This year Netflix has what may be their best Fall lineup of original movies since their beginning. Firmly planted among them is “Train Dreams”, the sophomore feature film from writer-director Clint Bentley. This American drama is an adaptation on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same name. It premiered in January at Sundance and since has gained widespread praise. Even more, it has a sparkling cast highlighted by Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, and Clifton Collins Jr.
“Train Dreams” is set in the rugged Pacific Northwest during the early 1900s. Edgerton plays Robert Grainier, a logger who goes to work building a railroad across the rapidly expanding United States. While his work keeps him in the outdoors he enjoys, it forces him to be away from his wife Gladys (Jones) and their young daughter. The movie follows this simple man’s life amid a world of unprecedented change. The first trailer reveals a near hypnotic beauty that manifests itself both visually and narratively. It looks to be exquisitely shot and the cast couldn’t be more perfect in this small but stunning slice.
“Train Dreams” releases in select theaters on November 7th and on Netflix November 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Horror and comedy collide with somewhat mixed results in director Colin Minihan’s “Coyotes”. This often silly and rarely scary feature kicks off with a lot of promise. But it’s not long until the whole endeavor turns into one big missed opportunity. It’s a movie that has its moments, mostly from its cheeky swings at humor. But it’s hampered by a lack of thrills and a reheated family story that we’ve seen time and time again.
The film stars real-life couple Justin Long and Kate Bosworth. They play Scott and Liv, a well-to-do couple living comfortably in their affluent Hollywood Hills neighborhood with their moody teenage daughter Chloe (Mila Harris). Local newscasts report that surrounding wildfires have pushed ravenous coyotes deeper into Los Angeles resulting in several attacks. But that barely registers with this privileged family who feel perfectly safe in their swanky house on a hill.
Image Courtesy of AURA Entertainment
But that changes when an overnight Santa Ana windstorm blows down a tree that crushes their car and cuts a power line, leaving them without electricity or phone service. It’s obviously very inconvenient for the family but it’s very convenient for the story which needs them trapped and isolated for the coyote carnage that’s to come. And that carnage comes in a hurry.
Before long the snarling menaces are terrorizing Scott, Liv and Chloe. But not in a way that feels remotely harrowing (as intended). Instead, their encounters with the beasts routinely come across as cartoonish rather than actually frightening. Contributing to that is the often obvious CGI which not only makes the coyotes look digitally rendered but act like it too. In many ways they’re smarter than the humans, which is humorous in itself. But it’s hard to be too scared when they look this computer generated.
Image Courtesy of AURA Entertainment
As for the family drama, it’s nothing especially new. A workaholic father reconnecting with his neglected family and reprioritizing his life in the face of imminent danger – we’ve seen it before. Meanwhile we get a colorful assortment of side characters including a spacey call girl, Julie (Brittany Allen), their weirdo next-door neighbor, Trip (Norbert Leo Butz), Scott’s beer-swigging buddy, Tony (Kevin Glynn), and the overly dramatic pest control guy, Devon (Keir O’Donnell). They’re mainly around for comic relief and most exist solely to be coyote fodder.
There may not be much tension and its story may not be the most original, but “Coyotes” does land several good laughs. Minihan knows his premise is preposterous, and he (smartly) never takes things too seriously. He also lets loose with a handful of gleefully gory death scenes that will entertain those who appreciate a good on-screen kill. But the gags and guts can only carry the movie so far. And latching onto anything beyond that is a lot harder than it should be. “Coyotes” is in select theaters now.
Recent Oscar nominee Guy Pearce in a supernatural thriller set in the Old West is the recipe for a dish I’d happily consume. Written and directed by Ned Crowley, “Killing Faith” brings those ingredients together with DeWanda Wise and Bill Pullman adding a little extra seasoning of their own. The result is a wildly original feature that bends several genres into a peculiar yet entertaining experience.
The story is set in 1849 in the aftermath of a widespread sickness which broke out some ten years earlier. Wise gets an extra meaty role playing Sarah, a recently freed slave who is convinced that her blonde-haired caucasian daughter (Emily Katherine Ford) is possessed by the devil. It’s a wild and eerie premise which Crowley slickly mixes with his Old West setting to create something that sounds at odds with itself but that fits together perfectly.
Image Courtesy of Shout! Studios
Sarah’s daughter is forced to wear big pink mittens because living things instantly die whenever they come into contact with her bare hands. The unexplained power/curse has the local one-horse townsfolk spooked to the point they have banned Sarah from bringing the child around. In need of some supernatural help, Sarah resolves to make the long and perilous trip to the Ross Corner, home of a renowned (or notorious) self-proclaimed faith healer named Preacher Ross (Pullman).
Unfortunately for Sarah, no one in town is willing to escort her to Ross Corner, not even for the sizable payday she’s offering. That is until she meets Dr. Bender (Pearce), a widowed physician tormented by loss and ostracized by the community he once served. Bender is a tragic soul who spends more of his time getting high on ether than practicing medicine. He has his own issues with the town and is in need of money. So he agrees to take Sarah and her daughter to Ross Corner.
