The Brutalist

 

The Brutalist

This is an excellent, rich film in its construction and acting. Adian Brody plays Lazlo Toth, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to America. He is also a renowned architect but unknown in America. When he is discovered, he is shoveling coal in Pennsylvania. This is a tribute to the immigrant journey. New home, start over.

Brody’s character, Lazlo, affords Brody a range of emotions that he brilliantly performs. In the beginning, he is destitute, taking menial jobs to survive. His performance conveys the pain of an artist denied his talent. His fortune changes when he meets Harrison Lee Van Burn, played by Guy Pearce, a millionaire who knows his talent. Their relationship is complicated. Lee Van Burn’s wealth gives Lazlo a new opportunity to create architecture. Lee Van Burn assumes a superior attitude because of his wealth, but he is no match for Lazlo’s talent. To equalize this disparity, Lee Van Burn seeks to dominate Lazlo. The inequality of social class underlies the film.

Guy Pearce gives a tour de force performance. His tense face and clipped speech project his resentment of Lazlo’s talent; his wealth cannot compete. Guy Pearce knows how to use his body ( 2000 film Memento), and here, his posture is unbending, just like his character.

Felicity Jones is Lazlo’s wife Erzesbet, whom he had to leave in Hungary after the war. Her performance is sublime. After meeting Lee Van Burn and his dinner guests, they asked where she learned her English. Oxford, she replied.

The rest of the cast is wonderful. The cinematography gives the film a unique perspective.

n.b.-The term Brutalist refers to architecture as a style of building that uses exposed materials and geometric shapes to create a minimalist, angular, and bulky look. The term comes from the French word brut, which means "raw" or "untreated

 

Sinners

Sinners-Prime Videos

Sinners is a unique vampire movie. It has all the standard vampire clichés, but it also tells a story of family and community.  Michael B. Jordon plays a dual role as twins, Smoke and Stack, who are gangsters returning to their hometown from Chicago. They have plenty of money from their  Capone employment, and the premise of the story is set up a jute joint in their Mississippi hometown. The entire film is a drama that unfolds over one day and night. Jordon plays the role (roles) with just enough swagger to saddle the role of a gangster and a budding club owner. In one scene, he shoots two locals, one in the ass and the other in the knee, who look too closely into the cargo of his truck. But then he turns around and gives cash to a friend to have them patched up.

There is gore towards the end of the film, but for the most part, it is the story of a main character named Sammy. Sammy is the cousin of the twins and is a blues prodigy. A benefit of the film is that it has some great blues music. There is one dance number that transcends place and time. Dancers include a Zaouli dancer, a Juke joint blues performer, or a Jukin, as well as modern-day hip hop and ballet. It is an anthology of African American dance. With its blues and dance numbers, this film stands out from the typical vampire movie. The climax of the film is a showdown between humans and vampires. Many of the friends, lovers, and family have been bitten and transformed into vampires. The battle goes on until sunrise, when the vampires are vanquished by sunlight.

An interesting element of the film is that there is a Chinese couple who are friends with twins. In Western movies, there has not been enough credit given to the role that Asians have played in the West.

The film is worth seeing. If you see it, do not skip over the end credits. 

Anora

Anora-Amazon Prime

Anora is a low-budget film ($6m) that tells the heartfelt story of a working girl from Brooklyn who finds herself in a place she could not have imagined. Anora, or Ani as she prefers to be called, is a stripper and sometimes prostitute from Brooklyn. She is introduced to Russian clients at the club since she speaks Russian. This is what sets the film in motion. She is introduced to Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch who comes from extraordinary wealth. Vanya is a hedonist with the mind of a horny fifteen-year-old in the body of a horny twenty-one man. His sexual exploits are comparable to a rabbit in heat.

Ani is overwhelmed by extravagant wealth. She is Cinderella from Brighton Beach. Vanya lives in a mansion with an ocean view. It is an endless party. The apex of this perpetual partying is a trip to Las Vegas for a quick marriage. From here, the dream turns on Ani.  

Mikey Madison plays Ani. She does an excellent job balancing vulnerability and toughness. As much as she wants to believe in this dream, she is too street-smart to know it will last. Besides her beauty and willowy body, she is a fighter, taking on fellow strippers and the henchmen Vanya’s parents send. She delivers an outstanding performance in this little film.

Mark Edelstein plays Vanya. He is Russian, and so is his accent. He is the stereotype of the uber-self-centered, irresponsible twenty-four-hour party boy. He showers Ani with one extravagant experience after another. Coming from Brooklyn, this is a different reality.

The movie takes a turn when Vanya’s parents send their henchmen to bring Vanya back to Russia. These are not the brutal Russian criminals portrayed in films like Eastern Promises; they are more bumbling. It is enjoyable how Ani kicks their ass and makes their lives miserable.

If scenes of copulation, nudity, or creative use of the F words offend you, this is not your movie.

This film received Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations and won the Cannes Palm d’Or in 2024. It received a 94% score from Rotten Tomatoes. That’s not bad for Brighton Beach. The film cost $9.99 to watch. Hey, why not?

 

 

 

Gladiator II

 

Gladiator II-Prime Videos

Gladiator II is a typical Ridley Scott spectacle: action-packed, impressive special effects, and a great cast. It continues the first Gladiator movie sixteen years after Marcus Aurelius's death, but this film stands on its own. The story is specific to the gladiator revolt. The movie's prime theme is the liberation of the gladiators and the deposition of the corruption of the twin emperors.

