Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Woman of the Hour” (2024)

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Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut and stars in “Woman of the Hour”, a well-made thriller based on the real-life crimes of sex offender and serial killer Rodney Alcala. Dubbed the Dating Game Killer, Alcala has been directly linked to eight murders. But it’s believed that his true number of victims may be as high as 130. He was arrested in July 1979 and sentenced to death. In 2021, Alcala died of natural causes at the age of 77 while still in prison.

Kendrick’s film examines Alcala’s killing spree through several different perspectives. She chronicles different murders, making stops in 1971 New York City, 1977 Wyoming, and for the majority of the film 1978 Los Angeles. That’s where we meet Sheryl Bradshaw (played by Kendrick), a struggling actress who is about to give up on her big Hollywood dreams. Out of options, Sheryl’s agent casts her to appear on The Dating Game in hopes of getting her some much needed exposure.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

For those who don’t know, The Dating Game was a corny but popular game show where a young woman sitting behind a partition would ask silly questions to three bachelors sitting on the other side. After three rounds she would choose one bachelor as the winner. The show would then send the couple on an all-expense paid date.

On September 13, 1978 Cheryl Bradshaw made her appearance on The Dating Game. And among her three bachelors was none other than Rodney Alcala. By that time he had already raped and murdered several of his victims and been convicted of sexual assault. But somehow the show’s producers had missed his criminal record. It’s chilling footage to watch especially considering that Alcala not only appeared on the show but won the competition.

Kendrick and screenwriter Ian McDonald recreate that surreal broadcast, pulling from several first-hand testimonies while adding some fictional twists of their own. Most of their additions work to build the film’s statement on societal misogyny – a message which quickly and at times clumsily becomes obvious. But Kendrick maintains a steady sense of unease, having already established Alcala as a vicious killer leading up to their fateful encounter.

Alcala is played by Daniel Zovatto who conceals a killer’s brute evil underneath a psychopathic charm. Alcala’s methods were well thought out and he often preyed on innocence and vulnerability. We watch him lure in his victims by posing as a professional fashion photographer. Alcala then convinces them to let him shoot them for his portfolio. Once alone, he would rape and murder them.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

The film gives Zovatto plenty of space to mine Alcala’s menace, but it’s Kendrick’s own performance as Sheryl (note the slight name change) that offers the most clarity. It’s seen most in one brilliantly directed and acted encounter she and Zovatto share in a restaurant. It’s intense and terrifying and it shrewdly relays the themes Kendrick is most interested in.

“Woman of the Hour” shines a spotlight on Anna Kendrick who delivers not only another well-calibrated performance but an assured directorial debut. She shows a firm control of her subject matter, capturing a harrowing sense of danger while steering clear of sensationalism or exploitation. Though a little too on-the-nose at times, her commentary on the everyday dangers of being a woman in a predatory society adds a compelling layer. Her two aims don’t always gel, but they highlight Kendrick’s ambition and willingness to take chances.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Goodrich” (2024)

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Even in the later stages of his magnificent career, Michael Keaton remains one of our best working actors. Throughout his near 50 years in the industry, Keaton has proven to be a skilled performer who routinely challenges himself. As a result, he owns an incredibly diverse filmography. In just the last few years we’ve seen him play a CIA agent, a crooked amusement park owner, the U.S. Attorney General, and a hitman while also reprising his popular roles as Batman and Beetlejuice.

At 73-years-old, Keaton is showing no signs of stopping and we should all be grateful. His latest film is “Goodrich”, the sophomore big screen effort from writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer. “Goodrich” is an endearing family dramedy that’s propelled by another lights-out Michael Keaton performance. It’s a movie that may be a bit cliche in spots but that features plenty of emotional depth which connects us to its central character and his relationships with those closest to him.