Bender is a broken man who has lost his faith. Sarah is convinced something evil was taken residence inside her daughter. Bender scoffs at her theory, insisting the child is just a carrier of the plague that had swept across the territory. It leads to some compelling conversations on the trail and around the campfire. Through them Crowley gives us closer looks inside the two characters while also revealing an unexpected connection that comes more into view as the story progresses.
As the three outcasts venture across the unforgiving countryside they encounter an array of dangerous hombres, eccentric individuals, and downright chilling psychopaths. They’re followed by Edward (Jack Alcott), Sarah’s simple yet bighearted ranch hand. They’re tracked by a ruthless bounty hunter named Whitey (Jamie Neumann). They run into a mysterious Native American who goes by Shakespeare (Raoul Max Trujillo). And in the film’s most memorable scene, they come across a chilling family consisting of a creepy matriarch (played with demented sophistication by Joanna Cassidy), a nonverbal young woman, and a guitar-plucking brute with a burlap sack over his head.
Image Courtesy of Shout! Studios
Bender’s faith is tested with each unexplainable turn in their bleak and unsettling journey. As he’s squaring off against his own personal demons, Sarah gets cruel reminders of the reality she lives in. Crowley uses them, along with their internal and external conflicts, to astutely critique American history, marginalization, and man’s penchant for violence. He exposes the sins of humanity through the grim depravity of his story. But it’s also through his unnerving imagery, specifically a series of brutal nightmare sequences and bursts of extreme bloody violence.
For most of its runtime, “Killing Faith” remains a dark yet absorbing genre-bender that does things with the Western that we rarely see. It’s only in the final act that the movie struggles to keep its footing. But even then Crowley makes some interesting choices and takes some unexpected chances. And that’s something that can be said about “Killing Faith” as a whole. Crowley’s audacious vision combined with some firmly committed and capable performances ensure we are never disengaged from this mysterious and macabre Old West odyssey.
Focus Features has released three stunning new character posters for “Anemone” coinciding with the film’s weekend release in select theaters. “Anemone” marks the return to acting for Daniel Day-Lewis following eight years in retirement. The new posters are brilliantly fitting for this dark psychological family drama that also stars Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. And it’s directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, the son of Daniel Day-Lewis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with his revered father.
“Anemone” deftly uses the complex relationships between fathers, sons, and brothers to examine such heavy and uncomfortable themes as childhood trauma, PTSD, strained family bonds, isolation, and self-condemnation versus self-forgiveness. It’s a movie overflowing with artistic vision from a daring first-time director and anchored by a brilliant return performance from a generation’s best actor. “Anemone” is one of the year’s best films.
Check out the new posters below and check out my full review of “Anemone” [HERE].
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt reteam in a movie that’s far removed from their lighthearted “Jungle Cruise” adventure. “The Smashing Machine” is a biographical sports drama based on the 2002 John Hyams documentary “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr”. As you can probably guess, it highlights the career of Mark Kerr, one of the pioneers in the world of mixed martial arts.
“The Smashing Machine” premiered at the Venice Film Festival where its director, Benny Safdie won the Silver Lion. And it was produced and is being distributed by none other than A24. Those things alone raised expectations. But surprisingly, “The Smashing Machine” is a fairly conventional sports drama. It follows a pretty familiar blueprint but with some notable traits all its own.
As many have rightly said, Dwayne Johnson delivers a revelatory performance portraying Mark Kerr. As a professional wrestler turned action star, it’s no surprise that the musclebound Johnson has the sheer brawn and in-ring prowess for a role like this. It’s what he does beyond the physicality that surprises most. It’s here that Johnson loses himself in the role (and he’s not the easiest guy to lose into anything).
Image Courtesy of A24
In many ways “The Smashing Machine” looks and plays like a slice-of-life documentary. Visually, Safdie (directing solo for the first time) and cinematographer Maceo Bishop shoot the film in a variety of formats, most notably VHS and 16mm. As a result, the gritty and grainy texture conveys authenticity as well as a distinct sense of time. Narratively, the movie sticks with one segment of Kerr’s life from 1997 to 2000, offering us a documentary-like profile of the man rather than more plot-focused story.
We first meet Kerr in the early stages of his professional career, before mixed martial arts became a global phenomenon. It was a time of few rules, no regulations, and no infrastructure around the sport. After turning heads with an undefeated run in Brazil, Mark agrees to a few fights in the growing Ultimate Fighting Championship. From there he takes off to Japan where he joins Pride FC with his close friend, trainer, and fellow fighter, Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader).
Safdie makes a point to show the crafted perception of the fighters and Mark’s determination to live up to it. The MMA organizations would portray their fighters as fiercely violent warriors surrounded with an aura of invincibility. But for Mark, the reality is dramatically different. Behind his brawny public image is a disarmingly kind and gentle man. He possesses a near childlike tenderness when things are going well. But when things get tough, it can be more of a childlike petulance. And things get really tough for Mark.
Image Courtesy of A24
Mark’s professional troubles begin in Japan with his shocking first loss – the result of a referee not calling the match according to the recent rule changes. His frustrations only get worse after his body begins showing signs of wear and tear, leading to an addiction to pain killers. Meanwhile at home, his volcanic relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) is an emotional rollercoaster with problems all its own.
