Disney Shows the Star Wars Universe is Alive and Well!

December 11, 2020 by Keith Garlington

In case you missed it yesterday was Walt Disney’s Investor Day meaning a ton of great Star Wars news dropped. And I do mean A TON. I know some people were left with a sour taste in their mouth after “Rise of Skywalker” (not me, I still think it’s a good film). But most agree that both the final season of “The Clone Wars” and “The Mandalorian” have been terrific entries into the massive Star Wars canon. Well get ready because that canon is about to get even bigger. Last night Disney shared huge plans for the franchise announcing new movies and Disney+ streaming series. It’s still a great time to be a Star Wars fan. In case you missed it here are the evening’s biggest announcements.

#1 – Hayden Christensen and the Obi-Wan Kenobi Series

Yesterday we learned that not only is the Ewan McGregor led Obi-Wan series chugging right along, but it will feature none other than Hayden Christensen making his return to the Star Wars universe as Darth Vader. It’s exciting news and makes perfect sense considering the series is set 10 years after “Revenge of the Sith”. Needless to say there is plenty of unfinished business between the two that’s just begging to be explored. Look for this coming soon to Disney+.

#2 – Patty Jenkins is Making a Star Wars Movie

It looks like we know what’s next for Patty Jenkins after her highly anticipated Wonder Woman sequel. Disney dropped a very personal (and extremely cool) video featuring Jenkins announcing “Rouge Squadron”. It will be a feature film focused on something near and dear to Jenkins’ heart – fighter pilots. Plus she will be the first woman to direct a Star Wars film. This is obviously in its early stages but I can’t wait to see we she brings to the beloved galaxy far, far away.

#3 – The Bad Patch Animated Series

There were rumors of this circulating but now it’s confirmed. Disney dropped an official trailer announcing “The Bad Patch” animated series. This is particularly exciting for anyone who saw the highly praised final season of “The Clone Wars”. There is a ton of potential as the mercenary group find themselves at odds with pretty much everyone in the wake of Order 66. The series is “coming soon” to Disney+.

#4 – Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Movie is Confirmed

It’s been swirling around the internet for a while, but Disney finally confirmed that Taika Waititi will be directing an upcoming feature film. No real details whatsoever but several questions. Will it be a stand-alone or the start of a new trilogy? Will he stay in sync with the SWU or do something jarringly different (see “Thor: Ragnarok”). One thing we do know, he’s already dipped his toe into Star Wars with “The Mandalorian” and I’m anxious to see what he has up his sleeve.

#5 – Ahsoka Tano Gets Her Own Series

Many of us are rejoicing following the news that the much-loved Ahsoka is getting her own live-action series. It will be set during the Mandalorian timeline and is almost certain to connect with certain characters and locations from Mando’s current show. Rosario Dawson will reprise her role which is fine by me. Can’t wait for this one coming soon to Disney+.

#6 – Lando Calrissian Series in the Works

That smooth-talking scoundrel Lando Calrissian is finally getting more than a supporting role. In fact he’s getting his very own series (you guessed it) coming soon to Disney+. Practically nothing else was shared including the most obvious question – will this feature Billy Dee Williams or Donald Glover? How about both? That’s my vote.

#7 – Diego Luna Returns as Cassian Andor

Great news for “Rogue One” fans. Diego Luna will reprise his role as Cassian Andor in an upcoming streaming series “Andor”. The project actually began production in late 2018 but now is moving full-steam ahead. It will feature some returning faces from “Rogue One” including Cassian’s snarky sidekick K-2SO once again voiced by Alan Tudyk. The series lands on Disney+ in 2022.

Other announcements for Disney+ include another Mandalorian spin-off “Rangers of the New Republic”, a collection of anime short films titled “Star Wars: Visions”, a new mystery-thriller series called “The Acolyte”, a new animated feature film “A Droid Story”, and “The Mandalorian: Season 3” slated for December 2021.

So what do you think of the big announcements? Which one excites you the most? Let me know in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “Black Bear” (2020)

December 11, 2020 by Keith Garlington

In “Black Bear” three people with truckloads of emotional baggage spend a weekend at a remote rustic lakeside lodge. At least that’s how it starts. But then with practically no notice whatsoever the story shifts, rearranging its characters and using the lodge as the location for a movie shoot. The two halves are threaded together by some light narrative trickery and your ultimate enjoyment of the film may hinge on how well the film’s final five minutes work for you.

