REVIEW: “The Piano Lesson” (2024)

November 22, 2024 by Keith Garlington

While the movie industry continues to struggle in several areas, we live in a time when emerging talent is having big impacts on modern cinema. Among the most exciting names is John David Washington, a young star following in the acting footsteps of his famous father, Denzel Washington. The younger Washington has put together a small but eclectic filmography, having already worked with such directors as Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, and David O. Russell.

But it’s Washington’s latest film that may best display his immense talent. “The Piano Lesson” is a key play in the late, great August Wilson’s The Pittsburgh Cycle – a series of ten plays, each set in the Steel City during different decades. Wilson’s aim was to offer a different way of looking at the Black experience in the 20th century. Adapting his work is nothing new for the Washington family.

Interestingly, Denzel Washington won a Tony Award for his Broadway performance in “Fences”, the third play in Wilson’s Pittsburgh series. Denzel later made a critically acclaimed film adaptation of “Fences” which earned four Academy Award nominations. Now his family’s connection with Wilson’s work continues with “The Piano Lesson”, a film featuring one of the best acting ensembles of 2024 and one of the most impressive directorial debuts of the year from Malcolm Washington, Denzel’s youngest son and John David’s brother.

As with other August Wilson adaptations such as “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, the story’s stage roots are impossible to miss. But Malcolm Washington (who also co-wrote the script alongside Virgil Williams) has a cinematic eye that transcends any perceived limitations. And he understands that “The Piano Lesson” is a character-rich, performance-driven drama. He allows his cast all the space they need to fully realize their meaty roles.

The vast majority of the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh in the aftermath of the Great Depression. After a brief yet brilliantly visualized prologue with lingering implications, the movie introduces us to Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his good friend Lymon (Ray Fisher) as they arrive in Pittsburgh with a truck full of watermelons. The pair have driven all the way from Mississippi to sell the melons, but Boy Willie has a lot more on his mind.

While in the city Boy Willie pays a visit to his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) who lives with their Uncle Doaker Charles (Samuel L. Jackson) who has a house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Through a series conversations we learn about the family’s complex history and the relationships that have survived over time. We also learn more about Boy Willie’s deeper motivations which involve and old family piano he wants to sell.

The problem is Boy Willie needs Berniece’s approval to do so and she’s not willing to part with it. He explains that he wants to take the proceeds and buy a patch of land down South that once belonged to their enslaved family’s owner. She’s determined to keep the family heirloom as it remains a symbol of their ancestors’ legacy. Both represent unique perspectives on accepting the past and moving on from it. And those perspectives fully form as the siblings repeatedly butt heads.

The performances are spellbinding throughout. Each cast member taps into a palpable pain which some of their characters bury deeper than others. They also keep the story grounded with moments of humor and tenderness. John David Washington leaks charisma from every pore and Samuel L. Jackson is effortlessly captivating. Meanwhile Danielle Deadwyler (who was frustratingly robbed of an Oscar nomination for 2022’s “Till”) is nothing short of heart-rending. Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins also shine in meaningful supporting roles.

While “The Piano Lesson” is very much an authentic lived-in domestic drama, there is a tinge of the supernatural that may catch some viewers by surprise. But it’s key to Wilson’s vision and represents years of family trauma that inevitably reaches its boiling point. It all culminates in a heartfelt finish to this intelligent and assured stage-to-screen production that heralds Malcolm Washington as a filmmaker to be reckoned with.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Bonhoeffer” (2024)

November 21, 2024 by Keith Garlington

In the biographical drama “Bonhoeffer”, writer-director Todd Komarnicki attempts to tell the fascinating true story of German pastor, theologian, and vocal anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Jonas Dassler is given the weighty task of portraying the titular lead character whose significant life was marked by courage, resilience, persecution, and eventually martyrdom.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born February 4, 1906 in Breslau, Germany (now Poland) and grew up in a large and loving family. By age 21 he was completing his Doctor of Theology degree and at age 25 he was ordained to ministry. But the course of his life changed with Adolph Hitler’s rise to power and the spread of Naziism across his country. Not only was Bonhoeffer instrumental in defending the sanctity of the church from the Third Reich’s influence, but he stepped beyond the pulpit to aid oppressed Jews and even helped in devising a plan to assassinate the Führer.

Anyone attempting to chronicle the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer automatically has a lot of ground to cover. And if “Bonhoeffer” has one noticeable flaw, it’s its use of elements from conventional biopic formulas to help cover as much ground as possible. But while Komarnicki may borrow from other biopic blueprints, he doesn’t rely on them. He incorporates many of his own ideas both narratively and structurally. And ultimately it’s the power of Bonhoeffer’s rich and inspirational true story that Komarnicki leans on most. The results are gripping, provocative, and deeply affecting.

