by Josh Sewell
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
(Rated R for language. Streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 12.)
The premise: This unique documentary, which incorporates new interviews, archival footage and reenactments, chronicles Michael J. Fox’s rise to stardom and public fight with Parkinson’s disease in his own words. The intimate, brutally honest film was produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family.
The verdict: For people born in the 1990s and beyond, it’s tough to explain how massive Michael J. Fox was in his prime. (Believe me: as a college English and film professor whose favorite movie is Back to the Future, I’ve tried.) Especially since these days the actor is known more for his valiant efforts to raise money for Parkinson’s research than his work in movies and television.
However, director Davis Guggenheim’s latest documentary does an admirable job of immersing younger viewers in Fox’s late-20th century heyday. He also illustrates why it’s a tragedy we haven’t gotten more performances from the charismatic actor.
To keep it from being a standard talking head doc full of archival footage, Guggenheim employs a creative strategy. He incorporates a ton of clips from Fox’s old movies to match the stories he’s recounting in the present. In addition, there are several moments where actors play the people in question, tying current conversations and past events together more cohesively.
What’s more, Fox’s one requirement for the doc was “no violins,” meaning this isn’t a hagiography of the actor with a “poor, pitiful me” tone. He allows Guggenheim access to his bad days – there’s a horrifying moment early on when a fan says “Hello, Mr. Fox!,” which causes him to turn, lose his balance and wipe out on a New York City sidewalk – as well as his good ones. Those mostly involve his incredible wife Tracy Pollan and their adult children, all of whom appear in the documentary and speak honestly about their father’s battle with Parkinson’s.
While longtime fans of the actor won’t learn anything new (most of this ground has already been covered in Fox’s four terrific books), Still is an excellent starting point for those just now interested in learning more about a fascinating, admirable person.
Grade: B+
The premise: In this touching farewell to James Gunn’s blockbuster franchise (which marks the end of his time with Marvel now that he’s in charge of DC’s film division), the beloved band of misfits (played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and the voice of Vin Diesel) take on a dangerous mission to save the life of their friend and teammate Rocket Raccoon (portrayed by Sean Gunn and voiced by Bradley Cooper).
The verdict: I’ll be honest – as I exited the theater after the credits (you never leave a Marvel movie until the very end, of course), I felt underwhelmed by Guardians 3. That was strange considering I immediately loved the original and its follow-up. The second half is excellent and concludes the trilogy in a poignant way (if this is truly the end), but it only comes after an hour or so of bleak setup and worldbuilding.
However, in the days after I saw the film, I was surprised to find I couldn’t shake it. Certain moments would pop back into my head with even more power than they did when I initially experienced them. Credit to writer-director Gunn, who has been with these characters since the beginning, for caring about their individual narrative arcs rather than how they fit into the overall MCU. He also works miracles with getting everyone back in the same storyline considering how other filmmakers haphazardly dealt with them (giving you side-eye, Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Love & Thunder).
Guardians 3 is also a welcome reminder of how impactful Marvel movies can be when they focus on telling a singular story instead of trying to set up a bunch of others. Granted, it helps that Gunn is one of the only filmmakers who knows how to properly utilize Pratt, Bautista and several other cast members, as well as understanding the power of a perfect song to land an emotional moment. I’ll never listen to the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn” or Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” the same way again.
Grade: B+
BlackBerry
(Rated R for language throughout. Opens in select theaters on May 12.)
The premise: In this fictionalized take on the meteoric rise and catastrophic flameout of the world’s first smartphone, awkward engineer Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and volatile businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) join forces to take the tech world by storm. But their egos inevitably get the best of them, which leads to disaster.
The verdict: This under-the-radar black comedy doesn’t break new ground in the “corporate biography” genre, but it’s still a suspenseful, fascinating watch thanks to a number of fantastic performances and an incisive screenplay from Matt Johnson (who also directs and co-stars) and Matthew Miller. Think of it as The Social Network-lite or a more depressing version of Air.
As a snapshot of the era just before iPhones and Androids dominated the smartphone industry, BlackBerry is a treat. Granted, it’s a semi-tragic tale for the characters involved, but they can cry themselves to sleep using their nine-figure bank accounts as pillows. The film is anchored by excellent work from Baruchel and Howerton, as well as a murderer’s row of outstanding character actors, including Carey Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan and Michael Ironside.
BlackBerry is only playing in a handful of Atlanta area theaters, but it’s definitely worth the drive. If nothing else, at least put it on your radar to check out once it hits VOD in the coming weeks. The two-hour running time flies by thanks to an entertaining story.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for language. Streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 12.)
