REVIEW: “Spring Blossom” (2021)

May 19, 2021 by Keith Garlington

The provocative French drama “Spring Blossom” looks at an ill-advised romance between a teenage girl and an older man from the perspective of a 20-year-old first time filmmaker. Suzanne Lindon writes, directs, and stars in this evocative coming-of-age story that she penned when she was fifteen and directed five years later. Her debut has a very French sensibility and introduces the audience to a young filmmaker with a really bright future.

Lindon (the daughter of French actor Vincent Lindon and actress/singer Sandrine Kiberlain) approaches her story from an interesting angle. She makes no judgments throughout the film’s lean 73-minute runtime, only observations. And she doesn’t make this about predatory seduction or angry teen rebellion. It’s more specifically a film about adolescence and a 16-year-old girl caught in that hard-to-navigate space between childhood and adulthood.

Image Courtesy of Kimstim

Cozily set in Paris’ picturesque Montmartre, Lindon plays the lead character also named Suzanne who has a life many kids would envy – good grades, plenty of friends, a stable home with loving parents. Yet despite comforts and privilege, she finds her self disillusioned with people her own age. It’s not that she’s an outcast. All of her classmates seem to genuinely like her. But she’s bored with them and feels as if she doesn’t belong. It’s perfectly encapsulated when Suzanne is asked to rate the boys at party on a scale of 1 to 10. “If I really had to do it, I’d give everyone a 5“.

Lindon shoots the scenes with Suzanne and her friends in a way that really highlights this disconnect. Suzanne looks like a puzzle piece that doesn’t quite fit. Even her deep black hair stands out in the seas of blonde and reddish tints. Lindon also uses several clever touches that illustrate Suzanne’s position between childlike innocence and burgeoning maturity. My favorite may be two posters on her bedroom wall. One is of Disney’s animated children’s classic “Bambi”. The other is of the much more adult Maurice Pialat film “À nos amours” (which once had the working title “Suzanne”).

During her walks to and from school, Suzanne begins noticing and soon becomes infatuated with a frustrated theater actor named Raphaël (Arnaud Valois). In a harmless stalker-like fashion she begins observing him, watching as he sits at a cafe, takes a smoke break outside the theater, or works on his broken-down scooter. Inevitably he starts to notice her too and after a few awkward encounters the two begin a lightly breaded romance.

Image Courtesy of Kimstim

You would almost call it sweet and innocent if not for the discomfort of the one big detail. He’s 35 and she’s 16. The film’s mostly chaste treatment of the relationship still doesn’t hide its ickiness. And having Suzanne not only instigate the romance but also control its direction doesn’t make it easier to digest. Interestingly it takes a while for her preoccupied parents (Frédéric Pierrot and Florence Viala) to notice something’s up. For a while they greet Suzanne’s wave of unusual questions or her sudden interest in wearing makeup with puzzled looks and a shrug of the shoulders. Yet the daughter/parents relationship that Lindon gives us is built on a very organic picture of love, trust, and maybe a dash of naïveté.

Yet there’s a lot to say for the film’s honesty especially coming almost exclusively from the younger girl’s perspective. And Lindon’s point-of-view is an intriguing mix of style and empathy. Take the handful of impromptu interpretive dances that are used to express true emotional connection between Suzanne and Raphaël. Some of these scenes don’t fully feel in sync with the rest of the movie but they are bold and audacious. And it’s a far cry from conventional storytelling which is pretty impressive coming from a filmmaker just beginning what could be a wonderful career in cinema. “Spring Blossom” releases in select theaters May 21st.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “The Ice Road”

May 18, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Liam Neeson playing an ice road trucker leading the charge to save the lives of some trapped diamond miners? Sure, I’m in. What can I say, I’m a sucker for these Neeson thrillers that often feel unmistakably similar minus a few small story details. “The Ice Road” actually does feel a little different. While the new trailer doesn’t rule out gunfights, violent antagonists, a special forces background, etc., it does see Neeson showing off a very different ‘particular set of skills’. Namely handling a big-rig across 300 miles of frozen highways, thawing lakes, and collapsing bridges. As I said, I’m in.

