by Josh Sewell
Cry Macho
(Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements. Opens in theaters on September 17 and also available on HBO Max.)
The premise: Clint Eastwood’s latest film – which he stars in and directs – takes place in 1980 and the 91-year-old(!) actor plays Mike Milo, a former rodeo star who agrees to bring his ex-boss’ teenage son back from Mexico. Forced to take the sideroads on their way to Texas, the duo faces a tough journey that changes them both.
The verdict: It’s admirable that Eastwood is still working steadily, especially with a movie as well-intentioned as Cry Macho (based on the 1975 novel by N. Richard Nash). But it’s clear from the opening scene that the filmmaker’s age is impacting his ability to tell a coherent story.
The narrative changes to fit the need of specific moments, as do characters’ personalities. Almost everyone behaves differently depending on what needs to happen in the scene. One minute, Mike’s companion is a hothead ready to fight anyone. But a few seconds later, he’s an overly sensitive child who doesn’t understand basic human relationships. Mike is the same way: he’s a world-weary tough guy for long stretches, but he suddenly has to be so gullible that his vehicle is stolen out from under him.
Even the best section of the film, in which the duo hides out in a small Mexican town and befriends the locals, suffers from massive gaps in logic. They’re on the run from cops, but they’re able to easily evade them in a comical number of stolen cars, despite the town only having a couple of roads.
Perhaps the most laughable aspect of Cry Macho is that Eastwood’s elderly character is apparently irresistible to women everywhere. There’s one scene in which he’s propositioned by someone at least 50 years his junior, but he rejects her. Eventually he falls for a more age-appropriate love interest – meaning she’s “only” 35 or 40 years younger.
Granted, there are some beautiful shots of the great outdoors, including a few stunning sunsets. However, pretty visuals aren’t enough to salvage this mess of a film.
Grade: D+
Copshop
(Rated R for strong/bloody violence and pervasive language. Opens in theaters on September 17.)
The premise: On the run from relentless hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler), con artist Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo) gets himself arrested on purpose so he can hide out in a small-town jail. However, after Viddick follows suit to keep an eye on his target, the rivals and rookie cop Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) are forced into a temporary truce when another assassin (Toby Huss) shows up trying to finish the job.
The verdict: Copshop is a nasty, under-the-radar surprise in a theatrical market flooded with staid indies and bland blockbusters. The flick is a pretty solid throwback to the B-thrillers of yesteryear, like John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 and Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
There’s a fair amount of setup to get all the characters to a single, claustrophobic location, but once the bullets start flying it’s a whole lot of mean-spirited fun. Director Joe Carnahan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kurt McLeod (from a story by McLeod and Mark Williams), finds some creative ways to stage the action sequences, particularly considering the stuffy, bland atmosphere of a small-town government building.
It helps that the film is anchored by a number of terrific actors, including a star-making performance from the relatively unknown Louder. Grillo and Butler are also compelling, full of old-school macho swagger. But then veteran character actor Toby Huss shows up an hour in – playing a terrifying, frequently hilarious villain – and steals the whole movie.
Best of all, the narrative takes quite a few turns I wasn’t expecting, particularly in the chaotic second half. I see so many predictable flicks these days that I’m always happy to be surprised. This one’s dark, but it’s never boring.
Grade: B+
My Name is Pauli Murray
(Rated PG-13 for disturbing/violent images and thematic elements. Opens in select theaters on September 17 and available on Amazon Prime starting October 1.)
The premise: This documentary about pioneering attorney, activist, priest and writer Pauli Murray highlights the crucial role they played in the battle for equality throughout the 20th century, even though most Americans have never heard their name. As an African American youth raised in the Jim Crow-era and struggling with gender identity, Murray had a fundamental understanding of what it felt like to exist beyond outside of accepted cultural norms.
The verdict: It pains me to say that I wasn’t familiar with Murray before this eye-opening doc from Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG). That’s a shame, considering the activist was on the forefront of social change 15 years before Rosa Parks became a household name and a full decade before the Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation.
Murray’s legal arguments were so ahead of their time they were part of the research other attorneys (including Thurgood Marshall) utilized in bringing those history-making cases to the highest court in the land. However, the trailblazer also had frequent struggles with depression and spent time in mental health facilities because of society’s widespread rejection of nontraditional relationships.
Still, through perseverance, Murray ended up becoming close friends with prominent figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who helped those important beliefs and arguments find a larger, more receptive audience. Murray summed it up best by saying, “I’ve lived to see my lost causes found.”
Grade: A-
Malignant
(Rated R for strong horror violence and gruesome images, and for language. Now playing in theaters and also available on HBO Max.)
The premise: The latest horror flick from The Conjuring creator James Wan marks a return to the director’s roots after dabbling in the world of blockbusters. It centers on Madison (Annabelle Wallis), a woman who begins to have shocking visions of brutal murders, only to discover the crimes are really happening. With the help of her younger sister (Maddie Hasson) and two skeptical cops (George Young and Michole Briana White), Madison tries to discover why she has a personal connection to the killer.
The verdict: For an hour, Malignant felt like a cheesy soap opera with occasional graphic violence, so I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally happened, the result was so gloriously bonkers that I couldn’t stop laughing. The flick has one of the most insane third acts I’ve ever seen, and I loved every second.
Wan knows exactly what he’s doing here, aiming for a campy tone that modern horror fans will either embrace or outright loathe. It took me a while to get on his wavelength, but once I figured out what he was going for, I was all in.
His actors are in on the joke too, but they never make the mistake of winking at the material. They play it completely straight, like a slasher version of All My Children. My only regret was that I watched it on HBO Max instead of in a crowded theater. I would’ve loved to see other people’s reactions to the insanity.
