by Josh Sewell
The Lost City
(Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language. Opens in theaters on March 25.)
In a welcome return to the genre that helped make her a superstar, Sandra Bullock’s new romantic comedy is a fun, goofy reminder of an era when big studio dollars weren’t exclusively reserved for superheroes and sci-fi epics. Although most viewers will probably forget about The Lost City by the time they get home, it’s a blast in the moment and pays loving tribute to the kind of trashy romance novels Bullock’s heroine writes.
Said protagonist is reclusive author Loretta Sage, who is planning to retire her romance series about globetrotting adventurer Dash – whose physical appearance is based on cover model Alan (Channing Tatum, in full golden retriever mode) – following the death of her husband. Still grieving his loss, Loretta agrees to one last book tour to help out her manager/friend Beth (the delightful Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Alan, nursing a not-so-secret crush on Loretta, accompanies her while hoping she’ll eventually notice his feelings. But everyone’s plans are thrown into chaos after an eccentric billionaire (a gleefully unhinged Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps her with the goal of finding the very real treasure at the center of her latest fictional tale.
Despite its convoluted plot, The Lost City is clearly just an excuse to throw a bunch of talented comedic actors into the jungle and let them go crazy – a worthy objective, to be sure. The first act drags a bit while co-directors Aaron and Adam Nee (who share writing credit with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox) set up the game board, but the real fun begins once all the pieces are in play.
It helps that a huge star pops up for a scene-stealing cameo that escalates both the comedy and the stakes. The trailers and promotional material have ruined the surprise for most people, but I’ll keep the secret here for those who have remained blissfully unaware. Granted, this sequence also highlights the film’s tonal issues, with a mean-spirited gag that – while funny – feels drastically out of place.
There’s a joke in the credits that solves the problem, but I have a strong suspicion it was likely reshot after some iffy test screening buzz. The same goes for the final scenes, where you can watch Tatum’s hair disappear and regrow before your very eyes.
I’m guessing most viewers won’t care about that, however; they’ll just be happy to watch Bullock and Tatum’s characters fall in love while running from demented bad guys. And for good reason: these actors excel at their jobs and the world is on fire. Sometimes we need escapist entertainment to forget our troubles for a couple of hours. In that respect, The Lost City is more than up to the task.
Grade: B
Master
(Rated R for language and some drug use. Now available on Amazon Prime Video.)
Exploring the traumatic legacy of racism through conventional horror movie tropes remains fertile ground for creative storytelling. However, every filmmaker has to know that approaching the topic will inevitably draw comparisons between their work and Jordan Peele’s masterpiece Get Out. Even if they’re tonally or narratively distinct, the staggering success of that film guarantees it will be the elephant in the room for quite some time.
Sadly, that’s a hard truth writer-director Mariama Diallo (making her feature debut) can’t overcome with her chilly, atmospheric horror flick Master. While the story is compelling, full of justified fury and pathos, too many mixed metaphors and a scattershot mythology keep the film from being truly scary.
The plot revolves around three women trying to find their place at a prestigious New England university where elitism disguises something far more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “master” of a residence hall, the first time a Black woman has held the post. She eventually finds herself connected to promising Black freshman Jasmine Moore (Atlanta resident Zoe Renee), who begins to experience unsettling occurrences after she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted.
Jasmine’s life spins further out of control after she clashes with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of a racially charged tenure review. The process becomes even more complicated when Jasmine files an official complaint about a failing grade.
Master is certainly impressive from a technical standpoint, utilizing intriguing shot composition and Charlotte Hornsby’s rich cinematography, which is full of creepy shadows. There’s an unsettling darkness that permeates every moment, even those that take place in broad daylight. There are also some strong performances, especially from Hall and Renee.
Unfortunately, Diallo’s decision to leave it up to viewers to decide whether the supernatural stuff is actually happening ends up making the story feel narratively inert. By straddling the fence, all the talk of witches and hauntings becomes so distracting that it keeps the real-world horrors from hitting as hard as they should. It also doesn’t help that those horrors are represented by clichéd, stock characters who exist to deliver didactic talking points instead of feeling like actual threats.
Grade: C
Home Video Spotlight
Ordinary People
(Rated R. Available March 29.)
Robert Redford’s 1980 directorial debut becomes the latest entry to receive a Blu-ray release as part of the Paramount Presents line. Winner of four Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor), the film stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton as a family torn apart by tragedy. Remastered from a new 4K film transfer overseen by Redford, the Blu-ray includes new interviews with Hutton and novelist Judith Guest.
Shooter
(Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language. Now available.)
Director Antoine Fuqua’s thriller about a respected Marine sniper (Mark Wahlberg) who is hired to stop a presidential assassination – and then framed for the attempt – celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. To commemorate, Paramount is releasing Shooter on 4K Ultra HD for the first time in an impressive limited-edition Steel Book.
(Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language. Opens in theaters on March 25.)
In a welcome return to the genre that helped make her a superstar, Sandra Bullock’s new romantic comedy is a fun, goofy reminder of an era when big studio dollars weren’t exclusively reserved for superheroes and sci-fi epics. Although most viewers will probably forget about The Lost City by the time they get home, it’s a blast in the moment and pays loving tribute to the kind of trashy romance novels Bullock’s heroine writes.
Said protagonist is reclusive author Loretta Sage, who is planning to retire her romance series about globetrotting adventurer Dash – whose physical appearance is based on cover model Alan (Channing Tatum, in full golden retriever mode) – following the death of her husband. Still grieving his loss, Loretta agrees to one last book tour to help out her manager/friend Beth (the delightful Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Alan, nursing a not-so-secret crush on Loretta, accompanies her while hoping she’ll eventually notice his feelings. But everyone’s plans are thrown into chaos after an eccentric billionaire (a gleefully unhinged Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps her with the goal of finding the very real treasure at the center of her latest fictional tale.
Despite its convoluted plot, The Lost City is clearly just an excuse to throw a bunch of talented comedic actors into the jungle and let them go crazy – a worthy objective, to be sure. The first act drags a bit while co-directors Aaron and Adam Nee (who share writing credit with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox) set up the game board, but the real fun begins once all the pieces are in play.
It helps that a huge star pops up for a scene-stealing cameo that escalates both the comedy and the stakes. The trailers and promotional material have ruined the surprise for most people, but I’ll keep the secret here for those who have remained blissfully unaware. Granted, this sequence also highlights the film’s tonal issues, with a mean-spirited gag that – while funny – feels drastically out of place.
There’s a joke in the credits that solves the problem, but I have a strong suspicion it was likely reshot after some iffy test screening buzz. The same goes for the final scenes, where you can watch Tatum’s hair disappear and regrow before your very eyes.
I’m guessing most viewers won’t care about that, however; they’ll just be happy to watch Bullock and Tatum’s characters fall in love while running from demented bad guys. And for good reason: these actors excel at their jobs and the world is on fire. Sometimes we need escapist entertainment to forget our troubles for a couple of hours. In that respect, The Lost City is more than up to the task.
Grade: B
(Rated R for language and some drug use. Now available on Amazon Prime Video.)
Exploring the traumatic legacy of racism through conventional horror movie tropes remains fertile ground for creative storytelling. However, every filmmaker has to know that approaching the topic will inevitably draw comparisons between their work and Jordan Peele’s masterpiece Get Out. Even if they’re tonally or narratively distinct, the staggering success of that film guarantees it will be the elephant in the room for quite some time.
Sadly, that’s a hard truth writer-director Mariama Diallo (making her feature debut) can’t overcome with her chilly, atmospheric horror flick Master. While the story is compelling, full of justified fury and pathos, too many mixed metaphors and a scattershot mythology keep the film from being truly scary.
The plot revolves around three women trying to find their place at a prestigious New England university where elitism disguises something far more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “master” of a residence hall, the first time a Black woman has held the post. She eventually finds herself connected to promising Black freshman Jasmine Moore (Atlanta resident Zoe Renee), who begins to experience unsettling occurrences after she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted.
Jasmine’s life spins further out of control after she clashes with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of a racially charged tenure review. The process becomes even more complicated when Jasmine files an official complaint about a failing grade.
Master is certainly impressive from a technical standpoint, utilizing intriguing shot composition and Charlotte Hornsby’s rich cinematography, which is full of creepy shadows. There’s an unsettling darkness that permeates every moment, even those that take place in broad daylight. There are also some strong performances, especially from Hall and Renee.
Unfortunately, Diallo’s decision to leave it up to viewers to decide whether the supernatural stuff is actually happening ends up making the story feel narratively inert. By straddling the fence, all the talk of witches and hauntings becomes so distracting that it keeps the real-world horrors from hitting as hard as they should. It also doesn’t help that those horrors are represented by clichéd, stock characters who exist to deliver didactic talking points instead of feeling like actual threats.
Grade: C
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated R. Available March 29.)
Robert Redford’s 1980 directorial debut becomes the latest entry to receive a Blu-ray release as part of the Paramount Presents line. Winner of four Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor), the film stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton as a family torn apart by tragedy. Remastered from a new 4K film transfer overseen by Redford, the Blu-ray includes new interviews with Hutton and novelist Judith Guest.
(Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language. Now available.)
Director Antoine Fuqua’s thriller about a respected Marine sniper (Mark Wahlberg) who is hired to stop a presidential assassination – and then framed for the attempt – celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. To commemorate, Paramount is releasing Shooter on 4K Ultra HD for the first time in an impressive limited-edition Steel Book.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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