REVIEW: “Lost Bullet” (2020)

September 3, 2020 by Keith Garlington

The new Netflix Original “Lost Bullet” is a lean, action-packed crime thriller that checks every box for what you want from these kinds of movies. It’s got car chases, shoot-outs, and fist fights. It features crooked cops, cover-ups, betrayals, and revenge. Holding it all together is a story with enough energy and grit but lacking the narrative spark needed to make it feel like it’s own thing.

The film stars former stuntman Alban Lenoir who also serves as co-writer. He plays Lino, a convict serving time for customizing a car Mad Max style and running it through four concrete walls in a botched attempt at robbing a jewelry store (imagine how that looks on a rap sheet). He’s approached in prison by a cop named Charas (Ramzy Bedia) who is putting together a special team to take on a gang of drug runners. He has his drivers. He just needs someone to soup up their rides to keep up with the thugs.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Enter Lino and his mad mechanic skills. He’s offered a work release if he’ll join the unit and basically turn their cars into turbo-changed tanks. That’ll give them what they need to finally stop the “go-fasts”. Now if you’re like me and have no idea what a go-fast is, I’ll save you some Google search time. Apparently go-fasts are vehicles loaded with drugs that drive (obviously) really fast. You learn something new everyday.

But I digress, Lino loses his get-out-of-jail-free card amid a series of double-crosses and some old-fashioned police corruption. Soon he finds himself on the run again, framed for the murder of an officer and determined to find a way to clear his name. But it’ll take plenty of bullets and (of course) a highly modified, super-fast car to take out the baddies.

Director Guillaume Pierret puts together some crackling action scenes and Lenoir has the physicality and tough guy personality you want. It’s a simple yet well-conceived story that keeps things moving at a snappy pace. It still doesn’t do much to stand out from the slew of other movies like it, but it’s an entertaining enough ride and a nice diversion especially for action fans. “Lost Bullet” is streaming now on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “The New Mutants” (2020)

September 2, 2020 by Keith Garlington

At one time there were big plans for “The New Mutants”. It was originally slated as a full trilogy – a stand-alone extension of the X-Men universe that would tell darker stories from an array of new characters. It had its script and the backing of 20th Century Fox. Then the wheels began to come off. Rewrites, recasts, reshoots, and genre tweaks led to numerous delays. Then Disney acquired 20th Century Fox adding more uncertainty and in turn more delays. People wondered if “The New Mutants” would ever see the light of day.

Well, it’s finally out and let’s just say it takes no time for its rocky development to show up on screen. It pains me to say it but “The New Mutants” is a perplexing and frustrating slog. It’s a film categorized as superhero horror which is an intriguing selling point. The problem is it lacks all of the energy and wonder of the superhero genre. Even worse, you won’t find a single scare or the slightest bit of tension. This is horror in the barest and most ineffective sense.

“The New Mutants” is considered to be the last of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find much of a connection. The X-Men really have nothing whatsoever to do with the story outside of a couple of fleeting mentions. Being mutants is the most relevant and obvious link, but don’t expect this film do anything new or interesting with the subject. Instead all we get is a something akin to a bland YA drama minus any of the genre spark it advertises. And it plays more like a mediocre television pilot for The CW than a need-to-see big screen experience.

Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

The story begins with Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt), a teen of Cherokee descent, being shaken from her sleep by her father (Adam Beach) as a computer-generated “tornado” ravages their village. Her father gets her out, but Danielle is knocked unconscious while trying to escape. She wakes up in a high security hospital single-handedly (somehow) operated by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). The remote facility takes teenage mutants and teaches them how to harness their nascent powers, both for their safety and everyone else’s.

Danielle has yet to fully understand her power but Dr. Reyes seems to have an idea and immediately begins working to help the new mutant. Danielle is introduced to the other four patients. There is Rahne (Maisie Williams), a soft-spoken Scot with wolf powers. We get Illyana Rasputin played by Anya Taylor-Joy with a thick Russian accent and a hand puppet. Her powers are never really explained, but her arm turns into armor and a magic sword appears. Sam (Charlie Heaton sporting a wildly fluctuating southern drawl) vibrates really fast which enables him to speed around and tear things up. And then there is Roberto (Henry Zaga) who gets the short end of the superhero stick. Basically he gets really hot when excited. Sorry dude.

The teens cover many familiar archetypes. There’s the shy one, the bad girl, the big brother, and the jock. Much of the film is spent with them hanging out, arguing, venting frustrations and growing closer in the process. Kinda like “The Breakfast Club” minus the fun personalities and the great Simple Minds track. But when their greatest fears from their pasts suddenly come to life, the five teen mutants must fight together within the confines of the hospital (the only remotely creepy thing in the film), embracing their powers in order to survive.

Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

That doesn’t sound half-bad, right? You can see the ingredients for something fun and unique. That’s why it’s so disappointing to get a story that’s so flat and lifeless. Much of it goes back to the shallow, bullet-point characters and their unconvincing, superficial relationships. From a half-baked romance to the overall camaraderie, it’s hard to invest much into them. And relevant chunks of their stories seem to be missing, namely them facing and then reckoning with the tragedies of their past. Some get a few words and a quick scene, but so much more time could have been (and frankly needed to be) spent on them coming to grips. Especially Danielle who ends up being the biggest casualty.

It’s also worth noting that “The New Mutants” ends up feels incredibly dated, even as you can see director Josh Boone playing with several new ideas. Visually it’s a downer, with its drab colorless pallet and so-so special effects. And it misses so many story opportunities. For example it does nothing with the mysterious organization Reyes works for. It leaves her character hollow and with no sense of importance.

I really feel for Josh Boone who clearly had big things in mind for this film and the potential sequels that would follow. It’s pretty clear the countless production hurdles and delays took their toll. He still deserves credit for sticking by the project and all those involved and seeing it through. I just wish the results were better. Instead “The New Mutants” is a hard-to-embrace grind – the beginning and end of a once promising spinoff series. “The New Mutants” is now showing in theaters.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Tenet” (2020)

September 1, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Christopher Nolan’s high-profile career has reached a point where every new movie of his is buzz-worthy. Every new project grabs headlines and energizes the box office. Each new film leave both critics and moviegoers eager to talk, write, scrutinize, hypothesize, and debate. And whether you like his style or not, his movies have become events especially for those of us who proudly call ourselves Nolan fans.

So naturally when I first heard of “Tenet” I was elated. When it was understandably delayed I was dejected. But now that I’ve finally seen it I’m ecstatic. Why? Because “Tenet” is an incredible experience and unlike anything you’ve seen before. “Tenet” is indelibly a Nolan picture through and through – smart, cerebral, highly original, insanely well-made, and full of big ideas. Like many of his other films it won’t be for everybody. In fact it may be his most inaccessible. But who can deny the amazing craftsmanship and cinematic wizardry Nolan (once again) showcases?

Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers

“Tenet” isn’t just highly anticipated. It’s also considered to be an important film particularly in this current COVID-19 global landscape. After being closed for months hurting movie houses and theater chains around the world are depending on “Tenet” to revitalize big screen enthusiasm while giving much-needed boosts to their bottom lines. Meanwhile moviegoers have set sky-high expectations which his film (and no other film for that matter) could ever fully reach. In those regards “Tenet” may not be in the most enviable position. But I see Nolan, a consummate professional at his craft and an ever-growing student of cinema, fully embracing those lofty responsibilities.

Nolan’s latest mindbender sees him once again pushing blockbuster boundaries, many that he helped set. With a massive overall budget eclipsing $300 million and an even bigger vision, “Tenet” is the filmmaker’s biggest movie to date. It’s essentially a spy thriller that takes many of the genre’s elements and turns them on their heads. And it features yet another star-studded cast rich with fresh faces and some Nolan favorites. Leading them is John David Washington, a terrific young-ish actor with an exceptional pedigree (he’s the son of Denzel). Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Cane, Clémence Poésy, Dimple Kapadia and Aaron Taylor-Johnson round it out.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Nolan has always enjoying playing around with time, but in “Tenet” he has a field day. It’s key to note this is not a time travel movie. Instead it deals with a concept called time inversion. It’s an integral part of Nolan’s story and essential to understanding the movie’s dense and shifting plot. In the future an Oppenheimer-esque scientist develops an algorithm that can cause objects to travel back in time. Overwhelmed by the catastrophic impact such a creation could have (namely the destruction of reality as we know it), the scientist splits the algorithm into nine pieces, hides them in different places in the past, and then commits suicide. This ‘inversion’ turns out to be the marrow of Nolan’s story. It’s the cause of the conflict, it’s what drives the antagonist, and it’s the only way to save the world.

It all begins with a stunning prologue set at a Ukrainian opera house. Oozing charisma, Washington plays a CIA agent known throughout the film only as the Protagonist. He and his small team of operatives arrive at the opera house to rescue an exposed government asset from a terrorist group during a symphony performance. During the extraction the Protagonist is saved from a terrorist’s bullet by a mysterious masked man in search of an artifact. The man gets away but the Protagonist and his team are captured and tortured by the baddies. But instead of giving away his colleagues, the Protagonist takes a cyanide capsule.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers

He wakes up to even more shadowy figures who tell him the cyanide capsule was fake, his team is dead, and he has passed their group’s test. He is informed of something called Tenet and learns that the group’s scientists have discovered inverted bullets. Fearing the possible dangers, the group tasks the Protagonist with tracking down who is inverting ammunition and for what reason. The trail leads him to a Russian arms dealer named Sator (a cold and quietly menacing Branagh) who may be communicating with the future. The Protagonist tries to get close to Sator through his estranged wife Kat (Debicki) but that proves tougher than anticipated. So he and his recruit Neil (Pattinson), who always seems to know more than he’s letting on, use more “dramatic” methods to try and get what they need.

