“Jaws” it’s not. Nor is it in the same category as “The Shallow”. Heck, I wouldn’t even lump it in with “The Meg”. But “The Requin” has sharks in it so at least they all have that in common. Unfortunately for it, the presence of sharks alone doesn’t make a movie entertaining. And in this case, when they do finally show up, they only add to the litany of problems that make this one of the worst movies of the year despite its good intentions.

“The Requin” is written and directed by Le-Van Kiet whose other 2022 film, “The Princess” was an underwhelming yet considerably better effort. With “The Requin”, the filmmaker’s story is all over the map. He tries to make an emotional family drama and a genre thriller at the same time. Sadly neither lands well and both are hampered with their own sets of problems that they simply can’t overcome.

Alicia Silverstone plays Jaelyn who is vacationing with her husband, Kyle (James Tupper). The couple are working through some heavy issues, namely losing their baby during a recent childbirth. It’s put a strain on their marriage as Kyle pushes to put it behind them while Jaelyn still struggles with PTSD and overwhelming feelings of guilt. So they’ve come to a luxury beach resort in Vietnam to try and save their marriage. But things start a little shaky and you can (sorta) feel the tension between the struggling couple.

Kyle has rented out an expensive above-water cabana with all the amenities, an exquisite ocean view, and snorkeling right outside their back door. Everything seems ideal except for one small detail – Jaelyn and Kyle came during monsoon season (smart). And wouldn’t you know it, a tropical storm hits in the middle of the night, shaking them from sleep. Before they’re able to escape, the storm knocks their cabana off its stilts and sends it drifting out to sea (don’t you hate it when that happens).

Thanks to this preposterous scenario, the movie quickly shifts from a relationship drama to an open-water survival thriller. But just as the undercooked relationship stuff is hard to get into, so is the survival angle, mainly because of the laughably hokey dialogue, the exaggerated performances, and the incredibly dumb decisions our two protagonists make. And when the CGI sharks finally arrive (nearly an hour into the movie), they actually make things even more ridiculous. It all culminates in an ending so mind-numbingly absurd, that it kills any sympathy you may have held for the film.

When watching “The Requin” you can see the gears turning as the film tries to bring something different to the screen. But the cheesy (and at times cringe-worthy) melodrama never remotely feels authentic. And the ludicrous character blunders and the laughably bad CGI make the whole man-versus-nature elements impossible to buy. And while its great to see Alicia Silverstone in a lead role, it’s a shame she’s give such bad material that more or less sets her up to fail. “The Requin” is now available of VOD and is streaming on Hulu.

VERDICT – 1 STAR

Two of my favorite working actors teaming up in an off-beat family dramedy? That’s too much for me to pass up on. And wouldn’t you know it, “Raymond & Ray” turns out to be right up my alley. It’s the kind of slice-of-life movie I’m often drawn to. It doesn’t strive to be innovative, nor does it pretend to be something momentous. It’s a simple and grounded look at the human condition through the experiences of two well-rooted characters. It’s tight in scope and honest with its emotions, but it also finds time for levity which is welcomed considering death is a key component.

Written and directed by Rodrigo García, “Raymond and Ray” features a story that’s a bit warped and even a little zany. Yet it always has its feet planted in reality. It follows two half-brothers. Both are very different people who have lived very different lives. Yet they do have one thing in common – they both detest their father. And that shared hatred has only driven them apart. Not because of any disdain for each other (they were actually inseparable as kids). But because being together only brings back the memories of the neglect and abuse they experienced.

Ewan McGregor plays Raymond, an straight-laced stiff with two divorces behind him who’s now separated from his third wife. Ethan Hawke plays Ray, a recovering heroin addict who once aspired to be a trumpet player but gave it (and everything else) up after his wife died of cancer. Both are damaged people whose lives never panned out they way they hoped. And they sought answers in places that only led to more problems.

The movie opens with Raymond arriving at Ray’s house to inform him that their father has died. It’s the first time the two have seen each other in years and even longer since either had seen their estranged father. Ray isn’t especially moved by the news, but he is surprised to learn that their father’s dying wish was that his sons attend his funeral. Ray says to brush it off. After all, the old man’s dead; he won’t know. But Raymond wants them to go (plus he recently lost his drivers license after a DWI so he needs a ride). Ray reluctantly agrees, and the two load up and make a trip to Richmond.

After arriving, Raymond and Ray discover that their late father’s last wishes didn’t end at attending his funeral. He also left word that his boys were to dig his grave and cover it up (their father was able to get the cemetery’s consent through a bogus religious freedom request – a funny gag that pops up several times). While Raymond sees it as their duty, Ray quickly begins to lose patience. Was this really a heartfelt wish of their dead dad or was he heartlessly screwing with them from beyond the grave?

From the very start, the story structure of “Raymond & Ray” is pretty obvious. There will be plenty of revelations along the way, both for the two half-brothers and the audience. These reveals come through their father’s various acquaintances who describe a much different man than Raymond and Ray experienced. Among them are their father’s attorney (Oscar Nunez), his former lover (Maribel Verdú), his pastor (Vondie Curtis-Hall), and his nurse (Sophie Okonedo). Raymond and Ray begin to discover who their father became in recent years. But it doesn’t erase who he was in the past, and those old wounds prove to be deep and painful.

While Garcia gives us plenty of great character moments and some genuinely good laughs, the story doesn’t fully stick its ending. Obviously I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say one lead character ends in a more believable place than the other. But for the most part, “Raymond & Ray” has all the heart and quirkiness it needs to work well as a dysfunctional family drama and a subtle black comedy. And it doesn’t hurt to have talent the caliber of McGregor and Hawke, two savvy seasoned actors who keep this oddball tale on a human level. “Raymond & Ray” premieres October 21st on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Sexual assault, trauma, war, small town oppression – just some of the weighty themes woven into the very fabric of “The Road Dance”, a handsomely shot old-fashioned melodrama from writer-director Richie Adams. Based on the 2004 novel of the same name by John MacKay, “The Road Dance” handles its sensitive issues with the right amount of empathy and thoughtfulness. And though a touch soapy in spots, even those scenes are elevated by an eye-opening lead performance from Hermione Corfield.

Based on actual true events, the story is set in a small, tight-knit community in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Kirsty McLeod (Corfield) has long been a dreamer, ever since the days of sitting on the beach with her late father, listening to him talk about the world beyond their shores. And while her father may be gone, she still dreams of more than planting potatoes on the same land farmed by her parents. She wants bigger things. She wants to go to America. But it’s a dream that seems so far out of reach.

As the outside world braces for the First World War, Kirsty lives in a tiny remote village with her hard-working mother, Mairi (Morven Christie) and her younger sister, Annie (Ali Fumiko Whitney). It’s an exquisitely realized setting, from the stone houses with grass covered rooftops to the collection of folks who make up the community. You have their priest, their constable, their doctor, and even an odd hermit named Skipper. They all bring such authenticity and character to the film.

Also among the locals is the well-mannered, book-loving Murdo (Will Fletcher) who returns to the village after a tour with the British military. He immediately takes a liking to Kirsty, and the two soon fall in love. But before they can begin their future together, Murdo and three other young men from the village are called to England where they’re to be sent to the Western Front. On the night before the four boys are sent off to war, the village honors them with a ‘road dance’. But for Kirsty, the already sad occasion takes a darker turn after she’s the victim of a horrific crime.

From there the bulk of the film deals with the aftermath, in one part playing like a mystery to uncover Kirsty’s assailant. But the more potent aspect of the story follows a young woman forced to hide her trauma from a small town’s judgement. It’s here that Adams does an especially good job peeling back the many complicated layers, revealing the idyllic storybook setting to be anything but. And it’s in the film’s second half that the intensely committed and throughly engaging Corfield shines brightest. She does most of the film’s heavy lifting, earning our empathy through her honesty and vulnerability.

