It’s that time of the year again. February is the usual landing ground for new Liam Neeson PG-13 action thrillers. This year the 69-year-old Irishman is giving us “Blacklight”, a shoot-em-up that looks to check every box Neeson fans will be expecting. This is the third film he has made with director Mark Williams, and it doesn’t look like the duo are straying too far away from their previous collaborations. To be honest, I’m kinda ok with that.
This time around Neeson plays a fixer working for the FBI. He’s ready to step away from his “work”, determined to be a better grandfather than he was a father. But wouldn’t you know it, the powers that be have no interest in him hanging up his Beretta. It’s made even worse when he discovers that the people he’s been working for are actually responsible for some pretty horrific crimes. Of course our hero pushes back, his family is put in danger, and Neeson is forced to unleash his “particular set of skills”. I’m game.
“Blacklight” is set to open in theaters February 11th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
I’m not sure the movie business has ever been in a weirder place than it is right now. Watching movies has never been easier than it is today. Streaming services have literally put entire catalogs of feature films right at our finger tips. We can watch them on our big screen televisions, on our tablets, or on our cell phones. We can watch them in the comfort of our living room, on an airplane, or in a hospital waiting room. Streaming has forever changed the way movie lovers consume content.
But what about the way we once watched movies? What about the movie theaters? It goes without saying that streaming has cut into the movie theaters’ business. Just how much is hard to say and it usually swings on a variety of factors (ticket pricing, size of markets, etc.). Yet while many movie houses and theater chains are feeling the impact, they are kept afloat by a select group of movies that fans will flock to no matter what. And while this steady trend helps theaters, it highlights a bigger concern – one that could have a far-reaching impact on the kind of films being made.
A couple weeks back Steven Spielberg’s sparkling and critically acclaimed musical adaptation “West Side Story” opened to a paltry $10 million at the box office. As of now it has only managed $50 million. Considering the lackluster returns on other 2021 movie musicals like “In the Heights” and “Dear Evan Hansen”, no one was expecting record-breaking numbers from “West Side Story”. But for a movie needing an estimated $300 million to break even, it’s safe to say expectations were higher. Within hours after the disappointing numbers went public, articles began springing up citing the reluctance of audiences to go to theaters due to COVID concerns. Sounds reasonable and it’s an explanation that would be easy to digest if not for one thing – “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.
Only one week removed from “West Side Story’s” underwhelming debut, “No Way Home” (the latest installment in the ludicrously lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe) has shattered records bringing in an astonishing $253 million domestically during its opening weekend. To add some context, this is the third Spider-Man movie to star Tom Holland as the beloved webslinger. The first film brought in $117 million on opening weekend back in 2017. The second film raked in $92 million back in 2019. Both were pre-pandemic releases.
Suddenly the pandemic hesitancy excuse being made for “West Side Story” and other films doesn’t hold as much water. Clearly people will still go to the theaters. But they’re not going to see “West Side Story” or Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” or Guillermo del Toro’s terrific “Nightmare Alley” which just opened and could only muster an abyssal $3 million in its first weekend. Without question there are variables at play. For example, there are older moviegoers who would likely go see those films if not for COVID concerns. But differences in numbers this massive seem to indicate something else is going on.
To get a better grip of the situation all you have to do is look at the 2021 box office numbers and see how many of the top grossers of the year were franchise movies. Obviously tentpole blockbusters topping the charts is nothing new and they happen to be an important part of the movie business. But with the infusion of huge crowd-pleasing interconnected moneymakers like the Marvel films (and we get several each year), they seem to have completely taken over. And there’s no sign of that changing any time soon.
What does that mean for movies that aren’t bound to the franchise model? What does that mean for filmmakers willing to take chances and make something fresh and original? What does it mean for them getting funding? How long will companies be willing to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into projects only to take a bath, even if the director is Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, or Guillermo del Toro? Those may sound like questions for the studios to wrestle with, but they very well could effect the kind of movies we get going forward. Could we be heading to a place where original mid-budget movies are too big of a gamble?
So what’s the cause? Are we finally reaching that point where the influx of big-budget star-studded franchises has diluted the tastes of audiences? Deep down I don’t believe it’s a clear this-or-that issue. There are several things that factor into the equation including the pandemic and the increased popularity of streaming platforms. But I also believe something has changed with a fairly large segment of moviegoers.
With the exception of cinephiles who more-or-less watch some of everything, it seems a large number of people simply have little interest in seeing movies that aren’t franchise connected. Sure there are a few exceptions, but the numbers are pretty telling and the potential consequences are concerning, especially for someone like myself who loves small and mid-budget features just as much as I love blockbusters. What will it take to get people to try other movies? I don’t know, but studios have to be feeling it. And at this rate you can’t really blame them if they decide to cut their losses. I hope we never reach that point.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share them in the comments section below.
Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her directorial debut in “The Lost Daughter”, an assured and daring first feature that’s full of surprises both narratively and technically. It’s a worthwhile adaptation of the novella “My Brilliant Friend” by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The book is the first in Ferrante’s four-part series called the Neapolitan Novels and it’s definitely worth seeking out.
Empowered by Gyllenhaal’s keen writing and no-frills direction along with a terrific Olivia Colman lead performance, “The Lost Daughter” offers a subversive examination of motherhood from an angle we rarely (if ever) see in movies. It’s a slippery psychological drama that’s willing and unafraid to challenge cinema’s common perception of women. And it does so with an alarming clarity.
The script is soaked in mystery, beginning in one place before ending somewhere else entirely. The story revolves around an enigmatic 48-year-old woman vacationing in the Greek Isles. What at first feels like a tale of loneliness and loss soon curdles into something dark and sour. And to Gyllenhaal’s credit, she always keeps us guessing while never bending to our expectations.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
The sure-footed Colman plays Leda, a literature professor on summer vacation. As she arrives on the picturesque island she’s greeted by Lyle (Ed Harris), the caretaker of the area’s rental properties who lugs her suitcases full of books and clothes to her upstairs apartment. Their exchange provides our first glimpse into Leda’s demeanor. She’s friendly enough but somewhat socially awkward and at times plain-spoken to the point of being off-putting. In this case she wants to be left alone and she has no interest in Lyle’s spiel about the island’s history or how the air conditioner works.
Later Leda makes her way down to the beach to enjoy some peaceful alone time. But any hopes of quiet and solitude are shattered when a large and rambunctious family suddenly arrives. You can see the frustration simmering in Leda’s eyes as the noisy invaders become even harder to digest. But one member of the family catches her attention – a twenty-something mother named Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to keep her frisky daughter occupied.
Over time Leda’s curiosity turns into a creepy fixation that triggers flashbacks to her own time as an exasperated young mom. In those scenes, Jessie Buckley plays the younger Leda and she shares a startling symbiosis with Coleman. Their performances are both fueled by a similar emotional intensity and are so in-tune with each other that you never doubt you’re seeing the same woman.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
Gyllenhaal’s confidence in her storytelling really shows once the flashbacks are introduced. These scenes fluidly weave into and out of the central story, illuminating the main character with an uncomfortable clarity. I won’t dare spoil where the movie goes, but Leda’s story (both past and present) take us down some roads as unpredictable as they are unsettling.
“The Lost Daughter” quickly becomes a movie built around revelation. Gyllenhaal urges her audience to invest in Leda even if we don’t like what’s revealed about her. But that’s part of the film’s allure. It challenges our perceptions and expectations in a brutally frank way. It isn’t worried about us liking Leda. It’s far more concerned with portraying her honestly. So we’re left with a character so sincerely constructed that some will find her impossible to like. Me? I found myself juggling empathy with disdain for Leda which (I believe) is exactly the conflict the movie wants us to have.
While Maggie Gyllenhaal’s shrewd direction and cagey storytelling are real strengths, her visual choices range from sumptuous to suffocating. DP Hélène Louvart’s reliance on intense close-ups can be overpowering and a part of me wishes she had done more visually with the setting. At the same time, her unfussy approach keeps our focus where it needs to be – on the prickly, complicated Leda. She’s the true centerpiece of this achingly melancholy first feature from Gyllenhaal who shows she has a bright and exciting new future ahead of her.
Last week I shared my Top 20 films of 2021 (you can check them out HERE). This week is a less joyous occasion. In keeping with tradition, today I’m sharing my picks for the five worst movies I had the displeasure of seeing in 2021. There were far more bad films to choose from than last year, but I was finally able to whittle them down to five? So here we go. Enjoy….I guess.