The premise: This unique documentary, which incorporates new interviews, archival footage and reenactments, chronicles Michael J. Fox’s rise to stardom and public fight with Parkinson’s disease in his own words. The intimate, brutally honest film was produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family.
The verdict: For people born in the 1990s and beyond, it’s tough to explain how massive Michael J. Fox was in his prime. (Believe me: as a college English and film professor whose favorite movie is Back to the Future, I’ve tried.) Especially since these days the actor is known more for his valiant efforts to raise money for Parkinson’s research than his work in movies and television.
However, director Davis Guggenheim’s latest documentary does an admirable job of immersing younger viewers in Fox’s late-20th century heyday. He also illustrates why it’s a tragedy we haven’t gotten more performances from the charismatic actor.
To keep it from being a standard talking head doc full of archival footage, Guggenheim employs a creative strategy. He incorporates a ton of clips from Fox’s old movies to match the stories he’s recounting in the present. In addition, there are several moments where actors play the people in question, tying current conversations and past events together more cohesively.
What’s more, Fox’s one requirement for the doc was “no violins,” meaning this isn’t a hagiography of the actor with a “poor, pitiful me” tone. He allows Guggenheim access to his bad days – there’s a horrifying moment early on when a fan says “Hello, Mr. Fox!,” which causes him to turn, lose his balance and wipe out on a New York City sidewalk – as well as his good ones. Those mostly involve his incredible wife Tracy Pollan and their adult children, all of whom appear in the documentary and speak honestly about their father’s battle with Parkinson’s.
While longtime fans of the actor won’t learn anything new (most of this ground has already been covered in Fox’s four terrific books), Still is an excellent starting point for those just now interested in learning more about a fascinating, admirable person.
Grade: B+
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements. Now playing in theaters.) The premise: In this touching farewell to James Gunn’s blockbuster franchise (which marks the end of his time with Marvel now that he’s in charge of DC’s film division), the beloved band of misfits (played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and the voice of Vin Diesel) take on a dangerous mission to save the life of their friend and teammate Rocket Raccoon (portrayed by Sean Gunn and voiced by Bradley Cooper).
The verdict: I’ll be honest – as I exited the theater after the credits (you never leave a Marvel movie until the very end, of course), I felt underwhelmed by Guardians 3. That was strange considering I immediately loved the original and its follow-up. The second half is excellent and concludes the trilogy in a poignant way (if this is truly the end), but it only comes after an hour or so of bleak setup and worldbuilding.
However, in the days after I saw the film, I was surprised to find I couldn’t shake it. Certain moments would pop back into my head with even more power than they did when I initially experienced them. Credit to writer-director Gunn, who has been with these characters since the beginning, for caring about their individual narrative arcs rather than how they fit into the overall MCU. He also works miracles with getting everyone back in the same storyline considering how other filmmakers haphazardly dealt with them (giving you side-eye, Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Love & Thunder).
Guardians 3 is also a welcome reminder of how impactful Marvel movies can be when they focus on telling a singular story instead of trying to set up a bunch of others. Granted, it helps that Gunn is one of the only filmmakers who knows how to properly utilize Pratt, Bautista and several other cast members, as well as understanding the power of a perfect song to land an emotional moment. I’ll never listen to the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn” or Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” the same way again.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for language throughout. Opens in select theaters on May 12.)
The premise: In this fictionalized take on the meteoric rise and catastrophic flameout of the world’s first smartphone, awkward engineer Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and volatile businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) join forces to take the tech world by storm. But their egos inevitably get the best of them, which leads to disaster.
The verdict: This under-the-radar black comedy doesn’t break new ground in the “corporate biography” genre, but it’s still a suspenseful, fascinating watch thanks to a number of fantastic performances and an incisive screenplay from Matt Johnson (who also directs and co-stars) and Matthew Miller. Think of it as The Social Network-lite or a more depressing version of Air.
As a snapshot of the era just before iPhones and Androids dominated the smartphone industry, BlackBerry is a treat. Granted, it’s a semi-tragic tale for the characters involved, but they can cry themselves to sleep using their nine-figure bank accounts as pillows. The film is anchored by excellent work from Baruchel and Howerton, as well as a murderer’s row of outstanding character actors, including Carey Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan and Michael Ironside.
BlackBerry is only playing in a handful of Atlanta area theaters, but it’s definitely worth the drive. If nothing else, at least put it on your radar to check out once it hits VOD in the coming weeks. The two-hour running time flies by thanks to an entertaining story.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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