The movie does feel a little hammy at times (a fault of the screenplay, more so than the acting), and some of the early proclamations of love aren’t particularly convincing. I’m also not sure about the abruptness of the final scene. But there’s an overall sincerity to the storytelling that makes “The Road Dance” more than a standard-issue weepie. And as the drama unfolds to the ruggedly gorgeous backdrop, it’s hard not be swept away. But we’re always brought back to earth, in large part thanks to the revelatory lead work from Hermione Corfield – a star in the making.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

I swear, there must be 100 movies with titles similar to “Rogue Agent” (and I bet I’ve watched and/or reviewed half of them). But generic name aside, this new British drama/thriller very much has a feel all its own. It’s a slow-burning yet meticulously paced fact-based story that takes its time setting up its pieces. But once you get a sense for what’s happening, it’s hard not to be gripped by this appalling and kinda crazy true account.

“Rogue Agent” is co-directed by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn from a screenplay the duo co-wrote with Michael Bronner. It’s based on a magazine article Bronner wrote titled “Chasing Agent Freegard” which spotlighted Robert Hendy-Freegard. He was a con-man who masqueraded as an MI5 agent to lure in and manipulate numerous people, often separating them from their families and stripping them of their money. The true details are astonishing, and the film pulls pieces from several real accounts to craft a story that gives us a good grasp of Freegard and his shameless deceit.

The movie opens in 1993 where Robert (played by James Norton, with his natural good looks and deceptively tender smile) works as a bartender in a small college town. We’re told in voice-over about Robert’s cunning. About his keen ability to read people and persuade them. We watch him stealthily target three students and later convince them that he is an undercover agent with MI5. We see him dupe them into believing an Irish Republican Army cell was embedded at the university (during the volatile 1990s the IRA waged a bombing campaign in England. So his claims would get attention). And we watch as he recruits them to be freelance spies for MI5 who report only to him.

I know it sounds unbelievable – like an absurd movie storyline no one would ever buy into. In reality, this is exactly the kind of game Robert Freegard played, and the emotional, psychological, and financial damage left in his wake remains immeasurable. Patterson and Lawn do a good job emphasizing the harm done to Robert’s victims, many of them young women.

Nine years pass and we’re introduced to Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), a litigation solicitor for a big law firm. While walking to work she meets Robert who now works as a luxury car salesman (fitting). Despite her cautious nature, Robert’s charm does its work and the two begin a romantic relationship. But when Alice begins to notice inconsistencies in his stories she must decide whether to go with her heart or trust her instincts.

Inevitably the true account removes some of the suspense, but I still won’t spoil where the story goes. While much of what we see is fictional, most of it is inspired directly from the real-life encounters victims had with Freegard. And that’s what makes “Rogue Agent” work. Nothing about the story feels false. It remains grounded and avoids all temptations to turn itself into a full-on genre film. It has its slow patches, but it never loses its authenticity and it never loses our interest.

The film is also helped by strong performances from Norton and Arterton. Norton brings some fascinating layers to Robert. Some of them help us understand why so many people could be seduced by his wiles. Others give us deeper looks at the depths of his duplicity. Meanwhile Arterton makes Alice a solid protagonist who’s always walking uphill in her male-dominated world. But she’s hardly a damsel in distress, and Arterton frequently shows us Alice’s strength and resilience in their many forms. There’s also a really good performance from Marisa Abela who plays Sophie Jones, one of Robert’s early victims who ends up having a big part to play in the story.

It’s truly hard to fathom Robert Freegard’s extraordinary guile but also his shocking callousness. “Rogue Agent” paints a vivid and fittingly diabolical portrait of the scam artist and all his deceptive layers. And by putting a heavy emphasis on Arterton’s character, we’re allowed to see things from the victim’s perspective. The deliberate pacing may push away some, but it’s key to presenting to us the overall picture of this unthinkable story that would be impossible to believe if it weren’t true. “Rogue Agent” opens Friday in select theaters and streaming on AMC+.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

(CLICK HERE for my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

There was a time when I was quite the basketball fan. It was back when college teams could keep players for more than a year and the NBA was brimming with personalities who went by such names as Magic, The Mailman, Clyde the Glide and Hakeem the Dream. I loved booing the Bad Boys from Detroit, cheering for the Seattle Supersonics (who always came up short), and watching Michael Jordan in his prime cement himself as the greatest of all-time.

But for me the NBA lost a lot of its grit and college basketball started to feel watered down as players began (understandably) jumping ship for pro ball. Still, the sport has never had a shortage of extraordinary and inspirational stories. And while I may no longer be an avid basketball fan, I’m still very much a movie guy who loves good stories. For decades movies have used basketball to tell some really good ones. Movies such as perennial favorite “Hoosiers”, William Friedkin’s underrated “Blue Chips”, or more recently 2020’s surprisingly great “The Way Back.”

Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, the story of NBA Champion and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is about as inspiring as they come and it comes to light in Disney’s new film “Rise”. Directed by Akin Omotoso, written by Arash Amel, and with Giannis serving as executive producer, “Rise” is a biographical sports drama that dodges most of the snares that come packed with the genre. “Rise” does what most of the best ones do – it focuses as much (if not more) on character than basketball. In this case, it’s about a tight-knit family and their remarkable yet trying journey towards a better life.

From the start, “Rise” puts the bulk of its attention to Giannis’ family and the hardships they endured before basketball. It opens in 1990 with a heartbreaking scene as Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo (wonderfully played by Nigerian-American actors Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki) leave their infant son Francis with his grandparents in Lagos, Nigeria. They then make the arduous journey to Greece, dodging immigration roundups and finally landing in the north Athens neighborhood of Sepolia. Their plan was to quickly bring Francis over as soon as they’re settled, but they soon find themselves stymied by an impossible citizenship process.

“Rise” offers a surprisingly candid look at immigration, from the broken systems themselves to the suffering they can cause. The Antetokounmpo’s story is a prime example. In order to get legal residency in Greece, Charles or Veronica needed to have a payroll job. But they can’t get a payroll job without legal residency. This left them working low-paying jobs just to make ends meet. Meanwhile the looming threat of deportation made living a normal life next to impossible.

As the movie streaks forward, Charles and Veronica have four sons in Greece. Most of our time is spent with the oldest, Thanasis (Ral Agada) and of course Giannis (newcomer Uche Agada). Early on we see the boys hawking cheap souvenirs to tourists just to help their family get by. Later we see them stumble upon the game of basketball. Both Giannis and Thanasis are instantly hooked and begin sneaking across town just to play at a free youth club.

Their parents eventually find out leading to some inevitable family tension. Veronica wants to let the boys play and have some semblance of a normal youth. Charles is a protector and is worried about his family’s status being exposed. It’s a dilemma that only intensifies as Thanasis and especially Giannis begin to excel at the game. Do they push towards the dream of playing professional basketball at the risk of revealing themselves to more and more people? It’s a question the movie tackles with a lot of heart.

Omotoso’s heavy focus on building this family’s dynamic is the biggest reason “Rise” works so well. We genuinely feel we know these characters from where they start to where the movie ends. We see the four brothers sleeping in the same twin bed. We see Giannis and Thanasis sharing the only pair of basketball shoes they can afford. We watch the hard-working Charles and Veronica do everything they can to shield their children from the precariousness of the family’s situation.

But we also see moments of love and happiness. And by the time the 2013 NBA Draft rolls around, we have such a rooting interest that we really don’t mind when the predictable feel-good elements kick in. That’s because “Rise” earns our emotional investment. And even though we ultimately know the outcome, the film’s payoff is just the kind heartwarming satisfaction we’re looking for. Sure, it’s a bit syrupy. But sometimes a little syrup hits the spot. “Rise” premieres today on Disney+.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

(CLICK HERE for my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Perhaps you’ve heard of the phenomenon that is “RRR”. In addition to being the most expensive Indian movie to date and setting several worldwide box office records, the Telugu-language action-drama has won the praise of critics and audiences from around the globe. A three-hour epic set in 1920 pre-independent India may not sound like the kind of blockbuster today’s crowds are groomed to enjoy. But this is no ordinary blockbuster. “RRR” may anchor itself in rich history, but its very much a work of wild, unbridled fiction. And the sheer audacity of what we see on screen is cinema excess at its very best.

