REVIEW: “On the Rocks” (2020)

October 9, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I’m always up for a new Sofia Coppola movie. I’m especially happy to get one in 2020, a year where the vast majority of my most anticipated releases have been pushed back to infinity and beyond. Coppola’s latest “On the Rocks” is a light, easygoing dramedy that still features most of the filmmaker’s hallmarks including her way with dialogue and affection for her characters. It’s also really funny in its own smart and mellow way.

“On the Rocks” is the first film in a multi-year partnership between independent film distributor A24 and Apple. After premiering at the New York Film Festival it received a limited theater release leading up to its streaming debut on Apple TV+ later this month. It stars the sometimes under-appreciated Rashida Jones while reuniting Coppola with the 70-year-old forever young at heart Bill Murray.

Photo Courtesy of A24 and Apple

Jones plays Laura, a great mom to her two beautiful young daughters and happily married to Dean (a pleasantly subdued Marlon Wayans). He’s the head of his own New York-based company which seems to be taking off. By all accounts Laura is living the life. She’s a talented author working out of their swanky Soho apartment. Her two girls are darling, well-adjusted bundles of joy. Dean is a motivated, good-looking go-getter.

But we begin to see cracks in their sunny domesticity once Laura starts to suspect her husband of having an affair. His chummy relationship with his co-worker Fiona (Jessica Henwick), the long nights at the office, business trips to London, a mysterious toiletry bag in his luggage. Dean remains impervious to his wife’s concerns and is quick with perfectly reasonable (or perhaps convenient) excuses. Still Laura resists the temptations to believe her husband is a cheater, something that becomes increasingly harder to do the more they stay apart.

Enter Bill Murray. He plays Laura’s father Felix, a character so perfectly tuned for the veteran actor/comedian. Felix is a breezy and shamelessly wealthy charmer; a bonafide playboy with gender sensibilities better left in the 1970’s. He’s also a bottomless well of useless information. Some like “The Russians fed the cosmonauts beluga” are silly and utterly pointless. Others are equally absurd yet thrown out seemingly as archaic attempts at justifying his own sins. “Monogamy and marriage are based on the concept of property.”

Once Felix gets a whiff of Laura’s suspicions he immediately begins fueling her paranoia. His flawed primal reasoning leads him to believe Dean is cheating. After all, it’s “natural“. “Dad, not everyone’s like you” she jabs. But Felix casts just enough doubt to get Laura to agree to a little daddy/daughter detective work. This sets up some of the film’s funniest moments with Murray flashing his signature deadpan sincerity and Jones playing the perfect foil.

Photo Courtesy of A24 and Apple

But don’t think Coppola turns this into some goofy seen-it-before caper built around cheap laughs and lazy characterizations. Instead she turns the table on us, changing the focus of her story while still keeping it intimate and personal. Yes, it’s quite funny with dry wit and dashes of screwball comedy sprinkled throughout. But it’s the authenticity and warmth of the central relationship the drives Coppola’s smart and laid-back script.

“On the Rocks” isn’t deep or challenging. It’s not particularly nuanced or highly original. Instead Sofia Coppola handles her story and its themes with a effectively light touch. What she gives us is a tasty slice of real life experienced through characters who grab our attention and compel us to listen, laugh and feel. Wayans is an unexpected surprise and who wouldn’t want to venture into the enchanting pre-COVID New York City night in a red convertible with Bill Murray? But the film’s heart and soul is Rashida Jones, an immensely talented actress who proves to be the perfect anchor for Coppola’s latest. “On the Rocks” premieres October 23rd on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

First Glance (x2): “Mank”

October 8, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Easily one of my most anticipated movies of 2020, “Mank” marks David Fincher’s long-awaited return to feature filmmaking. It’s his first film since 2014’s “Gone Girl” (has it really been that long?). This is an especially personal project for Fincher as it’s from a script written in the 1990’s by his late father. Not one, but two teaser trailers were dropped today by Netflix and let’s just say it was worth the wait.

“Mank” stars Oscar-winner Gary Oldman who plays screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. The film follows his rush to finish writing the eventual Academy Award-winning script for the Orson Welles classic “Citizen Kane”. This behind-the-scenes biographical drama chronicles Mankiewicz’s personal problems including his alcoholism and explores the well-documented tensions between him and Welles. Not only is “Mank” set in the 1930’s, but it’s made to feel like a 1930’s movie including shooting in glorious black-and-white. And the supporting cast is really compelling: Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Charles Dance, Tom Burke, Tuppence Middleton, Arliss Howard, and many others. I can’t wait!

“Mank” will get a limited theater run in late November before releasing on Netflix December 4th. Check out the two teasers below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

First Glance: “Fatman”

October 8, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Call me lucky. I wasn’t what you would call the most well behaved youngster. I was never mean, just hyperactive and playfully unruly. Yet come Christmas time I never got the dreaded coal in my stocking. Santa always came through in the clutch even if I didn’t always justify having my name on the “nice” list. That’s definitely not the case in the upcoming action comedy “Fatman”, written and directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms. And in case you’re wondering, this is not your prototypical Christmas movie.

