Author Archives: Keith Garlington

First Glance: “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” Trailer

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What a day! The new trailer for “John Wick: Chapter 3” landed today and let me say it has my attention. The first film of this neo-noir action franchise began in 2014 with a surprise hit. The 2017 sequel was well received by critics and moviegoers and opened up the series to a wealth of crazy possibilities.

Now we get our first glance at “John Wick 3” and it looks to be building on the wacky mythology we got a taste of in the previous movie. And check out what we get in the trailer – plenty of the series’ signature stylized action, several returning characters, Halle Berry, dogs, and John Wick on a horse. How can you not be excited?

“John Wick: Chapter 3” opens May 17th. Check out the trailer below and tell me what you think. Excited? Not interested?

REVIEW: “Bird Box”

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Arguably the weirdest titled movie of 2018 has debuted on Netflix and with quite a bit of attention. According to the streaming giant “Bird Box” has been watched by 45 million accounts making it the “best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film.” Skeptics notwithstanding, those are pretty impressive numbers especially for a usually tight-lipped company.

“Bird Box” is a genre stew featuring slices of horror, psychological drama, science-fiction, and end-of-the-world thrillers. It’s based on Josh Malerman’s 2014 debut novel of the same name and adapted to screen by Oscar nominated screenwriter Eric Heisserer (“Arrival”). Danish director Susanne Bier is tasked with corralling it all together and she manages it with a satisfying effectiveness.

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Photo Courtesy of Netflix

The film opens with a mother named Malorie (Sandra Bullock) giving strict instructions to two children as they prep for a dangerous trek up a river. The three blindfold themselves before feeling their way to a fiberglass rowboat. After a few more pointed warnings they begin the treacherous journey upstream.

Flashback to five years earlier. A terrifying unknown presence surfaces causing anyone who lays eyes on it to suddenly kill themselves. Malorie, now pregnant and a soon to be single mother, finds herself holed up in a house with an assortment of strangers all trying to make sense of the rampant death and chaos.

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Photo Courtesy of Netflix

“Bird Box” bounces back-and-forth between the present day river scenes and the flashbacks which reveal what led Malorie to that point. Most of that time is spent in the house where survivors battle fear and uncertainty as supplies begin to run out and new survivors show up. A talent-rich supporting cast fill out the group. There’s Tom (Trevante Rhodes), Douglas (John Malkovich), Cheryl (Jackie Weaver), Olympia (Danielle Macdonald), and Charlie (Lil Rey Howery) among others.

Parenting is a central theme and we see it from both literal and metaphorical angles. When it works it’s mostly due to a stellar performance from Bullock who hasn’t lost a step and shows she can still navigate an intense range of emotions. But it’s not always easy to keep the theme in focus especially when the film stumbles into some familiar genre trappings. There is clearly a thematic throughline, but you never lose sight that this is very much a genre(s) movie.

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Photo Courtesy of Netflix

The film’s opening 20 minutes are its best, introducing its terrifying unseen threat that is undeniably menacing yet intentionally undefined. It turns society upside-down much like the killer first scenes of 2013’s “World War Z” yet on a smaller scale. Bier builds plenty of suspense and then carries it over to the film’s more character-focused house segment. Some of the characters work better than others. Rhodes is a standout. Malkovich is very John Malkovich-like. Weaver is sadly lost in the crowd.

“Bird Box” runs the gambit from riveting to predictable to kinda silly. At the same time it’s never boring and the performances are always worth watching. The convergence of survival and motherhood within such a sinister setting is a cool concept and Bullock wonderfully fleshes it out for us. She’s the movie’s backbone and even when the story sputters at times she puts it on her back and carries it to finish line.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

3-5-stars

REVIEW: “Green Book”

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The unlikely true-life friendship between an African-American concert pianist and an Italian nightclub bouncer is the inspiration (and that’s a key distinction) for Peter Farrelly’s comedy-drama “Green Book”. The film’s name comes from The Negro Motorist Green Book, an annual travel guide for African-Americans during the Jim Crow era. It listed restaurants and lodging that allowed black visitors in segregated America.

