by Josh Sewell
Air
(Rated R for language throughout. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Ben Affleck directs this fact-based account of how the billion-dollar partnership between rookie NBA superstar Michael Jordan and Nike’s struggling basketball division originated. The astonishing story centers on marketing wizard Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who risks his reputation and career in hopes of teaming up with the brilliant, uncompromising Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), who knows what her son’s legendary talent is worth.
The verdict: From a narrative standpoint, Air doesn’t break new ground, but it’s a smart, engaging dad movie. Affleck is a skilled director, in part, because he understands the power of terrific performances. As such, he gets plenty of them from his cast.
Damon and Davis are outstanding as always – I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t get a Best Supporting Actress nomination next year, especially considering her recent snub – but Bateman and Tucker might be the movie’s secret weapons. They don’t have a ton of screen time, but they add even more emotional weight to the proceedings whenever they appear.
In addition to reminding viewers why he’s one of the best actors-turned-filmmakers working today, Affleck gets to be weird and funny in a small role as Nike’s CEO Phil Knight. Chris Messina is also fantastic as Jordan’s hilariously volatile, foul-mouthed agent.
The flick opens with a massive burst of nostalgic ’80s pop culture moments to get viewers in the right head space, and the soundtrack is packed with iconic needle drops from the era. If you’re not smiling within the first 10 minutes, you’re stronger than me.
Air is simply a fun time at the theater, made even more impressive by the fact that it’s not a superhero movie, sequel or reboot. It wouldn’t shock me if this turns into a giant sleeper hit, fueled by older viewers who might not rush to the multiplex opening weekend. This one has the potential to play well into the summer.
Grade: A-
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
(Rated PG for action and mild violence. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: While working to fix a busted pipe, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported to a new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic adventure to find Luigi. With help from new friends Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario must defeat the villainous Bowser (Jack Black) to save the day.
The verdict: One of the year’s most anticipated films – in kid and gaming circles, at least – turned out to be a disappointing bust for me. Granted, I haven’t played a video game featuring Mario since the heyday of Super Nintendo back in the ’90s. I imagine diehard fans and people who’ve been waiting decades for a faithful cinematic adaptation with these iconic characters will have a much different reaction.
The tone is inconsistent from one scene to the next, suggesting that screenwriter Matthew Fogel and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic never quite figured out who the movie’s for. The bland, almost nonexistent plot and lack of character development indicate the target demo is very small children. But there are also occasional grown-up jokes and a soundtrack full of nostalgic pop hits that won’t appeal to them at all.
Fortunately, for all the whining that erupted online after Pratt was cast as Mario, he’s fine in the role, as are Day, Taylor-Joy and Key. However, none of their characters are instilled with any kind of discernible personality traits that let the actors breathe life into them. They’re simply avatars – beautifully animated ones, I’ll admit – that viewers can imbue with their own nostalgic memories of the games.
The massive exception is Black, who makes the villainous Bowser entertaining through sheer force of will. The baddie’s motivation turns out to be hilarious and any time the story returns to his lair, there’s a hint of how fun The Super Mario Bros. Movie could’ve been if it was more like The Lego Movie, where the characters were allowed to be weird and self-deprecating.
Grade: C-
Rye Lane
(Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: In this endearing South London-set romantic comedy, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) have an awkward meet-cute and end up spending the day together. The more they get to know one another, the more they realize they might have a bright future.
The verdict: Simply put, Rye Lane – which got a quick, under-the-radar release on Hulu last weekend – is the best movie of the year so far. Director Raine Allen-Miller, along with screenwriters Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, waste no time establishing the flick’s charming protagonists (with help from star-making performances from relative newcomers Jonsson and Oparah) and jumping into their budding romance.
At a brisk 82 minutes, the movie never gets bogged down with sluggish, unnecessary subplots and stays constantly entertaining. On the surface, it’s an obvious homage to Richard Linklater’s incredible Before Sunrise, considering almost the entire movie takes place over the span of a single day and the couple’s unexpected courtship plays out in a series of vignettes.
But the early films of Spike Lee are also clearly an influence, particularly the heightened, stylistic choices found in his masterpiece Do the Right Thing. Rye Lane also pays tribute to another classic romcom staple in a brilliant scene I’d never dream of spoiling. Let’s just say last weekend’s Dungeons & Dragons has competition for the year’s best out-of-nowhere cameo.