“Black Bear” is branded as part drama, part dark comedy but mining the humor out of this biting indie is quite the task. The film starts as a searing “Virginia Woolf”-lite story, turns into an merciless deconstruction of the creative process, and then ends with a twist that left me impressed by its craftiness but unsure of how I was supposed to feel. In one sense I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen in large part thanks to the superb acting from the film’s central trio. At the same time it left me cold and emotionally detached from its characters especially after its mid-point switcheroo.

Photo Courtesy of Momentum Pictures

In the film Aubrey Plaza plays Allison, an actress turned director with a deep disdain for compliments. She’s made a handful of “small unpopular films” and is currently writing the script for her next feature. But writer’s block has set in causing her to take some time off to hopefully find her inspiration. She arrives at the lodge-like country home that’s owned by Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and his rightfully insecure (and pregnant) girlfriend Blair (Sarah Gadon).

We quickly discover that both Gabe and Blair have hit their own set of roadblocks. He’s a struggling musician and her dancing career has sputtered. Even worse their relationship has hit a wall and neither can say a word without irritating the other. Allison not only gets caught up in the friction but sprinkles gas on the fire. Fueled by fiercely combustible back-and-forths, the dialogue-thick first half is simple in concept but really lets the characters uncoil and the three performances are in top form.

Then writer-director Lawrence Michael Levine hits reset. The second half starts with the same opening scene, Allison sitting on a dock blankly staring across the foggy water. But this time she’s filming a scene for a movie directed by a stressed out Gabe. This time Allison and Gabe are husband and wife while Blair is the intrusive third wheel. And instead of the first half’s more intimate three-person setting, now the house is filled with film crew members. None of them are particularly interesting and they nibble away at screen time that could have been better spent on the three main characters.

Courtesy of Momentum Pictures

To be fair the second half is going for something different. It still revolves around a strained relationship and the same trio of characters are the centerpiece. But it also pays a lot of attention to the movie set and the filmmaking process. Admittedly some of it is interesting but it doesn’t have the same draw as the first half. There are also some wild swings at humor that don’t connect, such as a weird running gag where everyone keeps spilling coffee. Seems like it belongs in a different movie.

Ultimately too much of the film’s second half feels like something made for those who are ‘in the know’ when it comes to moviemaking. The performances remain top-notch throughout with Plaza doing some career best work. But the two halves, though cleverly explained in the final frames, clash more than connect. Both have similar toxic underpinning, but only one grabbed my attention and left me feeling something. “Black Bear” opened December 4th in select theaters and is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Wild Mountain Thyme” (2020)

December 10, 2020 by Keith Garlington

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable actress than Emily Blunt (Don’t believe me? Just watch some of her interviews). She instantly brings a certain smile-inducing energy to “Wild Mountain Thyme”, the new not-so-romantic dramedy from writer and director John Patrick Shanley. The film is based on Shanley’s Broadway play “Outside Mullingar” and it packs a handsome cast. But it digs itself into a hole so deep that neither the gorgeous Irish landscapes or Mrs. Blunt herself can dig it out.

For generations the Reillys and the Muldoons have lived side-by-side, their sprawling farms separated by stone fences, a few tree lines, and two very annoying gates. Through the years the old neighbors have had their share of spats. But these days it’s mostly playful jousting between the two widowed family heads, Tony Reilly (Christopher Walken) and Aoife Muldoon (Dearbhla Molloy). Both are in their 70s and both are aware that they’ll soon be the ones handing down their family’s properties.

Image Courtesy of Bleeker Street

For Aoife it’s pretty cut-and-dried. Her more-than-capable daughter Rosemary (Blunt) will inherit and run their farm. On the Reilly side it’s a little more complicated. Tony has kept his son Anthony (Jamie Dornan) in Ireland with the promise that he’ll one day inherit their family’s land. But now the patriarch’s not so sure his shy and slightly oafish son is cut out to carry the Reilly family mantle. In addition to being a tad dense, Anthony has this unusual inability to let himself love and a general fear of happiness. It’s a quirk with Dornan’s character that grows more irritating over time.

The first half of the film plays around with the question of whether or not Anthony will get the farm. The second half is all about his incomprehensible relationship with Rosemary. Since they were children growing up on neighboring properties Rosemary has loved Anthony. And for some inexplicable reason she’s still waiting for the oblivious lunkhead to finally love her back. It puts Blunt in a tough spot. She’s shackled to a character who simply can’t move forward because her entire story arc hinges on Anthony snapping out of his fog.

