First Glance: “Centigrade”

July 28, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Calling director Brendan Walsh’s new film “claustrophobic” may be the understatement of the year. “Centigrade” is a film built on a suffocating premise. And as far as these types of tightly confined movies go, it’s a ‘based on a true story’ thriller that shows a lot of promise.

The film follows husband and wife Matt and Naomi (played by Vincent Piazza and Genesis Rodriguez). We don’t really know the cause, but the two of them find themselves stranded in a stalled car that’s buried under ice and snow. With both food and patience running out, the couple are pushed to the very edge in their attempts at surviving. Oh, and there are a couple of other interesting details in the new trailer I’ll let you discover for yourself.

“Centigrade” premieres in select theaters and on VOD August 28th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Enter the Fat Dragon” (2020)

July 27, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Ok, first off I want everyone to know I’m not making this movie up. I know it sports a title that seems too ridiculous to be true, but I promise you it is real. In fact this utterly absurd action-comedy is actually a remake of a 1978 Sammo Hung film of the same name. So regardless of how it sounds “Enter the Fat Dragon” is an actual thing – a full length feature film with one of Hong Kong’s biggest movie stars attached.

With that out of the way, “Enter the Fat Dragon” is really a remake in title only. Both films are (obviously) riffing on Bruce Lee’s classic “Enter the Dragon” and are as much comedies as action flicks. But that’s about as far as the similarities go. The 2020 version from co-directors Kenji Tanigaki and Wong Jing is very much it’s own thing; as silly as its title suggests and held together by several well-choreographed action sequences.

The film’s biggest draw is veteran Chinese actor Donnie Yen, a martial arts action star who manages to make everything he’s in better. He plays Hong Kong police officer Fallon Zhou whose full-throttled, ‘never slow down’ attitude keeps him in constant trouble with his superiors at the department. It also doesn’t help his relationship with Chloe (Niki Chow), a second-rate TV actress who thinks she’s top-tier talent. She also happens to be his fiancé and his high-octane antics has them constantly at each other’s throats.

While meeting Chloe for their wedding pictures Fallon cant resist the temptation to intervene with a crime in progress. He catches the bad guys but ruins the photo shoot and puts countless innocent lives in danger. It’s the last straw for both Chloe who leaves him and his captain who moves him off the street and into the basement’s evidence room. Six months of melancholy pass during which a more rotund Fallon gives himself over to overeating and vegging out on the couch watching Bruce Lee DVDs.

Then a friend on the police force offers Fallon a chance to redeem himself. All he has to do escort a key witness to Tokyo and hand him over to authorities. Easy right? Well, shortly after they arrive in Japan the witness disappears, Fallon runs afoul of a dapper Yakuza boss (Joey Tee), some crooked cops come into play, even Chloe ends up involved. With the help of a local ex-cop named Titus (played by co-director Wong Jing) Fallon sets out to do what he does and maybe win Chloe back in the process.

The story (it too by Wong Jing) maintains a steadily playful tone even during its action sequences. Nothing is taken seriously which ends up being both good and bad. In one respect it makes the overall silliness a little more palatable. But it also makes the whole thing feel pretty shallow. Adding to that feeling is the inconsistency of the humor. The high-spirited banter and dashes of slapstick work fine. But the eye-rolling butt gags and fart jokes are cheap and lazy. Also there are countless out-of-the-blue plot pieces that get no attention whatsoever or simply make no sense at all. They just add to the messiness.

Strangely the entire overweight angle (that is featured so prominently in the title) doesn’t play much of a role in film. In fact other than having a star like Donnie Yen running around in layers of prosthetic flab, it’s pretty inconsequential. Surprisingly (and thankfully) there are very few weight jokes. Instead you could almost say the film promotes a positive message of self-confidence, although saying it’s fully committed to that message would be a stretch.

While I wouldn’t call “Enter the Fat Dragon” a good movie, Donnie Yen at least makes it entertaining. He’s fun to watch as a kind and well-meaning flub-up. But (as you would expect) he shines brightest in the action scenes, all expertly choreographed, shot, and performed. Yen may be in his late 50s, but he can still blow your mind whether it’s in a thrilling car chase or a 1 vs 20 martial arts throwdown. Watch it for Yen and IF anything sticks with you it’ll probably be him. Ultimately he’s the one who makes this goofy mess of a movie worth seeing. “Enter the Fat Dragon” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “My Spy” (2020)

July 24, 2020 by Keith Garlington

What is it with ex-wrestlers turned movie stars starring alongside super-cute kids in corny action-comedies? Hulk Hogan did it years ago with “Mr. Nanny”. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made “Tooth Fairy” and “The Game Plan”. Paul “Triple H” Levesque starred in “The Chaperone”. And just last year John Cena made “Playing with Fire”. Not to be outdone, Dave Bautista now takes his turn with “My Spy”, a film originally set for a big screen release but bought by Amazon after the COVID-19 theater closings.

