Review – Showing Up

Showing Up (2023)


PG-13  ‧ Drama  ‧ 1 Hour 48 Minutes

Written by Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt

Directed by Kelly Reichardt

THE CAST

  • Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, André Benjamin, James Le Gros, and Judd Hirsch

THE STORY

(In their own words).A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt’s vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Acting – Solid acting throughout the film. 
  2. Hidden Meaning – This is a very subtle film. There are messages and meanings behind a lot of things that I do not believe are apparent right away. 
  3. Thoughtful – This is piece designed to make you think; about art, its process, why we make, how we explore it, etc. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Not Much Happens – There isn’t a lot that happens during the film. It’s a kind of simple story with little things happening along the way. It’s easy to walk away from the film wondering why it was even made.
  2. Lack Of Impact – Kind of made me feel like a Vulcan when I left the film. I didn’t really have any feelings about it. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, nothing really stood out as a big moment for me. 

THE COMMENTS

Films like this are interesting because they remind me of why I loved theatre. It definitely doesn’t feel like a play, but you know there is a lot of thought put into it. There’s things in the film that are metaphors, like the broken wing of the pigeon the two leads are trying to help mend. So few things happen in the story, you know when something does, it is symbolic or important to the director and/or writers. So then you catch yourself thinking about the movie wondering why certain elements are in it. So it lingers. The film just lingers with you in the back of your mind as your subconscious is working out what you see. That’s what is so fascinating by this film. 

I’m writing this two days after having seen it and I still can’t figure out what the point of the film is….and I want to know! I wasn’t bored during the film. I was interested in the characters, it was building toward some dramatic tension at the end, that to me, felt like a misdirection. But mostly likely intentional. The director did a good job keeping me engaged when very little was happening. And that’s a real good thing when so many movies these days are non-stop faced paced action machines. Sometimes, you just need to sit in the moment.

This film is somewhere between a “slice of life” piece and a “character driven” piece. I would go with the former because I think a good character piece needs to have an arc around one or more of the characters and not much changes for any of them through the film. 

I have no doubt this film is going to be under-appreciated by most people, including myself. 

THE LESSON

I honestly don’t know yet. But here’s my guess, “you are not as broken as you think you are.” I might have a different one tomorrow. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Maybe. I don’t know. If I did, it would be for a class probably. I’m not excited about seeing it again, but I might be okay with it. See if I get more meaning. 

THE FINAL WORD

There’s a lot more beneath the surface of this film. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It’s well-acted, well-crafted, and is an exercise in finding the deeper meanings in the things you see on screen. Part “slice of life” part “character” it is a much slower pace than a lot of the movies I’ve seen lately, but it also has a lot more meaning than most of those. The film really delves into the making of art and those who create it. A simple film with a lot going for it, but it isn’t one I expect to leave a lasting impression. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I’m giving Showing Up a “Like It” because it did really get me thinking about the film and that is an accomplishment. I’m still trying to figure out parts of it…in a good way. 

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Review: Dungeons & Dragons:Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Adventure/Fantasy  ‧ 2 Hours 20 Minutes

Written by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein & Michael Gilio

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

THE CAST

Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Choloe Coleman, Daisy Head

THE STORY

(In their own words). A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Story – It’s a really fun and exciting story.
  2. The Ensemble – The actors really do a great job of giving the sense that these are people who know each other really well. It feels like long-time friendships and a clear loving bond between them all. They do wonderful jobs acting off of one another helping move along the script.
  3. The Humor – I found the film really funny. Played perfectly even within the ridiculous character situations they were put in. They consistently played the truth of the moment and brought on the laughter. 
Justice Smith plays Simon, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. There are a couple of predictable elements in the film, but I am largely forgiving of them as they seemed to be inevitable things that had to happen in this type of story. 
Daisy Head plays Sofina in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE COMMENTS

This Dungeons & Dragons film is everything I could have hoped for in an adventure film.  It was fresh, funny, moved along quickly, the acting was really good, the ensemble really played really well off of each other. 

One of the first questions I get from people about the film is “Will I like it if I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons before?” The answer is yes. I’ve only played it myself a couple of times, despite being a well-known nerd amongst my peers. So I did not notice most of the in-world references they made, but I never felt like I was missing anything, I didn’t even realize I missed little things until I talked to some of my guests at the screening. For our press screening I brought with me three people who in their own life play Dungeons & Dragons as Dungeon Masters, and they filled me in on a bunch of the little “inside baseball” jokes or references I didn’t catch. So, I will say that your experience will be even richer if you’ve played it before, but it’s still an amazingly entertaining movie without that knowledge.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE LESSON

The love that is with you is more important than the love that you look back on. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, I can’t wait to see it again. 

THE FINAL WORD

This film is the most fun I’ve had in the theater this year. It is a fast-paced, fun adventure, worthy of the Dungeons & Dragons moniker. Chris Pine leads a stellar ensemble with poise, humor, and foundation of love and friendship for this band of thieves. You do not have to have ever played D&D to enjoy this film, but if you have, you will really enjoy the insider nods to that world. This film has everything I could hope for from an adventure film. I was very much a skeptic that they would ever make a good film in this franchise and I am more than happy to be proven wrong. More action adventure films should be this well-made. 

Sophia Lillis plays Doric in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves gets a Love It.

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Review: Scream VI

SCREAM VI (2023)
R  ‧ Slasher Horror ‧ Hours Minutes

Written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick

Directed by Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

THE CAST

Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE STORY

(In their own words). Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

THE PREFACE

Okay, I have to make a confession before I start this review. I have only seen Scream 1 & 2, and to be completely honest I don’t even remember Scream 2 much. I also have a vague recollection that in some film in the franchise they started doing a thing where they were making a movie about the events in Scream but it was a fictional world within the fictional universe of Scream. But I didn’t know how it went. So I went into this film not knowing a lot of what is going on. I thought,  “A good film should stand on its own and make me just want to go see the films I missed. 

Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), left, and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter” star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The thrills. I was thrilled the entire movie. It was just super exciting. I don’t know if it’s because I was in the dark from the past movies, or if it was repetitive, or if there were swerves from the last film that I wasn’t picking on. All I know is that I was fully engaged and riveted the entire film. It works on its own. Having not known about a majority of the cast, I never felt lost. There were times I figured I should know more, but I think they did a great job of keeping the film self-contained while bringing in information that we need to know.
  2. The humor. I was honestly shocked to go back and look and see that none of the previous films are labeled horror comedies.  There’s this element of self awareness and meta humor within it that I was sure it was also a comedy. The creators just identify each of the films as a slasher horror, but this film I really do think has enough humor to get the horror comedy label.
  3. The ensemble. I think this is a pretty terrific ensemble of friends that we get to watch in this film. The acting between each other is nice, they come off as truly having a long term friendship that works well together. The acting across the board is pretty good.
L-r, Mason Gooding (“Chad Meeks-Martin”), Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy Meeks-Martin”), Devyn Nekoda (“Anika Kayoko”) and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter”) star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

  1. This is pure entertainment. I think the best horrors, the best comedies, the best of filmmaking happens when there is a social commentary being made. To say that this film is trying to get out a message  would be a paper thin argument.
  2. There’s some real twisting of laws of physics and common sense that needs to happen in order to make a lot of points of the film move forward. Suspension of disbelief needs to be pushed really far for this. 
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE COMMENTS

I don’t know how this ranks in the series. I need to see the rest of the series. I have no idea how much this film repeats itself from other films. All I know is that what was presented to me was pretty exciting. This film has made me want to go back, watch the original, then see all the ones I missed.

THE LESSON
The past comes back to you. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. In fact, I want very much just to see how well the ending works/makes sense. And I will rewatch as I go back to view the whole series.  

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE FINAL WORD

A thoroughly entertaining thrill ride. I have not seen the last three films in this series and it made me want to run out and watch them all. It’s a pretty exciting film with a really terrific ensemble of actors. While it certainly has the violence for a slasher label, the film is full of really funny moments. In fact, there are elements that seem so absurd, I was a little surprised to discover it isn’t labeled a horror comedy. I could never have predicted the sixth installment of any horror film would be something I’d have been happy to have seen. But this one got me, it really got me. You scream, I scream, we all scream for Scream VI. 

. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Scream VI gets a strong Like It. 

