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%.

Megalopolis

 

Megalopolis

I wanted to see how bad Megalopolis was, and I was not disappointed. It boggles the mind how a renowned auteur can make such drek.  This is a vanity movie. Coppola invested $125 million of his own money to make this film because no other studio wanted to touch it. The plot is convoluted; subplots meander. The acting was awful and contrived. Some screens looked like improv. Besides directing Coppola wrote the screenplay. So, all of this is on him

The film melds the Roman Empire and the futurist utopian city of Megalopolis. Most of the action takes place in a futuristic New York City. There are subliminal messages about the decadence of modern cities but the poor direction muddles the message.

Given the impressive roster of actors, Coppola must have called in some favors. They include Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Shia LeBeouf, Adam Driver Audrey Plaza, and others. These talented actors are wasted on this frivolous film.

Coppola’s body of work assures his stature as a great director. At 85 erasing the stain of this film is unlikely. Hopefully, it will be an asterisk.

Twisters

 

Twisters

Hollywood loves the F word, franchise.  Its predecessor Twister was released 28 years ago and was a blockbuster giving the suits good reason for a sequel. This film is action packed and fast moving. After 28 years the CGI/AI effects are more impressive. Excitement is substituted for scientific accuracy.  The plot is simple and mirrors the original Twister. There are two competing storm chasers. One is a bunch of serious PhD’s and the other are rabble rousers driven by instinct. The cast works well together. Glen Powell leads the motley crew and Anthony Ramos leads the scientific team. There is an inconsequential subplot.

Glen Powell is being pitched as Tom Cruise 2.0. He is ubiquitous starring in Maverik, Any One But You, Hit Man and Twisters. His acting is casual and relaxed. This role is a layup for him playing the cocky character. He has good chemistry with Daisy Edger-Jones. However, the closest thing to sexuality in the film is misty looks at each other.

Daisy Edger-Jones is a scientist with good natural instinct on the behavior of tornadoes. Their disagreement over the tornadoes is the basis of their budding relationship. The rest of the cast lends color to the script.

The plot for Twister and Twisters is the same but with more graphic destruction for the latter. The film is exciting and entertaining. It is a welcome breeze in this heat.

 

The Bikeriders- Prime Video

 

The Bikeriders-Prime  Video

This is not a typical biker movie depicting Hell’s Angels or Marlon Brando’s classic The Wild Ones.  The film is based on a photo book of the same name portraying the lives of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, a fictional version of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

 The film centers around the relationship of the three protagonists. Tom Hardy as Tommy, the club's president, Austin Butler as Benny, and Jodi Comer, Benny’s wife. Hardy gives his usual low-key performance with his mumbling voice. Tommy could be ruthless but most times is level headed. Butler is a charismatic dedicated biker who would rather take a severe beating than give up his colors (his jacket). Butler shows devotion to the club which functions as a family.

Jodi Comer has a dual role. As Benny’s wife, she competes with the club for Benny’s attention. She is also a narrator who gives interviews to the photo documentarist.

This is not an action packed film. It is about the member’s interactions and how the club defines them. If you want to watch this movie I suggest you give it more time when the $20 fee goes down.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

 

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

He’s back. This is not Will Smith's first film after the infamous slap but it is his most commercially successful. Reviews are fair to midline. It is a typical Jerry Bruckheimer film, with fast cars and action-packed.  It is what you expect from a film like this. If you enjoyed the other Bad Boys movies this one will fit like a glove.

Along with Smith, as Mike Lowrey,  is his Bad Boy partner Martin Lawerence, Marcus Burnett. Smith and Lawerence continue their well-honed repartee. Lawrence gives a more clowness performance making rubbery faces and foraging for forbidden sweets (he had a heart attack).  Their chemistry is well honed and still fresh.

The plot is paper thin and is used as a frame for the action sequences. The gunfights are relentless accompanied by a high body count. These are John Wick type shots with impossible deadly accuracy. This film is more potty mouth than the others.

 Another consequential character is Lowrey’s son, Armando. He plays a pivotal role but the father and son relationship is a work in progress (see the prior Bad Boys film to understand the paternity). There are many other characters rounding out the cast. Tiffany Haddish is a small time gang leader. To say she was vulgar is an understatement.

