Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Malevolent” (2018)

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In the new Netflix Original “Malevolent” siblings Angela (Florence Pugh) and Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) own and operate Sayers Medium Service. It’s basically a paranormal racket where they dupe grieving clients into believing they can communicate with their loved ones or in some cases drive out their ghosts. I bet you can already see where this is going.

The story is set in 1986 Glasgow. I’m not really sure about the significance of 1986 other than it conveniently rules out cellphones and it forces the twenty-something hucksters to use older (and potentially spookier) recording equipment when pulling off their ruse. Regardless, Angela is contacted by Mrs. Green (a very good Celia Imrie) who lives in a creepy old foster home she once ran. Mrs. Green claims ghosts of the little girls haunt the home and she desperately wants them silenced.

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Angela turns down the job as she is growing more and more uncomfortable with their scam. After a little haggling over some old family baggage, Jackson calls Mrs. Green back and promptly accepts. Turns out he owes money to some pretty bad dudes and is in quick need of some cash. Along with their cameraman Elliot (Scott Chambers) and equipment operator Beth (Georgina Bevan) the siblings head to Mrs. Green’s remote and fittingly spooky place.

To no viewer’s surprise there is something freaky going on at Mrs. Green’s foster home. Icelandic director Olaf de Fleur leans on a handful of conventional horror tropes but wisely he never fully relies on them. Instead he toys with us about what we are seeing. Is it psychological or in fact ghostly? That question lingers until the macabre final act that feels slightly at odds tonally but admittedly fun and satisfying.

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Another strength is Pugh’s performance. She is the film’s emotional center and asked to carry that load throughout the movie. She’s an impressive young actress as evident by her work in 2016’s highly acclaimed “Lady Macbeth”. Here the camera puts a lot of its focus on her. The material doesn’t allow for a particularly dynamic performance but she is still consistently good.

While “Malevolent” does a lot of things right I still wouldn’t call it a game-changer or even particularly fresh. But several smart decisions turns it into a surprisingly effective genre movie. And in a day when really bad horror movies are churned out by the dozens, “Malevolent” does stand out. So perhaps it’s a little bit fresher than I’m giving it credit for.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

3-5-stars

Great Images from Great Movies (8) – “Schindler’s List”

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Truly great movies leave indelible marks. It may be through an emotional connection to the story. It may be through a remarkable performance or a signature scene. But it could also be through the brilliant imagery that films carves into your mind. That’s what this feature is all about – highlighting great images from great movies. Today we look at an intensely moving Steven Spielberg classic.

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So what are thoughts on this look at “Schindler’s List”? Is there a particular image that stands out to you? There truly too many to mention in a single post. Share your thoughts on the movie and its best scenes in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

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One of the most exciting yet baffling movies of 2018 is none other than “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”. Exciting in that it’s the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen, a filmmaking tandem that always has me champing at the bit for what they have up their collective sleeves. Baffling in trying to figure out what this movie intended to be (it’s said that it was originally written as an episodic television series). Also Netflix’s promotional model didn’t exactly help things.

Now the movie is out and we have a clearer vision of what “Buster Scruggs” is all about. It’s far from what you would consider a conventional movie. Instead it is a collection of six unrelated short stories, each telling its own tale “of the American frontier”. Each has its own unique flavor and each highlight different aspects of the Coen’s filmmaking brilliance which has long cemented them among the very best in modern cinema.

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The first is “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”, a tale of a sharpshooting singing cowboy hysterically played by Tim Blake Nelson. Think Gene Autry with a violent edge. It’s followed by “Near Algodones” where James Franco can’t seem to keep his head out of a noose. Third is “Meal Ticket” featuring Liam Neeson as a struggling traveling showman and his lone atraction – a limbless thespian orator played by Harry Melling.

“All Gold Canyon” starts the second half with Tom Waits as a grizzled prospector mining for gold in a pristine mountain valley. It’s the slowest of the six yarns but it meanders in the best possible way. “The Gal Who Got Rattled” is the most surprising and bittersweet tale of the bunch. Zoe Kazan plays a young woman traveling by wagon train to Oregon. And the film ends with “The Mortal Remains”, a gothic tale with a tilt about five people on a late evening stagecoach ride. Think of an offbeat Western episode of The Twilight Zone.

