by Josh Sewell
Killers of the Flower Moon
(Rated R for violence, some grisly images, and language. Opens in theaters October 20.)
The premise: Based on the horrifying true story, filmmaker Martin Scorsese (who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth, adapting David Grann’s best-selling book) sheds light on the tragedy and betrayal that befell the Osage Nation at the turn of the 20th century, when the oil boom made them some of the world’s richest people overnight. However, this wealth attracted shady manipulators like William Hale (Robert De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonard DiCaprio), who took advantage of the racist legal system to murder, extort, and steal from rightful beneficiaries like Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone).
The verdict: I think a lot of people assumed 2019’s The Irishman might serve as Scorsese’s swan song – not only because the iconic filmmaker is well into his twilight years, but also because the bleak, darkly funny crime drama acted as a fitting elegy for the kind of mob movies he’s famous for. And that’s without mentioning it’s a near-masterpiece.
Instead, just three years later, Scorsese has delivered another epic tale chronicling the dark side of the American Dream that is somehow even more powerful and emotionally resonant. The guy turns 81 next month and he’s releasing one of the greatest films of his long, illustrious career. Amazing.
Scorsese mostly keeps the focus within Osage territory, so viewers get to know the people at the heart of these horrible crimes. That’s a welcome shift from the source material, which focuses significantly on the early days of the FBI and its investigation into the conspiracy.
However, outstanding as both DiCaprio and De Niro are (it marks the first time the frequent Scorsese collaborators have worked with him at the same time, and they both deliver some of the best performances of their esteemed careers), it’s jarring to see the horrors of genocide primarily through the eyes of its white perpetrators. Considering the conflict at the narrative’s center, it feels like the primary focus should be on Mollie, the film’s raw, grieving heart.
The phenomenal Gladstone proves she would’ve been more than capable of carrying the film on her shoulders. (I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t receive a Best Actress nomination.) That being said, DiCaprio does work as a Trojan horse to bring in mainstream viewers who might not have sought out the film otherwise. Plus, showing most of the tragedy from Ernest’s perspective does help illustrate the dull, businesslike nature of true evil.
The mammoth three-and-a-half-hour running time will probably scare away some folks, but – much like “The Irishman” – the brisk pacing and expert editing from Scorsese’s trusted collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker means it doesn’t feel that long. (I didn’t even need a bathroom break, which is rare for me.)
Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is beautiful, reminiscent of his work on 2005’s Brokeback Mountain. It’s still wild to me that he shot this film and Barbie back-to-back. He had quite a year.
Although Killers of the Flower Moon will eventually be available on Apple TV+, the corporation seems to be taking a lesson from Netflix’s foolhardy treatment of The Irishman by giving it a wide theatrical release. I wholeheartedly recommend seeing it on the big screen. Not only is the sure-fire awards contender one of the year’s best films, it also provides moviegoers an opportunity to show studios there’s still a place for complex, grown-up movies at the multiplex.
Grade: A
The Canterville Ghost
(Rated PG for thematic elements, peril and some violence. Opens in theaters October 20.)
The premise: In this animated film (loosely based on Oscar Wilde’s short story), an American family moves into a spacious country home in England, only to find it has been haunted by a ghost for over 300 years. Sir Simon de Canterville (Stephen Fry) is used to scaring away new owners, but the new occupants are more intrigued than frightened.
The verdict: Despite its crude, simplistic animation style – which grew on me after a bit – this British flick is a harmless, mildly spooky choice for kids who aren’t quite ready for full-blown horror movies. I didn’t even know The Canterville Ghost existed until the screener showed up in my inbox, so I was surprised to learn it’s getting a fairly wide release this weekend.
If it’s been a while since you’ve taken the kids to a movie, this one will introduce them to animation outside of the usual Disney and DreamWorks templates. The screenplay (credited to Keiron Self and Giles New) definitely takes some inspiration from Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, but there’s a surprising amount of heart as well. What’s more, the impressive voice cast – including Fry, Hugh Laurie, Freddie Highmore, Emily Carey, Toby Jones and Imelda Staunton – actually takes their jobs seriously instead of phoning it in for a paycheck.
Grade: B-
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
(Rated PG-13 for some strong language and suggestive material. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Director Sam Wrench captured the Los Angeles leg of Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour, crafting an epic concert film that offers viewers a front row seat to her history-making show.
The verdict: Judging from last weekend’s staggering box office results, most hardcore Swifties have already seen this entertaining movie (more of a filmed time capsule, really), but those who are waiting for the crowds to die down are in for a treat. The Eras Tour turned out to be a really fun viewing experience.
To be honest, I was expecting chaos and a less-than-ideal viewing experience. Instead, when my daughter and I walked into our 9:00 p.m. screening last Friday, it wasn’t crowded at all (likely because of the near-constant loop of start times) and everyone was on their best behavior. Nobody screamed like they were seeing the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and patrons were scattered enough that we all had an unobstructed view of the screen.
Granted, almost everybody sang along with Swift’s memorable songs, but they did it at a reasonable volume. No one was trying to compete with the theater’s giant speakers. (My 13-year-old daughter tried to play it cool at first, but within a few minutes she was singing too.)
Coming from someone who was lucky enough to see Swift in person when she played Atlanta earlier this year, The Eras Tour is a terrific consolation prize for the millions of fans who weren’t able to get tickets. It’s not the entire concert (a few songs from her setlist were cut from the flick), but it’s pretty darn close.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for violence, some grisly images, and language. Opens in theaters October 20.)
The premise: Based on the horrifying true story, filmmaker Martin Scorsese (who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth, adapting David Grann’s best-selling book) sheds light on the tragedy and betrayal that befell the Osage Nation at the turn of the 20th century, when the oil boom made them some of the world’s richest people overnight. However, this wealth attracted shady manipulators like William Hale (Robert De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonard DiCaprio), who took advantage of the racist legal system to murder, extort, and steal from rightful beneficiaries like Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone).
The verdict: I think a lot of people assumed 2019’s The Irishman might serve as Scorsese’s swan song – not only because the iconic filmmaker is well into his twilight years, but also because the bleak, darkly funny crime drama acted as a fitting elegy for the kind of mob movies he’s famous for. And that’s without mentioning it’s a near-masterpiece.
Instead, just three years later, Scorsese has delivered another epic tale chronicling the dark side of the American Dream that is somehow even more powerful and emotionally resonant. The guy turns 81 next month and he’s releasing one of the greatest films of his long, illustrious career. Amazing.
Scorsese mostly keeps the focus within Osage territory, so viewers get to know the people at the heart of these horrible crimes. That’s a welcome shift from the source material, which focuses significantly on the early days of the FBI and its investigation into the conspiracy.
However, outstanding as both DiCaprio and De Niro are (it marks the first time the frequent Scorsese collaborators have worked with him at the same time, and they both deliver some of the best performances of their esteemed careers), it’s jarring to see the horrors of genocide primarily through the eyes of its white perpetrators. Considering the conflict at the narrative’s center, it feels like the primary focus should be on Mollie, the film’s raw, grieving heart.
The phenomenal Gladstone proves she would’ve been more than capable of carrying the film on her shoulders. (I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t receive a Best Actress nomination.) That being said, DiCaprio does work as a Trojan horse to bring in mainstream viewers who might not have sought out the film otherwise. Plus, showing most of the tragedy from Ernest’s perspective does help illustrate the dull, businesslike nature of true evil.
The mammoth three-and-a-half-hour running time will probably scare away some folks, but – much like “The Irishman” – the brisk pacing and expert editing from Scorsese’s trusted collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker means it doesn’t feel that long. (I didn’t even need a bathroom break, which is rare for me.)
Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is beautiful, reminiscent of his work on 2005’s Brokeback Mountain. It’s still wild to me that he shot this film and Barbie back-to-back. He had quite a year.
Although Killers of the Flower Moon will eventually be available on Apple TV+, the corporation seems to be taking a lesson from Netflix’s foolhardy treatment of The Irishman by giving it a wide theatrical release. I wholeheartedly recommend seeing it on the big screen. Not only is the sure-fire awards contender one of the year’s best films, it also provides moviegoers an opportunity to show studios there’s still a place for complex, grown-up movies at the multiplex.
Grade: A
(Rated PG for thematic elements, peril and some violence. Opens in theaters October 20.)
The premise: In this animated film (loosely based on Oscar Wilde’s short story), an American family moves into a spacious country home in England, only to find it has been haunted by a ghost for over 300 years. Sir Simon de Canterville (Stephen Fry) is used to scaring away new owners, but the new occupants are more intrigued than frightened.
The verdict: Despite its crude, simplistic animation style – which grew on me after a bit – this British flick is a harmless, mildly spooky choice for kids who aren’t quite ready for full-blown horror movies. I didn’t even know The Canterville Ghost existed until the screener showed up in my inbox, so I was surprised to learn it’s getting a fairly wide release this weekend.
If it’s been a while since you’ve taken the kids to a movie, this one will introduce them to animation outside of the usual Disney and DreamWorks templates. The screenplay (credited to Keiron Self and Giles New) definitely takes some inspiration from Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, but there’s a surprising amount of heart as well. What’s more, the impressive voice cast – including Fry, Hugh Laurie, Freddie Highmore, Emily Carey, Toby Jones and Imelda Staunton – actually takes their jobs seriously instead of phoning it in for a paycheck.
Grade: B-
(Rated PG-13 for some strong language and suggestive material. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Director Sam Wrench captured the Los Angeles leg of Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour, crafting an epic concert film that offers viewers a front row seat to her history-making show.
The verdict: Judging from last weekend’s staggering box office results, most hardcore Swifties have already seen this entertaining movie (more of a filmed time capsule, really), but those who are waiting for the crowds to die down are in for a treat. The Eras Tour turned out to be a really fun viewing experience.
To be honest, I was expecting chaos and a less-than-ideal viewing experience. Instead, when my daughter and I walked into our 9:00 p.m. screening last Friday, it wasn’t crowded at all (likely because of the near-constant loop of start times) and everyone was on their best behavior. Nobody screamed like they were seeing the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and patrons were scattered enough that we all had an unobstructed view of the screen.
Granted, almost everybody sang along with Swift’s memorable songs, but they did it at a reasonable volume. No one was trying to compete with the theater’s giant speakers. (My 13-year-old daughter tried to play it cool at first, but within a few minutes she was singing too.)
Coming from someone who was lucky enough to see Swift in person when she played Atlanta earlier this year, The Eras Tour is a terrific consolation prize for the millions of fans who weren’t able to get tickets. It’s not the entire concert (a few songs from her setlist were cut from the flick), but it’s pretty darn close.
Grade: A-
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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