That doesn’t sound too confusing, right? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet. Thermodynamics, the Grandfather Paradox, Temporal Pincer Movements – just some of the subjects you’ll encounter along the way. But don’t worry, it’s not like sitting through a science lecture. Nolan takes a very specific approach to telling his story. He begins by bombarding you with information and terminology. Characters are rapidly added, sometimes only for a scene or two, and each have their own unique pieces to add to the puzzle. It can feel a bit overwhelming which seems to be where Nolan wants us. It makes it all the more impressive once those meticulously placed pieces begin to fit together.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Brothers

The scale of Nolan’s imagination isn’t restricted to just the storytelling. As you would expect “Tenet” is a technical marvel and a visual feast. Once again working with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Nolan concocts some truly astonishing action sequences. Fist fights, car chases, a crazy stunt with a Boeing 747 – I hate to repeat myself, but these are moments unlike anything you’ve seen before. And two particular scenes involving what are called inversion “turnstiles” are some of the most creative sequences Nolan has ever conceived.

I can think of only one lone complaint I have about “Tenet”. Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (filling in for Nolan regular Hans Zimmer) puts together an dazzling score. But the sheer volume during a few scenes made hearing the actors next to impossible. And this wasn’t just an issue isolated to my theater. Other than that Christopher Nolan has once again done what he does best – create an exhilarating cinematic experience aimed at wowing you visually and challenging you intellectually. It’s story is sure to be too dense for some, especially those wanting more easy-going blockbuster fare. But for everyone else buckle up, put your thinking cap on, and enjoy the ride. We don’t get movies like this very often. “Tenet” opens wide this weekend only in theaters.

VERDICT – 5 STARS

REVIEW: “Antebellum” (2020)

August 31, 2020 by Keith Garlington

“Antebellum” begins with one brilliant tone-setting tracking shot. Co-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz start with their camera gazing upwards as rays of sunlight beam through treetops draped in Spanish moss. The camera pans down to an elegant plantation house, a young girl skipping in the front yard picking flowers as horses graze on the lush green grass. It’s a beautiful portrait.

But as the camera moves the idyllic storybook facade gives way to the ugliness of reality. It slowly winds through the plantation’s slave quarters as Nate Wonder and Roman Gianarthur’s searing score steadily escalates. The camera settles on an act of unspeakable violence – a jarring and unsettling moment that instantly and firmly plants our feet in Bush and Renz’s world.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

With that gripping opening Bush and Renz provide one of the best 10 minute stretches I’ve seen in a movie all year. And it gets “Antebellum” off on a strong foot. Genre-wise their feature film debut resembles Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” minus the plot holes and freshman filmmaker miscalculations. Both are horror movies but not in the traditional sense and both tell stories with strong social consciences.

“Antebellum” stars Janelle Monáe who gives two dramatically different yet equally compelling performances. We get our first glimpse of her during the opening tracking shot as she is brought to a Louisiana plantation. Six months pass and we see her picking cotton under the eye of an abusive white foreman (Jack Huston). We learn that her name is Eden and she is the chosen favorite of a possessive confederate officer (Eric Lange). Through Eden’s eyes and the film’s unflinching sense of conviction we see plantation life often in visceral detail.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

Suddenly, at around the 40 minute mark a cell phone rings, shattering our sense of time and transporting us to modern day. The phone is answered by Veronica Henley (Monáe’s other role), an acclaimed author and activist living lavishly with her husband Nick (Marque Richardson) and their young daughter Kennedi (London Boyce). Veronica is a picture of success, self-made and a go-getter. You could say she’s living a version of the “American Dream” but one built on shaky ground – something that becomes clearer as the movie progresses.

It would be a disservice to reveal any more. All I’ll say is Veronica flies to New Orleans to deliver a lecture on black empowerment. While there Bush and Renz (who also penned the script) slyly begin to connect the narrative dots. There is a time or two when Veronica’s storyline strays a bit. Take a dinner sequence with her and two friends played Gabourey Sidibe and Lily Cowles. On its own the scene is well written and performed. But within the movie itself, the nearly seven minute sequence grinds the tension-building to a halt. There are also tonal issues as the scene focuses almost entirely on Sidibe’s character who plays a tad too much like comic relief.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

But it doesn’t take long for “Antebellum” to get back on track. Bush and Renz craft a nail-biting final act that illuminates the two stories before arriving at its satisfying conclusion. It’s not that hard to pick up where things are going well before the big ending. But watching it all come together and seeing the details cleverly ironed out makes for a worthwhile payoff. And it doesn’t hurt to have such a brilliantly multifaceted performance from Monáe who finally gets her first (and much deserved) lead role. She works with such authenticity and commitment which proves to be invaluable to both Eden and Veronica.

“Antebellum” falls among the ever-growing list of movies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally slated for a theatrical release before finally landing on VOD this weekend. While I wish it could have gotten the big screen treatment, I’m glad people finally get the chance to see it. “Antebellum” deserves an audience, not just for being good genre entertainment (which it is), but also for the richness of its underlying message. It tells a penetrating story that will leave you primed for a second viewing. “Antebellum” premieres September 18th on VOD.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Chadwick Boseman (1976 – 2020)

August 28, 2020 by Keith Garlington

There are no words. RIP Chadwick Boseman.

REVIEW: “Bill & Ted Face the Music” (2020)

August 28, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Prior to its first trailer, if you had told me there would be a sequel to the Bill & Ted movies in the year 2020 I would probably put a wager on it (and I’m not a betting man). Yet here we are with a brand new follow-up to the pair’s “Excellent Adventure” (1989) and “Bogus Journey” (1991). Some key names and familiar faces return most notably the two most excellent stars – Alex Winter as William S. “Bill” Preston, Esq. and Keanu Reeves as Theodore “Ted” Logan (insert air guitar here).

The first two Bill & Ted movies were very much simple and utterly absurd buddy comedies that had no allusions of being anything other than what they were. So expectations for the third film were pretty easy to keep in check. “Bill & Ted Face the Music” really only needed to do one thing to be a success – tap into the same frothy yet utterly charming nuttiness of its predecessors. Will it play well for younger audiences with no attachments to the original films? It’s hard to say. But for the rest of us there is just enough smile-inducing silliness and nostalgic allure to make Bill & Ted’s latest time-hopping romp worthwhile.

Photo Courtesy of Orion Pictures

The lovable Wyld Stallyns have seen their rock-and-roll stock plummet. Bill & Ted’s once beloved band has gone from selling out big arenas to playing Elk’s Lodges on $2 Taco Night. But it barely phases the ever-content and perpetually optimistic best friends who push forward, still trying to write the song that will unite the world. How’s that for persistence?

In the meantime both are now married to their former girlfriends and 15th-century princesses from the previous films (Jayma Mays plays Bill’s wife Joanna, Erinn Hayes plays Ted’s wife Elizabeth). And both have teenage daughters with striking resemblances to their fathers, Wilhelmina “Billie” Logan (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Theodora “Thea” Preston (Samara Weaving).

While Bill and Ted’s friendship is stronger than ever, the inseparable bosom buddies can’t see the strain it’s having on their marriages. To add another kink, Kelly (Kristen Schaal), the daughter of their old friend from the future Rufus (played in the earlier films by the late George Carlin), arrives in her time-traveling egg to inform Bill and Ted that they have been summoned by the Great Leader (Holland Taylor). And when the Great Leader summons you know things must be serious.

Kelly takes them to the future where they are told they have only 78 minutes to finally discover their song that will unite the world. Why? Who the heck knows? These movies have always pulled their ‘rules’ out of thin air. And who really cares when you’re given such delightfully corny lines like “The song is a nexus point that brings humanity into rhythm and harmony” and that without the song “reality will collapse and time and space will cease to exist“. Those are all the ‘rules’ I need.

Photo Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Of course more time-bopping ensues as Bill & Ted reunite with their magic phone booth and travel to the future hoping to find their all-important song. Meanwhile Billie and Thea convince Kelly to take them to the past, searching different time periods in order to assemble the greatest band in history to help play their fathers’ song. Again, the goofiness of it all will be too much for some people to handle, but director Dean Parisot along with his cast and crew fully embrace it. If they hadn’t, this would have been a disaster.

“Face the Music” is a bit of a miracle. The screenwriters for the original films Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon started working on this script a decade ago. It took several drafts to get the story right and just as much effort to find funding. Yet here we are, with one of the most unlikeliest of sequels. One that surprisingly feels right at home with its 30-year-old forerunners. There are a few awkward moments where the dialogue clangs and the now 55-year-old actors can’t always muster the same youthful silliness to make every scene work. But Reeves and Winter put a lot of heart into Bill & Ted. They love these characters and we can tell. Did we really ‘need’ another movie? Not really. Am I glad we got one? “Totally dude”. By the way, stay till the end. There is a post-credits scene that is…how shall I put it…most triumphant. “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is out today in theaters and on VOD.