New Film Review: Kajillionaire

 

KAJILLIONAIRE

Directed by Miranda Joy

Screenplay by Miranda Joy

This film follows a family of scammers Mom/Theresa (Debra Winger); Dad/Robert (Richard Jenkins); and daughter/Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood). Things get strange when they include Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) in their scams.

For a story about scammers this film is surprisingly quiet and a little sad. I got fooled a bit, in the beginning I thought this film is a bout a screwed up family, I was wrong. Along the way you see the film is actually about the daughter Old Dolio (Yes that is her name), and realization that her mom and dad may be the worst parents one could have. They just love her to help with scams and nothing else. Then the film kinda turns into a kinda sad yet sweet love story.

The film is well acted:

Wood is wonderful. She takes the lead kinda half way through the film. Walking around with a slouch, in the same baggy polyester work out suit everyday, she is beaten down. Her voice is harsh and quiet as if afraid of the world.

Winger (who is great to see again) and Jenkins (great as usual) have wonderful chemistry.

Rodriguez, is fantastic here, maybe her best performance. She plays Melanie almost as an observer who is trying to help, yet someone who is showing love for Old Dolio, then realizing no one has ever showed her love. Rodriguez says so much with just a look.

The film has negatives. It feels too long, even though it is only 1:45 it feels longer. It has a slow pace, and feels choppy a bit.

I would give Kajillionaire 3 out of 5 stars. It has an odd, maybe weirdness to it, but in the end it works, mainly because Evan Rachel Wood has you caring about Old Dolio so much.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time. 

 

New Film Review: INFIDEL

 
INFIDEL

Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh

Screenplay by Cyrus Nowrasteh

An American man, played by Jim Caviezel, is kidnapped in Cairo after expressing his religious beliefs as a Christian on a TV show. His wife, played by Claudia Karvan, heads to Cairo to try and get him free.

I do not have much to say about this film. It is an...okay story, that kind of sits there. It is not an enjoyable watch, more of a film that is frustrating to watch. Nothing happens while the husband gets beat by bad guys. The wife keeps running into road blocks trying to get either of the governments to help her. So the movie sits there until about the last 15 minutes of the 110 minute film, that's when things get moving.

Also I got a little frustrated with deaths that happen at the expense of saving Caviezel's character; when even his wife said use common sense when being interviewed. Do not stir the pot. Yes it is good to be honest but sometimes saying nothing at all is honest and may NOT get others killed!!!

2 stars out of 5 for this frustrating true story. Well acted but kind of flat.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Broken Hearts Gallery

BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY
Directed by and screenplay by Natalie Krinsky




Broken Hearts Gallery follows Lucy Gulliver who is coming off a break up and the loss of her job at an art gallery on the same day. She decides to start her own gallery, asking for people to bring their objects to her that remind them of past relationships.

When I did the review of Unhinged, I noted that even though some parts drive you crazy the film delivers the action and suspense you pay for. Well when you go to see this film, you want to see a sweet love story with some laughs. It definitely delivers!!
What makes this work is the performances and great chemistry between the two leads Geraldine Viswanathan as Lucy. She plays Lucy with a giant ball of over the top emotion, which is often funny. In contrast Dacre Montgomery as Nick is the opposite, very calm, soft spoken. His reactions to Lucy with just a look is marvelous.
Also what works are the performances of the supporting actors:
Molly Gordon as Amanda
Phillipa Soo as Nadine
Nathan Dales Hilarious as Jeff the boyfriend who is afraid to speak
Arturo Castro as Marcus
All 4 are fantastic and believable in their small roles.

The script is light and follows a Hallmark story-line, with a little more sex, in fact you also get the corny ending. However that is what you pay for. You even get the OH NO friction with 20 minutes left which again is Hallmark like. In fact this film is so Hallmark like I noticed it was filmed in Canada like 95% of all Hallmark movies are.

This movie runs a little long; and Lucy sometimes is too over the top. Still it delivers...so 4 out of 5 for Broken Hearts Gallery. It will not change the world, but it will make you smile for awhile.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Words On The Bathroom Walls

WORDS ON THE BATHROOM WALLS
Directed by Thor Freudenthel
Screenplay by Nick Naveda
Based on the book by Julia Walton



SPOILER FREE

Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a high school teenager, Adam, must face not only the social struggles of high school, but also the struggles in his own head.

What a wonderful little film. Often hard to watch but should be seen!