The story takes place in the 1960s and opens in New York City. Bouncer and general tough guy Tony Lip Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) has to find work while his boss’ nightclub is shut down for renovations. He is hired to be both driver and bodyguard for Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), an immensely talented African-American concert pianist who is about to embark on an eight-week concert tour starting in the Midwest before heading through the Deep South.

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“Green Book” is all about the central relationship between these two polar opposites. Don is an educated man of art and culture. Tony is streetwise and rough around the edges. It sets the table for some really good and often funny interactions. Especially when Tony’s meat-headed simple speak clashes with Don’s snobbish penchant for proper speech and etiquette.

As the road trip takes them further south both men run face-first into some harsh realities that adds a new layer to their relationship. The slightly discreet prejudices of the North gives way to the more pronounced racism of southern segregation. Some of the encounters lean a little too heavily on backwoods stereotypes but others are more effective. Take Don’s hosts who see him as offering up a good slice of culture yet he’s not good enough to use the white folks bathroom. But it’s in the more subtle moments where the racial injustice is the most profound. For Don this is real life. For Tony its eye-opening.

The biggest strength lies in the chemistry between Mortensen and Ali. Without it the entire movie would fall apart. There are moments where you can sense the story wearing a little thin and other times where it ventures into some peculiar waters only never to return to them. But even then the two stars carry the load, Mortensen with cagey finesse and Ali with a captivating elegance. Toss in some fantastic supporting work from Linda Cardellini as Tony’s wife Dolores. It’s a small role but full of warmth in scenes otherwise full of routine Italian caricatures.

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There have been several criticisms hurled at “Green Book”, many of which I can’t quite get behind. Accusations that the film has a rose-colored view of racism either miss or interpret differently the quieter portrayals of discrimination I found most effective. Other gripes that the story sometimes forces Don Shirley to take a backseat to Tony (pun absolutely intended) seem to overlook that it’s told from the perspective of Tony’s son who co-wrote the script.

Ultimately “Green Book” may not dig as deep into racial injustice as some would like and it may not offer a cure for the modern day remnants of hate. It may be too charming and too humorous for those looking for an edge. But it does push a powerful message and does so through some infectiously strong performances. Turns out they’re enough to drive us through even when the story sputters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

3-5-stars

First Glance: “Spider-Man: Far From Home” Trailer

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Today Marvel Studio’s sure-fire box office behemoth “Spider-Man: Far From Home” dropped its first trailer and let’s just say things look promising. That comes from someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of 2017’s “Homecoming”. I can’t say whether “Far From Home” will solve the issues I had with its predecessor, but (aside from the cringy beginning and cringier ending) it’s looking pretty good so far.

Take a look and tell me what you think:

REVIEW: “The Mule”

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Even at the spry young age of of 88 Clint Eastwood remains a captivating presence behind the camera and especially on the movie screen. With “The Mule” he shows he still has the acting chops to carry a movie and he’s still a solid director who can tell a good story even if the material isn’t always up to snuff.

“The Mule” is based on a 2014 New York Times article by Sam Dolnick. It detailed the crazy true story of 90-Year-Old Leo Sharp and his life as one of the most prolific drug mules in history. For over ten years Sharp transported thousands of pounds of cocaine across the country for the Sinaloa Cartel. The article was adapted by screenwriter Nick Schenk who previously worked with Eastwood on “Gran Torino”.

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Eastwood plays Earl Stone (inspired by Leo Sharp), an esteemed horticulturist known for his award-winning daylilies. But with the rise of the internet Earl finds his once bustling greenhouse out of business. His family wants nothing to do with him after years of neglect save his soon-to-be-married granddaughter Ginny (Taissa Farmiga). Earl’s ex-wife Mary (Dianne Wiest) and daughter Iris (Alison Eastwood) aren’t as forgiving and with good reason.

Broke and estranged, Earl takes the job of a “mule” for a Mexican cartel. Several successful runs later, he finds himself rolling in cash and in good standing with the the cartel boss (Andy Garcia). He hopes to use his newfound wealth to regain his community status and make amends with his family but finds out nothing is certain in such a dangerous and volatile business.