I could keep listing everything I love about the film for several paragraphs, but I don’t want to ruin the experience of letting the story wash over you for the first time. Just know this is the movie I’ll be recommending to people who ask what they should watch for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A
(Rated R for language throughout. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Ben Affleck directs this fact-based account of how the billion-dollar partnership between rookie NBA superstar Michael Jordan and Nike’s struggling basketball division originated. The astonishing story centers on marketing wizard Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who risks his reputation and career in hopes of teaming up with the brilliant, uncompromising Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), who knows what her son’s legendary talent is worth.
The verdict: From a narrative standpoint, Air doesn’t break new ground, but it’s a smart, engaging dad movie. Affleck is a skilled director, in part, because he understands the power of terrific performances. As such, he gets plenty of them from his cast.
Damon and Davis are outstanding as always – I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t get a Best Supporting Actress nomination next year, especially considering her recent snub – but Bateman and Tucker might be the movie’s secret weapons. They don’t have a ton of screen time, but they add even more emotional weight to the proceedings whenever they appear.
In addition to reminding viewers why he’s one of the best actors-turned-filmmakers working today, Affleck gets to be weird and funny in a small role as Nike’s CEO Phil Knight. Chris Messina is also fantastic as Jordan’s hilariously volatile, foul-mouthed agent.
The flick opens with a massive burst of nostalgic ’80s pop culture moments to get viewers in the right head space, and the soundtrack is packed with iconic needle drops from the era. If you’re not smiling within the first 10 minutes, you’re stronger than me.
Air is simply a fun time at the theater, made even more impressive by the fact that it’s not a superhero movie, sequel or reboot. It wouldn’t shock me if this turns into a giant sleeper hit, fueled by older viewers who might not rush to the multiplex opening weekend. This one has the potential to play well into the summer.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG for action and mild violence. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: While working to fix a busted pipe, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported to a new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic adventure to find Luigi. With help from new friends Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario must defeat the villainous Bowser (Jack Black) to save the day.
The verdict: One of the year’s most anticipated films – in kid and gaming circles, at least – turned out to be a disappointing bust for me. Granted, I haven’t played a video game featuring Mario since the heyday of Super Nintendo back in the ’90s. I imagine diehard fans and people who’ve been waiting decades for a faithful cinematic adaptation with these iconic characters will have a much different reaction.
The tone is inconsistent from one scene to the next, suggesting that screenwriter Matthew Fogel and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic never quite figured out who the movie’s for. The bland, almost nonexistent plot and lack of character development indicate the target demo is very small children. But there are also occasional grown-up jokes and a soundtrack full of nostalgic pop hits that won’t appeal to them at all.
Fortunately, for all the whining that erupted online after Pratt was cast as Mario, he’s fine in the role, as are Day, Taylor-Joy and Key. However, none of their characters are instilled with any kind of discernible personality traits that let the actors breathe life into them. They’re simply avatars – beautifully animated ones, I’ll admit – that viewers can imbue with their own nostalgic memories of the games.
The massive exception is Black, who makes the villainous Bowser entertaining through sheer force of will. The baddie’s motivation turns out to be hilarious and any time the story returns to his lair, there’s a hint of how fun The Super Mario Bros. Movie could’ve been if it was more like The Lego Movie, where the characters were allowed to be weird and self-deprecating.
Grade: C-
(Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: In this endearing South London-set romantic comedy, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) have an awkward meet-cute and end up spending the day together. The more they get to know one another, the more they realize they might have a bright future.
The verdict: Simply put, Rye Lane – which got a quick, under-the-radar release on Hulu last weekend – is the best movie of the year so far. Director Raine Allen-Miller, along with screenwriters Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, waste no time establishing the flick’s charming protagonists (with help from star-making performances from relative newcomers Jonsson and Oparah) and jumping into their budding romance.
At a brisk 82 minutes, the movie never gets bogged down with sluggish, unnecessary subplots and stays constantly entertaining. On the surface, it’s an obvious homage to Richard Linklater’s incredible Before Sunrise, considering almost the entire movie takes place over the span of a single day and the couple’s unexpected courtship plays out in a series of vignettes.
But the early films of Spike Lee are also clearly an influence, particularly the heightened, stylistic choices found in his masterpiece Do the Right Thing. Rye Lane also pays tribute to another classic romcom staple in a brilliant scene I’d never dream of spoiling. Let’s just say last weekend’s Dungeons & Dragons has competition for the year’s best out-of-nowhere cameo.
I could keep listing everything I love about the film for several paragraphs, but I don’t want to ruin the experience of letting the story wash over you for the first time. Just know this is the movie I’ll be recommending to people who ask what they should watch for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
Comments
Post a Comment