Mel Gibson (of all people) plays Kris Kringle, a disillusioned soul and far from your run-of-the-mill Santa Claus. “I’ve lost my influence” he painfully mutters. When the son of an extremely wealthy family gets coal from Santa he does what any other kid would do. He uses the family resources to hire a hitman (Walter Goggins) to kill Saint Nick. Honestly, this thing looks preposterous but potentially a ton of fun. That’s because everyone involved knows how crazy it is and seem to be really enjoying themselves. I’m in.

“Fatman” hits select theaters November 13th and releases on VOD November 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Eternal Beauty” (2020)

October 7, 2020 by Keith Garlington

The sophomore writing and directing effort from Craig Roberts sets up quite the challenge for itself. Simply making a movie about mental illness brings with it a number of thorny obstacles to maneuver. Turning it into an eccentric black comedy about depression and schizophrenia adds even more mines to the proverbial minefield. Yet that’s what we get with “Eternal Beauty”.

This strangely brewed concoction of off-kilter humor and personal drama builds itself on a relatively simple premise. It’s about a woman named Jane (an intensely committed Sally Hawkins) with a deeply troubled past living day-to-day with schizophrenia. The catch is Roberts looks at everything through Jane’s eyes which opens the doors to a much more visual form of storytelling.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Roberts unpacks Jane’s past through a series of flashbacks that play mostly like brief reflections. We see glimpses of young Jane (played by Morfydd Clark), one of three sisters living under the iron fist of their domineering mother (Penelope Wilton). We see the happiest moment of her life instantly shattered when she is stood up on her wedding day. We see her fall into depression before being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Flashes to stays in mental institutions add to the heartbreak.

Now Jane lives alone in a low-income apartment managing her illness with pills prescribed by her doctor who constantly scolds her for saying she’s “fine“. He wants to hear “better” from his patient as if uttering the words would somehow validate hit treatments. Yet despite the physical, economical and psychological hurdles, Hawkins brings out Jane’s warmth and resilience. You can’t help but root for her. By being in her head we aren’t always sure of what we’re seeing or hearing. It becomes even more challenging once Jane quits taking her meds.

Perhaps the most vivid display of Jane’s emotions and psyche comes in the film’s use of color. Take Jane and her sisters who are represented by colors – Alice (Alice Lowe) in red, Nicola (Billie Piper) in green, and young Jane in blue. But after her heartbreak at the altar, Jane lost her hue. Now her apartment, her hair, her frumpy wardrobe – it’s all bland and colorless. But a chance meeting with an old acquaintance (David Thewlis) in a waiting room livens things up.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

So where is the comedy you ask? Most of the above story beats have scenes of straight-faced and at times almost wacky humor. To be fair several are quite funny. But they do make for this odd tonal mish-mash that’s understandable coming from Jane’s perspective but a bit jarring when it comes to movie watching. It also gets a little bogged down narratively when trying to visualize Jane’s headspace. It snaps out of it with a moving third act where some pent-up family drama finally comes to a head. And it finishes with a final shot that injects the entire story with some welcomed hope.

“Eternal Beauty” is an odd and audacious package built on the back of yet another terrific Sally Hawkins performance. Even when the movie loses its way a bit she maintains a strong and emotionally honest character presence. It walks that tightrope of empathy and real-life experience, never exploiting mental illness or taking it lightly. Still it wasn’t an easy movie for me to connect with. That is until the final 15 minutes or so where the movie’s payoff makes the entire 95 minutes worthwhile. “Eternal Beauty” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “Days of Heaven”

October 6, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Released in 1978, “Days of Heaven” was Terrence Malick’s second film which came some five years after his debut “Badlands”. Much like his first movie, “Days of Heaven” had a lengthy production time full of delays, budget issues, and departures from crew members frustrated with Malick’s idiosyncratic, hands-on approach to filmmaking. After finishing “Days of Heaven” Malick would all but vanish from public view and it would be twenty years until his next movie.

The film was immediately recognized for its superb photography, something that was a focal point for Malick. Cinematographer Néstor Almendros worked hand-in-hand with Malick framing one stunning shot after another. Haskell Wexler took over shooting after production delays forced Almendros to leave for a prior commitment. Almendros would win an Academy Award for his work but an understandably irked Wexler was left out.

The sheer magnificence of the photography was universally heralded, but the story had its share of critics. It wasn’t until years later as people began reevaluating the film that a new appreciation for what Malick was doing sprang up. For me, its story is a strength when looked at through the proper lens. This is a story of a young girl and we watch it unfold through her optimistic and sometimes addled perspective. She doesn’t appear as the main character but she’s clearly telling us this story.

