by Josh Sewell
Wicked: For Good
(Rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. Opens in theaters on November 21.)
The premise: A year after Wicked: Part I dominated the box office and became a cultural phenomenon, director Jon M. Chu returns for the story’s conclusion. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile while trying to expose the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) as a fraud. Glinda has become the symbol of Goodness in Oz, serving as a figurehead for the scheming Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). The stakes become even higher when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into their lives.
The verdict: When the first half of Chu’s take on the legendary Broadway musical hit theaters last year, I was apprehensive. What do you mean, it’s only Act I but just as long as the entire show? Miraculously, the cast and crew pulled it off; the added characterization and breathing room further heightened the story’s emotional stakes.
But that posed a new concern. How would Chu approach Act II, which is only an hour long and notoriously weaker in terms of songs and story? Would it have the strength to stand on its own as an entire film? We now have the answer and it’s what I was afraid of.
Most of the 138-minute running time feels like an assembly cut of deleted scenes and padding, proving my initial reaction was correct when the two films were announced. This whole convoluted endeavor should’ve been a single three-hour adaptation of the show. Even getting show co-creator Stephen Schwartz to write new songs the film (gotta try for that Best Original Song Oscar!) turns out to be an anticlimactic choice. “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” are both underwhelming and forgettable.
All this, along with most of the supporting cast getting sidelined for large stretches, proves there are no creative reasons to expand the material – only financial ones. In that respect, at least, mission accomplished. Despite the dip in quality, Wicked: For Good is going to make oceans of money.
On the plus side, Wicked: For Good nails Act II’s biggest numbers. “As Long As You’re Mine” is a beautiful, brooding romantic ballad, while the titular “For Good” had me wiping away tears despite the many stumbles along the way. The film is also anchored by incredible performances by Erivo and Grande (who gets more to do this time around). Goldblum gets to ham it up as the Wizard a little more as well, which is fun.
Still, it’s a huge bummer that almost everyone else is squandered in what amounts to extended cameos. Jonathan Bailey and Marissa Bode, two bright spots from the first film, get a couple of big moments but otherwise fade away.
Ethan Slater is terrific when it’s time to convey his character’s “shocking” reveal (no spoilers here, but c’mon… the show is 22 years old), yet that’s pretty much the only reason he’s here. Strangely, Yeoh gets added screen time (compared to how often Morrible appears in the stage version) rather than a reduction, although it doesn’t do her any favors. The Oscar winner is an incredible actress, but she’s miscast here.
Still, despite the overall disappointment, Wicked: For Good is worth a watch. For me, less would’ve been more, but diehard fans might appreciate the extra time they get to spend in Chu’s version of Oz.
Grade: C+
Nouvelle Vague
(Rated R for some language. Now available on Netflix.)
The premise: In his second film this year (following the outstanding Blue Moon), director Richard Linklater depicts the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 revolutionary Breathless, which helped launch French New Wave cinema onto the global stage. As critic-turned-director Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) makes and breaks filmmaking rules, a mix of fresh faces and daring talents – including Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) – bring his spontaneous, electric film to life on the streets of Paris.
The verdict: As I mentioned when I reviewed Blue Moon last month, I’m a sucker for pretty much anything Linklater does. Considering years can go by without his work, getting two new films – both excellent – in the span of a few weeks is a surprising treat.
Even more interesting, both movies are about the power of art and the allure of finding a path in life that allows you to create. However, while Blue Moon is a tragic look at someone facing the end of his career, Nouvelle Vague is about a man discovering a new artistic path that he’ll follow for decades.
The story chronicles the period in Godard’s life when he makes the jump from snobby-but-brilliant film critic to snobby-but-brilliant director. Clearly, it’s not designed to be a mainstream blockbuster. However, for cinema nerds who want to learn more about a literal masterpiece (Breathless) and the behind-the-scenes drama of getting it made – creatively shot in the style of the film it’s honoring – it’s a fun, surprisingly breezy and unpretentious flick.
Marbeck, Deutch and Dullin are magnetic, buoyed by Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo Jr.’s terrific screenplay (which was translated into French by Michele Petin and Laetitia Masson). Although Nouvelle Vague tackles subject matter that won’t appeal to everyone, it still possesses the contagious enthusiasm of any story about a bunch of people getting together to put on a show.
I’m just not sure why a movie about the transformative power of cinema is on Netflix instead of in a theater. Especially since you can’t watch Breathless on the streamer – you’ll have to jump over to HBO Max instead, which I highly recommend.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Secret Mall Apartment
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
This documentary from director Jeremy Workman recounts the time eight Rhode Island artists created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall back in 2003. They lived there for four years, sneaking in furniture, tapping into the mall’s electricity, and even constructing a wall by smuggling in two tons of cinderblock.
The apartment became a meaningful place for its inhabitants, allowing them to express defiance against local gentrification by creating a boundary-pushing work of art. Bonus material includes several behind-the-scenes featurettes; Q&A with Workman and executive producer Jesse Eisenberg; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; and much more.
(Rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material. Opens in theaters on November 21.)
The premise: A year after Wicked: Part I dominated the box office and became a cultural phenomenon, director Jon M. Chu returns for the story’s conclusion. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile while trying to expose the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) as a fraud. Glinda has become the symbol of Goodness in Oz, serving as a figurehead for the scheming Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). The stakes become even higher when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into their lives.
The verdict: When the first half of Chu’s take on the legendary Broadway musical hit theaters last year, I was apprehensive. What do you mean, it’s only Act I but just as long as the entire show? Miraculously, the cast and crew pulled it off; the added characterization and breathing room further heightened the story’s emotional stakes.
But that posed a new concern. How would Chu approach Act II, which is only an hour long and notoriously weaker in terms of songs and story? Would it have the strength to stand on its own as an entire film? We now have the answer and it’s what I was afraid of.
Most of the 138-minute running time feels like an assembly cut of deleted scenes and padding, proving my initial reaction was correct when the two films were announced. This whole convoluted endeavor should’ve been a single three-hour adaptation of the show. Even getting show co-creator Stephen Schwartz to write new songs the film (gotta try for that Best Original Song Oscar!) turns out to be an anticlimactic choice. “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” are both underwhelming and forgettable.
All this, along with most of the supporting cast getting sidelined for large stretches, proves there are no creative reasons to expand the material – only financial ones. In that respect, at least, mission accomplished. Despite the dip in quality, Wicked: For Good is going to make oceans of money.
On the plus side, Wicked: For Good nails Act II’s biggest numbers. “As Long As You’re Mine” is a beautiful, brooding romantic ballad, while the titular “For Good” had me wiping away tears despite the many stumbles along the way. The film is also anchored by incredible performances by Erivo and Grande (who gets more to do this time around). Goldblum gets to ham it up as the Wizard a little more as well, which is fun.
Still, it’s a huge bummer that almost everyone else is squandered in what amounts to extended cameos. Jonathan Bailey and Marissa Bode, two bright spots from the first film, get a couple of big moments but otherwise fade away.
Ethan Slater is terrific when it’s time to convey his character’s “shocking” reveal (no spoilers here, but c’mon… the show is 22 years old), yet that’s pretty much the only reason he’s here. Strangely, Yeoh gets added screen time (compared to how often Morrible appears in the stage version) rather than a reduction, although it doesn’t do her any favors. The Oscar winner is an incredible actress, but she’s miscast here.
Still, despite the overall disappointment, Wicked: For Good is worth a watch. For me, less would’ve been more, but diehard fans might appreciate the extra time they get to spend in Chu’s version of Oz.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for some language. Now available on Netflix.)
The premise: In his second film this year (following the outstanding Blue Moon), director Richard Linklater depicts the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 revolutionary Breathless, which helped launch French New Wave cinema onto the global stage. As critic-turned-director Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) makes and breaks filmmaking rules, a mix of fresh faces and daring talents – including Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) – bring his spontaneous, electric film to life on the streets of Paris.
The verdict: As I mentioned when I reviewed Blue Moon last month, I’m a sucker for pretty much anything Linklater does. Considering years can go by without his work, getting two new films – both excellent – in the span of a few weeks is a surprising treat.
Even more interesting, both movies are about the power of art and the allure of finding a path in life that allows you to create. However, while Blue Moon is a tragic look at someone facing the end of his career, Nouvelle Vague is about a man discovering a new artistic path that he’ll follow for decades.
The story chronicles the period in Godard’s life when he makes the jump from snobby-but-brilliant film critic to snobby-but-brilliant director. Clearly, it’s not designed to be a mainstream blockbuster. However, for cinema nerds who want to learn more about a literal masterpiece (Breathless) and the behind-the-scenes drama of getting it made – creatively shot in the style of the film it’s honoring – it’s a fun, surprisingly breezy and unpretentious flick.
Marbeck, Deutch and Dullin are magnetic, buoyed by Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo Jr.’s terrific screenplay (which was translated into French by Michele Petin and Laetitia Masson). Although Nouvelle Vague tackles subject matter that won’t appeal to everyone, it still possesses the contagious enthusiasm of any story about a bunch of people getting together to put on a show.
I’m just not sure why a movie about the transformative power of cinema is on Netflix instead of in a theater. Especially since you can’t watch Breathless on the streamer – you’ll have to jump over to HBO Max instead, which I highly recommend.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
This documentary from director Jeremy Workman recounts the time eight Rhode Island artists created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall back in 2003. They lived there for four years, sneaking in furniture, tapping into the mall’s electricity, and even constructing a wall by smuggling in two tons of cinderblock.
The apartment became a meaningful place for its inhabitants, allowing them to express defiance against local gentrification by creating a boundary-pushing work of art. Bonus material includes several behind-the-scenes featurettes; Q&A with Workman and executive producer Jesse Eisenberg; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; and much more.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
Comments
Post a Comment