Directed and co-written by S.S. Rajamouli, the rollicking “RRR” is nearly impossible to define. It starts ferocious, turns lighthearted, plays like a comedy one minute and hits you with a musical number the next. The style-heavy action can be as brutal as it is proudly over-the-top. Yet there are also moments of silliness, heartbreak, and romance. It’s a buddy movie, a celebration of culture, a searing critique of colonialism, an ode to big screen spectacle. You could even call it a superhero movie of the most unconventional kind.

That all may sound a little overwhelming, but don’t let it scare you away. Yes, there are numerous moving parts and even more genre influences. But Rajamouli harnesses it all into one mind-blowing stew that may defy definition, but that also reminds us of how movies can sweep us away in ways we never expect. This one certainly did me.

“RRR” (which we later learn stands for “Rise. Roar. Revolt.”) centers on two men who start as enemies, become friends, turn back to enemies, etc. The characters are based on two real-life revolutionaries, Komaram Bheem (played N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (played by Ram Charan). There’s no evidence the two leaders ever met in real life. But Rajamouli tosses aside any notion of historical restraints and imagines a fascinating “what-if” scenario.

The movie wastes no time setting up its villain(s) and its oppressive setting. The opening ventures deep into in the Adilabad forest where the cruel British Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his equally vile wife Catherine (Alison Doody) claim for themselves a young girl named Malli (Twinkle Sharma) belonging to a quiet off-the-grid Gond tribe. The reverberations of their abhorrent act are felt through the entirety of the movie’s hefty running time.

From there we get introductions to the two main characters and they give us a good sense of the kind of movie Rajamouli is shooting for. On the outskirts of Delhi, Raju (Ram Charan), a loyal soldier in the British army, single-handedly quells an massive uprising of angry locals with nothing more than wooden baton. Back in the forest, Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.), from the above-mentioned Gond tribe, displays his own superhuman prowess in a one-on-one with a man-eating tiger.

The paths of both men inevitably merge after Bheem is sent by his tribe to rescue Malli. But first he’ll need to find her. He begins his hunt in Delhi, masquerading as a local mechanic named Akhtar. The Governor gets word that a warrior is coming from the village, but they have no idea of his identity. Raju accepts the task of identifying and apprehending Bheem. If he brings him in alive, he’ll receive his much coveted promotion to special officer.

The first big twist follows a chance meeting where Bheem and Raju join up to save a young boy’s life. The two end up developing a close friendship, with neither realizing the other’s true identity. Their male bonding takes the story in some comical directions while a budding romance between Bheem and a kind-hearted Brit named Jenny (Olivia Morris) leads to a gloriously absurd and completely out-of-the-blue song-and-dance number (welcome to Tollywood).

But secretly both Bheem and Raju continue their individual missions, leading to an inevitable clash once their identities are fully revealed. And all of that happens in the first half of the film. The second half isn’t as playful. It’s darker and bloodier, yet still maintains its bombast and over-the-top verve. The action scenes (shot by DP K.K. Senthil Kumar) only get wilder and are infused with mind-blowing choreography and top-notch CGI. And while the movie (to its credit) never loses sight of its two main characters, most people will leave the film talking about its outrageously fun set-pieces.

When taken all together, “RRR” plays like a rich and often pointed fable. It has an infectious charm in large part thanks to the bigger-than-life performances from Charan and Rao Jr., two of Tollywood’s biggest stars. Themes of fate, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal are intertwined with a sharp-edged dissection of colonialism and the oppression that follows in its wake. But what amazes most is the movie’s ability to be both heavy and light, funny and serious, utterly ridiculous and surprisingly thought-provoking. And Rajamouli’s ability to make it all gel is as superhuman as anything his two lead characters pull. “RRR” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS