Retro Review: “Say Anything…” (1989)

January 29, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Mere weeks before I was set to graduate from high school in 1989 Cameron Crowe made his directorial debut with the teen dramedy “Say Anything…”. At the time teen flicks were a dime-a-dozen and they often fell into many of the same categories. You had the genuinely funny comedies, the schmaltzy fluff, the all-out raunchy ones, etc. Many of them relied on the same tropes, the same character types, the same jokes, and the same basic storylines.

But “Say Anything…” felt different. A big reason is because Crowe gave us authentic and relatable characters rather than annoyingly shallow caricatures. He clearly cared for them which carried over to his audience. Also, he didn’t rely solely on the popular teen movie or rom-com formulas of the time. There are a few familiar beats, but Crowe’s interests lie beyond them. It wasn’t enough to earn huge numbers at the box office, but the movie has stood the test of time.

**Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios**

Crowe’s script is laced with good humor which is well delivered and almost always comes at just the right time. Yes, there’s a sweet romance and plenty of teen-oriented drama at the story’s center. But it’s the well developed and emotionally layered characters that keep us invested. Crowe makes them easy to connect with and even easier to root for.

The story begins on graduation day at a small Seattle, Washington high school. John Cusack plays Lloyd Dobler, an average everyday student with no clear vision for what he wants to do with his life. He’s a straightforward guy who has a thing for Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian. On paper they’re far from a perfect match, which Lloyd’s best friend Corey (Lili Taylor) is happy to point out.

Both Lloyd and Diane have their own struggles which Crowe takes time to explore. Aside from his uncertainty about his future, Lloyd’s parents are overseas, leaving him to live with his sister and nephew. Their absence creates a void for the rudderless Lloyd. Meanwhile Diana is the smartest girl in school which has distanced her from her entire class. She doesn’t have any close friends and her lone confidant is her caring father Jim (John Mahoney).

As you can guess, Lloyd and Diane eventually connect. Their feelings towards each other are genuine yet their personal problems complicate things in a variety of ways. Interestingly, the story features a lot of talk about honesty. Lloyd is honest and sincere which plays a big part in his connection with Diane. Meanwhile her relationship with her father is built entirely on honesty and trust. And just like in real life, when trust is broken it can often carry heavy consequences.

Cusack shines as Lloyd, relaying ample amounts of teen enthusiasm and nervous energy while bringing an innocence and vulnerability to his character. Skye gives an overall good performance despite going a little too big at times which can make her stand out for the wrong reasons. Mahoney is especially good as Diane’s father, dodging many of the conventional ‘movie dad’ traps and playing a bigger role in the film’s second half.

“Say Anything…” is now 36-years-old but it still maintains a freshness within a genre that has often felt tired and stale. It’s a film that examines teens through a fair-minded lens, seeing them as regular people with real-world feelings and their own complexities. Cameron Crowe’s screenplay still hits its marks and his direction is sharp. And while it still feels very much like a 1980’s movie, it has a grounded human quality that never ages out.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

First Glance: “Sinners” Trailer #2

January 28, 2025 by Keith Garlington

A film steadily inching its way up my ‘Most Anticipated’ list is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners”. Following his franchise successes with “Black Panther” and “Creed”, Coogler gets back to an original project with a period-rich vampire movie starring his frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan. The film sees Jordan in a dual role alongside a killer supporting cast that includes Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Miles Caton, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Omar Miller, and more. The first trailer was intense. This newest one is even more exciting.

Jordan plays twin brothers, Elijah and Elias, who return to their home town in hopes of putting their troubled lives behind them. But as the trailers have shown, escaping one’s past isn’t always easy. And to make matters worse, there’s something far more sinister and evil awaiting them back home. Coogler looks to go out of his way to immerse us in the 1930s Jim Crow era South, really leaning into the production design, costumes, and music. But it also looks utterly terrifying in the best way possible. I’m all onboard.

“Sinners” hits theaters April 18th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Green and Gold” (2025)

January 28, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Craig T. Nelson gets a meaty big screen role in “Green and Gold”, an inspirational drama from director Anders Lindwall. Inspired by true events, the film takes an honest and heartfelt look at the plight of family farms in America. It’s told through the story of one Wisconsin family who find themselves on the verge of not only losing everything they’ve worked for, but also losing something central to their very identity.

Though not overtly religious, “Green and Gold” thoughtfully melds together faith, football and farming into a textured and grounded drama that’s firmly rooted in rural life. Nelson plays a grizzled farmer named Buck. Full of grit and pride, Buck inherited his sprawling Wisconsin farmland from his late father. And about the only thing he loves as much as his farm are the Green Bay Packers. Case in point – he even named his cattle after the players from their 1967 championship team

**Image Courtesy of Fathom Entertainment**

With his beloved wife Margaret (Annabel Armour) and their hardworking granddaughter Jenny (Madison Lawlor), Buck sticks to the old ways of farming which means respecting the land, the animals, and the way of life. But in the changing world, the old ways have led to some substantial debt along with the threat of foreclosure from a local banker named Jerry (Tim Frank).

