Chiwetel Ejiofor impressed with his terrific yet underseen 2019 directorial debut “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”. He hits his mark again with his sophomore effort “Rob Peace”, a biographical drama in the same vein of his first film. This time he tells an empathetic and earnest true story of an inner-city kid with big dreams but a hard to shake past. Following in the footsteps of his debut, “Rob Peace” had its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival hoping to earn a sizable distribution.

Ejiofor also wrote the screenplay which is based on the 2014 biography “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” by Peace’s good friend Jeff Hobbs. While the film at times plays like a conventional biopic, Ejiofor takes it in a number of compelling directions as Rob’s life intersects with issues of race, urban housing, criminal justice, the education system, and more. The story explores the blessings and curses that come with family and community particularly through the Black experience. It results in a film that can be a little uneven but is mostly involving.

Ejiofor makes stops at key points in Rob Peace’s life beginning in 1987. That’s where 7-year-old Rob (played by Jelani Dacres) lives with his supportive and hard-working single mother Jackie (a sublime Mary J. Blige) in East Orange, New Jersey. He looks up to his father, Robert “Skeet” Douglas (played by Ejiofor), an irresponsible man who loves his son and preaches unwavering loyalty to his people and neighborhood. The instillment of that mindset from father to son reverberates through the entire story.

From the earliest scenes we’re shown Rob’s brilliance. He enjoys school and has a special interest in science. But his promising life hits a speed bump after his father is arrested and convicted of a double murder. Skeet is sentenced to life in prison despite vehemently proclaiming his innocence. Jackie doesn’t want the same for her son so she takes on three jobs in order to save money for Rob’s education. She wants him to leave East Orange behind for a better life – the exact opposite of his father’s desire.

From there we jump ahead to 1994 where teenage Rob (now played by Chance K. Smith) is attending St. Benedict’s Prep School in Newark. He excels thanks to the steady encouragement of his teacher, Reverend Edwin Leahy (Michael Kelly). Between schoolwork and taking small jobs to help out his mom, Rob begins studying his father’s case, determined to prove his innocence and get him out of jail.

Most of our time is spent a few years later as Rob (portrayed via newcomer Jay Will’s star-making performance) is accepted into Yale. Things start out great as he earns several opportunities to pursue his passion for science. He makes new friends and catches the eye of girl named Naya (an underused Camila Cabello). But his unhealthy loyalty to his father puts everything he has accomplished in jeopardy. Cracking under the pressure of prison, Skeet pushes Rob to help him raise money for a lawyer. It ultimately sends the young man down a path that could cost him everything.

While there is a degree of predictability to the film and it doesn’t stretch too far beyond the conventional, Ejiofor’s grounded and focused approach to telling Rob Peace’s story keeps it from being overly sentimental despite some big emotional beats. He does throw in unneeded voiceover rather than leaning on his capable cast and some of his dialogue is a bit clunky. Also the final act stretches out beyond what’s necessary.

But those things are overcome by Ejiofor’s commitment to Rob’s story and all of its complexities. He thoughtfully guides us through a life marked by ambitious dreams and inspiring successes. It’s also a life that sees firsthand the different set of rules for someone poor and Black – rules that lead to bad choices with tragic results. It’s all relayed through some incredible performances, most notably Blige’s quiet strength and a magnetic Jay Will. It’s a breakout turn from the young Julliard-trained actor and a big step towards what should be an exciting career.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Just hearing the name Zack Snyder seems to invoke wildly different impulses and reactions depending on which side of the filmmaker you sit. In one group you have the Snyder loyalists who saturate any and everything he puts out while pushing back on even the slightest criticism of his work. But just as feral and often more belligerent are the anti-Snyder mudslingers who never pass up on a chance to belittle and berate Snyder’s movies and his fans.

