REVIEW: “The Glorias” (2020)

November 25, 2020 by Keith Garlington

“The Glorias” has all the ingredients for a really good biopic: a provocative personality as its subject, a stellar female-driven cast, and plenty of historical ground to cover. So it’s disappointing to find Amazon’s new Gloria Steinem biography to be such a slow, hard to connect with grind. Despite its admirable efforts the movie gets too creative for its own good, bouncing us back-and-forth along Steinem’s timeline, never allowing us to get firmly planted in her character or her story.

The movie is directed by Julie Taymor from a screenplay she co-wrote with Sarah Ruhl. It’s really hard to identify their goal mainly because their movie is so scattered and unfocused. Even worse, so much time is spent checking off boxes from her political activist résumé that we never get to know her personally. Most of the personal bits are just patched in and then left with practically no emotional detail whatsoever. This is especially true for the film’s second half which is kinda like reading Steinem’s Wikipedia page.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios

The first half of the movie is all over the map, trying to cover Steinem’s childhood, her teenage years with her mother in Toledo, even her sabbatical in India. There are few times where it bolts ahead to her later political work but only briefly. While these points in Steinem’s life are touched on, they aren’t covered in a way that gives them weight. The closest we get are the early scenes where we see the connection between a young Gloria (played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong and later by Lulu Wilson) and her kind but cash-strapped father (Timothy Hutton).

Alicia Vikander plays Gloria through her twenties and thirties. Her part of the story attempts to cover the most ground, from the wobbly scenes in India to the more pointed moments highlighting the sexism she faced as a young journalist. She begins dipping her toes in feminism, meeting and befriending several interesting people along the way who help shape her future activism. While her accent is a little shaky, Vikander does her best trying to bring something personal to scenes which never allow her stay in one place very long. It’s a tough assignment.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios

Then out of the blue the entire movie settles in on Julianne Moore’s older Gloria. These scenes tease us with a handful of quieter moments where Gloria wrestles with her status and the expectations of others. But it too falls into the trap of checking boxes and moving from one career moment to another. Even the supporting characters are undersold. Take Bette Midler who quite literally shows up out of nowhere with practically no introduction whatsoever. She plays Bella Abzug and you better know who she is before watching the film. It all ends in a messy final act that throws so much stuff at the screen but to little effect.

“The Glorias” turns out be a frustrating misfire. It’s a shame considering the sizable talent of the cast and a meaty life it has to explore. There are some bold choices by the filmmakers such as a reoccurring bus ride where the Glorias from different eras talk among themselves. They make for the occasionally good segue from one time period to the next. But the film ends up being so interested in showing Steinem’s days as a feminist icon that it often forgets the human element. And it stays away from any of her complexities and controversies leaving us with a fairly one-dimensional portrayal. “The Glorias” is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

VERDICT- 2 STARS

REVIEW: “A Rainy Day in New York” (2020)

November 24, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Even if you question Dylan Farrow’s accusations, you have to admit Woody Allen’s personal life has been suspect and that’s putting it nicely (many would say repugnant is more accurate). In the wake of #MeToo few have seen their careers take a hit quite like his. Despite his fervent denials, Allen has been shunned by many in the film community. As a result he was released from his contract with Amazon Studios and his latest film pulled from their release schedule.

Allen has since acquired the film rights from Amazon and has slowly been releasing “A Rainy Day in New York” across the globe. It’s now out in the States and within minutes of watching I had spotted practically all of Allen’s most recognizable signatures: the neurotic and insecure narration, a strong sense of location, classic piano chords dancing in the background, the cloud of melancholy hanging over numerous characters. And while several of Allen’s later efforts feel like exercises in rinse-and-repeat, I still find his movies effortlessly watchable, this one included.

“A Rainy Day in New York” certainly won’t fall among Allen’s very best works. It’s a movie that gets off on the right foot and for the first 45 minutes or so I was enamored with it despite some noticeable flaws. But then the few threads of plot begin to unravel leading to a messy final act full of thinly sketched characters and underdeveloped ideas. It doesn’t completely undo the film, but it highlights an unfortunate lack of depth and focus.

Photo Courtesy of Signature Entertainment

This time around Allen’s avatar is Timothée Chalamet. He plays Gatsby Welles, the eccentric son of stuffy upper-crusters and boyfriend to Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), a sweet and flighty girl from Tucson. The two attend Yardley University, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. Ashleigh enjoys school and is a reporter for the university’s newspaper. Gatsby doesn’t have much interest in grades, class or anything else school related. Instead he’d rather be lounging at a Manhattan piano bar or buying into a high-stakes poker game. When asked about his plans for the future he quickly replies “floundering“.

Ashleigh lands a big interview with tortured indie director Roland Pollard (Liev Shreiber) in (where else?) New York City. Gatsby jumps at the chance to return to the Big Apple and immediately starts planning their time together. But his plans get shot down when Ashleigh’s one-on-one interview turns into a madcap caper of sorts as three highfalutin movie men strangely vie for her affections.