The film comes from director Peter Segal and was written by Jon and Erich Hoeber. In it Bautista plays a hardened CIA agent named JJ. He’s rather new to the whole spy game yet for some logic-defying reason his boss (Ken Jeong) sends him on a solo mission to Russia to infiltrate an illegal weapons exchange. What’s on the line? Only enough plutonium to blow up a major city. JJ botches the job killing everyone except one guy who slips away with half of the plutonium.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

As a result of blowing his mission JJ gets moved to surveillance where he’s teamed with an air-headed tech specialist named Bobbi (Kristen Schaal) who happens to be his biggest fan (I’m still not sure why. All I can figure is she likes that he kills a lot of people and has big muscles). The two are sent to Chicago where they are to keep tabs on a young widow named Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley) and her 9-year-old daughter Sophie (Chloe Coleman). They’re on the run from an evil in-law named Victor (Greg Bryk) who believes Kate is hiding plans for a nuclear bomb given to her by her late husband.

That’s already more information than you really need because plot-wise none of that stuff is remotely convincing. But if the CIA angle still wasn’t absurd enough, within minutes of getting the surveillance equipment up and running, JJ and Bobbi are discovered by Sophie who records them admitting they are CIA operatives. She then uses the recording to blackmail JJ into doing the typical stuff – taking her ice skating, getting her ice cream, going to parent day at her school, and of course teaching her how to be a spy (as if JJ would know). In a goofy bit of irony, Bobbi (framed as the dumbest character in the movie) is the only one who can see how nuts all of this is. Go figure.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

From there it follows an insanely predictable path. The brawny tough guy does a lot of silly stuff and begins to soften up. A chemistry-less romance between JJ and Kate springs up. And of course once the bad guy inevitable surfaces we get a violent by-the-books action finale. There isn’t a box that “My Spy” doesn’t check. The lone saving grace is young Coleman who despite being trapped in a derivative story has enough charm to divert our attention (at least a little).

It’s tempting to dismiss my own opinion by simply accepting that I’m not the target audience. Then again I’m not quite sure who the target audience is. The dead bodies and the smattering of crude dialogue are enough to muddle the lines. So I’ll stick with my take – “My Spy” misses its mark, nothing about it seems fresh or original, and Dave Bautista may not quite be ready for leading roles. Still, he’s not the first wrestler-turned-actor to do this kind of movie. Probably won’t be the last. “My Spy” is now playing on Amazon Prime.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

First Glance: “Sputnik”

July 23, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Science-fiction, horror, suspense all rolled into one terrific looking movie. That’s my first impression of the new Russian thriller “Sputnik” from director Egor Abramenko. It was originally slated to debut at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival before joining the slew of other films pushed back due to the coronavirus. But thanks to IFC Midnight “Sputnik” is set to premiere in just a few weeks.

The first trailer looks like an intriguing mixture of “Aliens” and “The X-Files” set in the Soviet Union, 1983. A young scientist (Oksana Akinshina) is recruited by a top-secret military facility to study a mysterious parasite found in one of their cosmonauts (Pyotr Fedorov). Obviously that doesn’t turn out well at all. The trailer does a great job setting up the tone and atmosphere of what could be a chilling sci-fi treat.

“Sputnik” is set to premiere August 14th in select theaters and on VOD. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Fisherman’s Friends” (2020)

July 22, 2020 by Keith Garlington

You almost always know what you’re going to get with movies like “Fisherman’s Friends”. They’re pretty reliable when it comes to sticking to formula and rarely will you find a surprise moment or unexpected twist. Most of the time they either sink or swim based on their heart, charm, and ability to make you care about their characters. Director Chris Foggin’s tale of shanty-singing sea dogs turned Top 40 music sensations has those necessary ingredients plus some.

Based on a true story but incorporating a lot of fiction, “Fisherman’s Friends” is a small-town drama, romantic comedy, musical biography, and underdog story all neatly wrapped into one movie. The writing trio of Nick Moorcroft, Meg Leonard and Piers Ashworth take the bare basics of the true account and build their own story around them. Their by-the-book plotting squash any chance of originality, but the colorful characters, the rich personality of its setting, and the film’s warm-hearted center more than makes up for it.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Set in 2010 Daniel Mays plays Danny, a hotshot London music executive on a weekend getaway with his three obnoxious buddies. While passing through the small village of Port Isaac they overhear a group of ten Cornish fisherman singing shanties for the locals. One thing leads to another and soon Danny is trying to convince the Fisherman’s Friends (as the seamen affectionately call themselves) to let him be their manager and negotiate a record deal.