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While each tale is completely distinct they still feel cut from the same cloth. Each find the Coens tipping their wide-brimmed hats to a genre they clearly love, embracing classic tropes and paying homage along the way. Yet the tones from story to story couldn’t be more different. They bounce from whimsical to heartbreaking, hysterical to tragic, violent to serene.

If there is one throughline connecting all of these stories it would be the theme of death. It’s something familiar to Coen brothers movies and here they explore in a variety of ways. Their handling of it is sometimes bloody and downright gruesome. Other times it lingers in the distance and we see more of its effect. And in typical Coen brothers fashion they’ll have you laughing at it in one scene and shocked by it in the next.

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From start to finish “Buster Scruggs” flaunts the stamps of its creators. It’s rich with their signature dense wordplay and bursts of rib-splitting absurdity. Yet there are moments of tenderness and heart that are sure to catch people by surprise. Toss in Bruno Delbonnel’s dazzling cinematography and yet another fabulous score from Carter Burwell (a composer who has never had a problem operating on the Coen brothers’ quirky wavelength).

“Buster Scruggs” is sure to leave some people scratching their heads and may not satisfy those hungry for a full-length feature. But for those willing to get onboard, it is a sparkling example of an anthology done right. From the opening credits to the final scroll the Coens lean into their creative freedom and show off an undeniable joy of filmmaking. And whether they are honoring or satirizing the Western genre, they adoringly navigate their brilliant ensemble cast through the violence of the ‘Old West‘ and through the indelible complexities of the human spirit. It ends up being a truly delightful romp.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

4-5-stars

REVIEW: “The Guilty” (2018)

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By now it’s pretty obvious that a hefty budget or a grand scale doesn’t automatically equal a good thriller. In fact several movies have shown the opposite to be true. The Danish film “The Guilty” is the latest glowing example of how great writing and a good actor’s steely intensity is more than enough for a genuinely gripping thriller.

Director and co-writer Gustav Möller’s feature debut doesn’t suffer a bit from the film’s obvious small budget. Instead he utilizes it by restricting his entire story within one space while at the same time allowing our imaginations to do the bulk of the heavy lifting. And the entire framework of his story is built around a taut, economical narrative that is confined by demand.

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Jakob Cedergren is the movie’s engine. He drives the entire film appearing in every frame of every scene. He plays Asger, an operator for Copenhagen emergency services (akin to our 911 here in the States) who receives a mysterious call from a distraught woman named Iben (voiced by Jessica Dinnage). She relays to Asger that she has been kidnapped but is disconnected before giving much more information.

“The Guilty” spends its brisk 85 minutes following Asger as he parses the various voices he encounters through his headset. We only hear these people through phone conversations, but when combined with Cedergren’s spot-on intensity, we are given more than enough to compose our own mental images and develop our own conclusions.

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The genius of “The Guilty” is that it never feels gimmicky or contrived. Möller’s screenplay (co-written by Emil Nygaard Albertsen) creates tension and then ratchets it up through smart and crafty story twists that come about in the most organic of ways.  It also maintains an undeniable Hitchcockian flavor which Möller leans into.

“The Guilty” is the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language category at the upcoming Oscars and hopefully it will find a spot at the table. It’s a riveting thriller deserving of the attention and of broader exposure. And as I mentioned, it is another example of how a minimalist approach from an inspired filmmaker can be incredibly effective when the writing is sharp and you have a lead performer as convincing as Cedergren. Give this film a look.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

4-5-stars

5 Phenomenal Movie Mullets

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Who doesn’t love a good mullet? Okay, that’s probably not the best question since most of us can do without them. How about this: Who could forget the mullet? You remember, the hairstyle that is “short on top with a party in the back”. Well if you don’t know the mullet (consider yourself fortunate) thankfully movies have recorded them so that we may never forget. This prestigious Phenomenal 5 will look at the best mullets in cinema history. Why? Heck if I know. Just go with it.

#5 – Kurt Russell (“Big Trouble in Little China”)

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Why not start the list with a quintessential movie mullet. Kurt Russell let his locks flow in the wacky 1986 action-comedy romp “Big Trouble in Little China”. It’s really hard to imagine such an important and distinguished list such as this without it.