“The Ice Road” is written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh whose last film was 2011’s “Kill the Irishman”. Here he puts together a movie that seems right up Neeson’s alley. It also stars Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallany, and Amber Midthunder. The trailer alone lets us know that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. And with only thirty hours of air left before the miners suffocate we are ensured a steady race-against-the-clock element. So we’re given a good idea of what to expect and that’s more than enough for me.

“The Ice Road” opens June 25th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Those Who Wish Me Dead” (2021)

May 18, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Taylor Sheridan makes movies I enjoy and it piques my interest whenever his name is attached to a project. Since first stepping behind the camera in 2011, Sheridan has been involved in several features that have been right up my alley. He penned both of the “Sicario” movies. He wrote and received an Oscar nomination for 2016’s “Hell or High Water”. He wrote and directed 2017’s underseen “Wind River”. And it’s worth mentioning that he was co-creator of Paramount’s hit show “Yellowstone”.

His latest film “Those Who Wish Me Dead” features many of Sheridan’s trademarks: the neo-western vibe, a distinct regional (often rural) flavor, and a crime element that plays a critical part in the story. Here he co-writes and directs a loose adaptation of a Michael Koryta novel of the same name (Koryta and Charles Leavitt also worked on the screenplay). Angelina Jolie provides the star power playing a tortured forest service firefighter who finds her shot at personal redemption when she crosses paths with a young boy being chased by two assassins.

Jolie plays Hannah, a veteran smokejumper who’s still haunted by a terrible incident one year earlier. While fighting a raging forest fire, Hannah misread the wind leading to the deaths of three young boys. Now her PTSD combined with overwhelming guilt has driven her to leave her hotshots team and spend the summer alone manning an isolated 20×20 fire tower deep in the Montana forest. A ruggedly charming Jon Bernthal plays Ethan, a sheriff’s deputy and Hannah’s ex-boyfriend who’s worried about her self-destructive mindset. Both he and his pregnant wife Allison (Medina Senghore) see through her vain attempts at hiding her despair.

And that’s one leg of the story. The other involves Ethan’s brother Owen (Jake Weber), a forensic accountant living in Florida who stumbled upon some damning information that has some really powerful people wanting him dead. After hearing that the district attorney he was working with had been killed, Owen takes his 12-year-old son Connor (a very good Finn Little) and heads cross-country seeking the help of his brother. Little does he know, two efficient hired killers (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult) are already on his trail and with limitless resources at their disposal.

These combustible elements inevitably collide deep in the mountain wilds of Montana. A brutal ambush leaves Owen dead and young Connor scampering through the woods where he eventually runs into Hannah. As she tries to earn the frightened boy’s trust, the two killers are hot on his trail determined to tie up their final loose end. And if that wasn’t enough, Sheridan ratchets the tension even tighter by throwing in a furious forest fire that’s bearing down on Hannah and Connor, cutting them off from the nearest help.

Jolie is no stranger to playing broken characters so it’s no surprise that she’s a nice fit here. Once she gets past the hammy overly macho early scenes, she gives us a good taste of why she was cast. The problem is with so many moving parts and story angles to cover, the movie doesn’t give her the time needed to dig into Hannah’s emotional turmoil. It’s a key part of her character that’s ends up alluded to more that explored. Still, Jolie does what she can, showing stoicism, physicality, and a mother bear ferocity later on. The sturdy Bernthal is as reliable as ever and Senghore has some great moments. But it’s Gillen and Hoult who intrigued me most – cold, calculated and businesslike, with the same destructive savagery as the fire burning through the Montana forest.