Image Courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment

Keaton plays Andy Goodrich, an art dealer who has ran his own Los Angeles gallery for 28 years. But times are tough for Andy’s business. He’s struggling to pay his rent and his artists aren’t selling. His close friend and accountant Cy (Kevin Pollak) has informed him that unless something changes he runs the risk of losing his gallery. This is uncharted territory for Andy who has always felt he had everything in his professional and personal life under control.

But the real jolt of reality comes when Andy receives a phone call in the middle of the night. On the other end is his much younger second wife Naomi (Laura Benanti) who surprises him with the news that she has checked herself into rehab. It comes as a complete shock to Andy who has been so enthralled in his gallery that he didn’t even realize his wife was abusing prescription meds. She explains that it’s a 90-day program and he will need to take care of their twins, Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Mose (Jacob Kopera). Naomi ends their conversation with the solemn words “I’m leaving you.”

Image Courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment

From there the film follows Andy as he discovers some painful truths about himself, namely how disconnected he has been from his family and their lives. Much of his revelation comes through the rekindling of his relationship with his older daughter from his first marriage, Grace (Mila Kunis). She’s a successful entertainment writer who is happily married and pregnant with her first child. It’s a really good performance from Kunis who shrewdly balances Grace’s love for her father with the resentment she has for the many years he was absent.

Throughout Andy’s journey he gleans more about his family from the other people in their lives. It builds towards a somewhat predictable yet resonating redemption arc made stronger by Keaton’s effortless authenticity. It helps that Meyers-Shyer never turns him into a bad guy. He’s oblivious to his own complicity, yet sympathetic and likable from the get-go. Keaton does the rest, really capturing the heart of his character and delivering an emotional punch, especially to fathers like me. “Goodrich” hits theaters October 18th.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Lonely Planet” (2024)

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“Lonely Planet” (the movie, not the popular travel guidebook publisher) is the sophomore directing effort from Susannah Grant which comes 18 years after her debut, 2006’s “Catch and Release”. Grant is perhaps best known as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for 2000’s “Erin Brockovich”. She both writes and directs “Lonely Planet”, a serviceable but surprisingly sparkless romantic drama set in scenic Morocco.

Laura Dern stars as Katherine Loewe, a successful writer who’s having a hard time finishing her latest novel. We learn that her dissolving marriage has contributed to a bad case of writer’s block. With her deadline fast approaching and her publisher breathing down her neck, Katherine flies to Morocco and checks in to a luxury countryside resort owned by an old friend, Fatema (Rachida Brakni).

All Katherine wants is enough peace and quiet to write. But that proves difficult as the resort is also hosting an International Writers Retreat. Among the esteemed attendees is Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) and her boyfriend Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth). Lily is riding high after the success of her first novel. Despite never publishing anything, she became an overnight best-selling author which earned her an invite to the retreat. Owen has come along for moral support.

The nervous but ambitious Lily immediately clicks with the other writers while Owen spends much of his time on the phone trying to land his first big financing deal. But as she spends more time with her literary contemporaries he quickly begins to feel like an outsider. As the story progresses, the equally frustrated Katherine and Owen repeatedly cross paths. And after a rather cold first encounter, the two begin connecting in ways neither expected.

It’s not hard to figure out where things are going. The story leans on several well-worn tropes in moving us towards the inevitable romance, the conflict that threatens it all, and the predictable happy ending. The individual performances from Dern and Hemsworth are solid and they bring what they can to their age-gap love story. But it’s such a low-temperature romance with their characters better suited as drinking buddies than new-found lovers.

Fitting for a movie with its title, “Lonely Planet” treats us to lots of eye-catching scenery while (sometimes awkwardly) dipping our toes in local Moroccan culture. But pretty people in pretty places can only carry it so far. It has its charms but it lacks spark and there’s hardly any passion. That’s because so much time is spent getting to the romance that we hardly have any time with the romance. It leaves us barely interested and even less invested in their relationship or in what the future might hold for them. “Lonely Planet” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Terrifier 3” (2024)

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I imagine that no one is as surprised to see a third Terrifier movie as the franchise’s creator, Damien Leone. What started as an indie splatter film made for $35,000 has blossomed into a legitimate franchise with growing budgets and an enthusiastic fanbase. Now “Terrifier 3” is in theaters and it sticks close to its successful formula. That means a few shocks, some good laughs, and gobs of gore.