Before I get into 2021’s five worst, here are a few of the year’s bigger disappointments:
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” – It’s not that I was a huge fan of the first “Venom” movie, but the pieces were all here for something great. Unfortunately, it’s far from great. [REVIEW]
“House of Gucci” – I don’t dislike this movie. In fact I like a lot about it. But with with a cast like this and subject matter so juicy, you would expect better results. [REVIEW]
“Eternals” – Marvel Studios has had a pretty stellar track record. But this turned out to be a dull and uninteresting slog. Easily among the weakest from the MCU catalog. [REVIEW]
And now I present to you the biggest stinkers of 2021
#5 – “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions”
In addition to having one of the worst titles of 2021, “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” is one of the most pointless sequels of the year (or any year). Sure, it throws in more wacky puzzles for its group of boring and uninteresting participants to solve. But that’s literally all we get. The story is shockingly shallow and none of the questions from the first film are answered. A ludicrous plot “twist” is thrown in, but even it can’t bring a spark to this utterly lifeless exercise. [REVIEW]
#4 – “Cinderella”
I don’t remember anyone clamoring for a new “Cinderella”, but we got one anyway. There’s no nuance, subtlety or cleverness to be found anywhere in this laughably heavy-handed reinvention that seems to have a poorly veiled distaste for the fairytale that inspired it. A flat story, bland characters, weird cover songs, a sparkless romance – it’s all there. But the biggest casualty is Camila Cabello who has noticeable charm and even a little swagger. Sadly she’s smothered by some truly horrible material. [REVIEW]
#3 – “Fear Street Part 3: 1666”
Talk about a trilogy with loads of squandered potential. The “Fear Street” films started on shaky ground, got a tad better with the second film, but then crashed and burned with this truly awful finale. This mess of a movie is plagued by baffling creative choices, haphazard storytelling, and scattershot pacing. And while this superficial backstory tries to add some depth the the ongoing drama, it ends up being the death knell to a trilogy that should have and could have been better. [REVIEW]
#2 – “Space Jam: A New Legacy”
Look, I know I wasn’t the target audience for a new “Space Jam” movie. But that didn’t keep me from recognizing how terrible “Space Jam: A New Legacy” turned out to be. In this embarrassing cash grab, story, characters, good humor, and heart take a back seat to corporate self-promotion. And no one expected star LeBron James to be an Oscar contender. We would have settled for him being forgettably average. Instead, we get a performance that should have the Worst Actor Razzie locked up. [REVIEW]
#1 – “Karen”
I saw a lot of bad movies in 2021, but none were as mind-numbingly awful as “Karen”. I’m still confused about what this movie wants to be – a horror thrilller, a dark comedy, a stinging social satire? Whatever it’s going for, this bewildering mess wildly misses every mark it aims for. Hampered by ridiculously on-the-nose dialogue and unintentionally hilarious performances, “Karen” is astonishingly bad from start to finish. It literally left me speechless (and not in a good way). [REVIEW]
And those are my picks. I’d love to hear your picks for the worst movies of 2021. Let me hear from you in the comments section below.
Well, we’ve done it again. We’ve came to the end of yet another year. For many people 2021 was a tough one. For me it was a year of several highs but some significant lows. On the down side, I lost two uncles and one aunt in 2021 and I considered myself close to all of them. Many others have lost loved ones as well. My heart goes out to you.
But on the positive side, 2021 was a great year for movies. I was worried for the first several months, but there were some really strong releases in the second half of the year. Personally, 2021 saw some exciting doors opened up. I was brought on as a film critic for a newspaper I’ve known my entire life, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It marks the first time I’ve actually been paid for reviewing movies. Also, this site received more traffic than any year since it began back in 2010.
In a very real way I owe both of those accomplishments to you all – the readers, the engagers, the commenters. Every visit, every ‘like’, every conversation I’ve had with you all has been an encouragement. I’m also grateful for the film friends I’ve made through this goofy little website. You all add an extra layer of enjoyment to watching movies.
So with another film year in the books, I just want to say THANK YOU. Also, I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year and may 2022 be full of rich blessings for you and your loved ones. I can’t wait to see what kind of movies we get to talk about in the coming year.
It seems I say this too much, but I can’t believe another movie year has come and gone. 2021 was a strange yet hopeful year for cinema as we looked to make our way back from a global pandemic and (hopefully) closer to some semblance of normalcy. Movies still found themselves in a unusual place, with several big delays especially in the early part of the year. But some of the heavy hitters finally came to theaters while independent films continued to show their resiliency and importance.
That brings me to this annual ritual of looking back at the movie year that was. In the grand scheme of things, these lists are pretty silly. At the same time I always enjoy doing them and comparing them with others. Before I get to my Top 10 films from 2021 I always like to give some love to the great movies that just missed the cut. So without further ado, here is my #11-20….
#20 – “Lamb”
#19 – “Oxygen”
#18 – “Old Henry”
#17 – “The Lost Daughter”
#16 – “The Dry”
#15 – “Being the Ricardos”
#14 – “The Card Counter”
#13 – “Memoria”
#12 – “Cyrano”
#11 – “The Last Duel”
And now my Top 10 Films of 2021
#10 – “CODA” [REVIEW] One of the most talked about movies to come out of Sundance 2021 was Sian Heder’s joyously earnest and deeply affecting “CODA”. This heartwarming coming-of-age story followed a 17-year-old (played by a fantastic Emilia Jones) who is the lone hearing member of her culturally deaf family. It also features sublime supporting work by Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin. And while it has a pretty familiar exterior, underneath is a warmth and authenticity that’s hard to resist. It’s also genuinely funny with plenty of laughs that come naturally and frequently. What a treat.
#9 – “The Tragedy of MacBeth” [REVIEW] Adapting William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “MacBeth” is nothing new. But leave it to one-half of the Coen brothers to give us a version unlike any we’ve been treated to before. Joel Coen’s visually arresting approach gives us scene after scene of striking imagery, creating a grim and forbidding atmosphere in the process. And then there’s the amazing cast led by Denzel Washington who (if there’s any justice in the world) should be in line for another Oscar nomination. I wasn’t sure if we needed another “MacBeth”, but I’m sure glad Joel Coen gave us one.
#8 – “No Time to Die” [REVIEW] Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as James Bond had potential to both sink or shine. It turned out to be everything I hoped it would – a sprawling blockbuster with eye-popping action and rich with characters that over the years I’ve grown to love. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga attempts to tie up most of the loose ends while also fully embracing the elements that made Craig’s run so memorable. Most importantly it makes for a fitting conclusion to a story arc that will be hard for the next Bond to match.
#7 – “Nightmare Alley” [REVIEW] More than any other movie on this list, “Nightmare Alley” is the one I wrestled with the most. But in wrestling with it I quickly realized just how much I loved it. Guillermo del Toro’s pulpy neo-noir thriller is a visually stunning throwback film with a captivating cast and a story that digs deep into the dark side of human nature. Del Toro’s world-building is unmatched and I found myself transported by what he creates here. This is top-notch cinema, bursting with style and grounded in the kind of grim and grimy atmosphere that left me giddy.
#6 – “Mass” [REVIEW] After first seeing “Mass” at Sundance I knew I had seen something special. After seeing it a second time later in the year, I knew it was one of the best movies of 2021. Not only is “Mass” powerful and moving, it’s also intensely timely as it attempts to tackle a difficult subject from a unique and distinctly personal point-of-view. Each of the four stars at the center are emotional forces and they’re key to making it all work. Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, and Reed Birney give nomination worthy performances in a movie that cuts deeply and honestly.
#5 – “A Hero” [REVIEW] For my money, Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi is among the handful of must-see filmmakers working today. He’s a consummate storyteller with a cinematic vision and voice so profound that I’m compelled to see every movie he puts out. “A Hero” embodies everything I love about a Farhadi film. It’s yet another deeply human story grounded in everyday life that uses its characters to pose a number of thought-provoking moral questions. With its seamless naturalistic dialogue and engaging story structure, this makes for a wonderful addition to Farhadi’s already impressive filmography.
#4 – “West Side Story” [REVIEW] Now here’s a movie that I went into with no expectations and left on an emotional high. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “West Side Story” swept me away with its incredible production design, rousing songs, high-energy dance numbers, and some performances that are easily among the year’s best. Spielberg captures all the style and verve of the classic movie musical and fuses it with a modern day sensibility. It all comes together in a joyous and at times heartbreaking big screen experience that has stuck with me in ways I never imagined.
#3 – “The Man in the Hat” [REVIEW] Sometimes it’s the gentlest movies that moves you the most. Such is the case in this delightful and warm little yarn from John-Paul Davidson and Stephen Warbeck. It’s a simple and savory road trip movie that is a feast for the senses and feels plucked out of a bygone era of cinema history. It’s driven by the wonderfully expressive Ciarán Hinds who conveys everything we need through his gentle manner, tender smiles, and melancholy gaze. This movie had me under its spell from its opening scene and it’s a movie more people need to see.
#2 – “Belfast” [REVIEW] Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” is a warm and tender reflection on his time in the city of his childhood. Set during the tumultuous late 1960s, Branagh’s story plays out to the backdrop of violence and unrest, yet it maintains a heartfelt focus on family and community. It features incredible performances top to bottom and is flavored with the deep personal touches of a filmmaker giving a full-hearted thank you to the neighborhood and the people who shaped and molded his life. “Belfast” may not be for everyone, but I found it to be one of the most beautiful movies of 2021.
#1 – “Dune” [REVIEW] While I’m a proud Denis Villeneuve fan, admittedly I didn’t really know what to expect from his incredibly ambitious “Dune”. I have no real history with the source material or with the past attempts at bringing it to the screen. What I got was an exhilarating and transporting blockbuster that sucked me into its world from its opening shot. Not only is “Dune” the best movie I saw in 2021, it was also the best theater experience I’ve had in a long time. It was truly made for the big screen. I loved everything about “Dune” and I can’t wait for the sequel to usher me back into Villeneuve’s breathtaking world.
And that wraps up another movie year. Please take time to share your thoughts on what I got right and what I got wrong with this year’s list.
Keith & the Movies 