There are some genuine chuckles. At best this is a distraction from the summer heat. This movie did heat up the box office which before Bad Boys was anemic.

 

Civil War

 

This is a brutal movie and given the current political climate opportunistic. The political division is not clear. No manifesto is stated and secessionist states are not identified. Moreover, soldiers wearing the same uniforms make it difficult to identify sides. Killing and brutality are constant throughout the whole film.

This movie is a sleight of hand since the real story concerns photojournalists and the risks they take to get the money shot. Kristin Dunst is Lee, a veteran war photographer who takes great risks to capture the action. Cailee Spaeny is the novice war photojournalist who is terrified of the fighting but energized by it. She takes unnecessary risks. Wagner Moura is a journalist who is Lee’s colleague. Stephen McKinley Henderson is the veteran New York Times reporter. He is old and wise but does not move quickly. Jesse Plemons makes an uncredited appearance (whatever that means) and is a homicidal soldier who kills for no apparent reason.  

In the midst of this mayhem, there were some solid performances. Dunst is passionate about her art but weary of war. Her pain is etched on her face. With shooting and killing around her she still manages to take prize-winning shots. Dunst takes Spaeny under her wing. Even so, Spaeny is reckless and endangers herself and the others. The horrible acts of war transform her, she is hungry for the shot and is energized by the fighting improving her skills.

Moura is a journalist but in the film, he seems more like the driver. He looks after Spaeny like a big brother. He displays an adrenal rush from the proximity to the fighting. Henderson is the wise old journalist who cautions the group.

The relationships of the journalists are the core of the movie. The savagery of the movie misdirects its intent.   

Rustin

 

Rustin-Netflix

Rustin is a biographical drama about Bayard Rustin, the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was openly gay which caused friction with the other prominent civil rights leaders. He was a brilliant civil rights organizer who was not deterred by bigotry. His burden was greater because he was gay. In the ’50s and ’60s being black and gay was a perilous proposition.

Colman Domingo, as Rustin, gives a remarkable performance. He imbues his character with energy and passion. He is self-confident to the annoyance of the civil rights giants. He portrays Rustin as a fast talker and problem solver. Domingo, who is gay, handles the intimate scenes with passion and is hurt when a lover goes back to being husband and father.

Jeffrey Wright is Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He is way over the top and loves it. The man can strut in his chair. Wright is as slick as the real Powell and his arrogance is accurate. He is Rustin’s nemesis and Wright projects Powell as self-dealing and duplicitous.

Aml Ameen is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The resemblance is uncanny. He portrays King as a leader who has to manage conflicting opinions from the other leaders. He is a close friend of Rustin and their friendship is stressed by the anti-gay prejudice of the time.  

Chris Rock is Roy Williams. With a mop of grey hair, you almost feel he is going to burst out in his trademark jokes; he barely contains himself. He portrays Williams as a serious leader and not amicable to Rustin in the beginning. They say comics make good actors because of their timing and Rock does not disappoint.

The rest of the cast is fabulous. This is an important story and brings Rustin from behind the curtain of history. I am not sure if Rustin will be nominated for Best Picture but if Domingo is not nominated for Best Actor that would be a terrible snub.

 

 

 

The Holdovers

 

The Holdovers-Prime

There must be a special place in hell for people who make deceptive trailer ads. The trailer makes the film appear humorous and warm hearted. For the most part, it is not. The Holdovers is not humorous. There are sad stories and the road to redemption is bumpy and painful.

 Paul Giamatti is Paul Hunham a curmudgeon ancient history teacher whom his students and peers dislike.  He cycles through various levels of curmudgeonhood in the film. Sympathy for him is gained after tales of his misery. He is a sad and lonely person.

Dominic Sessa is Angus Tully the holdover student Giamatti has to babysit. He has a sad backstory that would make Tiny Tim cry. In this formula plot, they deeply dislike each other and over the course of the film they defrost. Eventually, Giamatti and Sessa form a friendship/ allegiance to fend off their adversaries. The bond they achieve traverses rocky terrain.

Da’ Vine Joy Randolph is the head cook Mary. She has a deeply sad story herself that has nothing to do with Hunham and Tully. Sadness is their bond. Her main role is to humanize Hunham.

The acting is well done and they portray their characters well. For all the sadness you would expect more happiness and joy. It is a Christmas movie after all.