After some unfriendly jostling, Jerry makes Buck an outrageous deal. If the Packers win the Super Bowl he’ll give Buck an interest-free year to catch up on his payments. If they lose, Buck either pays in full or signs everything over to the bank. At first Buck declines. “We aren’t betting people”, he tells Jenny. But later, as desperation sets in, he takes the wager and puts his farm in the hands of fate.

That’s one part of the story. Another focuses on Jenny, a young woman who was raised on the farm but has dreams of getting away. She knows farming and does everything from work the fields to tend the livestock. But she’s also a talented singer-songwriter who often slips off to Milwaukee to play her music at area bars. When a hunky up and coming singer (Brandon Sklenar) offers her a chance to record her music, she’s faced with a difficult yet potentially life-changing decision.

As the drama plays out at the farm, the Packers overcome a rough start and begin winning, eventually squeezing into the playoffs for the first time in years. I won’t say how everything plays out, but it doesn’t quite follow the formula you might expect. That’s because “Green and Gold” is more interested in the humanity at the core of its story. The script does occasionally veer into the melodramatic and certain side characters desperately need more depth. But it never loses its grip on the human element.

“Green and Gold” captures the heart of its moving true account through assured direction, richly authentic performances, and a terrific sense of place. It can be tender, inspiring, heartbreaking, and even dark on occasions. We’re even blessed with the always wonderful M. Emmet Walsh in his last movie role. It all makes for a welcomed January release that has the chance to surprise a lot of people. “Green and Gold” opens in theaters on January 31st.

VERDICT – 3.5 ATARS

REVIEW: “Presence” (2025)

January 27, 2025 by Keith Garlington

Steven Soderbergh dips his toes into the horror genre (at least on paper) with his latest film “Presence”. The always intriguing Soderbergh directs, shoots, and edits this visually striking and atmospheric supernatural feature that had its premiere a year ago at Sundance. It took a while, but after some cryptic and creepy teases, Neon has finally brought it to theaters. And like so many others, it’s a movie that should be viewed on the big screen.

But despite those chilling teases, scares in “Presence” are hard to come by. That’s because from its fascinating opening to its abrupt finish, the movie is much more akin to a sad dysfunctional family drama than a creepy supernatural chiller. In fact, it’s hard to even categorize it as ‘horror’. It just all happens to play out from the point-of-view of a ghost who is sharing a house with its new owners.

Screenwriter David Koepp’s story is built upon a really compelling premise. Unfortunately it never blossoms into something bigger than its concept. Visually it’s a stunner, sharpened by Soderbergh’s keen instincts and firm control. And several of its thematic through-lines strike a heartbreaking chord as we watch this family crumble through a set of fresh eyes. Things click more into place when approaching the film from this angle. But its advertising doesn’t do it any favors. And in this case it’s best to ignore the trailers altogether.

The entirety of “Presence” consists of brief scenes filmed from the ghost’s first-person perspective. They mostly consist of static shots and tracking shots, each ending with a quick cut to black. On the surface it may seem like a showy technique. But as we get in tune with the movie’s disconsolate rhythm, Soderbergh’s methods make more and more sense.

After a hypnotic tracking shot gives us a tour of the suburban house, were introduced to the Payne family – parents, Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their teenage kids, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). At first the four seem to make up a strong and fully functioning family. But through the ghost’s eavesdropping and spying we quickly learn that each member has their own issues, some of which threaten to tear them apart.

For example, Rebecca is an aggressively take-charge woman who does a poor job hiding her favoritism towards her son. Chris is overly reticent and passive to the point that his frustration is eating him up inside. Tyler is spoiled and self-centered with a hateful side that comes out more as the movie progresses. Chloe is quiet and withdrawn, still emotionally reeling from the recent death of her best friend. Together their burdens build domestic tensions which slowly take their toll on the household.

As for the ghost, it’s little more than a lens, only occasionally showing emotion and letting its presence be known. Where did it come from? Why is it there? Does it have a connection to this family? Minus a couple of speculations, these questions largely go unanswered. This leaves you wondering if the ghost exists solely to give Soderbergh a reason to play around with his camera.

But again, “Presence” is far more interested in the family. Soderbergh’s near experimental filmmaking leaves too many gaps in their story and the characters never get the room they need to fully form. The final ‘twist’ gets even less time to play out which ends the movie on a fairly awkward note. Yet there’s something alluring in Soderbergh’s heady yet delicate approach. At times he draws us so far in so deep that we nearly forget the ghost conceit. The film is at its best in those moments. It’s only when you think about the film that its flaws become most evident.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

This Week in Movies: Five Big Stories From the Week of January 18th – 24th

January 24, 2025 by Keith Garlington

This Week in Movies is a feature that highlights some of the big news stories from the world of movies that dropped over the past seven days. Below you’ll find a small handful of the headlines you might have missed.

Here are some of the top stories from the week of January 18th – 24th….