Photo Courtesy of Signature Entertainment

The men – the brooding Pollard, his nervy screenwriter Ted Davidoff (Jude Law) who suspects his wife Connie (Rebecca Hall in little more than a cameo) is having an affair, and a heartthrob actor (and easily the most shallow of the three) Francisco Vega played by Diego Luna – shuttle Ashleigh from one scenario to the next eventually stranding her character at a frustrating narrative dead-end. Fanning deserves credit for charming her way through scene after scene, but ultimately she’s let down by a storyline that gives her no meaningful place to go.

That leaves Gatsby to mope around the rainy city in his tweed jacket and unruly mop, waiting for Ashleigh to call and offering up sardonic musings whenever the script calls for it. While strolling he bumps into Chan (Selena Gomez), the snarky younger sister of an old girlfriend and they decide to kill some time together. It’s clear the two are supposed to have some kind of spark, but the chemistry between Chalamet and Gomez is inconsistent at best. Still, there is some fun and witty chatter between them that may not sound like anything real college kids would actually say yet it feels right at home in a Woody Allen movie.

Photo Courtesy of Signature Entertainment

As an out-of-her-element Ashleigh rubs noses with the entertainment elite, Gatsby goes to the Metropolitan with Chan, visits his buffoonish brother who wants out of his upcoming wedding due to his fiance’s “fatal laugh“, sits in on a big-money poker game, and meets a call girl named Terry (Kelly Rohrbach) in a dive bar. All of this while trying to avoid his aristocratic parents who are throwing a lavish party for their friends in the 1%. Both of the dual storylines are a bit scattered but have their own quirky Allen-esque allure. That is until the aforementioned final half-hour when Allen throws all of the characters at the screen before limping to the finish line.

And that leads to my other issue, one that I just couldn’t shake – Chalamet. For starters he seems way too young for the role Allen has penned. That’s not so much his fault as it is the writing and/or casting. There’s also an inconsistency with his delivery. There are plenty of times where Chalamet could pass for an authentic person. But there are far too many instances where it looks as if he’s doing an impression of a traditional Woody Allen character. It’s difficult to put into words, but in these scenes you can see Chalamet straining to fit in a mold.

It’s hard to watch “A Rainy Day in New York” and not feel like it’s something you’ve seen before. Simply put, Allen doesn’t have much new to say in this, his 48th movie. Yet there are times when the film pulsates with the same satisfying energy of Allen’s past work. Its soaked with familiar feelings of nostalgia, from its anachronistic lead character unwittingly channeling a bygone era to more personal Allen obsessions that spring up throughout. It may not paint the most modern portrait, but in many ways I think that’s the point. Allen has often dabbled in real-world fantasy as a way of wrestling with ideas and longing for the past. It’s no different here, just a bit messier.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

First Glance: “Godmothered”

November 23, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Disney’s “Godmothered” is coming to Disney+ just in time for the holiday season. This part fantasy, part family comedy comes from director Sharon Maguire best known for her “Bridget Jones” movies. Disney was kind enough to provide me with a screener around the same time as its new trailer dropped. At first glance I can see the film appealing to some audiences more than others. And for better or worse it’s hard to miss the similarities to “Elf”. Tell me if you agree.

In a world fittingly known as The Motherland Jillian Bell plays Eleanor, a fairy godmother-in-training who learns that her beloved profession is on the outs. Determined to prove that the world still needs fairy godmothers, Eleanor targets a cynical single mother (played by Isla Fisher) whose hardened shell could prove to be tough to crack. It’s an undeniably sweet concept and I’m always up for a little Christmas cheer. We’ll see where this one lands.

“Godmothered” premieres December 4th exclusively on Disney+. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Freaky” (2020)

November 23, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Writer-director Christopher Landon grabbed a lot of attention with his surprisingly fun horror-comedy “Happy Death Day” and its not-as-good but still entertaining sequel. Of course those weren’t Landon’s first forays into genre. He wrote the crafty 2007 thriller “Disturbia” and several sequels in the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. But “Happy Death Day” showed his knack for blending horror, humor and a healthy helping of nostalgia.

Landon’s latest film “Freaky” attempts to strike that same chord but with mixed results. Produced by Blumhouse (isn’t everything these days?), “Freaky” borrows from countless slasher movies and its basic concept is inspired by Mary Rodgers’ popular children’s novel “Freaky Friday”. But this is certainly no kids movie. On one hand it pours on the blood and gore often to a hilariously gruesome degree. On the other hand it can be needlessly crude with dialogue that’s nothing short of cringe-worthy.

Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The film is set in the not-so-appropriately-named town of Blissfield. It opens with the brutal murder of four insufferable teens who could have been plucked from any number of 80’s slasher flicks. One by one they are slaughtered in absurdly graphic fashion by a deranged serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). The sequence is intentionally packed with every trick, every trope, and every stupid character decision from the genre’s history. It’s a pretty fun tone-setter with several cool nods to horror fans.