Komarnicki takes a non-linear approach to telling Bonhoeffer’s story, beginning in 1914 at his childhood family home in rural Germany before quickly shifting to 1945 Bavaria where he is imprisoned for his Nazi opposition and more directly his involvement in the plot to kill Hitler. As he awaits his fate, he begins reflecting on his tremendous life.

From there Komarnicki transports us back to key points in Bonhoeffer’s journey. We witness how 12-year-old Dietrich’s life was impacted by the death of his big brother in World War I. Years later we follow him to Union Seminary in New York where he attends as Berlin’s star theological pupil. There he befriends a Black man named Frank Fisher (David Jonsson, “Alien: Romulus”) who introduces him to a new kind of spirituality, jazz music, and an eye-opening bigotry and hatred that Dietrich never knew existed.

But reality truly sets in after Dietrich returns home and learns of Hitler’s ascension. Among the many troubling aspects of the Führer’s systematic power-grab is the Nazi influence on the church. It included the removal of the Jewish Bible and all imagery, as well as the promotion of pastors who were sympathetic to the Nazi cause. It doesn’t take long for Deitrich’s blind optimism and naïveté to give way to a principle-driven boldness to speak out, not only against the current trend of the church, but against Hitler himself.

Dietrich’s unwavering courage immediately puts a target on his back. Yet he continues to fight, pushing for the church to stand on the truth and to reject the false doctrines of the German Reich Church. Among those inspired by Dietrich’s conviction is his friend and fellow pastor Martin Niemöller (played by August Diehl – brilliant in 2019’s “A Hidden Life”). Together they’re instrumental in creating underground seminaries and helping to found the Confessing Church.

Komarnicki goes even further, showing Deitrich’s efforts to smuggle Jews out of the country with his brother-in-law Hans (Flula Borg) and his work in Sussex, England, secretly encouraging pastors to share the truth of what’s happening in Germany to the outside world. And then there’s his part in the plot to assassinate Hitler and the moral dilemma he faces as a pastor and a pacifist. Some of these endeavors could have benefited from more attention, but they all help give us a better grasp of Bonhoeffer’s extraordinary life.

As history informs us, Deitrich Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945 at the age of 39, mere weeks before Germany surrendered to the Allies. While the finer details surrounding his death have been debated, “Bonhoeffer” chooses a more sanitized yet no less powerful approach to his final moments that stresses the impact of his enormous sacrifice. It’s a stirring punctuation mark on a true story that emphasizes the refusal to keep silent in the face of unspeakable evil.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Emilia Pérez” (2024)

November 20, 2024 by Keith Garlington

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” is one of the most confounding movies of 2024. Positioned by some as a strong awards contender, this contradictory and clumsy musical crime “comedy” manages to be as bewildering as it is audacious. Very few of Audiard’s big swings connect at all, and his attempts at finding a human heartbeat often come across as soapy and artificial. And that only scratches the surface of the movie’s panoply of head-scratching issues.

“Emilia Pérez” is a film that attempts to do a number of things but doesn’t do any of them particularly well. It’s a musical with no sense of rhythm; a thriller that lacks suspense; a comedy without a sense of humor; and a melodrama with no emotional spark. The performances are solid, especially from Zoe Saldaña who has always deserved more attention than she receives. But finding reasons to care about these characters shouldn’t be as hard as it is.

Saldaña plays Rita Mora Castro, an overworked and underappreciated Mexico City lawyer who receives a mysterious call from a potential client wanting to meet her. Now everything about the meeting should have set off alarms – late at night, down a side road near a newsstand. But Rita goes and is promptly hooded and thrown into a van. She’s driven out to the middle of nowhere and sat down across the table from a notorious cartel leader named Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón).

Their meeting doesn’t go where Rita or the audience would expect. Manitas is looking to have a secret sex change procedure and wants to hire Rita to covertly oversee the planning. Seizing the offer to become insanely rich, Rita accepts her task of finding a willing doctor abroad, helping Manitas stage a believable death, and relocating Manitas’ wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and their two children to Switzerland. Soon Manitas is at a Tel Aviv clinic ran by Dr. Wasserman (Mark Ivanir).

Four years pass and Rita is enjoying a comfortable life in London. But her life changes again after she has a surprise encounter with Emilia Pérez, formerly Manitas. Emilia is desperate for a family reunion and once again hires Rita to make it happen. Rita is tasked with bringing Jessi and the kids back to Mexico City. Once there, they will live with Emilia who will be posing as Manitas’ distant cousin. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to figure out that Emilia’s ruse can only last so long. And where it ends up going only deflates the movie more.