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We also get a parallel story of a Chicago-based DEA agent (Bradley Cooper) hungry for a big bust. This story thread follows him and his partner (Michael Peña) as they try to plug the flow of drugs into the city. It’s inevitable that they and Earl eventually cross paths, the trailer tells us as much. Interesting idea but unfortunately everything about their investigation up to that point is so restrained that it offers very little in terms of suspense or drama.

It’s tempting to go into “The Mule” expecting a tense crime thriller. That’s certainly how the trailer frames it. There are moments of that, but ultimately this isn’t that kind of movie. It’s all about a man running from his guilt, seeing the light, but still left to reckon with the choices he has made. It’s this primary focus that makes “The Mule” work. And don’t let his age fool you, Clint Eastwood remains a fascinating and immensely watchable presence.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

3-5-stars

REVIEW: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

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Despite the earth-shattering hype and rabid enthusiasm, I was still hesitant to embrace the idea of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. As a long-time comic reader I had grown tired of Marvel’s lazy idea of diversity – taking someone from a marginalized group and putting them in the suit of an already established character instead of investing talent and resources into creating new heroes with new origins and new voices.

Without question there is some of that in “Spider-Verse”. I mean one of the film’s main taglines is “Anyone can wear the mask“. But all of that is easy to overlook if the character behind the mask is compelling and he or she has a unique and personal story to tell. Miles Morales is and he does. Unfortunately storytelling isn’t this movie’s strength.

The three-headed directing team of Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman are given a lot to juggle including a bunch of characters making their first appearance on the big screen and a revolutionary new art style. Both manage to be fresh and exciting while also disappointing in ways I wasn’t expecting.

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Starting with the characters and the story, writers Rothman and Phil Lord give themselves creative carte blanche by using the old tried-and-true ‘multiple dimensions’ framework for their story. In their dimension Miles Morales (voiced by a very good Shameik Moore) is a bright teen from the Bronx, popular in his community but struggling to fit in at his new private school. He’s pushed hard by his black police officer father Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry) and his Puerto Rican mother Rio (Luna Lauren Vélez).

I was instantly grabbed by this family dynamic and it’s what interested me the most. But it also feels shortchanged the most. The filmmakers set up a tension between Miles and his father but barely gives it much attention. The few scenes we do get are the film’s very best. But they are few and far between. And his mother all but vanishes and has no real impact on the story.

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Then you have the relationship between Miles and his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali). For Miles his uncle is his confidant despite the fact the Aaron and Jefferson don’t get along. Again, another interesting family thread with a ton of potential (especially considering where the story goes) that ends up feeling half-baked and underserved. Miles and Aaron share a couple of great scenes including one deep in the city’s subway tunnels. It’s there that Miles, while painting graffiti art, is randomly stung by a radioactive spider from……somewhere.

While trying to get a grasp of his new powers, Miles stumbles upon the ‘real’ Spider-Man (Chris Pine) duking it out with Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) who has built a machine to connect parallel dimensions. After a weirdly bland first meeting between Miles and Peter Parker, the fight continues, Kingpin’s device explodes, and a series of otherworldly complications arise. Most notably – the arrival of five other Spider-‘Men’ all pulled from their own dimensions and desperate to get back.

As for the animation, it gets a ton of points for being fresh and often jaw-dropping. It’s an impressive combination of computer animation and hand-drawn techniques with the intent of giving it a classic comic book look. Most of the time it looks absolutely amazing. But sometimes it goes over the top with its style. There is no better example than the big finale – a familiar bombastic ending filled with blaring music and rapid-fire cuts while bathed in splashes of loud pastel backgrounds. Some advice – don’t watch it with a headache.

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“Into the Spider-Verse” is a film loaded start-to-finish with fan service and I was surprised at how well most of it landed. Great bits from nearly every pop culture iteration of Spider-Man are scattered all through it. And whatever you do stay for end credits scene. It’s fabulous and well worth the wait.

So where to land on this highly praised sure-fire award winner? The voice acting is fantastic, the animation (when not drowning in its style) is ground-breaking, and the film’s message offers hope and encouragement. But then you run into the storytelling – a frustrating swirl of highs and lows that shortchanges its most interesting component and emotional core. That’s what would have made this a truly stand-out superhero picture. Instead it feels a little like all the others, only with a beautifully animated new coat of paint.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

3-stars