Things shake up a little when Anthony’s pampered American cousin Adam (John Hamm) shows up. He’s a New York money manager who doesn’t quite understand the Irish’s ways (not that the movie represents them well) but he does set his eye on Rosemary. In reality he’s a flimsy and shallow character who’s only there to move the story to its inevitable finish. And in a weird way you may find yourself rooting for Adam. At least he gives Rosemary something to do other than miserably fawn over Anthony. Meanwhile Anthony mostly mopes around the farm and Dornan’s dry, sterile performance doesn’t do the character any favors.

Image Courtesy of Bleeker Street

Yes the film eventually tries to explain Anthony’s built-in apprehension, but it culminates in a seemingly endless final 15 minutes which is funny considering how the rest of the movie races from point to point skimming over huge chunks of story. As for the much talked about Irish accents, this south Arkansas native is no expert, but some of them do seem….off. I mean I love Christopher Walken, but his shaky come-and-go Irish-ish accent is pretty entertaining (in the unintentionally funny sense).

The real shame of it is “Wild Mountain Thyme” has moments of real heart and humor. The sweeping Golden era score and the lush rolling scenery makes for a near magical setting. It ends up being a movie you want to root for. But it speeds through so much of the story, shortchanges so many characters, and relies so heavily on a truly annoying lead (sorry Mr. Dornan). It may pass for lightweight escapism for some, but I never could shake the feeling of disappointment. “Wild Mountain Thyme” releases December 11th in theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

First Glance: “The Marksman”

December 9, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I first saw the trailer for “The Marksman” a few weeks ago at the theaters. I think it was in front of “Let Him Go”. Regardless, a new Liam Neeson action flick always catches my eye even if it’s built around a pretty corny premise and even if it features the gravelly-voiced Irishman sporting a hilariously bad southern accent. Actually approaching this as an unintentional light comedy has merits of its own.

Familiar elements abound in this latest revenge-fueled yarn. Neeson plays a rancher on the southern border who happens to be an ex-Marine sharpshooter (that’s sure to come in handy later). His quiet life is shaken when he witnesses a migrant mother and her young son running from a violent drug cartel. Of course he intervenes putting him in the gang’s crosshairs and forcing him to dust off his ‘particular set of skills’. It goes without saying the film looks to be treading some well-worn ground, but I’ll still be seeing it. What can I say, I have a soft spot for these Neeson romps.

“The Marksman” is set for a January 22nd theater release. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “All My Life” (2020)

December 9, 2020 by Keith Garlington

You would be hard pressed to find a more wildly diverse group of films than the last four made by director Marc Meyers. In 2017 he made “My Friend Dahmer”, a biopic about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s high school years. Next he made the blood-soaked horror-dark comedy “We Summon the Darkness”. And earlier this year he released “Human Capital”, a family drama, crime thriller, and mystery all wrapped into one. So what’s the fourth film you ask? Meyers’ latest is “All My Life”, a warm and fuzzy tearjerker. See, diverse.

“All My Life” (written by Todd Rosenberg) is based on the true relationship of Solomon Chau and Jennifer Carter. The film is carried by the expressive Jessica Rothe, a talented rising star with a pretty diverse resumé of her own. Here she plays Jenn, a young woman who has spent most of her life looking ahead but rarely living in the moment. Everything changes when she goes to a sports bar with friends and has that chance meeting of a lifetime (dramatic music swells) with Solomon (Harry Shum Jr.), a hunky amateur chef. The very next day the two go out for a jog, sparks fly, and off we go.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The first half of “All My Life” is a sweet and fairly grounded story of a young couple falling in love, moving in together, and setting their eyes on a future together. There’s a really nice chemistry between the two leads and a surprising amount of heart which makes them not only a likable couple but people we feel good about rooting for. Everything is ideal in these early scenes and they’re even shot with this radiant storybook glow. We get the tender romantic moments, some hip music, and eventually a flash mob marriage proposal sequence with enough cheese to clog every artery.

But then there’s the second half where their modern day romance is cut short after Sol is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. It’s the flip-side of the story that we know is coming from the start. Meyers doesn’t go deep into the internal conflicts or dive into themes like mortality and fate. Instead he keeps it mostly on the surface, offering plenty of tissue-worthy moments while (thankfully) avoiding the annoying sap that you may get in a Nicholas Sparks flick. Meyers and Rosenberg make their film all about living. More specifically, about making the most out of the time you’re given.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

With the help of their fun but nondescript group of friends, Jenn and Sol decide to go ahead with their wedding, determined to make every day they have together memorable. The film wisely doesn’t gloss over the bumps in the road. “People will see a widow in white,” Sol tells Jenn during one particularly dark and crushing scene. But the film mostly keeps its head up as the friends start a GOFUNDME account to cover expenses and help Jenn and Sol have the best wedding possible under the circumstances.