“Those Who Wish Me Dead” is an imperfect yet entertaining crime thriller that settles for a straightforward throwback vibe rather than the deeper character focus it could have had. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As you would expect from a Sheridan movie, it invests a lot into its location with DP Ben Richardson shooting the natural setting with both awe and reverence. And with an alluring cast and a surprising amount of grit, there’s enough here to keep you immersed and engaged. “Those Who Wish Me Dead” is now showing in theaters and on HBO Max.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins”

May 17, 2021 by Keith Garlington

If you were going to find a way to bring G.I. Joe back to the big screen, focusing on its most compelling character and bonafide fan favorite Snake Eyes is a smart way to do it. The two early attempts at bringing the once beloved property to theaters didn’t end with the best results. But they did have one thing going for them – the Snake Eyes character. In the new teaser for “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” Paramount is digging into the ninja commando’s ripe and complicated backstory. Even more intriguing is that Henry Golding will star as the titular character.

As a kid in the 1980’s I watched some of the G.I. Joe cartoons and at one point joined the toy craze. But my main connection was through the comic book series which was known for its gritty semi-realism and great storytelling (at least until they started going into space, teaming with Transformers, etc.). It’s hard to tell from the action-packed teaser which direction the filmmakers are going. But if handled right, “Snake Eyes” could be a really good action flick. And there are plenty of good characters in that universe the explore if they’re given the proper treatment.

“Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins opens in theaters July 23rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Army of the Dead” (2021)

May 17, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Zack Snyder has had quite the 2021 and we aren’t even halfway through the year. Back in March, fans of his DC Extended Universe movies finally got their eyes on his much-hyped and long-awaited “Justice League” extended cut (aka The Snyder Cut). As expected it stirred up plenty of buzz both from die-hard fans and committed haters. But Snyder had another movie in his back pocket, one backed by Netflix and only a couple of months away from release.

The news of Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” caught a lot of people’s attention. In a nostalgic sense you could call it a return to his zombie roots for the 55-year-old filmmaker who made his directorial debut with his 2004 “Dawn of the Dead” remake. Since then Snyder has used some big hits and a few flops to hone his own distinct cinematic style. One that’s rooted in visual storytelling and that isn’t afraid to ‘go big’. In many ways “Army of the Dead” is an agglomeration of Snyder’s past work – a movie ripe with his signature flourishes, excesses, and indulgences. It pulls from nearly every film in Snyder’s catalogue to delivery something beefy, action-packed, often gory, at times funny, and always self-aware.

At its core the story (written by Snyder, Shay Hatten, and Joby Harold) can be best described as a zombie heist film with a strong survival-horror flavor and a dash of family drama. As with most of Snyder’s movies, a heavy emphasis is placed on setting up his richly detailed world. It begins with a prologue revealing what led to Las Vegas becoming the epicenter of a zombie outbreak. That’s followed by a very Snydery slow-motion mini-movie with the opening credits baked in. As various covers of “Viva Las Vegas” play in the background, this grisly yet almost jaunty interlude shows how the infection spread across Sin City, plunging it into chaos and turning the vacationers, gamblers, showgirls, and even the Elvis impersonators into flesh-eating ghouls. Meanwhile soldiers blast through the undead, eventually walling off the city with stacks of shipping containers.

From there Snyder moves to his characters, fleshing out some of them and wisely sticking with big personality over lengthy backstory for others. It’s the right move because in films like this one thing is for certain, some characters are destined to be zombie food. Here, the beefy wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista stars as Scott Ward, a short-order cook and the former leader of a mercenary group known as Las Vengeance. He was among the soldiers who fought to contain the zombies in Vegas, but all he got for his efforts was a dead-end job, an infected wife, and a fractured relationship with his daughter Kate (Ella Purnell) who works as a volunteer at a quarantine camp just outside of the wall.