Paul Mescal has the lead role.  He is the hunk of the month, rubbing shoulders with Austin Butler and Glen Powell. He acts as good as his looks. His motivation is revenge and justice. He does not falter from this theme throughout the film, which adds cohesiveness. He is passionate about revenge.

Pedro Pascal is the decorated general who is the target of Mescal’s revenge. Pascal plays a pivotal role in the film, but his role is all too short. His role is mixed as a conquering general, and a conspirator in overthrowing the emperors. His performance is effective in both roles.

Connie Nielson plays Lucilla, a coconspirator against the emperors. She has other vital roles, but if I revealed them, I would be accused of being a spoiler. Her role is pivotal to the plot.

The twin emperors are self-indulgent despots. They stage brutal gladiatorial games for entertainment. Today, they would be considered two spoiled homicidal slackers.

Denzel Washington is a scene stealer. He plays against type; he is evil. He transforms slaves into gladiators. His method is brutal and bloody.  His role is pivotal to the movie, and he relishes the role.

Derek Jacobi briefly appears as a senator. I did not know that he was still alive.

The special effects are impressive, and the reproduction of Rome is authentic. Ridley brought the Colosseum to life, where the gladiator battles take place. The battles are unique, with a charging Rhino and battling gally ships. He threw  in sharks for effect

This is a brutal movie with copious carnage. If bloody scenes bother you, this is not your movie. The movie's box office helped save 2024.

 

  

onclave

 

Conclave

Conclave is a political  thriller in red robes. The pope is dead, the conclave will elect a new pope. The conclave is like any struggle for power. There is duplicity, ambition and various sins. Some also struggle with a crisis of faith. The film moves quickly with one revelation  after another.

There is a stellar cast. Ralph Fiennes is the dean of the conclave. The weight of his responsibility wears heavy on him. He is reflective and makes difficult decisions. He is the central figure of the film. Stanley Tucci ,John Lithgow and the others vie for the position of pope. These pious men are flawed. Averous, duplicity, prejudice, sins of the flesh and a crisis of faith weight on them

Isabella Rossellini is Sister Agnes. Her main role is to smoothly run the conclave. She is strong and  speaks her mind.

The film has some iconic images of the Sistine Chapel and how the conclave is organized. One scene with the cardinals walking in the rain with white umbrellas is beautifully shot.

The ending is a blockbuster, alone justifying going to this film. It confronts several social issues.

The film only cost $20m  since there was no meaningful CGI. It received a 96 rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

The original Beetlejuice was 36 years ago in 1988. It was more cartoonish than its sequel and all the action took place in the house. This sequel brings in a more real-life subplot. The script is a bit messy. It tries to be nostalgic but the new characters do not have the same connection to the old ones. It is still a fun movie but does not have the same vibe as the original.

The main returning characters are Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice. He has less screen time than the original but he is the same manic horny character. His lust for  Winona Ryder’s character has not diminished. Along with Keaton are Catherine O’Hara and an older Winona Ryder. Ryder has a daughter played by Jenna Ortega named Astrid.  Ortega played a character similar to Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series. She is not as obsessed with the occult as her mother and does not heed the warning about repeating Beetlejuice's name three times (notice the film title only repeats his name twice).

Justin Theroux plays the fiancé of Winona Ryder. His role is generic and not of import. Monica Bellucci as  Delores is Beetlejuice's ex-wife. Her face and body are held together by stables akin to Frankenstein. She sucks the life force from anyone who gets in her way. Danny DeVito has a brief role before his life force is sucked out. William Defoe is a former B movie actor who is now a ghost detective. His overacting is appreciated. Many other actors are performing in the film.

This is a Tim Burton film, with his trademark melding fantasy with a light touch of the grotesque. Danny Elfin wrote the score which imitates the original. As a homage to Harry Belafonte, they played Day-O (the Banana Boat song) but lacked energy.

Post script-It is killing at the box office

The Substance

 

The Substance

This is the strangest movie of the year. It is grotesque and some scenes are hard to watch but it is a good story. This film won the best screenplay at Cannes for 2024. Demi Moore is the protagonist as Elisabeth Sparkle the host of a popular aerobics show. On her fiftieth birthday, she was fired from the show. The obvious message is beauty is superficial but the film's core is to what ends will you go to stay young and beautiful. The Substance is the fountain of youth from hell.

Demi Moore is the wrong actress for this part; she looks good at any age. A great deal of prosthetic makeup is used to make Moore grotesque. The metamorphosis of her character is symbolic of aging and the Faustian bargain she makes to stay youthful.  Margaret Qualley is the younger version of Moore. The gore is how Qualley comes to be. The film is a subset of horror called Body Horror. The Body Snatchers and the Blob are examples of this genre.

Denis Quad is the producer of the TV show. He overacts the role but is comical. His outfits would make a pimp envious. He is insensitive when he dismisses  Moore and is predatory in his efforts to find a replacement. 

The final scenes of the movie are extremely grotesque and over the top. They combine traits from Carrie, Altered States, and the Elephant Man. There is a copious amount of blood in the final scenes.

The cinematography is interesting. There are extreme closeups of Moore’s face to highlight her fine wrinkles.  The shower scenes are reminiscent of Psycho.

This movie is not for everyone but for its type it is exceptional. Rotten Tomatoes gave a grade of 90%.