Despite its best efforts there are still those gooey moments that seem custom made for the movies rather than plucked from real life. But every time the film gets too close to schmaltzy Meyers is able to rein it back in. And while we could have learned more about their characters (does Sol even have a family???), there is an infectious charm to the young couple and this is a case of a film being helped by its ‘true story’ element. Sure it’s all pretty familiar and it misses opportunities to do something original. But it also avoids many of the usual trappings and has genuine heart, something quite honestly I wasn’t expecting. “All My Life” is now playing in theaters.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “Let Them All Talk” (2020)

December 8, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Steven Soderbergh’s latest “Let Them All Talk” is about as unconventional as they come. I’m not referring to the story or even the characters. It’s unconventional in the way the ever-experimenting Soderbergh made it. Filming lasted just under two weeks with the majority taking place on a cruise ship as it crossed the Atlantic full of actual staff and customers. Soderbergh shot the film himself with his own camera using natural lighting and with only sound equipment present. And the cast improvised most of the dialogue with Deborah Eisenberg’s screenplay serving as an outline rather an actual script.

The film is based on a short story written by Eisenberg about three old friends reconnecting and eventually opening up about hurt feelings from their past. It is directed, shot, and edited by Soderbergh and anchored by three charismatic veteran actresses. With its small budget and limited setting, the film is fully focused on its characters, heavily relying on their frequent and immensely talky interactions. Let’s just say the film is appropriately titled, but it works thanks to a game cast with the talent to pull it off.

Image Courtesy of HBO Max

Meryl Streep plays Alice, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer who is set to win a major award from her peers. The problem is the ceremony is being held in England and she can’t fly. So her agent Karen (Gemma Chan) organizes a transatlantic cruise (oops, crossing) for her client. Karen has well-meaning motives of her own. With her boss breathing down her neck, she desperately needs to get details on Alice’s long-awaited next book. Her hopes are the cruise (errr, crossing) will give Alice time to finally finish her manuscript.

Alice agrees to go but her only condition is that she can invite some friends along. So she calls two old college pals she hasn’t seen in years in hopes of reuniting the “Gang of 3“. Both agree to come – Susan (Dianne Wiest), an easy-going women’s advocate from Seattle and the cash-strapped Roberta (Candace Bergen), a testy Texan who works in a Dallas department store selling lingerie. Alice also invites her nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges), a university student in Cleveland. The final piece is Karen who secretly books herself a cabin to keep an eye on Alice and her writing progress.

Each board the Queen Mary 2 traveling from New York to Southampton, each with their own hesitations and expectations for the trip. The tightly wound Alice, the even keel Susan, and the surly Roberta finally get together for dinner in what plays like an awkward first meeting more than a reunion of old friends. Over the course of the voyage each slowly begins to unwind over an array of fine meals, boards games, and strolls along the deck. But along with breaking the ice comes the resurfacing of old wounds in desperate need of healing.

Meanwhile Tyler becomes the semi-reluctant go-between. Karen wants Tyler to keep an eye on Alice. Alice wants Tyler to keep tabs on her two friends. Roberta has Tyler running background checks on potential rich suitors, and so on. And Soderbergh often uses Tyler as our eyes and ears, observing finer details in conversations as well as noticing particularly usual behavior. For example who is that strange man who exits Alice’s room every morning at the same time?

Image Courtesy of HBO Max

The performances are strong especially from the three vets who bring plenty of personality to their roles. Only Hedges has trouble with the improvisation, occasionally struggling to find his words. Some of his more dialogue-heavyscenes have a strange reality show feel to them, which I guess in a movie like this could be either a compliment or a criticism. I found it a little distracting.

There are stretches when “Let Them All Talk” loses any sense of progression either for the story or its characters. It simply stalls, heavy with conversations that do little to move things forward. But that’s actually by design. The film is all about how far we will go to avoid the conversations we need to be having and how waiting too late can have its consequences. It shows how easy we turn our attention away from problems that need dealing with even if it’s with someone we call a friend. Those are admirable ideas that Soderbergh does a good job exploring. But that doesn’t always make for the most compelling viewing despite the incredible and hard-working talent on display. “Let Them All Talk” premieres December 10th on HBO Max.