That brings us to his latest project, “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire”. Mark it down, you can expect fans to love it and defend it till their dying breath. Meanwhile Snyder carpers will be chomping at the bit to tear it down early and often. But how is it really? Once you weed out the voices of the predisposed and get beyond the hyperbole and grandstanding, is “Rebel Moon” any good? It’s actually quite good although you can tell it’s only a slice of a bigger and better whole. The existence of a director’s cut is out there and this current cut all but confirms it.

To Snyder’s credit he gives us a good taste of this new original universe he has created. The world is full of vibrant and diverse locations. There are plenty of interesting people, races, and creatures. And the battle lines are clearly distinguished between an oppressive militaristic regime and the valiant group of rebels who rise up to fight back. But they’ll need a leader who can bring together the fiercest warriors from across the galaxy if they are to have any chance of winning.

That’s hardly what you would call an original story, but Snyder is fine with that. He hasn’t been shy about honoring his inspirations, and he doesn’t attempt to hide his open embrace of numerous classic science-fiction tropes. He has set out to make a dark space fantasy that plays like “Seven Samurai” meets “Star Wars”. It’s not that his story is bold and unique. It’s that it is unfolding with characters he has crafted and within a world he has created.

Still, this cut of “Rebel Moon” is more enticing than fulfilling. I found myself thoroughly riveted while in its world yet it left me needing more of it. For example, the action in this version feels sanitized, with the camera too often turning away to ensure a PG-13 rating (Snyder has said his full cut is wilder and edgier). But more than that, key supporting characters often feel like sketches rather than portraits. Their motivations are vague and their backgrounds (which in this movie play a big part in defining them) are mostly mysteries. More than anywhere else in the film, it’s here that the cuts stand out most.

The cast is made up of an intriguing array of talent led by Sofia Boutella. She plays Kora who lives a quiet life in a small, tight-knit farming village on the mostly peaceful planet of Veidt. Though considered independent, Veidt exists in the shadow of the Motherworld which is ruled by Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee). The Motherworld was once devoted to peace and prosperity. But following the mysterious assassination of its King, Queen and Princess, the then ambitious senator Balisarius rose to power. He created a massive military known as the Imperium and has used it to strengthen his reign and expand his empire.

Kora’s village is visited by an Imperium squad under the command of Admiral Atticus Noble (a fittingly vile Ed Skrein). He’s on a mission to hunt down and destroy pockets of resistance that are believed to be hiding among the outer planets. Noble forces the village into a pact to provide an unreasonable amount of grain for his armies. He gives them ten months to have it ready before showing them the consequences of failing him.

After a group of remaining Imperium soldiers attempt to rape a young local girl, Kora kills them all, revealing a side of herself she has kept hidden from her community. Due to her secret past with the Imperium, Kora knows Noble will retaliate after hearing his soldiers are dead. So she sets off to recruit warriors to help stand against the Imperium. She convinces a fellow villager named Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) who has connections with the resistance to accompany her. They’re helped off the planet by a mercenary and smuggler named Kai (Charlie Hunnam).

From there Snyder whisks us from one visually rich and interesting planet to the next, recruiting a new member to his band at each stop. They include a former Imperium general (Djimon Hounsou), a cyborg swordmaster (Bae Doona), a prince in bondage (Staz Nair), and a fierce freedom fighter (Ray Fisher). Together they make a formidable team despite many of them lacking in individual detail.

As with other Snyder movies, “Rebel Moon” features most of the filmmaker’s visual trademarks. There’s the jaw-dropping CGI, lots of stylish slow-motion, and crisply choreographed action sequences, all of it shot by Snyder himself. And as the story progresses we get several fun nods to past movies, television shows, and genres. As the full title clearly indicates, this is just the first part of Snyder’s opus. But he does bring it to a kinetic climax before setting up his next film due out in April.

Of course before the next film releases we will be getting the extended cut of Part One in early 2024. This begs the question, why release the first film like this? From every indication it was a Netflix decision. It seems Snyder was given the green light to “go nuts” and create whatever he wanted under the agreement that Netflix would release a neutered PG-13 version first. Was it to make a version of the film that was suitable for a broader audience? Was it some bizarre tactic to try and recreate the Snyder Cut zeal? Either way, this cut certainly entertained me. But what it did most was excite me for the potentially better extended cut that’s just around the corner.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Director Kitty Green’s latest feature “The Royal Hotel” sees two Canadian best friends, Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) backpacking across Australia. Their hard-partying adventure has drained them of cash. So to make some quick money the two take jobs bartending at the Royal Hotel, a rough and rowdy pub in a remote mining community deep in the Outback. But the young women come to realize they’re in way over their heads.

With “The Royal Hotel” Green uses the framework of a psychological thriller to shrewdly examine gender dynamics and skewed masculinity. She delivers a slow-burner that possesses a steady sense of discomfort and dread yet that never quite reaches the satisfying crescendo it’s moving toward. Things do intensify in the final few minutes, but it’s abrupt and over before ever having the impact it could have had.

But that’s not to discount what Green has accomplished. From her direction to the script she co-wrote with Oscar Redding, the ability to create and develop the kind of tension she does is no small feat. It begins the moment Hanna and Liv arrive at the off-the-map pub. Everything from the dirty uninviting location to the introductions to the queasy clientele creates a feeling of unease. The film is based on Peter Gleeson’s 2016 documentary “Hotel Coolgardie” and Green does a good job generating the same sense of discomfort and fear.

The bar is owned by Billy (Hugo Weaving) who is about as close as Hanna and Liv get to having some kind of protection. But don’t be fooled, he’s no patron saint. He’s an unreliable boozer who is occasionally kept in check by his wife Carol (Ursula Yovich), the pub’s semi-compassionate cook. And he proves to be of little help from the belligerent drunks whose glaring toxicity and unwanted advances only intensifies with each passing visit.

Again Green does a magnificent job creating an uncomfortable atmosphere but the story has a couple of issues. One centers around Hanna and Liv’s questionable judgement which starts early and doesn’t get much better as the story progresses. Take a moment after their brutal first night of work. Hanna rightly wants to leave and it’s easy to see why. But she’s easily convinced to stay by Liv who is determined to stick it out for a few weeks to earn enough cash to continue their travels. It’s one of many head-scratching choices that comes back to haunt them. Green never excuses the objectification, misogyny, and eventual violence. But making sense of some of their decisions can be challenging.

And then there is the aforementioned ending which wraps up as quickly as it ratchets up. It’s a reasonably fitting finish yet one that lacks the bite it could have had. Still, the movie is anchored by Garner and Henwick who give nuanced performances and bring distinct personalities to their characters. And while it may not conclude on the strongest note, Green creates an environment that gets more physically and psychologically perilous from our protagonists while steadily getting more unnerving for us.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

I’ve always been a fan of Aaron Eckhart, but he’s an actor who rarely gets the kind of roles that does his talent justice. He gets one in the new film “Rumble Through the Dark”, a grimy rural thriller set in the Mississippi Delta that lets the 55-year-old Eckhart show his commitment and range both physically and dramatically. And while he doesn’t disappoint, the movie itself has a tough time matching its rather grand ambition.

From co-directors Graham and Parker Phillips and screenwriter Michael Farris Smith, “Rumble Through the Dark” is based on Smith’s own 2018 novel, “The Fighter”. It follows a broken down and tortured man fighting demons from his past while trying to preserve the few good memories he has left. It’s a sad and often bleak story, but it’s not without hope. The problem is its hope relies on a second-half convenience (or a twist of fate if you want to be nice) that’s pretty tough to swallow.

Eckhart plays Jack Boucher, a former bare-knuckle cage fighter who has fallen on hard times. He’s deep in debt with a dangerous local vice queen named Big Momma Sweet (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). He’s also on the verge of losing his dying foster mother’s old antebellum house to foreclosure. To make matters worse his health is rapidly deteriorating due to years of fighting. His body is battered and bruised. He has been steadily losing his memory. And he has crippling headaches that can only be relieved by popping illegal painkillers.