What works?
A really good story. This film I can pretty much say is the same story as the fantastic Phoebe (Best performance by an eight year old ever by Elle Fanning) In Wonderland , where an elementary school student sees things and other children become afraid of her, and teachers and parents do not know what to do with her. Well in Bathroom Walls, this film ups the game with its lead being in high school. Watching Adam just struggle while off his medication (And we see the imaginary people talking to him); then struggle off his medication with loss of taste and hand shakes. It is so real.

The performances in this film are fantastic and spot on:
Charlie Plummer as Adam in a very difficult role pulls it off and then some. He has to play a role of being in panic but keeping the panic in check as he sees things, and hears voices around him. So much of his acting is done with his eyes and facial expressions. When he is with his friends, and he "sees" the voices in his head, his performance wants you as the viewer to hug the kid.
Molly Parker plays Beth, Adams mother ...just great. It is tough to have a kid in high school and wanting him to fit in; not throw in that you child has schizophrenia!! The worry on her face and pretending in front of Adam that she is not worried is heartbreaking.
Taylor Russell as Maya, is Adams only friend. She also has secrets. Again its about hiding parts of you to fit in. She is strong yet you kind of see it is a show.
There are a couple very good small parts:
Andy Garcia as Father Patrick, the only person who seems to get him.
AnnSophia Robb as Rebecca, she is not real, she is like a flower girl in Adams mind trying hard to push him toward "Good" and "Love".

The down side:
Well you know it was coming! The last 10 minutes the film blew up with a corny Holllywood ending. Director Freudenthel and Writer Naveda should have avoided it, but maybe the writer of the novel Julia Walton had a final say. Who knows? Still a bad choice was made.The Hollywood ending of standing in front of fellow students, and marching ...well I will stop ...this is SPOILER FREE. So what I think should have been done instead:
A quiet moment between Adam and Maya. A moment of understanding.
A jump in time to not only see how the main characters are doing.
Sadly they went big with a shockingly unbelievable corny ending that I felt did not work.

3 1/2 (could have been 4 except the end) out of 5 stars for Words On The Bathroom Walls. I think it is a movie that should be watched. Not just to see the struggles that Adam goes through but also to understand that others are going through struggles you may not know about. In the movie Wonder, Auggies issues and his battles were what people saw, however he still said it right: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
This is not a fun watch, but it is something that should be watched.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Tenet

TENET
Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan



The Protagonist fights through international espionage and movements of time (Not to be confused with time travel), to save the world.

SPOILER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Going in I knew full well that I usually get lost with Nolan's films. I got a bit lost watching Interstellar and Inception. I was not a big fan of Dunkirk, which I thought lost all development of characters. The Dark Knight Trilogy....I kinda liked, but...did the sun ever shine in Gotham City?! So now Tenet.

Tenet, which many are calling the best film of the year, comes in at 2 hours and 30 minutes. It took Nolan 5 years to write this film, watching it felt like 5 years. Nolan we need more editing...PLEASE!
I just felt like Tenet was messy and confusing, and yes I know it may be me not understanding Nolan.
There is a time portal in this film which has Nolan playing with time. Often we see the same character in the same scene, sometimes a character is moving forward in time while the same character is going backwards in time. LITERALLY GOING BACKWARDS!!! Time is flipping. Then we find the world could come to an end because of someones TIME. Why? I do not know. I tried to stay with this, I really did. However I could not, just...could not. Then as always in a Nolan film there is a twist at the end, and this one fell flat.
10 people in my screening.... 4 were left at the end. It just took a lot of....persistence to stay with this one.

Positives:
John David Washington is freaking great as The Protagonists. Oscar worthy for sure. It kind of throws you off because he sounds so much like his father Denzel.
Kenneth Branagh is perfect as Andrei Sator the Russian bad guy.
Robert Pattinson, who is underrated as an actor I think. plays a nice soft role here as The Protagonists right hand man, Neil.
Elizabeth Debicki, who was great in The Night Manager and also seen in Guardians Of The Galaxy films, reappears here as the damsel in distress part as Kat. She is good.

As in most Nolan films the action scenes are just amazing. Also the look of this film as it bounces in time to many destinations is gorgeous!!

I would give Tenet 3 out of 5 stars for now. It is over wrought. Over written. Over long. However the acting and the look of the filmand the great action sequences pushes Tenet forward, unfortunately I do not think it is the best film of the year so far.
I am holding on to another pass for this film so maybe I might take another look, which will give me another look knowing what is coming and maybe it will make more sense to me.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.