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Review:Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

PG-13  ‧ Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy ‧ 2 Hours 5 Minutes 

Written by Jeff Loveness

Directed by ‎Peyton Reed

THE CAST

Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian, Bill Murray

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Visually stunning. It’s like everyone’s imaginations have just come to life. 
  2. I think it’s the most appropriately funny of the films. While all Marvel has comedy, I feel like Ant-Man is built for it.
  3. Great new villain in Kang the Conqueror. I’m very excited to see where this goes. 
  4. Paul Rudd continues being a very relatable superhero. He gives us that glimmer of hope that we might one day be able to fill his shoes. He’s a regular guy who happens to surround himself with brilliant people who will help him be a better man.
  5. The whole film either met or exceeded my expectations. 

THE WORST

Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The beginning of the film is great, as we are learning about the world, then it tapers off a bit quickly and I don’t feel entirely fulfilled by the things I learned. Some of “the world” just wasn’t explained enough. 
  2. While it does a wonderful job of spectacle, I don’t think the film was great for character development. I don’t think any of the characters really changed to any significant degree over the course of the film. It just really squanders the opportunity to elevate it over just another event and be a powerful film.
  3. As much as I liked the film, I feel like it’s starting to feel redundant. It’s like the dopamine hits the films used to provide are just not lasting as long. I’m watching incredible visual films and in the back of my head I’m thinking. Is this it?
  4. I really wanted to get into Kang’s backstory more. If he is being set up as a villain, they really need to show us why he’s doing what he’s doing. The best hero stories really invest the time in developing the villains, and for me, they just didn’t do that in this film.

THE COMMENTS

The MCU has hit a dangerous spot. Endgame was such a masterpiece with so much building to it, it doesn’t seem like that is something it could ever replicate again, but it has to try. They are releasing so much content, it’s hard to keep track. This film should have had a huge wow factor, but as creative as it was, you get the feeling like you’ve seen this before. The introduction of Kang The Conqueror is interesting because he seems to be different. We don’t know completely what is behind his motivations, but it seems to have potential. I really wish they had gotten more into Kang’s backstory, because I wasn’t invested in rooting against him enough. 

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

THE LESSON

Keeping secrets is never a good idea. Keep communication going and you won’t accidentally be sucked into the quantum realm. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. There’s so much to take in visually, I don’t think you can catch it all at once. 

THE FINAL WORD

A thoroughly entertaining and visual spectacle of a film that is propped up by really solid actors. This film is clearly the set up for the next big phase of Marvel films and you get that the studio really wanted to wow the audience with visuals and potential for the future. Disappointing is the lack of character growth within the story. It’s really a missed opportunity since it was full of such talented actors. Jonathan Majors is excellent with what he is given for the role. I look forward to seeing what he has to offer the franchise and just hope Marvel Studios will not forget what got the films so popular in the first place.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

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Review: Knock At The Cabin

Knock At The Cabin (2023)


R ‧ Mystery Horror ‧1 H 40 Minutes
Written by M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman
Based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay

Directed by ‎M. Night Shyamalan

(from left) Adriane (Abby Quinn), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Leonard (Dave Bautista) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE CAST

  • Dave Bautista as Leonard
  • Jonathan Groff as Eric
  • Ben Aldridge as Andrew
  • Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina
  • Kristen Cui as Wen
  • Abby Quinn as Adriane
  • Rupert Grint as Redmond

THE STORY

(In their own words) While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

Kristen Cui as Wen in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The actors. In particular, Dave Bautista. This is perhaps his best performance yet. He isn’t the only one though, the acting was really good from everyone and  really the entire Ensemble worked really well together.
  2. The story – it was tense, suspenseful, a good balance of thriller and horror, I really wanted to know how it was going to end, and with this Director, I really had no idea which made it extra fun.
  3. The Direction – I really like the way the story was told, bouncing between the current events and back to moments between the parents to learn more about their love for each other and how they got their daughter. The pacing was really nice, the tension and the thrills were constant. I never knew where it was going to go nor could I predict the ending. I genuinely was tense trying to guess how he would end the film. 
(from left) Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Leonard (Dave Bautista) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1.  It’s very serious and if you are hoping for some comedic moments to break tension, you wont get it.
  2. Do not watch the trailer. Too much given away from the trailer. Your enjoyment will be based on how little you know.

THE REVIEW

Okay, confession time. I am a sucker for apocalypse movies. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because of my own fears of the afterlife and confusion with religion, so I embrace these types of films and really try to get into them and find it a source of entertainment rather than fear. I don’t know. So, I went into the film wanting to like it. I mean, I do most of the time, but I have a fondness for M. Night Shyamalan, so this was extra. This was more of a, “don’t disappoint me, M., and I’ll like it. And I wasn’t disappointed and I really liked it. 

