarities between Maurice and the anthropomorphic bear in the blue raincoat. Both bumble through their circumstances with a big-hearted naïveté, all while showing what a little kindness can do in the world.

The movie takes its share of liberties, downplaying the more mischievous side of Flitcroft’s personality and settling on his earnest dream of winning the British Open. Roberts and Farnaby have a lot of fun exaggerating the inherent zaniness of Flitcroft’s underdog story while also building up a playful family dynamic. Ultimately, its the film’s mix of heart and humor that makes it irresistible. And there’s such earnestness in Rylance’s performance that you can’t help but root for him, even in the final act where the schmaltz really kicks in.

The mustachioed Rylance endows Maurice with a lovable awkwardness both in manner and appearance. He’s humble and kind – traits that really come through in his relationship with his family. He married his wife, Jean (the always great Sally Hawkins) while she was a struggling single mother and adopted her bright young son Michael as his own. He and Jean later had twin boys together. Maurice would set aside his own big dreams in order to care for and support his family.

But everything changed during the summer of 1975 after Maurice has a late night epiphany. After watching Tom Watson win the Claret Jug, he decides to take up golf with plans of winning the Open Championship and its $10,000 top prize. And when I say epiphany, I mean we get a literal dreamlike sequence full of wacky imagery including Maurice being hit through the air like a golf ball and him ascending a staircase to the heavens made of green Bermuda.

Maurice buys himself a cheap set of clubs and a rule book and sets out to realize his newfound dream. And through a series of comical misunderstandings and a little willful ignorance, he finds himself in the qualifying round of the British Open. But his shockingly bad 63 on the opening nine holes sends the tournament heads (led by a hysterically conceited Rhys Ifans) into a tizzy while the media brands him as everything from “the people’s golfer” to “the great pretender”.

Back home, Maurice’s “fame” inspires his disco-loving twins, Gene and James (Jonah and Christian Lees) to pursue their dreams of becoming professional dancers. But the ambitious Michael (Jake Davies) is more interested in climbing the corporate ladder and is embarrassed by his father’s sudden notoriety. It creates a pretty obvious tension that goes in an obvious direction before reaching its obvious finish. But by the time we reach its syrupy ending, the film has earned so much goodwill that it’s hard not to be moved by it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from “The Phantom of the Open”. It turns out to be a feel-good movie with a light and easy sense of humor. And while the biographical elements are present, there’s also a stretch where the movie takes the story’s goofiness and runs with it, delivering some pretty good laughs. And how can you not love Mark Rylance who always manages to find roles tailor-made for his strengths. He’s such a treat here and you can’t help but to fall under his spell, regardless of how silly or sappy things may get. “The Phantom of the Open” is out now in select theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Spiderhead” (2022)

July 4, 2022 by Keith Garlington

Chris Hemsworth sheds his golden God of Thunder locks and takes on the role of a mad scientist (of sorts) in the new Netflix thriller “Spiderhead”. The film re-teams actor Miles Teller and director Joseph Kosinski who are both fresh off of the biggest box office hit of the year so far, “Top Gun: Maverick”. Based on the George Saunders short story “Escape From Spiderhead”, the film adaptation opens up with a thought-provoking setup. Sadly, it’s mostly undone by a movie that ultimately has nothing to say.

Again, things start promising. Hemsworth plays Steve Abnesti, a dapper and charismatic scientist/prison warden for the state-of-the-art Spiderhead penitentiary. But this is no ordinary prison. The remote complex is also a research facility where clinical trials take place on prisoners who have volunteered to be human lab rats. In exchange, they get lesser sentences along with a semblance of freedom they wouldn’t normally get. They have their own rooms, they can move about without strict supervision, and they get finely cooked meals.

The first head-scratcher for me was the absence of prison guards. I mean there are literally no guards with the exceptions of two guys in pull-over polo shirts who pop up from time to time. Otherwise, it’s just Steve and his apprehensive assistant, Mark (Mark Paguio). The movie takes a weak swing at offering a possible explanation later on, but it’s hard to buy. These are essentially prisoners of the state and their crimes range from drunk driving to mass murder. Yet they roam around freely together without any concerns from the courts, law enforcement, or the government.

Inside the penitentiary, each prisoner is fitted with a white plastic dispenser on the small of their backs that looks like a cheap baby monitor. Inside of the contraption are five small vials of mood-altering chemicals with goofy names like “Darkenfloxx” and “Laffodil”. The dispensers are controlled by a cellphone app that Steve and Mark use during testing. They monitor their subjects and then record the results for some mysterious “protocol committee”. Unsure of the kind of work they’re doing? Don’t worry, the film is content with the tried-and-true line “The work we do could help millions of people.”

One such prisoner is Jeff (Miles Teller) who is in for accidentally killing his best friend while driving drunk. He’s haunted by the memories of that fatal mistake which makes him one of Steve’s favorite test subjects. When not being served sensory overloading “love drugs”, he hangs out with his love(ish) interest, Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett). Their lukewarm romance is supposed to add a little emotion. Instead, it never gets out of first gear.

Despite having a thought-provoking setup, “Spiderhead” is ultimately undone by a number of flaws that no amount of Hemsworth charisma can overcome. For example, the paper-thin story leaves so much unexplained. I can’t get into the details without spoiling things, but let’s just say the ending does more to emphasis the story’s shallowness than offer any meaningful answers. It also reinforces the premise’s utter absurdity. The movie is also surprisingly empty in terms commentary. It wants to say something yet has remarkably little to say about much of anything.

I did get a kick out of some things (take the hilariously on-the-nose needle drops such as Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me with Science”). But the disappointingly bland and hollow “Spiderhead” needs a lot more than that to get by. Maybe if you can completely turn off your brain, ask no logical questions whatsoever, and simply accept whatever you see at face-value, “Spiderhead” could work for you. For me, that proved to be too much to ask. “Spiderhead” is now streaming on Netflix.