The first feature in the series, 2016’s “Terrifier”, was short on story and character-building but made up for it with its twisted vision and gnarly effects. Its eventual sequel, 2022’s “Terrifier 2”, overcorrected in its attempt to put more emphasis on storytelling. But it still managed to give hungry fans more of what they were craving.

Image Courtesy of Cineverse

“Terrifier 3” does much the same except this time the story is tighter and more fun. It (sorta) picks up where the last film left off and answers several lingering questions. It’s also set during the Christmas season which gives Leone an entire holiday sandbox to play in. And he doesn’t waste any time. He opens his film with a horrifying sequence that immediately tests his audience’s mettle. It’s a sequence that epitomizes the Terrifier series – stun the crowd, soak them in blood, and then throw in some unexpected humor to take the edge off.

Five years after the events of “Terrifier 2”, Sienna Shaw (a returning Lauren LaVera) is released from a mental hospital and set to stay with her Aunt Jess (Margaret Anne Florence) and Uncle Greg (Bryce Johnson). They have a daughter named Gabbie (Antonella Rose) who idolizes Sienna but knows nothing about the trauma she has endured. As for Sienna’s kid brother Jonathan (Elliot Fullam), he has moved off to college where he tries to put the Miles County Massacre behind him.

But this is a horror movie and that’s always easier said than done. It’s especially true here as the demented Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) returns, this time accompanied by his disfigured and equally deranged first victim turned partner-in-crime, Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi). The pair set out on another murder spree across Miles County, eventually setting their sights on Sienna. But before we get to their inevitable round two, Leone gives Art numerous opportunities to ply his grisly trade against a number of hapless victims.

In what has become a staple of the Terrifier franchise, much of the movie revolves around the gruesomely creative ways Art offs his many victims. Most are wildly excessive with the intent of stunning the audience and one-upping what the previous films have done. As before, they give Leone the chance to show off his incredible make-up and effects work. The results are not for the faint of heart. At the same time, the movie is very self-aware. It fully embraces its absurdity, especially with Art who injects a level of humor into every sanguinary encounter.

Image Courtesy of Cineverse

With part three, Leone continues to tease Art as something more sinister than an aimless nihilistic killer clown. He ventures further with the supernatural element that was hinted at in the first film and expanded on in the second. It’s utterly ridiculous and frankly doesn’t make a lot of sense. But it allows Leone to indulge in even more gore-filled mayhem while also setting the table for another film which is pretty much a certainty at this point.

Much like its predecessors, “Terrifier 3” creates most of its tension from the sheer fact that no one on screen is safe. It also retains the grindhouse grit that is either a strength or a weakness depending on your stance. Its storytelling can be shaky in spots and the logistics don’t always line up. But Art the Clown continues to climb towards the upper tier of horror movie baddies and Lauren LaVera has earned her spot as a legitimate scream queen. And all under the guidance of Damien Leone who looks to have a bonafide hit on his hands.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Apprentice” (2024)

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We live in a day where there is no shortage of big screen biopics. That’s because deep down most of us are drawn to human stories of all kinds. Combine that with our love for the art of cinema and it’s no surprise that we get so many. But biopics are susceptible to a number of traps. An overreliance on formula, representing fiction as facts, or as in the case of “The Apprentice”, letting personal crusades mar what could have been a piercing and insightful study.

In a nutshell, “The Apprentice” is a movie that works so hard to demonize its subject that it forgets to make him human. Director Ali Abbasi’s politically driven misfire seeks to paint New York businessman and former President Donald J. Trump as unflattering as possible. His more rabid detractors will consider that a strength and embrace the movie despite its glaring issues. The overly sensitive Trump acolytes will hate it and immediately cry foul over the timing of its release. As for the more grounded viewer, it’s not hard to see through the film’s flimsy facade.