From there the movie introduces us to Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton), a shy and unassuming high school senior still hurting from the recent death of her father. At home her clingy mother Paula (Katie Finneran) uses booze to cope with the loss while her older sister Charlotte (Dana Drori), a police officer, has shut herself off emotionally. It’s not much better at Blissfield Valley High where Millie is constantly bullied by an endless parade of unlikable dimwits and snotty preppies.

Like Halloween in Haddonfield, high school homecoming means death in Blissfield. After the big game Millie finds herself stranded at the football field with no ride home. Fresh off killing the teen fodder in the film’s opening, the Butcher spots Millie, chases her onto the field and stabs her with a mystical knife he stole from an earlier scene that somehow causes them to swap bodies. Yes, it’s utterly ridiculous and the film never even attempts to explain it. But I’m kinda glad. The movie knows it’s silly so why waste time trying to make sense of it?

Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Instead the movie leans into its two biggest strengths – Vaughn and Newton. Vaughn is especially funny channeling the personality and sensibilities of a terrified teenage girl. Newton actually gets the tougher assignment and pulls it off remarkably well. Unfortunately the two are surrounded by a slew of supporting characters ranging from bland and shallow to woefully obnoxious. Of course many are intentionally written as specific character types, but that doesn’t make them or their sometimes dreadful dialogue any easier to digest.

Eventually the film’s premise begins to run out of gas, only making it to the finish on the backs of Vaughn and Newton. As a whole the horror elements work pretty well from the hysterically over-the-top kills to the rare moments when the film quiets down and builds tension. The humor is far more uneven. It’s at its best when it’s spoofing the horror genre. Unfortunately it insists on going down the path of other uninspired teen comedies which undermines its potential. So I was left in the frustrating position of admiring certain parts of “Freaky” and wishing I could toss out the rest. “Freaky” is now showing in theaters.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

First Glance: “Chaos Walking”

November 20, 2020 by Keith Garlington

It took some time but we’re finally getting our first look at Doug Liman’s “Chaos Walking”, an upcoming sci-fi adventure that I’ve been really curious about. In addition to loving good science-fiction, I was immediately grabbed by the cast: Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, and (the biggest draw for me) Mads Mikkelsen. Several other good names fill out what looks like a really strong ensemble. And while Liman doesn’t always hit his marks, when he does the results can be terrific (see “The Bourne Identity” and “Edge of Tomorrow”).

“Chaos Walking” is based on a popular young adult sci-fi trilogy that I know nothing about. Basically a mysterious girl crash lands on a planet inhabited solely by men (and a few not-so-hospitable creatures). The girl is discovered by a young man played by Holland who pledges to protect her against the bevy of dangers, one of those being Mikkelsen’s ruthless Mayor Prentiss. The kicker is that the men are afflicted by something called “the Noise” which puts all of their thoughts on display either audibly or visually. Interesting concept.

“Chaos Walking” is set for a January 22, 2021 release. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Run” (2020)

November 19, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Originally set for a theater release them nabbed by Hulu, “Run” is a “Mommy Dearest” styled psychological thriller that highlights an often underrated actress while welcoming an exciting young newcomer. It’s also the sophomore effort from director Aneesh Chaganty who earned a lot of well-deserved attention for his 2017 tech thriller “Searching”.

In “Run” Chaganty (who also co-wrote the script with Sev Ohanian) examines mother/daughter relationships through a sleek Hitchcockian lens. In his film Sarah Paulson plays Diane, a devoted single mother who has cared for her wheelchair-bound 17-year-old daughter Chloe (Kiera Allen) since her troubled premature birth. That means raising her, homeschooling, and tending to her numerous medical needs. “No one in the universe loves their kid as much as I do.”

Photo Courtesy of Hulu

At first look their relationship seems heartwarming, even inspiring. Sure Diane is a bit overprotective but she clearly loves her daughter. Chloe on the other hand loves her mother but she’s eager to leave the nest, anxiously awaiting an admission letter from The University of Washington.

Chaganty doesn’t waste time showing cracks in Diane’s psyche and the smart, resourceful Chloe begins questioning her mom’s restrictions. Things like her refusal to let her daughter have a cell phone, no internet browsing, and Diane’s insistence on being the only one who gets the mail. Things get even fishier when Chloe finds a bottle of her pills with her mother’s name on it instead of hers.

Photo Courtesy of Hulu

As you can guess things get darker and deranged as we learn the lengths momma will go to keep her baby under her wing. Paulson’s methodical portrayal of an unhinged Diane is terrific, revealing a deeply sinister edge to the character without going overboard. And Allen is a convincing foil, nailing down several demanding scenes with both physical and emotional commitment.

Sadly the movie does run out of steam before sticking its big batty finish. And while I liked the nuttiness of the last act, countless questions came to mind once the obligatory reveals started pouring in. And to be honest, it took a ton of effort to look past them. Still, “Run” is a sneakily absorbing thriller that pokes at the idea of a mother’s domineering love and a child’s blind trust. And the two central performances keep us glued to the screen even when things get a little hard to swallow. “Run” premieres Friday, November 20th on Hulu.