The film is at its best when Mark and Dawn are together. Their beautiful yet blustery coexistence produces moments of potent domestic drama. The two truly love each other but frequently fight, sometimes due to Mark’s petty passive-aggressiveness; other times from Dawn’s bruising self-righteousness. There’s undeniably a dysfunctional quality to their relationship, but neither are villains. Their love is real but so are their frustrations which boil over into several heated clashes.
Johnson looks right at home in combat leading to some visceral fight scenes, effectively shot in a way that emphasizes the brutality. But it’s the humanity outside the ring that makes his performance so powerful. Blunt is equally good, bringing a whirlwind of emotional to a critical supporting character. That is until she suddenly vanishes for a big chunk of the second half. Along with the immersive visual style, these are all strengths that set this otherwise conventional sports drama apart from the many others that come down the pipeline. “The Smashing Machine” is in theaters now.
Danial Day-Lewis makes his triumphal return to acting after an eight year retirement in “Anemone”, delivering what should be one of the most talked about performances of the year. It’s yet another richly complex character for Day-Lewis to dissect and explore, and he does so with the kind of intensity and precision that has marked the three-time Oscar winner’s career.
This isn’t just a case of Day-Lewis simply returning to a craft he loves. “Anemone” is a true passion project which he co-wrote with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. Also, the younger Day-Lewis directs his father in what is the 27-year-old’s feature film debut. Their intimate connection beyond the camera finds its way onto the screen, adding a compelling perspective on fathers and sons and the ties that bind them.
“Anemone” is a dark family drama with a piercing psychological edge that delves into some heavy and uncomfortable subject matter including childhood trauma, PTSD, strained family bonds, isolation, and self-condemnation versus self-forgiveness. It’s a visually captivating film where the camera is as essential as the pen when it comes to storytelling. Narratively it’s a methodical slow-burn, patiently and quite brilliantly unwinding its characters and the conflicts that have defined them.
Image Courtesy of Focus Features
The elder Day-Lewis plays Ray Stoker, a damaged soul who has condemned himself to a life of isolation for reasons that painfully become clear as the story unfolds. Ray lives in a secluded one-room stone cabin, deep in the forest on a tiny patch of land that’s unreachable by vehicle. Ronan Day-Lewis and his DP, Ben Fordesman use the haunting beauty of nature to set the tone and to ground us in the setting. The churning clouds in the overcast skies. The thick forest canopy swaying in the heavy winds. The steady patter of rain on Ray’s tin roof. It’s a stunning bit of visual table-setting.
One afternoon Ray’s self-imposed disconnection from society is interrupted by an unannounced visit from his brother, Jem (Sean Bean). The tension between the two is obvious from first glance and the root of it is patiently revealed over the course of Jem’s stay. We watch as the two brothers spend the next few days together, revisiting ghosts of their pasts, picking at scabs from old wounds, and slowly piecing together their family history, ultimately arriving at the real reason for Jem’s visit.
The differences between Ray and Jem are striking, yet the bond of brotherhood is still real and present. We learn that they’re both men of violence, with pasts that have shaped who they have become. The key difference is one was able to find a measure of peace through faith while the other has built a wall around himself and his demons. Shades of bitterness, resentment, and contempt boil to the surface during their time together. But we also see moments of authentic connection.
Their time together is broken up with swings back to civilization where Jem’s wife Nessa (Samantha Morton) is having a hard time with her son Brian (Samuel Bottomley). He has found himself in trouble after nearly beating someone to death during military training. He’s been sent home where he struggles to understand his actions while Nessa worries that he’s following in some troubling footsteps. The connections between these scenes and Jem’s visit to Ray are better left unspoiled, but they add significant layers to the story that pay off in a powerful way.
Image Courtesy of Focus Features
The film’s script is an impressive display of audacity, peculiarity, and incisiveness. It tells a mostly contained and character-centric story with an equal reliance on dialogue, performance, and visual language. While the dialogue is rich and Day-Lewis delivers some mesmerizing monologues, the moments of silence are just as captivating, especially between the brothers who sometimes seem as if they’re communicating telepathically.
As for the performances, Daniel Day-Lewis once again disappears within another enigmatic and complicated character. He burrows deep into Ray’s psychology, relaying his inner turmoil with a simmering rage and even slivers of sharp-edged humor that cut right to the bone. Yet Day-Lewis never loses sight of Ray’s humanity. Bean makes for a brilliant foil. He’s quiet but possesses a strong presence while remaining sharply focused and ever observant. He’s a crucial part of the film and a fixture in its very best scenes.
“Anemone” won’t be for everyone. Its dark themes and brooding tone can be a challenge. And it isn’t a movie driven by spoon-fed, by the book plotting. Its storytelling bucks nearly every convention, shrewdly oscillating between expressionistic and raw gritty realism. Yet it’s a movie bursting with artistic vision from a daring first-time director and anchored by a sublime return performance from a generation’s best actor. When you consider it altogether, “Anemone” is one of the year’s best films.
Keith & the Movies 