Tag: Crime

The Dark Knight: Still Nope

The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight features and masterful performance by Heath Ledger and is a nihilistic movie I despise.* While every actor involved is excellent** I do not think that plot points hold up.*** Again, Gotham looks great**** though the cool monorail has disappeared and the Wayne building is entirely different than in the first movie.

The verdict: Skip

Read the Wikipedia summary and you can move right on to the next in the series.

Cost: free because Matt owns two DVD copies of this film.
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*Psychopaths with no plan who want to cause only chaos do not make for an interesting film. There’s a bleak worldview that runs through this that only gets bleaker as the film wears on. It’s like everyone involved making this movie was going through a divorce, declaring bankruptcy, and their dog, wife, or child died while filming. I gave it a second viewing because everyone loves this film, but I do not like it, not at all.
**Maggie Gyllenhaal was a particularly good addition to the cast.
***”Where is he getting all his weapons?” I asked as the Joker picked up a bazooka/big gun thing and started firing. The Joker says that explosives are cheap, but they aren’t that cheap. I don’t buy that someone who aspires to be an agent of chaos would have this much discipline to coordinate the details of his nefarious scheme.
****Though again, where are the women? That entire police funeral was 95% dudes.

Questions:

  • If you are a person who likes this film, what makes it great for you?
  • What’s your favorite version of Batman?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

While filming a chase scene on Lake Street, the Chicago Police Department received several calls from concerned citizens stating that the police were involved in a vehicle pursuit with a dark vehicle of unknown make or model.

Other reviews:

The Dark Knight

Insomnia is Worth Staying Awake For

Insomnia

The review:

Christopher Nolan’s 2002 remake of 1997’s Insomnia (also called Insomnia) is a slow thriller* where the point is not really who done it,** but how this is all going to play out.*** Much like what I’ve heard about 2019’s Midsommar, the endless light makes for a fun turnabout setting for the noir plot. Both Hilary Swank and Al Pachino were fun to watch: her turn from a fan to a questioner and him from calm and confident to shambling mess.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Thus making it not actually thrilling, but interesting.
**A wikipedia article on the term whodunit/whodunnit.
**I liked this setup as the big name star who didn’t appear on screen until minute 58 was clearly the guy who done it.

Questions:

  • Do you think he meant to do it?
  • Are you more of a fan of serious Robin Williams, or funny Robin Willimas? Why?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Similar to the 1999 movie, Mystery, Alaska; all of Insomnia was shot in Canada. Only aerial photography of Alaska was used.

Other reviews:

Insomnia

Monster: Great Performances!

Monster

The review:

In Monster, Patty Jenkins directs Charlize Theron to an Oscar-winning performance, but also provides a nuanced portrait of a serial killer. Aside from Theron’s full command of the screen,* Christina Ricci turns in a masterful performance as Selby.** Many things disturbed me about this film,*** but in the good kind of way that means I’m not ignoring depressing things about real life.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free via Roku (with ads)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I loved her can-do spirit when she was feeling up and the contrasting low points. Theron’s physicality was great too, the way she captured Aileen’s reach out/pull back energy.
**The unsure ingenue-type who also was a bit whiny and I never really understood why SHE didn’t go and get a job. What a fun performance!
***The low prices for sex acts, for one. The number of men depicted who are willing to pay for sex. The casual discarding of women who are sex workers.

Questions:

  • What kind of world would we have to live in so none of the events of this movie would take place?
  • Did you find Aileen to be a likable character? Why or why not?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Charlize Theron said in an interview that she was confused when Patty Jenkins approached her for the role. “Why me?” she asked the director. “These are usually the [roles] that I have to go out there and sweat blood and kill somebody for.” Jenkins’ reply was “Honestly, I just looked at you, and I looked at everybody else, and I said to myself, ‘I could kick the other actors’ asses. You, I’m not so sure.'”

Other reviews:

Monster

Following is a Brief Film

Following

The review:

Christopher Nolan’s Following is embryonic Nolan,* and is a good showcase of what we put up with in the 90s when it came to independent films.** I always enjoy a shifting timeline, so that was a win, but I found that the distance of all of the characters made it difficult to care about what was happening on screen.*** It’s nice to know that better Nolan films were on deck.

The verdict: Skip

(Unless Nolan Completest, or watching to keep up with Filmspotting’s Oeuvre-view.)

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play****
Where watched: at home

Consider watching these other Christopher Nolan films instead:

Further sentences:

*Including its paltry 69-minute (that’s one hour and nine minutes!) run time.
**A lot, including so-so acting. This wasn’t quite the showcase of 90s indie annoyances as Next Stop Wonderland was, but it did have a lot of them.
***The black and white felt like a bit much.
****The median length of a film between 1994 and 2015 is 107 minutes which means this should have cost $1.70 proportionally. (And yes! I just used algebra to solve that problem!)