Jack’s backstory is told through a series of hazy flashbacks meant to give the movie some emotional heft. Through them we learn Jack was abandoned when he was an infant but later adopted by a caring woman who supported and encouraged him. There are some pretty big gaps in their story, mainly from his time as a young teen to the current day. We do see that she is in a nursing home suffering from dementia. And at some point during that time Jack got $30,000 behind with the bank.

Without getting into too many details, Jack is eventually faced with a near impossible predicament. If he doesn’t get some money he will lose everything his beloved foster mother entrusted to him. Oh, and he’ll also lose his life to Big Momma Sweet who has given him an ultimatum. But if he goes back to fighting (the only thing he knows) his beat-up body night not be able to take it.

The premise isn’t especially new, but a fiercely committed Eckhart and the rich Deep South setting make it interesting. Where the movie stumbles is in a side story involving a young woman named Annette (played by Bella Thorne). She’s an exotic dancer for a traveling carnival who unfortunately feels too much like a device. The Phillips brothers try developing her into someone compelling, and of course her path is destined to cross with Jack’s. But when they eventually meet, we’re hit with an impossible-to-buy ‘twist’ completely out of left field.

Though well-intended, the Jack and Annette relationship never feels organic and it can’t generate the emotional impact it needs. It tries to go somewhere unexpected, but it’s so out of the blue and you’re left wondering if that screen time could have been better spent. As it is, “Rumble Through the Dark” is a promising but weighted down thriller that gets by mostly on the shoulders of Eckhart. The material may not do him many favors, but he pours himself into his role which makes the story’s shortcomings a bit easier to maneuver. “Rumble Through the Dark” opens in select theaters November 3rd and On Demand and Digital November 10th.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

For my money Benicio del Toro is an instant draw and he’s handed a tasty role in the sleek new crime thriller “Reptile”. It marks the feature-film directorial debut from Grant Singer who co-wrote the screenplay with del Toro and Benjamin Brewer. Playing like a gritty whodunnit but with a dash of neo-noir flavoring, “Reptile” revolves around the brutal murder of a young real estate agent and a hard-boiled detective’s relentless search for answers.

In classic whodunnit fashion, the truth is elusive in “Reptile”. New characters enter the picture, each framed as potential suspects with their own potential motivations. Del Toro’s Detective Tom Nichols is the one tasked with sorting out facts from fiction. As he tries, “Reptile” takes on the feel of a slow-burning police procedural. One that uncoils at a methodical pace (perhaps too slow for some) yet maintains its simmer.

But what sets it apart is the strange and slightly offbeat vibe that permeates the entire movie. “Reptile” is very much a crime thriller. But Singer takes it in some peculiar and even darkly funny directions. It takes a few minutes to get in sync (bad joke intended) with what he’s doing. But once you do, its smattering of cliches and overtly obvious needle drops end up adding to the movie’s quirky appeal.

Set in the New England suburb of Scarborough and with Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning” echoing in the background, we’re introduced to power couple Will (Justin Timberlake) and Summer (Matilda Lutz). They’re high-end realtors selling pricey homes in an affluent part of town. As for their relationship, there is some clear tension from the get-go. Enough that when Summer ends up savagely murdered, Will is immediately the prime suspect.

Switch to Detective Tom Nichols, a fascinating protagonist made so through del Toro’s wily performance. Throughout his career del Toro has excelled at playing intense and often eccentric characters. Here he’s a far cry from your prototypical movie cop. He sports a jet-black pompadour, loves Oklahoma square dancing, and has a deep appreciation for well-designed kitchens. He’s also fiercely dedicated to his work which now includes finding Summer’s killer. It’s a spellbinding lead performance.

While a big chunk of the movie follows Tom’s investigation, we also spend a lot of time with him away from the case. Much of it is with his wife, Judy (a deliciously cryptic Alicia Silverstone). They have an interesting chemistry that is a nice change of pace from the more conventional movie marriages. Then you have Tom’s close friends from the Scarborough Police Department that includes his Captain and Judy’s Uncle, Robert (Eric Bogosian), his partner, Dan (Ato Essandoh), and his mouthy fellow officer, Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi).