#4 – Mel Gibson (“Lethal Weapon”)

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Think of this one as an unorthodox mullet on steroids. Mel Gibson’s untamable hair in 1987’s “Lethal Weapon” was as crazy as his Martin Riggs character. Think of it as the mullet with a little 80’s ‘big hair’ tossed in. Let’s hope that style never comes back.

#3 – Nicolas Cage (“Con Air”)

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Leave it to good ‘ol Nic Cage to not only give us a slightly more traditional mullet but to take it all the way. I mean look at the length. In “Con Air” he takes the ludicrous phrase “party in the back” to absurd levels. Good job Mr. Cage.

#2 – Jean-Claude Van Damme (“Hard Target”)

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Throughout most of career Jean-Claude Van Damme kept his hair under control. You could say his hair was consistently normal with one enormous exception. In John Woo’s “Hard Target” JCVD sported a mullet for the ages. And he left no questions about it.

#1 – Kiefer Sutherland (“The Lost Boys”)

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Now lets talk about a perfect amalgamation of textbook and style. In “The Lost Boys” not only was Kiefer Sutherland a great bad guy, but he rocked a textbook mullet – short top and sides with a train in the back. But it peppered it with a little style. Look at that spiked top. Sure we laugh now but at least his mullet made him tops on this list.

So there you have it. Several other killer/terrible mullets came to mind but didn’t quite make the list. Tell me what I missed in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “Gun City” (2018)

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The social and political dynamics of 1921 Barcelona were volatile to say the least. As labor strikes and protests gave way to civil unrest, a number of groups pounced at the opportunity to exploit the boiling tensions between anarchists and authorities. Corrupt police, gangs, the bourgeoisie, and even Primo de Rivera’s military found ways to use the turmoil for their benefits.

“Gun City” (previously titled “The Shadow of the Law”) recreates the powder keg that was Barcelona while telling a story that pulls from a variety of movie genres. Director Dani de la Torre pays a lot of attention to the social issues (some of which feel quite relevant for today) yet also makes a movie that is highly cinematic in both structure and presentation.

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The film opens with a violent train robbery. We learn the mysterious robbers swiped a stockpile of war-bound rifles which if put in the wrong hands could turn Barcelona into a war zone. Officer Aníbal Uriarte (Luis Tosar) arrives into town to help with the police’s investigation. He is assigned to the Information Brigade – a four-man squad ran by the crooked Inspector Rediú (Vicente Romero) who has his hand in several nefarious side dealings.

Screenwriter Patxi Amezcua’s main story thread follows Uriarte through the investigation but from a unique perspective. He’s much of an observer who (like us) is soaking in Rediú’s process (both legal and shady). This opens the door for a handful of side-stories all of which eventually intersect. One follows a sleazy gangster/ nightclub owner (Manolo Solo) and his captive dancer and main attraction (Adriana Torrebejano). Another centers on the growing tensions within the revolutionaries ranks. Their labor leader Ortiz (Paco Taos) pushes for peaceful protests while young firebrand Leon (Jaime Lorente) believes it is time to take up arms. Caught in the middle is Ortiz’s dedicated but principled daughter Sara (Michelle Jenner).

Not only does “Gun City” juggle a handful of story angles but it also dips into several different movie genres – crime, action, romance, and even sociopolitical thriller. It’s quite the undertaking and de la Torre mostly gets it right in driving his characters and their narratives. The story remarkably stays on point, never feeling unfocused while always remaining entertaining.

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Cinematographer Josu Inchaustegui gives “Gun City” a fantastic look loaded with style and snappy visual flourishes. He often uses panning cameras as well as some interesting points of view. I particularly loved one specific close-quarter fight sequence inside the cab of a car. It’s shot in one continuous take with the camera slowly moving around the vehicle. It’s one of the many crafty uses of the camera peppered all through this movie.

Amid its plethora of thick mustaches and stony gazes lies an absorbing piece of Spanish cinema that comes across as a genre stew with a social conscience. But don’t let that description fool you. “Gun City” hits its target. It delves into several strong themes, is never boring, and features fine performances throughout. Will the genre bouncing appeal to all audiences? That’s hard to tell, but it definitely worked for me.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

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