While flipping patties at a dried-up burger joint, Scott is approached by billionaire Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) who has $200 million stuck in a vault beneath his Vegas hotel and casino. He offers Scott a job – infiltrate the zombie-infested wasteland and smuggle out the cash before the government drops a small nuke on the city. If Scott succeeds he can keep $50 million and divide it among his crew any way he pleases. And just like that, the basis for the heist angle is established.

It doesn’t take long for the embittered down-on-his-luck Scott to take the job. He put his life on the line to save the world and got nothing in return. Maybe a big cut of a $50 million payout will help make up for it. So he assembles his team of specialists: his old flame Maria (Ana de la Reguera), the buzzsaw-brandishing Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), Dieter the safecracker (Matthias Schweighöfer), Mikey the sharpshooting YouTuber (Raúl Castillo), and the stogie-chomping pilot Marianne (Tig Notaro). Tagging along is Tanaka’s shady head of security Martin (Garret Dillahunt) who seems to have other interests besides retrieving his boss’ money. Even Kate finds a way to join the team.

Leading them behind the walls is a coyote for hire named Lily (Nora Arnezeder). She not only knows her way around the treacherous living-deadscape, but she’s a key source of information both for the team and for the audience. She’s how we learn about a stronger, faster, and more organized group of zombies. Ones that communicate, strategize, and even have their own leadership. As you can probably guess, that adds a whole new layer of danger to the mission. And all while the government is only hours away from nuking the city. The clock is ticking.

From there it’s pretty easy to get a sense of where things are heading, but watching Snyder fill in the details is half of the fun. Who makes it out and who doesn’t? Do they get the money? What’s with that roaming zombie tiger? All obvious questions and Snyder has a great time answering them. He full-on embraces the well-established zombie tropes of the past (you know, shoot them in the head, kill the brain, don’t get bit, etc.). At the same time he stretches the genre’s bounds by adding some twists of his own. Most of them work and help distinguish his film from other zombie flicks. But other choices, though original, aren’t as effective and occasionally slow the film’s otherwise kinetic pacing.

In addition to the terrific slow-motion opening montage and the fun world-building, the film is full of other Zack Snyder signatures from the hilariously fitting song drops to its longer running time. And Snyder shot the film himself which means you can expect a visually immersive setting and plenty of eye-popping (and head-popping) action sequences. Yet amid the blood, brains, and bravado he still manages to give each character their moments. Bautista gets high marks as does Schweighöfer, Arnezeder and the scene-stealing Hardwick.

“Army of the Dead” comes with pre-packaged franchise ambitions and Netflix has already shown they are ready to invest. A prequel and an animated series are already in the works. Meanwhile “Army” makes for a good launching point and ends in a place tailor-made for a sequel. While Snyder’s obvious creative freedom adds some bloat to the story, you have to love his vision and his commitment to it. And as far as big blockbustery popcorn entertainment goes, Snyder delivers exactly what he promises. “Army of the Dead” is now show in select theaters and premieres on Netflix May 21st.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “The Protégé”

May 14, 2021 by Keith Garlington

For me, Michael Keaton is an instant seller. His status as one of my favorite actors has been solidified in this second stage of career. These days you’ll find him in fascinating variety of starring and supporting roles. They may be in big budget blockbusters or small indies. You may find him with flying around with metal wings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or a traveling milkshake machine salesman on the verge of founding the world’s largest fast-food chain. In “The Protégé” he plays the big baddie, something he’s always been able to do extremely well.

The film is directed by Martin Campbell, the man behind the incredible “Casino Royale” but also the not-so-incredible “Green Lantern”. In “The Protégé” Maggie Q plays an assassin hunting down those responsible for murdering her mentor (played Samuel L. Jackson). In her quest for revenge, secrets from her past are brought to light and (of course) Michael Keaton in knee-deep in it all. Admittedly the trailer looks pretty conventional but the big names add some intrigue. Hopefully it takes this common revenge tale and adds some flavor all its own.

“The Protégé” opens August 20th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.