As often happens in movies like this, both of Tom’s worlds collide as the truths (yes, plural) finally make their ways to the surface. The story ventures down some unexpected paths and the mystery (unsurprisingly) proves to be more complicated than Tom ever imagined. There are a few too many red herrings and not all the suspects are given enough time to feel like consequential pieces of the puzzle. And that’s saying something considering the film clocks in at a lengthy 136 minutes.

Yet “Reptile” never feels long and remains enthralling throughout in large part thanks to the beguiling lead work from Benicio del Toro. Less effective is Timberlake who seems to be channeling Ben Affleck from “Gone Girl” but never as convincing. Other performances make up for it including Frances Fisher as Will’s domineering mother and Karl Glusman as Summer’s creepy ex-husband. They help fill out a mostly excellent ensemble that gels nicely with Singer’s fittingly dark and deliberately peculiar world. “Reptile” releases on Netflix this Friday, September 29th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Liam Neeson is back with another one of his lean and easy to digest action-thrillers. This one is called “Retribution” and like most it features a very straightforward story with a few late movie twists thrown in to give it a kick. These modestly budgeted creations have become a Neeson staple. You could almost designate them as a genre all their own and they usually find themselves a pretty accepting audience.

“Retribution” won’t go down as one of the better ones but it does hold your attention for its brisk 90 minutes. It’s based on the 2015 Spanish film “El Desconocido” and is adapted by director Nimród Antal and screenwriter Christopher Salmanpour. Unlike the more physically demanding movies in Neeson’s action-thriller catalog, “Retribution” doesn’t ask much of its 71-year-old star. The vast majority of his time is spent behind the wheel of a car. But there’s actually some good tension. Just not not enough of it to cover the more noticeable issues.

Neeson plays Matt Turner, a financier living in Berlin with his wife Heather (Embeth Davidtz) and their two children, Zach (Jack Champion) and Emily (Lilly Aspell). Matt, along with his best friend and boss Anders (Matthew Modine) have made a lot of money managing hedge funds. But they’ve hit a bit of a skid lately and Anders has Matt working overtime to persuade investors to stay onboard.

Meanwhile at home, Matt’s preoccupation with work has made him a neglectful husband and father. He’s impervious to how it’s impacting his marriage and his lack of investment has hurt his relationship with his kids, especially the rebellious Zach. In an effort to help out (more out of obligation than conviction), Matt agrees to drive the kids to school. Boy did he pick a bad day to try to be a father!

While driving along in his classy black Mercedes SUV, Matt and the kids hear a strange ringtone from a phone they track to the vehicle’s console. The distorted voice on the other end warns him of a bomb under his seat that is pressure activated. If he attempts to get out of the car the bomb will detonate. Suddenly he finds himself at the mercy of a mad bomber who seems driven by his or her own mysterious motivations.

As expected the hazy picture quickly comes into focus, especially after revelations arise of slush funds, emergency collateral, and off-shore accounts. There also seems to be an attempt made to show Matt reconciling with his children and finally being the father he’s supposed to be as things unfold. Unfortunately the movie clumsily tips its hand and the ‘big twist’ turns out to be both predictable and silly.

As for the family stuff, it turns out to be woefully underserved and never feels organic. Even worse is the inclusion of an upright police detective admirably played by Noma Dumezweni. She tries to be as convincing as possible, but the material paints her (and the police in general) as strikingly inept and laughably slow at getting anything done. It’s a thankless task for Dumezweni.

Neeson has a knack for making even the most middling of these action-thrillers at least somewhat entertaining. He does it again with “Retribution”, a movie with too many unmissable flaws to qualify as good, but with just enough of that tried-and-true Neeson formula to keep you involved. At least for one viewing. “Retribution” opens in theaters tomorrow (August 24th).

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS