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| Courtesy of A24 |
(Rated R for some sexuality, drug use, brief violence, and language throughout. Now playing in limited release.)
The cast: Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae and Naomie Harris.
What it’s about: The film chronicles three crucial periods in the life of Chiron (played by Hibbert as a child, Sanders as a teen, and Rhodes as an adult), as he grows up in a rough Miami neighborhood. As his mother (Harris) slides deeper into drug addiction, Chiron finds parental guidance in a local drug dealer (Ali) and his girlfriend (Monae). As he transitions from childhood to adulthood, he finds himself looking at his life and relationships in new ways.
The good: I don’t use the word “masterpiece” lightly, but it’s tough to talk about Barry Jenkins’ incredible film (which he adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue) without utilizing it. Even though I saw the movie two weeks ago, I still haven’t emotionally recovered. The story overflows with emotion and radiates compassion for its characters – even those who at first seem unworthy of it – while still acknowledging the harsh realities of their existence. It’s a joy to look at and listen to, thanks to James Laxton’s cinematography and Nicholas Britell’s score.
Moonlight embodies the seemingly contradictory adage that a specific narrative proves to be the most relatable to a wide audience. Most of us haven’t experienced Chiron’s life, but those detailed experiences compel us to feel emotions that are universal. It helps that there’s not an off-key performance in the entire film.
Hibbert, Sanders and Rhodes are simply phenomenal as Chiron. They embody the character so fully that even the significant time jumps don’t break the story’s spell. At no point did I think, “Oh, now I’m looking at a different actor.” It literally felt like we were watching a boy grow into a man, similar to the effect of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. I still can’t believe they found such strong actors who resemble each other so much.
Still, the most astounding performance comes from Ali, whose character demonstrates the film’s emotional complexity. He shows that rarely in life are people strictly heroes or villains; you can be a goodhearted person who also makes morally questionable choices. If he doesn’t receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination, I might just boycott this year’s Academy Awards.
The not-so-good: In the moment, I rolled my eyes at a scene in which teenage Chiron and his friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) sit on a beach and trade lame metaphors to describe their feelings. But even that’s a perfect choice in hindsight – they sound exactly like moody, emotional teenagers. It’s a great example of a movie growing in stature even after you leave the theater.
Grade: A+
The good: I don’t use the word “masterpiece” lightly, but it’s tough to talk about Barry Jenkins’ incredible film (which he adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue) without utilizing it. Even though I saw the movie two weeks ago, I still haven’t emotionally recovered. The story overflows with emotion and radiates compassion for its characters – even those who at first seem unworthy of it – while still acknowledging the harsh realities of their existence. It’s a joy to look at and listen to, thanks to James Laxton’s cinematography and Nicholas Britell’s score.
Moonlight embodies the seemingly contradictory adage that a specific narrative proves to be the most relatable to a wide audience. Most of us haven’t experienced Chiron’s life, but those detailed experiences compel us to feel emotions that are universal. It helps that there’s not an off-key performance in the entire film.
Hibbert, Sanders and Rhodes are simply phenomenal as Chiron. They embody the character so fully that even the significant time jumps don’t break the story’s spell. At no point did I think, “Oh, now I’m looking at a different actor.” It literally felt like we were watching a boy grow into a man, similar to the effect of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. I still can’t believe they found such strong actors who resemble each other so much.
Still, the most astounding performance comes from Ali, whose character demonstrates the film’s emotional complexity. He shows that rarely in life are people strictly heroes or villains; you can be a goodhearted person who also makes morally questionable choices. If he doesn’t receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination, I might just boycott this year’s Academy Awards.
The not-so-good: In the moment, I rolled my eyes at a scene in which teenage Chiron and his friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) sit on a beach and trade lame metaphors to describe their feelings. But even that’s a perfect choice in hindsight – they sound exactly like moody, emotional teenagers. It’s a great example of a movie growing in stature even after you leave the theater.
Grade: A+
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| Courtesy of Sony |
Inferno
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, disturbing images, some language, thematic elements and brief sensuality.)
The cast: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Irrfan Kahn and Omar Sy.
What it’s about: Noted symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) finds himself at the center of another historical mystery. This time around, he wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia and teams up with a doctor (Jones) to stop a madman (Foster) from unleashing a virus that will kill half the world’s population.
The good: Kahn’s performance is the movie’s sole interesting element. He seems to be the only actor who understands the kind of movie he’s in, and he’s the main source of comic relief, which I welcomed like an oasis in the desert. I thought I’d be able to fall back on a reliably solid Hanks performance, but even he seems to be running on autopilot.
The not-so-good: The entire movie. Inferno is without question one of the worst releases of 2016. The plot is so nonsensical that it’s insulting. Even those who are interested in following the overly convoluted story and solving the clues will find they’ve wasted their time. At the 90-minute mark, the movie practically spits in your face by telling you everything you thought you knew doesn’t matter.
Honestly, I spent most of the running time feeling bad for Hanks, Jones and Foster. All of them are fantastic actors who deserve much better than David Koepp’s asinine script and Ron Howard’s autopilot direction. For a while, Langdon’s hallucinatory visions suggest that Howard wants to dip his toes in the horror genre. It’s an intriguing development, but he abandons the idea within the first half hour.
At least Foster’s playing a standard megalomaniacal villain instead of the hotheaded baddie he’s usually typecast as. Nevertheless, don’t waste your money on this one.
Grade: D-
Jack Reacher: Never Go BackThe good: Kahn’s performance is the movie’s sole interesting element. He seems to be the only actor who understands the kind of movie he’s in, and he’s the main source of comic relief, which I welcomed like an oasis in the desert. I thought I’d be able to fall back on a reliably solid Hanks performance, but even he seems to be running on autopilot.
The not-so-good: The entire movie. Inferno is without question one of the worst releases of 2016. The plot is so nonsensical that it’s insulting. Even those who are interested in following the overly convoluted story and solving the clues will find they’ve wasted their time. At the 90-minute mark, the movie practically spits in your face by telling you everything you thought you knew doesn’t matter.
Honestly, I spent most of the running time feeling bad for Hanks, Jones and Foster. All of them are fantastic actors who deserve much better than David Koepp’s asinine script and Ron Howard’s autopilot direction. For a while, Langdon’s hallucinatory visions suggest that Howard wants to dip his toes in the horror genre. It’s an intriguing development, but he abandons the idea within the first half hour.
At least Foster’s playing a standard megalomaniacal villain instead of the hotheaded baddie he’s usually typecast as. Nevertheless, don’t waste your money on this one.
Grade: D-
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| Courtesy of Paramount |
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some bloody images, language and thematic elements.)
The cast: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Patrick Heusinger and Aldis Hodge.
What it’s about: Former military investigator Jack Reacher (Cruise) pays a visit to his successor (Smulders), only to discover she’s been charged with espionage. Sensing a conspiracy, he breaks her out of prison and they begin to uncover the truth. As a result, he finds himself framed for murder and the target of a ruthless killer (Heusinger).
The good: Even though Cruise has made some questionable choices over the years, there’s no question he fully commits to every role he inhabits. Even though he’s nowhere close to the character described in Lee Child’s novels (at 6’5” and 250 pounds, with a 50-inch chest, Dwayne Johnson might’ve been a better fit), he still embodies the protagonist with a fierceness that makes up for his lack of stature. It’s also nice to see Smulders nab a prominent role in a mainstream release, even if it doesn’t allow her to showcase her range like the best episodes of How I Met Your Mother did.
The not-so-good: Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote and directed the first installment, had a better understanding of the source material: it’s pure pulp, with no pretense. The first movie was only interested in demonstrating Reacher’s near-invincibility, along with his desire to punish those who hurt innocent people. This time around, directing duties fall to Edward Zwick, whose filmography indicates he’s an odd fit for the story.
Even though it’s not connected to the previous movie at all, Never Go Back is a tonal misfire and saddles Reacher with an unnecessary scrappy kid sidekick (Yarosh). Not only is the actress devoid of personality, she adds baggage to a character who’s known for being a drifting loner. The mystery at the heart of the narrative is boring, as are the bland villains who are only there to serve as punching bags for Reacher. At least the first one had a whacked-out Werner Herzog and a sociopathic Jai Courtney. (We’re in rough shape if I’m thinking of a Jai Courtney performance as the “good ol’ days.”)
What it’s about: Former military investigator Jack Reacher (Cruise) pays a visit to his successor (Smulders), only to discover she’s been charged with espionage. Sensing a conspiracy, he breaks her out of prison and they begin to uncover the truth. As a result, he finds himself framed for murder and the target of a ruthless killer (Heusinger).
The good: Even though Cruise has made some questionable choices over the years, there’s no question he fully commits to every role he inhabits. Even though he’s nowhere close to the character described in Lee Child’s novels (at 6’5” and 250 pounds, with a 50-inch chest, Dwayne Johnson might’ve been a better fit), he still embodies the protagonist with a fierceness that makes up for his lack of stature. It’s also nice to see Smulders nab a prominent role in a mainstream release, even if it doesn’t allow her to showcase her range like the best episodes of How I Met Your Mother did.
The not-so-good: Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote and directed the first installment, had a better understanding of the source material: it’s pure pulp, with no pretense. The first movie was only interested in demonstrating Reacher’s near-invincibility, along with his desire to punish those who hurt innocent people. This time around, directing duties fall to Edward Zwick, whose filmography indicates he’s an odd fit for the story.
Even though it’s not connected to the previous movie at all, Never Go Back is a tonal misfire and saddles Reacher with an unnecessary scrappy kid sidekick (Yarosh). Not only is the actress devoid of personality, she adds baggage to a character who’s known for being a drifting loner. The mystery at the heart of the narrative is boring, as are the bland villains who are only there to serve as punching bags for Reacher. At least the first one had a whacked-out Werner Herzog and a sociopathic Jai Courtney. (We’re in rough shape if I’m thinking of a Jai Courtney performance as the “good ol’ days.”)
Still, the movie seems to be doing reasonably well at the box office and Child has written 21 Reacher books with no end in sight. Maybe the next sequel will get the franchise back on track.
Grade: C+
Grade: C+
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