The film features a voiceover from young Linda (she’s played by Linda Manz). You can’t help but notice in her voice a strikingly peculiar mix of big city street-smarts and youthful naiveté. While there is a focused central story playing out, Linda looks at things in her own unique way. For example the film begins with Linda’s older brother Bill (Richard Gere) accidentally killing his steel mill foreman after a heated altercation. With no money or place to go, Bill flees with Linda and his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams). The three hop a train bound for the Texas Panhandle and the reason is obvious to us. But Linda describes and their nomadic lifestyle as “looking for things, searching for things, going on adventures“.

The three are hired on as seasonal field workers by a wealthy, reserved farmer (Sam Shepard). Bill and Abby pose as brother and sister to steer clear of any problems, but it ends up causing more trouble than it avoids. Abby instantly catches the farmer’s eye which leads to a love triangle filled with opportunism and deception.

Still we look at it all through Linda’s young eyes. That’s one reason I believe Malick doesn’t dive as deeply into the Bill, Abby, and farmer dynamic as he could have. One effective technique is the use of frequent fade-to-black transitions between scenes. They relay the idea that what we are seeing are recollections from the storyteller (in this case Linda).

A lot more could be said about the film’s visual beauty – its predominant use of natural light, the way it captures nature and wildlife. But the camera isn’t working alone. Alongside the unforgettable cinematography sits Ennio Morricone’s soulful, aching score. It is impeccably in tune with Malick’s vision and is among some of the late composer’s most timeless work.

But for me it all comes back to a young girl whose hope and happiness ends up being threshed like the wheat of the fields. Still she moves forward doing all she knows to do – accept the hand she’s dealt. Yet despite her (and all mankind’s) plight, nature remains steadfast and indifferent, an idea Malick will continue to explore in several films that follow. “Days of Heaven” is a beautifully tragic introduction to that exploration.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “American Murder: The Family Next Door” (2020)

October 5, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I try not to get too caught up in the highly publicized true crime tragedies that capture our national spotlight and often play out on our television screens. One that did grab me was the 2018 disappearance and murder of pregnant mother Shanann Watts and her two young daughters four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste. The very idea of such a crime was horrifying and it only got worse once the killer’s identity was fully revealed.

The new Netflix documentary “American Murder: The Family Next Door” comes from director Jenny Popplewell and chronicles the Watt family murders in a uniquely chilling way. The film tells the entire story through social media videos, text messages, phone call audio, original television newscasts, police body cameras and security camera footage. No narrator, no interviews, no dramatizations. It’s a methodical presentation of the facts that may come across as a little too polished, but it builds its case like an expert prosecutor.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

For those unfamiliar with the heinous crime, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018 in Frederick, Colorado Shanann arrived home after a weekend business trip. Her husband Chris Watts had stayed home with their daughters. Later that day both Shanann and the couple’s two girls were reported missing. An investigation by the local police and the FBI ensued. Two days later Chris was arrested after failing a polygraph test. He would later admit to murdering Shanann who was 15 weeks pregnant with their third child. After some initial hesitation, he eventually admitted to murdering their two daughters but not before the story made national news and the victim’s reputation had been brought into question.

Popplewell along with her editor Simon Barker are able to put together the weeks leading up to the murder in large part thanks to Shanann’s family who provided access to her social media and texts. It paints a picture of a woman with a rocky past who found happiness and stability in her new husband. Facebook videos show a warm and loving family, but text messages begin hinting at a different reality.

We see Shanann struggling with insecurity while becoming increasingly aware that something is not right with Chris. We see her worries most vividly in texts she makes to a close friend and confidant. She notes Chris’ distance and she begins to suspect infidelity. Through these flashback sequences Popplewell gives us pieces to the puzzle that can’t possibly explain the horrendous acts that would follow but adds some eye-opening context.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

And then you have the investigation itself revealed through some riveting points of view. The body-cam footage from the police officer doing a wellness check chills you to the bone. We see the man who just a few hours earlier choked his pregnant wife to death and smothered his two daughters deceptively playing the part of the worried husband and father. Later, through interrogation room security footage, we see the polygraph test administered and ultimately the confession of the monster. Smartly, Popplewell doesn’t make this into a mystery. We know who the killer is from the start. That makes everything see more unsettling.

The film brings another uncomfortable truth to light. It exposes how much of our lives are self-published online. Personal confessionals, relationship issues, pictures of young children. In one sense it helps illuminate the truth behind this particular crime. In another sense it highlights the dependence millions of people have on web-based social networking. Holding up Shanann’s cellphone, Chris tells an officer “This is her lifeline.” Yet we also see how deceptive the online lives people create can be. As for evil, it can hide behind a number of unassuming and unnoticeable masks. And sometimes you can pass it everyday in the comforts of your own neighborhood. “American Murder: The Family Next Door” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4 STARS