For me, there’s a lot to like about this film. The acting is solid, the story is interesting, the pacing moves fast, and we get a morality tale and discussion points. It really hits all the points well that I like in a movie. I think this is in the upper half of M. Night Shyamalan films.

I really can’t say too much about the film without giving away important points. If this was a baseball game, I think the film hit a standing double. I think it will be rewatchable and age well. While it has tone of a lot of the director’s previous movies, he does some things differently that are an improvement.

And NOT SPOILING……even after a full day to think about it….I really like the ending. Not everyone will, but I really did. 

(from left) Leonard (Dave Bautista) and Wen (Kristen Cui, back to camera) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE LESSON

Less of a lesson and more of something to think about; What will you sacrifice for love and what won’t you. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. And unlike a lot of M. Night Shyamalan films, the whole film doesn’t rely on some giant twist. That would make it less enjoyable the next time. 

THE FINAL WORD

M. Night Shyamalan delivers a solid, tense, thriller/horror that stays within the spirit of his previous works, but also packs a punch without relying on his old tricks. David Bautista is a stand out performer in this with his best performance to date. This terrific ensemble gives us a fast paced pending apocalypse story that will keep you wondering how this will end all the way to the last moment. While this may not be Shyamalan’s best work, it’s probably in the upper half of his filmography. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Knock At The Cabin gets a Like It.

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Review: Alice, Darling

Review: Alice, Darling

Review: Alice, Darling

Alice, Darling (2023)
R ‧ Psychological Drama/Thriller ‧ 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Written by Alanna Francis

Directed by ‎Mary Nighy

THE CAST

Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick, and Wunmi Mosaku.

THE STORY

(In their own words) In ALICE, DARLING, Oscar® nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) is Alice in this taut thriller about a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Simon. While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering – and, once unleashed, it tests Alice’s strength, her courage, and the bonds of her deep-rooted friendships.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

  1. Seeing Anna Kendrick in a very different role. I haven’t seen her do this emotional of a role before, one where she gets to dive into a character that is suffering from her current extremely unhealthy relationship. I think she does a fine job. 
  1. It jumps right in the middle of Alice’s story. You don’t see a lot of films that choose to do this part of an emotionally abusive story. Usually you see the start of the relationship and watch some of the time together and then watch them get out. Which really rushes the film. By starting with her in the midst of it, you are forced to focus on the after effects of the relationship without concern about why she got into it in the first place. It’s a refreshingly different choice for this type of movie and makes it stand out from the trappings of an often-told story.
  2. The intimacy of the film. This is a small cast. I really enjoy watching films with not a lot of actors as the main focus. There are other people in the film, but they are incidental interactions. This film gives a lot of opportunity for the actors to really play and act off of each other in longer scenes. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. We never really get a chance to find out “why”. We want to know why Alice got into this situation and the steps it took to find herself in it. We get hints about what she was like before, but never learn what attracted her to Simon in the first place. In this type of film, we as the audience are looking for a clear lesson or warning that others can take away to not end up in the situation. But this isn’t a film that shows us the red flags early on, we are already in battle when the film starts.
  2. The film tries to bill itself as a thriller, but the way it plays out, it really feels more like a psychological drama. A lot of the ‘thrill” of it is a misdirection from the marketing and trailer. While Alice is definitely heightened in her nervousness and intensity, I wouldn’t call the film or story itself a thriller. 

THE LESSON

Friendships remind you of not just who you were, but how safe you feel when you are able to be yourself. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes.

THE FINAL WORD

Anna Kendrick does a fine job in an unexpected role playing a woman trying to reconnect with friends while in the midst of an emotionally abusive relationship. The film is very honest, accurate, tense, and at times, uncomfortable to watch. While it isn’t a profound film, its importance lies in seeing the trauma that this kind of relationship can have on someone. The film will be very triggering for some but possibly cathartic in watching a shared experience.  There’s a lot to like about this film; the writing, the performances, yet somehow I ended feeling like I only got half a story. I’m unsure whether that is the fault of the script or the fault of my expectations for what the story should be. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Alice, Darling gets a Like It. 

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