Grade: B
(Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements. Opens in theaters on September 17 and also available on HBO Max.)
The premise: Clint Eastwood’s latest film – which he stars in and directs – takes place in 1980 and the 91-year-old(!) actor plays Mike Milo, a former rodeo star who agrees to bring his ex-boss’ teenage son back from Mexico. Forced to take the sideroads on their way to Texas, the duo faces a tough journey that changes them both.
The verdict: It’s admirable that Eastwood is still working steadily, especially with a movie as well-intentioned as Cry Macho (based on the 1975 novel by N. Richard Nash). But it’s clear from the opening scene that the filmmaker’s age is impacting his ability to tell a coherent story.
The narrative changes to fit the need of specific moments, as do characters’ personalities. Almost everyone behaves differently depending on what needs to happen in the scene. One minute, Mike’s companion is a hothead ready to fight anyone. But a few seconds later, he’s an overly sensitive child who doesn’t understand basic human relationships. Mike is the same way: he’s a world-weary tough guy for long stretches, but he suddenly has to be so gullible that his vehicle is stolen out from under him.
Even the best section of the film, in which the duo hides out in a small Mexican town and befriends the locals, suffers from massive gaps in logic. They’re on the run from cops, but they’re able to easily evade them in a comical number of stolen cars, despite the town only having a couple of roads.
Perhaps the most laughable aspect of Cry Macho is that Eastwood’s elderly character is apparently irresistible to women everywhere. There’s one scene in which he’s propositioned by someone at least 50 years his junior, but he rejects her. Eventually he falls for a more age-appropriate love interest – meaning she’s “only” 35 or 40 years younger.
Granted, there are some beautiful shots of the great outdoors, including a few stunning sunsets. However, pretty visuals aren’t enough to salvage this mess of a film.
Grade: D+
(Rated R for strong/bloody violence and pervasive language. Opens in theaters on September 17.)
The premise: On the run from relentless hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler), con artist Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo) gets himself arrested on purpose so he can hide out in a small-town jail. However, after Viddick follows suit to keep an eye on his target, the rivals and rookie cop Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) are forced into a temporary truce when another assassin (Toby Huss) shows up trying to finish the job.
The verdict: Copshop is a nasty, under-the-radar surprise in a theatrical market flooded with staid indies and bland blockbusters. The flick is a pretty solid throwback to the B-thrillers of yesteryear, like John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 and Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
There’s a fair amount of setup to get all the characters to a single, claustrophobic location, but once the bullets start flying it’s a whole lot of mean-spirited fun. Director Joe Carnahan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kurt McLeod (from a story by McLeod and Mark Williams), finds some creative ways to stage the action sequences, particularly considering the stuffy, bland atmosphere of a small-town government building.
It helps that the film is anchored by a number of terrific actors, including a star-making performance from the relatively unknown Louder. Grillo and Butler are also compelling, full of old-school macho swagger. But then veteran character actor Toby Huss shows up an hour in – playing a terrifying, frequently hilarious villain – and steals the whole movie.
Best of all, the narrative takes quite a few turns I wasn’t expecting, particularly in the chaotic second half. I see so many predictable flicks these days that I’m always happy to be surprised. This one’s dark, but it’s never boring.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for disturbing/violent images and thematic elements. Opens in select theaters on September 17 and available on Amazon Prime starting October 1.)
The premise: This documentary about pioneering attorney, activist, priest and writer Pauli Murray highlights the crucial role they played in the battle for equality throughout the 20th century, even though most Americans have never heard their name. As an African American youth raised in the Jim Crow-era and struggling with gender identity, Murray had a fundamental understanding of what it felt like to exist beyond outside of accepted cultural norms.
The verdict: It pains me to say that I wasn’t familiar with Murray before this eye-opening doc from Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG). That’s a shame, considering the activist was on the forefront of social change 15 years before Rosa Parks became a household name and a full decade before the Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation.
Murray’s legal arguments were so ahead of their time they were part of the research other attorneys (including Thurgood Marshall) utilized in bringing those history-making cases to the highest court in the land. However, the trailblazer also had frequent struggles with depression and spent time in mental health facilities because of society’s widespread rejection of nontraditional relationships.
Still, through perseverance, Murray ended up becoming close friends with prominent figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who helped those important beliefs and arguments find a larger, more receptive audience. Murray summed it up best by saying, “I’ve lived to see my lost causes found.”
Grade: A-
(Rated R for strong horror violence and gruesome images, and for language. Now playing in theaters and also available on HBO Max.)
The premise: The latest horror flick from The Conjuring creator James Wan marks a return to the director’s roots after dabbling in the world of blockbusters. It centers on Madison (Annabelle Wallis), a woman who begins to have shocking visions of brutal murders, only to discover the crimes are really happening. With the help of her younger sister (Maddie Hasson) and two skeptical cops (George Young and Michole Briana White), Madison tries to discover why she has a personal connection to the killer.
The verdict: For an hour, Malignant felt like a cheesy soap opera with occasional graphic violence, so I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally happened, the result was so gloriously bonkers that I couldn’t stop laughing. The flick has one of the most insane third acts I’ve ever seen, and I loved every second.
Wan knows exactly what he’s doing here, aiming for a campy tone that modern horror fans will either embrace or outright loathe. It took me a while to get on his wavelength, but once I figured out what he was going for, I was all in.
His actors are in on the joke too, but they never make the mistake of winking at the material. They play it completely straight, like a slasher version of All My Children. My only regret was that I watched it on HBO Max instead of in a crowded theater. I would’ve loved to see other people’s reactions to the insanity.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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