Robert Eggers has officially announced his next project. Following the success of his terrific “Nosferatu”, Eggers is reteaming with Focus Features to make “Werwulf”. As its title suggests, the filmmaker’s fifth film is set to be a werewolf horror thriller. Eggers penned the script with Sjón who he previously worked with on “The Northman”. Not much has been revealed about the story, but we do know it will be set in 13th century England and will feature period-accurate dialect. Fans are sure to expect a tense and atmospheric experience similar to the other films in Eggers’ oeuvre. “Werfulf” is currently slated for a Christmas 2026 release.

Netflix continues to cement itself as the leader of the streaming services by announcing that it has surpassed 300 million subscribers globally. They also shared that the service gained a record 18.9 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024. Netflix is also celebrating the awards season success of “Emilia Perez” which continues to rake in the nominations. On the flipside, Netflix also announced yet another price increase, raising their ad-supported tier a full $1 per month ($7.99) and their premium tier $2 a month ($24.99). Yikes.

This week we learned that Ryan Gosling is in talks to star in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film. It has been five years since we last saw Star Wars on the big screen and during that time there have been countless rumors about what was next for the galaxy far, far away. Levy (“Deadpool & Wolverine”) has been working on his movie for over two years and is set to serve as director, writer, and producer. Gosling’s potential involvement could see Levy’s movie next in line behind 2026’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu”.

The 2025 Razzie Awards nominations were announced this week and if you blinked you might have missed them. The Razzies were once a silly and fun event leading up to the Oscars that ‘celebrated’ the worst from the year in movies. But several embarrassing missteps in recent years has led to a lot of people losing interest. This year’s nominees seem lazier than usual and not nearly as funny as they want them to be. Among the small handful of movies nominated are “Joker: Folie à Deux”, “Megalopolis”, “Madame Web”, “Reagan”, and “Borderlands”.

And of course the biggest news of the week was the announcement of the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards. Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott shared this year’s batch which I couldn’t be less excited about. Among the underwhelming films taking home the most nominations are “Emilia Perez” with 13, “The Brutalist” with 10, and “Wicked” with 10. The excellent “A Complete Unknown” had 8 nominations though it’s not expected to win many (if any). The almost great “Conclave” also received 8 while the grueling awards season darling “Anora” received 6.

REVIEW: “Flight Risk” (2025)

January 24, 2025 by Keith Garlington

January might be the weirdest month on the movie calendar. It’s the time of the year where we get no major studio releases. And much of what we do get are movies that the studios don’t have a lot of faith in. Yet January isn’t a total loss. It’s when a lot of the big awards movies finally make their way into theaters. And there are usually one or two unexpected surprises that we never see coming.

I thought “Flight Risk” might qualify as one of those January surprises. A big reason is because it’s directed by Mel Gibson – his first venture behind the camera since 2016’s Oscar-nominated “Hacksaw Ridge”. While he’s mostly known for directing sweeping period films, this time around he has made a straightforward no-nonsense suspense thriller that is very open about its ambitions. From the very start start you should know exactly what you’re in for.

Unfortunately “Flight Risk” doesn’t quite deliver the silly yet entertaining thrill-ride it hopes to. It’s light and easily digestible with the kind of wacky premise that you almost expect to have fun with. But the film struggles to get off the ground (glaringly bad pun intended). And once in the air it remains stuck on auto-pilot, unable to generate anything resembling the kind of white-knuckled excitement it desperately needs.

The film is written by Jared Rosenberg whose screenplay spent several years on the Hollywood Black List. His story revolves around three characters caught in a bonkers scenario. Michelle Dockery plays Madelyn Harris, a Deputy U.S. Marshal who tracks down and arrests a man named Winston (Topher Grace) at an off-the-grid motel in rural Alaska. We learn he’s a wanted mob accountant who quickly becomes a high-value government witness after agreeing to testify against a powerful kingpin.

In order to get Winston to New York for the trial, Madelyn first has to get him to Anchorage. So she charters a beat-up Cessna piloted by Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg) to make the 90-minute flight. But while cruising at 3,000 feet high over a range of snow-covered mountains, we get a not-so-shocking reveal – Daryl is not who he says he is. In fact, he’s a psychotic contract killer hired by the mob to kill Winston. Daryl finally makes his move, but after an intense fight Madelyn is able to subdue him.

Most of the film takes place inside the cramped plane with Daryl tied up but attempting to free himself; Madelyn (who’s not a pilot) trying to figure out how to fly the plane; and Winston bouncing back-and-forth between being annoying and providing comic relief. The drama between the three fluctuates between nearly reaching its potential and languishing in long stretches of dullness. And the film’s finish is even worse – serving up a frustrating non-ending that makes us wonder if a chunk of the story is missing.

On paper, “Flight Risk” seems like a movie ready-made for people looking for a diverting escape. But its laundry list of problems prove to be insurmountable. It’s a movie hampered by a lack of imagination, clashing performances, half-baked plotting, and an overall absence of any real excitement. Over the years Gibson has proven himself to be an exceptional filmmaker. But it’s hard to see “Flight Risk” as anything other than a misfire.