by Josh Sewell
Deep Water
(Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and some violence. Available on Hulu starting March 18.)
Adrian Lyne is the director behind several erotic thrillers that made their mark on late-20th century pop culture, including 9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal and Unfaithful. They weren’t masterpieces, but they were terrific popcorn fare that provided compelling drama and titillation in a pre-internet era. In the last couple of decades, however, grown-up movies have become an endangered species, evolving into cable television series and direct-to-streaming fare. That hasn't left much room for Lyne to continue making his mark.
Fortunately, 20th Century Fox took a shot on the filmmaker’s particular brand of storytelling a couple of years ago by bankrolling his latest project Deep Water. Sadly, the studio had the bad luck of doing so right before it was bought out by Disney. The home of Mickey Mouse doesn’t exactly have a reputation for sexy flicks, so it languished in cinematic purgatory before making its ignominious debut on Hulu this weekend. That's a shame – while Deep Water is a substantially flawed movie, there are enough bright spots that it should’ve warranted a theatrical release.
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas (who briefly connected in real life while shooting) play Vic and Melinda Van Allen, a married couple who resort to dangerous mind games to spice up their stale relationship. Vic seemingly has no qualms with Melinda having extramarital relationships, but in a strange “coincidence,” a lot of her male suitors turn up missing or dead. When the overwhelming evidence ultimately leads to their doorstep, the couple faces a pivotal crossroads.
Deep Water has plenty of issues, but for the most part I enjoyed the experience. De Armas, who most viewers probably recognize from her star-making turn in Knives Out, gets to demonstrate her range here, playing a complex, highly unlikable character who is nevertheless fascinating enough for audiences to remain invested in. Affleck, who appears to be making a career comeback as of late, is equally compelling, although his role is much more subdued until the second half. It always seems like his character has taken one too many Percocet, moving through life in a faintly pleasant haze until real life comes crashing through.
The supporting cast is equally compelling, especially Lil Rel Howery and Dash Mihok as Vic’s friends, and Tracy Letts as an aspiring screenwriter who concurs with Melinda’s suspicions about her husband. In fact, while Affleck and de Armas will probably get most of the media coverage, Letts is the only actor who seems to know exactly what kind of movie he’s in. There’s a hilarious chase scene involving his character and Affleck’s that is the highlight of the movie.
That leads me to the realization I had during the end credits. When they rolled, I saw that Euphoria creator Sam Levinson co-wrote the screenplay (along with Zach Helm) and everything clicked into place. No wonder the movie was a mix of campy trash, which I loved, and unbearable pretension, the parts that made the two-hour running time almost interminable. In hindsight, it’s easy to guess who wrote which parts.
If the whole movie had the same feel as the last few minutes, I would’ve liked it a lot more and the grade below would be a lot higher. Instead, the film takes the central couple’s relationship deadly serious, which would’ve been fine if the final act wasn’t so wonderfully silly. There’s no way viewers don’t witness a prominent character’s fate and break out into laughter. As well they should – it’s really funny. But so much of the rest of the movie’s running time is devoted to such highly ponderous martial strife that it makes the whole ordeal seem unworthy the effort.
That’s a shame, considering Lyne’s previous flicks embraced the camp factor rather than felt ashamed of it. Nevertheless, I have a feeling his latest work could slowly establish a cult following – especially among women looking for a girls’ night out.
Grade: C+
The Outfit
(Rated R for some bloody violence, and language throughout. Opens in select theaters on March 18.)
Never underestimate Mark Rylance’s ability to elevate decent material to otherworldly levels. The Oscar-winning actor’s latest film, The Outfit, proves the actor’s capability.
He plays Leonard, a master tailor whose tragic past transports him from England to Chicago. He operates a corner shop with his assistant (the outstanding Zoey Deutch), where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people who can afford them: an organization of deadly gangsters (represented by Dylan O’Brien, Johnny Flynn and Simon Russell Beale).
What I loved most about The Outfit might be what general moviegoers detest: it felt like watching a play, in the best sense. The majority of the film takes place in a single setting and involves a handful of characters interacting with one another as the stakes escalate. Despite a lack of scenery, the tension constantly ratchets up until the final moments, when everything viewers have been led to believe is called into question.
The Outfit could’ve easily been a pompous bore, but performances from Rylance, Deutch, O’Brien and Flynn keep things interesting. Even when the audience thinks they might have an idea where the story is headed, director Graham Moore (who co-wrote the screenplay with Johnathan McClain) adds enough complications to keep us on our toes.
I know it’s only March and we have nine months to go, but so far Rylance is my current pick for Best Actor. He instills Leonard with such nuance and complexity that I couldn’t wait to learn more about the character, even if I didn’t always like what I was hearing.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
The Godfather Trilogy
(Rated R. Available March 22.)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather, Paramount Pictures and the filmmaker’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years. The team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.
These newly restored and remastered versions of the trilogy are now being released on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time ever. The set includes The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Coppola’s recently re-edited version of the final film, The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The films contain a host of new and legacy bonus content, including commentaries by Coppola and access to digital copies.
(Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and some violence. Available on Hulu starting March 18.)
Adrian Lyne is the director behind several erotic thrillers that made their mark on late-20th century pop culture, including 9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal and Unfaithful. They weren’t masterpieces, but they were terrific popcorn fare that provided compelling drama and titillation in a pre-internet era. In the last couple of decades, however, grown-up movies have become an endangered species, evolving into cable television series and direct-to-streaming fare. That hasn't left much room for Lyne to continue making his mark.
Fortunately, 20th Century Fox took a shot on the filmmaker’s particular brand of storytelling a couple of years ago by bankrolling his latest project Deep Water. Sadly, the studio had the bad luck of doing so right before it was bought out by Disney. The home of Mickey Mouse doesn’t exactly have a reputation for sexy flicks, so it languished in cinematic purgatory before making its ignominious debut on Hulu this weekend. That's a shame – while Deep Water is a substantially flawed movie, there are enough bright spots that it should’ve warranted a theatrical release.
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas (who briefly connected in real life while shooting) play Vic and Melinda Van Allen, a married couple who resort to dangerous mind games to spice up their stale relationship. Vic seemingly has no qualms with Melinda having extramarital relationships, but in a strange “coincidence,” a lot of her male suitors turn up missing or dead. When the overwhelming evidence ultimately leads to their doorstep, the couple faces a pivotal crossroads.
Deep Water has plenty of issues, but for the most part I enjoyed the experience. De Armas, who most viewers probably recognize from her star-making turn in Knives Out, gets to demonstrate her range here, playing a complex, highly unlikable character who is nevertheless fascinating enough for audiences to remain invested in. Affleck, who appears to be making a career comeback as of late, is equally compelling, although his role is much more subdued until the second half. It always seems like his character has taken one too many Percocet, moving through life in a faintly pleasant haze until real life comes crashing through.
The supporting cast is equally compelling, especially Lil Rel Howery and Dash Mihok as Vic’s friends, and Tracy Letts as an aspiring screenwriter who concurs with Melinda’s suspicions about her husband. In fact, while Affleck and de Armas will probably get most of the media coverage, Letts is the only actor who seems to know exactly what kind of movie he’s in. There’s a hilarious chase scene involving his character and Affleck’s that is the highlight of the movie.
That leads me to the realization I had during the end credits. When they rolled, I saw that Euphoria creator Sam Levinson co-wrote the screenplay (along with Zach Helm) and everything clicked into place. No wonder the movie was a mix of campy trash, which I loved, and unbearable pretension, the parts that made the two-hour running time almost interminable. In hindsight, it’s easy to guess who wrote which parts.
If the whole movie had the same feel as the last few minutes, I would’ve liked it a lot more and the grade below would be a lot higher. Instead, the film takes the central couple’s relationship deadly serious, which would’ve been fine if the final act wasn’t so wonderfully silly. There’s no way viewers don’t witness a prominent character’s fate and break out into laughter. As well they should – it’s really funny. But so much of the rest of the movie’s running time is devoted to such highly ponderous martial strife that it makes the whole ordeal seem unworthy the effort.
That’s a shame, considering Lyne’s previous flicks embraced the camp factor rather than felt ashamed of it. Nevertheless, I have a feeling his latest work could slowly establish a cult following – especially among women looking for a girls’ night out.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for some bloody violence, and language throughout. Opens in select theaters on March 18.)
Never underestimate Mark Rylance’s ability to elevate decent material to otherworldly levels. The Oscar-winning actor’s latest film, The Outfit, proves the actor’s capability.
He plays Leonard, a master tailor whose tragic past transports him from England to Chicago. He operates a corner shop with his assistant (the outstanding Zoey Deutch), where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people who can afford them: an organization of deadly gangsters (represented by Dylan O’Brien, Johnny Flynn and Simon Russell Beale).
What I loved most about The Outfit might be what general moviegoers detest: it felt like watching a play, in the best sense. The majority of the film takes place in a single setting and involves a handful of characters interacting with one another as the stakes escalate. Despite a lack of scenery, the tension constantly ratchets up until the final moments, when everything viewers have been led to believe is called into question.
The Outfit could’ve easily been a pompous bore, but performances from Rylance, Deutch, O’Brien and Flynn keep things interesting. Even when the audience thinks they might have an idea where the story is headed, director Graham Moore (who co-wrote the screenplay with Johnathan McClain) adds enough complications to keep us on our toes.
I know it’s only March and we have nine months to go, but so far Rylance is my current pick for Best Actor. He instills Leonard with such nuance and complexity that I couldn’t wait to learn more about the character, even if I didn’t always like what I was hearing.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated R. Available March 22.)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather, Paramount Pictures and the filmmaker’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years. The team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.
These newly restored and remastered versions of the trilogy are now being released on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time ever. The set includes The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Coppola’s recently re-edited version of the final film, The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The films contain a host of new and legacy bonus content, including commentaries by Coppola and access to digital copies.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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