In order to get the group onboard Danny will have to convince their spokesman Jim (James Purefoy). He’s a fisherman who also owns the town Bed and Breakfast with his daughter Alwyn (a terrific Tuppence Middleton). Despite leaving a rotten first impression, Danny soon finds himself more interested in winning over Alwyn than her father. So the big city guy becomes the proverbial ‘fish out of water’, soon finding himself lured in by the small town’s charm (and by one particularly lovely single mother). And he grows even more committed to seeing the shanty crooners strike it big.

From that brief snippet alone you can probably guess how things play out. And the Hallmarkian predictability really kicks in during a final act which you’ve seen a million times before – the guy gets in good with the girl, royally screws things up, realizes he can’t live without the girl, and then sets out to make things right. Plotwise you literally see everything coming a mile away.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Yet there is an endearing warmth that Foggin captures, both from the characters and the village itself (it was filmed on location in Port Isaac). The fun and delightful cast are essential to the film’s tight-knit communal feel. Middleton avoids numerous trappings and gives us a woman with real mettle. Purefoy brings emotional depth and is more than just an overly protective father or surly sailor. And you can’t help but love veteran Scottish actor David Hayman playing the gravelly-voiced but tender-hearted Jago.

With its irresistible mix of feel-good vibes, infectious musical numbers, great rapport and playful humor, “Fisherman’s Friends” makes the formulaic storytelling pretty easy to overlook. It ends up being a smile-inducing pleasure built around a genuinely remarkable true story. And I’m still giggling at “Reservoir Sea Dogs“. I’ll let you watch the movie and discover that nugget for yourself. “Fisherman’s Friends” premieres this Friday on VOD.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Blow the Man Down” (2020)

July 21, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s black comedy/thriller “Blow the Man Down” debuted a year ago at the Tribeca Film Festival. It took a while but this slyly biting and ever so slightly offbeat neo-noir has finally received its proper debut (thanks to Amazon Studios). It’s a movie full of surprises and made by a fresh filmmaking duo with a deft handling of both style and story.

In the seaside fishing village of East Cove, Maine sisters Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor) mourn the recent death of their mother. After the funeral Priscilla plans on running the family fish market and living in the house where they grew up. Mary Beth, bitter about having to leave college to help care for her mother, is already planning her way out of the town she despises.

Photo Courtesy Amazon Studios

The siblings learn their mother left them with a lot of debt meaning they could potentially lose the house. It leads to a heated argument that sends Mary Beth storming off to the local tavern. Once there she starts tossing back drinks with an unsavory type named Gorski (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The two get drunk and she not-so-wisely agrees to drive him to his house just outside of town. An attempted assault, a harpoon to the neck, and a brick bash to the head leaves Gorski dead and Mary Beth in a panic.

You could say that what follows is a shining example of how not to cover up a crime. Mary Beth rushes home to Priscilla and tells her what happened. Uncertain whether she acted in haste or in self-defense, the sisters decide not to call the police and go back to Gorski’s place to clean up the mess. As for disposing of the body, let’s just say Cole and Krudy give us a grisly yet darkly funny sequence that had me thinking “Fargo” but with a stout feminine kick.

But there is another layer to the story altogether. Gorski’s disappearance cracks the door to East Cove’s deep dark past. It turns out Priscilla and Mary Beth’s mother was the linchpin holding the town’s matriarchal rule together. So with her gone, old wounds fester between a brothel owner named Enid (played with a devilish wit by Margo Martindale) and three busybody widows (June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, Marceline Hugot). All are connected by the sordid town secrets and each has their own self-interests and motivations.

Eventually the two story threads weave together to form a prickly, suspenseful mystery told through a myriad of fun and fleshed-out characters. The best may be Martindale’s Enid who operates like an organized crime boss, running her operation in plain sight but with enough clout to get away with it. Packing more snarl than smile, Enid defends her enterprise while at the same time showing the emotional toll it has taken on her. She’s a complex character and far more than some one-note villain.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios

I can’t talk about this film without spending a few lines on its style and setting. Cole and Krudy had me onboard from the very start. The movie opens to the sound of a shanty being sung by a grizzled fisherman and his salty-dog chorus. It’s amusing, subtly haunting, and adds to the New England coastal flavor. They pop up a few more times in brief smile-inducing musical interludes. And then you have the atmosphere and vivid sense of place the directing duo and their DP Todd Banhazl are able to create. You can almost smell the scent of raw fish or feel the chill of the icy sea breeze.

Cole and Krudy don’t stop there. They add more to their mystery by throwing several other ingredients into the pot: a missing knife, a second body, a young by-the-book police officer (Will Brittain) and a disgruntled call girl (Gayle Rankin). It doesn’t all flesh out perfectly but the twists keep you guessing and the film really sticks its finish. Ultimately it feels heavily inspired by the Coen brothers especially in its melding of crime and humor. But its flipping of genre roles and the female-driven story gives it its own welcomed identity. It also introduces us to two exciting new filmmakers who already show a tremendous understanding of their craft. “Blow the Man Down” is now streaming on Amazon Prime.