After reading everything up to this point you may have forgotten that “Emilia Pérez” is indeed a musical. No worries, you’ll probably forget after seeing it as well. That’s because none of the songs will stick in your memory aside from the more absurd ones. Even worse, the songs feel forced or tacked on rather than a meaningful part of the film’s identity. And while they are strangely (yet mercifully) brisk, enduring them can be chore.

As “Emilia Pérez” played out, I kept asking myself a number of questions. What’s the overall point of it all? What am I to make of its murky messaging? How am I supposed to feel about these characters, especially Emilia? And is that the best ending Audiard could come up with? Ultimately I came to the conclusion that I didn’t really care. And that’s my biggest problem with “Emilia Pérez”. Despite its admirable ambition and a terrific Zoe Saldaña performance, the film left me in a state of indifference. And that’s the last place you want to be with a movie like this.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Armor” (2024)

November 19, 2024 by Keith Garlington

Regardless of the decade, most movie lovers have a soft spot for the films they grew up on. And they often have a similar soft spot for the actors and actresses who starred in them. That’s certainly the case for me, a proud kid of the 1980s. Sitting among the many names for me is Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric. Both starred in several movies that I still love from the 1980s and beyond. And while their careers followed different paths, it’s great to seem them still making movies.

Stallone and Patric co-star in “Armor”, a new action-thriller from director Justin Routt. It’s a movie built on a simple and straightforward premise that’s ripe with old school action movie potential. Unfortunately “Armor” never hits its stride or builds the kind of excitement that it needs. And while they try, neither Routt or screenwriters Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert can generate enough depth to fill its light 88 minutes.

Patric tries to add some character playing James Brody, a man struggling with alcohol since the tragic death of his wife. James puts up a good front. He has everyone around him convinced he’s six years sober. He even goes as far with his ruse as to host regular AA meetings at a local church. In reality he hasn’t stopped drinking; he’s just gotten good at hiding it.

“Armor” is set during a sweltering hot Mississippi summer where James works as a security guard and driver for an armored truck company. He works alongside his son Casey (Josh Wiggins) who over time has grown bored with their job’s mundane routine. “I’d kill for some action”, the misguided young Casey says. If there ever was a kiss of death in an action movie it’s a statement like that.

Elsewhere we’re introduced to Rook (Stallone), the leader of a team of thieves who we see loading up automatic weapons, putting on bulletproof vests, and ironing out the final details of an upcoming heist. There’s nothing at all memorable about the underdeveloped team. Rook only stands out because he’s played by Sly. The rest of crew consists of a small variety of uninteresting archetypes.

While making a routine stop at a local credit union, James discovers an extra box to be picked up that’s not on their ledger. At first he declines to take it. But after the obnoxious bank president threatens to expose him for holding AA meetings on company time, James breaks protocol and sets out with the extra cargo. Bad idea.

Just outside of town, their truck is rammed by a black van that diverts them off route and across a closed rural Mississippi River bridge where another van waits on the other end. James and Casey find themselves blocked on both sides with nowhere to go as Rook and his heavily armed entourage converge. The majority of the film consists of a low stakes chess match between James and Casey in the back of the armored truck and a frustrated Rook who’s trying to get inside.

Despite its ripe scenario, “Armor” has a hard time mustering much excitement. Much of the time is spent with the two sides verbally jousting. We get a few pauses as Rook inexplicably steps back for stretches that only exist so that James and Casey can have some much needed father-son reconciliation time inside the truck. We do get a little tension within Rook’s crew, namely from the wildly over-the-top psycho named Smoke (Dash Mihok). But it’s a predictable angle with an obvious end.

“Armor” does deliver a couple of decent action scenes that make the most of the film’s obvious budget constraints. And screen vets Patric and Stallone do the best they can amid the hackneyed plot contrivances, room temperature family drama, and cheesy music drops. But try as they may, neither can energize the movie to the point of overcoming its frustrating flaws. “Armor” opens November 22nd in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

New on Home Video: “Blazing Saddles”, “North By Northwest”, and “The Terminator” on 4K UHD Blu-ray + Digital

November 18, 2024 by Keith Garlington

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing three motion picture classics to 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles”, Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest”, and James Cameron’s “The Terminator” are getting their own individual releases, each celebrating big anniversaries of their original premieres. Featuring sparkling 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range, each edition is a must for fans of these three beloved classics.

The 4K Ultra HD editions of “Blazing Saddles”, “North By Northwest”, and “The Terminator” will release November 19th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

“Blazing Saddles”:

Year: 1974

Runtime: 93 Minutes

Director: Mel Brooks

Screenwriter: Mel Brooks

Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, Liam Dunn, David Huddleston, George Furth, John Hillerman, Carol Arthur

Ribald, tasteless and hilarious … this classic spoof of the Western genre by director Mel Brooks pokes fun at everyone and everything. A corrupt governor grants a reprieve to an African American convict if the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town, believing that new sheriff will only live long enough to serve the needs of the governor and his nefarious railroad-baron backer.

The film is directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay is by Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger and based on characters by Hughes. The film is produced by Michael Hertberg.

“Blazing Saddles” received 3 Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Madeline Kahn); Best Music, Original Song; and Best Film Editing. In 2006, “Blazing Saddles” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

“North By Northwest”:

Year: 1959

Runtime: 136 Minutes

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenwriter: Ernest Lehman

Cary Grant stars as an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest thrillers. While leaving New York’s Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has the misfortune of raising his hand just as the name “George Kaplan” is paged–starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him–and by police who suspect him of murder.

The film is directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Ernest Lehman. “North by Northwest” stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Jessie Royce Landis.

“North by Northwest” was nominated for 3 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Original Screenplay. In 1995, “North by Northwest” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

“The Terminator”:

Year: 1984

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Director: James Cameron

Screenwriters: James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd

Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.

The film is directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd. It is produced by Hurd and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton and Paul Winfield.

In 2008, “The Terminator” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

REVIEW: “Red One” (2024)

November 16, 2024 by Keith Garlington

When done well, a trailer can play a big part in building anticipation for an upcoming movie. It’s equally true that a bad trailer can squash any excitement you may have for the film it’s promoting. Sadly the latter is true for “Red One”, a $250 million Christmas themed action-adventure-comedy that looked significantly cheaper in its trailers. But if anyone could overcome rough first impressions it’s Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and JK Simmons, right?……..right?

Well, not exactly. “Red One” starts off promising and has some original ideas of its own. But most of its potential is quickly smothered out by the overall uninteresting story, uneven dialogue, and an endless parade of unimpressive digital effects that fall well below the quality you would expect from a $250 million movie. Worst of all, “Red One” seems to have an identity crisis. It clearly wants to be a kid-pleaser. But there’s enough profanity and violence to rule out smaller children. And it’s far too silly for adults. So who is it for?

**Image Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures**

Director Jake Kasdan (whose movies range from “Sex Tape” to the Jumanji sequels) and screenwriter Chris Morgan (the Fast & Furious franchise) incorporate and expand on well-known Christmas mythology. They also create a lot of their own – too much in fact. Kasdan and Morgan may earn points for imagination, but none of their additions help make “Red One” any more memorable. And no matter how hard they try (and they really try), nothing they do is able to generate the Christmas cheer they’re going for.

Johnson plays Callum Drift, the commander of the North Pole’s security force known as E.L.F. (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification). For decades Callum has served as chief protector and close friend of Santa Clause (Simmons). But he’s grown disillusioned with the state of humanity. When news breaks that for the first time in history there are more people on the Naughty List than the Nice List, Callum decides to retire after Santa’s upcoming Christmas Eve run.

But his retirement plans are put on hold after a black ops squad infiltrates the North Pole’s defenses and kidnaps Santa on the day before Christmas Eve. Callum contacts Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), the director of M.O.R.A (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) whose resources lead them to Jack O’Malley (Evans), a dark web bounty hunter and hacker who also happens to be a “Level 4 Naughty Lister” (*gasp*).

After learning Jack inadvertently led the soldiers to Santa, they recruit him to help track down the mysterious person who hired him. After a numbing battle with giant snowmen on an Aruba beach and a Nick Kroll appearance that quite literally goes nowhere, it’s revealed that the culprit behind it all is Grýla, the Christmas witch (Kiernan Shipka). She’s intent on ridding the world of everyone on the Naughty List by imprisoning them in magic snow globes. And she needs Santa’s magic to do it.

Kasdan and Morgan at least make an effort to inject a heartbeat amid all the big budget dressing. The crude and irresponsible Jack attempts to reconcile with his son. Callum looks to find his Christmas spirit. But none of it comes across as authentic. And that’s the biggest problem with “Red One” as a whole. It all feels like a big studio project plucked right off the assembly line. And no amount of star-power or big screen charisma is able to overcome that.

To be fair, the story does pack a few laughs and there is some decent buddy-movie chemistry between Johnson and Evans. But the film can also wear you down. Look no further than a grueling tavern scene where Callum and Jack duke it out with Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), Santa’s estranged brother and Grýla’s former lover (yep, you read that right). In the end, a lot less of that and more humanity would have made “Red One” a much better movie.