Questions:

  • What did you think of Lucy Russell’s acting? Decent for the role that was written? Or not good?
  • Did you figure out the ending before the ending?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Principal photography of this film took more than one year. Because all cast and crew members had other full-time jobs they were only able to film about 15 minutes of footage on Saturdays until photography had been completed.

Following
(I do!)

Amy Ryan Shines in Lost Girls

Lost Girls

The review:

Liz Garbus’s Lost Girls provides a good vehicle for Amy Ryan to be steely,* Thomasin McKenzie to do some accent work, and Lola Kirke to be sparkly.** This is one of those films where nothing is really wrong with the narrative but it also doesn’t lend itself to gushing accolades. I appreciate it for calling out the disposable nature of women*** and the afterword caused me to gasp.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee $8.99
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Always enjoyable!
**I last saw her in the excellent Mistress America, where she was tight-laced and tentative.
***Especially ones who work in jobs that can be morally judged.

Questions:

  • What do you think drives Mari Gilbert, even before her daughter turns up missing?
  • How did you feel about the ending to this film?

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

The photos shown of the victims, are the actual real life victims.

Other reviews:

Lost Girls

Queen & Slim Should be on Your To-watch List

Queen & Slim

The review:

Melina Matsoukas’s debut feature* Queen & Slim gives us a zeitgeist film that has (unfortunately) flown under most people’s radar. Daniel Kaluuya (Slim) and Jodie Turner-Smith** (Queen) begin as a couple on an awkward date, though their fates change when they are pulled over.*** What follows is a lot of different films: road trip, political story, heist, escape, love story and by the final scene the movie will have taken you on a rough and fulfilling journey.****

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*If this is any indication of what’s to come, we have a very exciting filmmaker to watch.
**In this very American story, it was interesting to hear the two leads’ British accents during the making-of bonus features.
***Even people who don’t follow the news will recognize that a plot point involving Black people and a traffic stop doesn’t bode well.
****I went in mostly blind to this film. I heard “really good!” and “women director” and didn’t look further. It’s the kind of film where people might dismiss as too sad, but there’s so much life among the sadness, I would suggest you don’t pass it by.

Questions:

  • What are your feelings about Queen and Slim being viewed as heros?
  • What was your favorite encounter the couple had on their journey?

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

According to the writer, the divergent world views of the two protagonists were based on the differences between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

Other reviews:

Queen & Slim

Richard Jewell Includes Good Acting, Director Opinions

Richard Jewell

The review:

Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell is a little too clear about the director’s feelings about the media and the F.B.I.,* but what this film does well is ably recreate the somewhat claustrophobic circumstances Richard Jewell is reduced to when the tables are turned on him.** I was excited to see Paul Walter Hauser as the titular character and I thought it was unfortunate he didn’t make the cut for Best Actor.*** The rest of the cast was also good and I like that Jewell’s sad-but-true story got movie status.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Jubitz Theater (The audience included five other women and one man, which I thought was an interesting distribution. Also, the man would not stop talking to his movie-going companion. This is the second Jubitz feature in a row where the audience gets a D for etiquette)

Consider also watching these other Clint Eastwood films:

Further sentences:

*Both are bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. You can’t believe how bad they are. Although you can when you watch this movie because both institutions might as well have had a neon arrow saying BAD pointing at them through the duration of the film.
**I’ve lived in apartment complexes like the one depicted in the film and while they are fine places to live, they can seem dark and claustrophobic, especially when you spend most of your day in them.
***He was great at still being sympathetic and likable even while being off-putting and making not good choices. That’s a high tightrope to walk. Nomination-wise, I would have subbed him in for Johnathan Pryce’s Pope Francis.

Questions:

  • What do you remember about the 1996 Summer Olympics?
  • Kathy Bates’s Best Supporting Actress nomination. Deserved? Yea or nay?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

All of the Atlanta Olympic Games logos in the film are missing the 5 rings. The International Olympic Committee denied the use of the rings for copyright protection and to “protect the use of the iconic emblem”.

Other reviews:

Richard Jewell

Red Rock West is the Best Noir Western

The review:

John Dahl’s Red Rock West was a film I watched in the mid-90s* and remember enjoying, but wasn’t sure how it had aged. I’m here to tell you that this film still retains all that was good in the 90s, is the best Noir/Western you will ever watch and has a Cage performance that is the perfect amount of Cage, plus Dennis Hopper being creepy in a fun way, not in a Blue Velvet way.** If you can find your way to this little gem, do partake.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $15.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theatre, with a Q&A by director John Dahl as part of the Hollywood’s “Cage Uncaged” series.

Consider also watching other peak Cage:

  • Face/Off
  • The Rock
  • Leaving Las Vegas
  • Gone in 60 Seconds
  • Matchstick Men
  • Wild at Heart
  • Adaptation

The lack of links is an indication that this movie blog and Peak Cage have not overlapped. I’ve seen all of those films, but prior to 2008. Here’s Roger Ebert’s review of Matchstick Men

Further sentences:

*It was recommended by my then-roommate, with whom I had almost nothing in common. Her father, however, watched a lot of good movies which meant some of those good movie trickled down to her.
**Props also to J.T. Walsh who is excellent as bar owner Wayne. Or “Wayner” as Hopper calls him.

Questions:

  • Have you seen Red Rock West?
  • What is your favorite Nicolas Cage role?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Dwight Yoakam brought his own pistol for his role as the truck driver. His hit single, “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” is used during the film’s closing credits. The version used is a studio demo recording, not the one from the album This Time.

(According to the Q&A I attended, Yoakam asked if Dahl needed an end-credits song, Dahl said yes, and 15 minutes later Yoakam called and played the song.)

Red Rock West

Joker Left Me Shrugging

Joker

The review:

Todd Phillips attempts to bring gravitas to the comic book movie genre with Joker. While the brouhaha was strong for this movie* the film exists so that Joaquin Phoenix can remind us that he is the best actor of his generation. The movie is not nearly as bloody as I had assumed from the chatter, but the story didn’t hold** and ultimately I was left shrugging.

The verdict: Skip

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*Joker is horrible, the worst of modern movies, Todd Phillips is a hack/Joker is a masterpiece, the pinnacle of achievement, Todd Phillips is a genius.
**I’m on bored with Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness, it’s just he’s so incredibly fragile it seems there is no way he can recover enough to actually plot crimes to try and defeat Batman. I see there is a Joker 2 in the works, so presumably we will get a follow up.

Questions:

  • If you thought this film was a masterpiece, what qualities elevated it for you?
  • If you thought this film was horrible, what qualities left you with that impression?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Joaquin Phoenix said about the 52 lb weight loss: “Once you reach the target weight, everything changes. Like so much of what’s difficult is waking up every day and being obsessed over like 0.3 pounds. Right? And you really develop like a disorder. I mean, it’s wild. But I think the interesting thing for me is what I had expected and anticipated with the weight loss was these feelings of dissatisfaction, hunger, a certain kind of vulnerability and a weakness. But what I didn’t anticipate was this feeling of kind of fluidity that I felt physically. I felt like I could move my body in ways that I hadn’t been able to before. And I think that really lent itself to some of the physical movement that started to emerge as an important part of the character.”

Other reviews:

Joker

Uncut Gems Never Stops

Uncut Gems

The review:

Benny and Josh Safdie’s Uncut Gems had me so amped up that by the end, I don’t think a restorative yoga class combined with a massage could have calmed me down.* While not a movie to unwind with, this is a crazy good movie you should watch for the acting,** and the overly oppressive environment depicted. Prepare yourself for uncertainty; there were several times that I asked myself, “How in the world is this film ever going to end?”

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $9.75
Where watched: Living Room Theater (Part II of New Year’s Eve Double Feature!)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*This movie never stops. Adam Sandler never stops talking. He never stops scheming. He doesn’t stop working every angle he can. And the people coming after him are similarly persistent.
**Will Adam Sandler win an Oscar for this? I could see it. Julia Fox as Sandler’s girlfriend also hits all the notes of the twinkie in the city. LaKeith Stanfield is always reliable, in this case as a guy who brings the rich black guys to Sandler’s store. Idina Menzel was super interesting as Sandler’s wife. She savvy, which feels like a departure from what the wife character tends to default to. Oh! And Judd Hirsch has a small role too.

Questions:

  • If you had to spend time with one of the characters in this movie, who would you choose?
  • What other comedians do you like in dramatic roles?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The first draft of the script was written in 2009. In 2012, the Safdie Brothers gave Adam Sandler the screenplay, which he declined. After that, they considered Harvey Keitel and Sacha Baron Cohen for the role of Howard before the Safdie Brothers decided the part needed a younger actor like first intended. When the movie got financed after the success of Good Time in 2017, the role went to Jonah Hill, then back to Sandler in 2018.

(I often marvel that any movie ever gets made)

Other reviews:

Uncut Gems