In reality, Donald Trump has provided plenty of real-life material worth dissecting in his business, personal, and political lives. But Abbasi adds too many fictional twists to serve his film’s message. He paints a wildly one-sided portrait that barely registers a human pulse. It’s a shame considering how ripe the subject matter is for exploration. But instead, “The Apprentice” comes across as misguided, lazy, and self-important.

Image Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment

Trump is played by a firmly committed Sebastian Stan who often looks as if he’s trapped in a prolonged Saturday Night Live sketch. He’s adorned in an assortment of glaringly bad wigs that he’s always primping. And outside of the occasional intonation, his voice rarely sounds like the real thing. Getting past these distractions can be a chore.

Written with more purpose than principle by Gabriel Sherman, “The Apprentice” hones in on Trump’s rise as a New York City real estate developer. The story kicks off in 1973 with Trump meeting attorney Roy Cohn (brilliantly played with cold precision by Jeremy Strong). Cohn is revealed to be a New York power-player who uses a variety of legal and illegal tactics to bend the system to his will. His list of clients includes politicians, media moguls, and mob bosses. With Trump facing prosecution for violating the Fair Housing Act, Cohn agrees to take his case.

From there Cohn takes the young businessman under his wing, serving as the mentor and father figure Trump never had with his dad, Fred (Martin Donovan). But Cohn also gives Trump a crash-course in using the system, basing it on three ruthless principles that Trump later adopts as his own. Their relationship is the centerpiece for much of the film, moving from mutually beneficial to something genuinely personal.

Image Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment

But as Cohn’s villainy is well established in the film’s first half, Abassi and Sherman want their audience to know that Donald Trump is much worse. This really comes through in the final act where the filmmakers seem to lose any sense of restraint. They pack in every negative claim whether substantiated or not. From more troubling accusations such as Trump raping his wife Ivana (played by an underused Maria Bakalova) to more petty jabs such as alleged liposuction, scalp reduction surgery, and erectile dysfunction. These things again expose motives that consistently derail the movie.

As mentioned, Donald Trump is not beyond critique and the film is at its most compelling when examining his place within the corrupt New York City system of the 70s and 80s. But the movie can’t stay on track. It can’t sustain any drama nor build any suspense. Most of the supporting characters are mere sketches and even Stan’s Trump veers into caricature, especially during the film’s near farcical final half-hour.

“The Apprentice” is a movie that seems at odds with itself from the get-go. It wants to be serious-minded and candid, but it also has a very clear position it wants to advance at any cost. That leaves us wondering what’s true and what isn’t. The filmmakers aren’t much help with Abassi telling The Wrap that his movie “is very much fact-based and fact-checked” while Sherman tells The Hollywood Reporter “This is a work of art. It’s fiction.” Whatever you call it, “The Apprentice” fumbles what could have been a captivating and pertinent biopic. I’m sure it will please the one political camp and infuriate the other. For everyone else, it’s nowhere near as provocative or illuminating as its creators believe it to be.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

First Glance: “The Order”

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Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Jurnee Smollett star in “The Order”, a period crime thriller directed by Justin Kurzel. The film is based on the 1989 non-fiction book “The Silent Brotherhood” by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt. The movie premiered in August at the Venice International Film Festival. Now its prepping for its official release by dropping a harrowing and action-packed first trailer.

Set in 1983, the story follows and FBI agent (Law) who assembles a team to help investigate a series of bank robberies and armored car heists across the Pacific Northwest. But rather than find some standard-issue robbers, the agents follow a trail leading to a white supremacist group known as The Order. The movie looks to follow two storylines destined to intersect. And from what we see, both lead to violence. Everything about this looks and sounds great – the cast, the period design, the true-crime element. I can’t wait to see how it comes together.

“The Order” releases in theaters on December 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.