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| Courtesy of STX |
(Rated R for language, drug content and some violence. Now playing in limited release.)
The cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner and Michael Cera.
What it’s about: Based on a true story, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut centers on Molly Bloom (Chastain), an Olympic-class skier whose dreams are shattered following a catastrophic injury. Estranged from her controlling father (Costner) and facing an uncertain future, Molly finds herself in a totally different environment: running the world’s most exclusive underground poker game, attended by Hollywood stars, athletes, CEOs and – what leads to her downfall – Russian gangsters. She’s eventually arrested by the FBI and has nowhere to turn except a skeptical but trustworthy defense lawyer (Elba).
The good: As with most of Sorkin’s films, the dialogue is the biggest star. His characters are smart, funny and always ready with a lengthy monologue. I imagine his screenplays are twice as long as most films, simply because of how fast everyone talks. As such, it takes a certain kind of actor to pull off Sorkin’s highly stylized language.
Fortunately, his cast is up for the challenge. Chastain is incredible as the fierce, uncompromising main character. It’s a confident, multifaceted performance that helps Sorkin overcome his tendency to write shallow, cliched women. The Best Actress field is tough this year, but she’s definitely a dark horse candidate.
Elba is also fantastic (aside from an occasionally spotty accent) as the high-powered attorney tasked with keeping Molly out of federal prison. He truthfully conveys the evolving nature of his relationship with his client, beginning with doubt and frustration before landing on respect and a bit of admiration. Costner and Cera are also strong in smaller roles, playing against their typical personas in surprising and entertaining ways.
The not-so-good: Sorkin the director has some work to do if he wants to catch up with Sorkin the writer. Molly’s Game is an admirable debut, but numerous scenes feel unnecessarily busy. After the third or fourth rapid-fire montage, you get the sense he’s working too hard to prove himself. That momentum feels especially out of place considering the movie runs out of steam in the last act. There’s no reason it should be 140 minutes long.
Grade: B
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| Courtesy of Entertainment Studios |
(Rated R for strong violence and language. Now playing in limited release.)
The cast: Christian Bale, Wes Studi, Rosamund Pike, Rory Cochrane, Adam Beach and Jesse Plemons.
What it’s about: In this revisionist western from writer-director Scott Cooper, decorated Army captain Joe Blocker (Bale) – notorious for his merciless treatment of Native Americans – is ordered to escort a dying Cheyenne chief (Studi) and his family back to their homeland. Along the way, Blocker and his team meet a widow (Pike) whose husband and children were murdered by a nearby tribe. They help her bury her family and offer protection through dangerous territory.
The good: At this point, calling Bale an excellent actor is like saying water is wet. Still, the danger in being so reliably fantastic is that viewers (myself included) tend to take him for granted. His work here might be the best of his career, but it doesn’t seem to be generating awards buzz.
That’s disappointing, but understandable. I once heard a film writer say the Oscars make much more sense if you replace the word “best” with “most.” Academy voters don’t generally like subtle. As the broken, complicated Blocker, we see Bale convey a massive range of emotions, but his process is deceptively simple. Smiles, tears and screams only break through his character’s tough exterior a few times.
Pike, a universe away from her breakthrough role in Gone Girl, is also excellent here. The opening scene – particularly her reaction to the horrors she experiences – sets the tone for everything that follows, and she’s more than up for the challenge. The rest of the cast, particularly Studi, Rory Cochrane (as Blocker’s longtime second-in-command) and Plemons (as a recent West Point grad with no field experience), are also compelling in smaller roles.
Cooper is content to let scenes breathe, playing out slowly until shocking, sudden violence breaks up the monotony. Max Richter’s haunting score and Masanobu Takayanagi’s stunning cinematography aid the director in establishing the bleak, brutal existence of life in the Old West. Cooper is clearly referencing The Searchers here, but he goes even further in demolishing the genre’s harmful mythology.
The not-so-good: It comes with the territory, but Hostiles is one of the bleakest movies in recent memory. It’s a stunning, timely film, however (much like Silence, 12 Years a Slave and Schindler’s List) not one I’m eager to rewatch any time soon.
Grade: B+
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
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| Courtesy of Sony |
(Rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.)
The cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.
What it’s about: In this loose sequel to the 1995 Robin Williams flick, four high school kids are transported into a deadly video game and must beat every level if they want to get back home. However, they must play as the game’s characters, meaning the nerd becomes a dashing explorer (Johnson); the jock turns into a diminutive zoologist (Hart); the shy girl transforms into a gorgeous combat expert (Gillan); and the hot popular girl is horrified to discover she’s now an overweight male cartographer (Black). Also, if they use up their allotted three lives in the game, they die for real. No pressure.
The good: Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from this one; I figured it would be a blatant cash grab seeking to exploit the current trend for ’90s nostalgia. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a fun, Breakfast Club homage that makes some interesting points about teen angst and the dangers of putting people in predetermined categories. It also has a sweet tribute to the late Williams and an unexpectedly poignant ending.
The cast is fantastic, exhibiting terrific chemistry and clearly having a blast playing against their physical appearances. Johnson and Hart are entertaining as usual, but Gillan was a big surprise for me. She truly captures what it feels like to be an introvert in high school, terrified to show you care because there’s always a risk of being rejected or ridiculed, as well as the shock that likely comes with learning that internal struggle now takes place in the body of a gorgeous redhead.
However, Black steals the entire movie from his costars as a young woman coming to grips with her new body. It’s not a winking performance or a caricature – he simply assumes the persona of a “mean girl,” with all the characteristics that entails.
The not-so-good: While Jumanji is definitely fun, it’s pretty disposable. Like most blockbuster confections, it’ll likely evaporate from your memory a few days later. Running right at two hours, it’s also a bit too long.
Finally, keep in mind this one’s PG-13 (not PG, like the original). I’m usually good about doing my homework, but I dropped the ball and brought my seven-year-old daughter and 10-year-old nephew along. Oops! It’s not excessively crude, but I wasn’t sufficiently prepped for the mild cursing and anatomical humor. Chalk it up to a learning experience for everyone.
Grade: B
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