by Josh Sewell
Late Night with the Devil
(Rated R for violent content, some gore, and language including a sexual reference. Now playing in theaters and available on Shudder starting April 19.)
The premise: Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) hosts the syndicated talk show Night Owls, which has long been a companion to insomniacs nationwide. However, since the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn things around, on the night of October 31, 1977, he plans an unconventional Halloween special – not realizing he is about to unleash evil into America’s living rooms.
The verdict: This spooky, intelligent and entertaining flick is one of the best-reviewed films of the year – and with good reason. Cameron and Colin Cairnes, who co-wrote and co-directed, have crafted an authentic world full of intriguing characters that immediately feel like real people.
The big selling point is that the film is crafted, Blair Witch Project-style, from the episode in question, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of what transpired during commercial breaks. The filmmakers cheat a little bit with these constraints – there are moments that wouldn’t have been filmed with studio cameras, so there’s no clear explanation where this additional footage came from. But that’s a minor quibble when the rest of the film is so engaging.
A huge part of that is Dastmalchian’s excellent performance, on which the entire movie rises or falls. The longtime character actor, whose familiar face has appeared in blockbusters like Oppenheimer, Dune, Ant-Man and The Dark Knight, finally gets his shot at a leading man role and he takes full advantage of the opportunity. As a man gradually losing his soul over the course of a live television episode, he sells the story’s inevitably tragic conclusion minute-by-minute.
Grade: A-
One Life
(Rated PG for thematic material, smoking and some language. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Based on a true story, Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (Johnny Flynn) is a young London businessman who helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the verge of World War II. It’s only a matter of time before Nazi occupation closes the borders, when it will be too late. Fifty years later, Nicky (now played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) is haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to save.
The verdict: One Life follows the standard historical biopic beats, but you don’t need a lot of fancy flourishes when the story is this powerful. Winton, dubbed the “British Schindler” by his country’s press, lived an otherwise unassuming life following his heroic wartime exploits, going mostly unnoticed for 50 years. However, an incredibly moving appearance on a British television talk show in 1988 changed all that. A few decades later, he gained even more acclaim when clips from the show went viral online.
Director James Hawkes, working from a screenplay by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake (based on the late Barbara Winton’s book), chronicles that aspect of Winton’s life in the film’s intensely emotional finale – seriously, make sure you have Kleenex nearby. However, “One Life” spends the first two-thirds of its running time laying the groundwork so the payoff doesn’t feel cloying or manipulative.
Hopkins is phenomenal as the elder Winton, while Flynn does strong work as the younger version of the character. The supporting cast, including Lena Olin, Helena Bonham Carter and Jonathan Pryce, delivers strong work as well.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
The Crime is Mine
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
1930s Paris is a playground for the rich, but struggling actress Madeleine (Nadia Terezkiewicz) and her best friend Pauline (Rebecca Marder), an out-of-work lawyer, live in a cramped apartment and are months behind on rent. When a creepy theatrical producer who hits on Madeleine turns up dead, she stands trial for murder – with Pauline serving as her defense counsel and ringmaster of the surrounding media circus. Adapted from a 1934 play by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil, “The Crime Is Mine” is a biting satire from French filmmaker François Ozon.
Amélie
(Rated R for sexual content. Now available as a limited-edition Blu-ray SteelBook.)
In this whimsical 2001 French classic, Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. She enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene in other people’s lives, including a local concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor.
But her most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix (Mathieu Kassovitz), a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. Special Features include a look back at the film with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; audio commentary; filmmaker and cast Q&A; behind-the-scenes featurettes; cast auditions; and theatrical trailer.
(Rated R for violent content, some gore, and language including a sexual reference. Now playing in theaters and available on Shudder starting April 19.)
The premise: Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) hosts the syndicated talk show Night Owls, which has long been a companion to insomniacs nationwide. However, since the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn things around, on the night of October 31, 1977, he plans an unconventional Halloween special – not realizing he is about to unleash evil into America’s living rooms.
The verdict: This spooky, intelligent and entertaining flick is one of the best-reviewed films of the year – and with good reason. Cameron and Colin Cairnes, who co-wrote and co-directed, have crafted an authentic world full of intriguing characters that immediately feel like real people.
The big selling point is that the film is crafted, Blair Witch Project-style, from the episode in question, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of what transpired during commercial breaks. The filmmakers cheat a little bit with these constraints – there are moments that wouldn’t have been filmed with studio cameras, so there’s no clear explanation where this additional footage came from. But that’s a minor quibble when the rest of the film is so engaging.
A huge part of that is Dastmalchian’s excellent performance, on which the entire movie rises or falls. The longtime character actor, whose familiar face has appeared in blockbusters like Oppenheimer, Dune, Ant-Man and The Dark Knight, finally gets his shot at a leading man role and he takes full advantage of the opportunity. As a man gradually losing his soul over the course of a live television episode, he sells the story’s inevitably tragic conclusion minute-by-minute.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG for thematic material, smoking and some language. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Based on a true story, Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (Johnny Flynn) is a young London businessman who helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the verge of World War II. It’s only a matter of time before Nazi occupation closes the borders, when it will be too late. Fifty years later, Nicky (now played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) is haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to save.
The verdict: One Life follows the standard historical biopic beats, but you don’t need a lot of fancy flourishes when the story is this powerful. Winton, dubbed the “British Schindler” by his country’s press, lived an otherwise unassuming life following his heroic wartime exploits, going mostly unnoticed for 50 years. However, an incredibly moving appearance on a British television talk show in 1988 changed all that. A few decades later, he gained even more acclaim when clips from the show went viral online.
Director James Hawkes, working from a screenplay by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake (based on the late Barbara Winton’s book), chronicles that aspect of Winton’s life in the film’s intensely emotional finale – seriously, make sure you have Kleenex nearby. However, “One Life” spends the first two-thirds of its running time laying the groundwork so the payoff doesn’t feel cloying or manipulative.
Hopkins is phenomenal as the elder Winton, while Flynn does strong work as the younger version of the character. The supporting cast, including Lena Olin, Helena Bonham Carter and Jonathan Pryce, delivers strong work as well.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
1930s Paris is a playground for the rich, but struggling actress Madeleine (Nadia Terezkiewicz) and her best friend Pauline (Rebecca Marder), an out-of-work lawyer, live in a cramped apartment and are months behind on rent. When a creepy theatrical producer who hits on Madeleine turns up dead, she stands trial for murder – with Pauline serving as her defense counsel and ringmaster of the surrounding media circus. Adapted from a 1934 play by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil, “The Crime Is Mine” is a biting satire from French filmmaker François Ozon.
(Rated R for sexual content. Now available as a limited-edition Blu-ray SteelBook.)
In this whimsical 2001 French classic, Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. She enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene in other people’s lives, including a local concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor.
But her most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix (Mathieu Kassovitz), a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. Special Features include a look back at the film with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; audio commentary; filmmaker and cast Q&A; behind-the-scenes featurettes; cast auditions; and theatrical trailer.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment