gortx Reviews (993)

Flight to Mars (1951)

One of the earliest color Sci-fi films of the 50s

[10 May 2025]

FLIGHT TO MARS (1951) One of the earliest space travel films of the 1950s, FLIGHT TO MARS distinguished itself from the majority of its competitors by being in Color. Produced by Poverty Row studio, Monogram, they used the cheaper Cinecolor process in order to compete with George Pal's Technicolor classics.

FLIGHT TO MARS follows an intrepid crew as they become Earth's first trip to the Red Planet. The crew includes Dr. Baker (Arthur Franz), Steve (Cameron Mitchell) and Virginia Huston as Carol (she got her degree in 'space engineering' in only 3 years!). They land to find an underground population of humanoid inhabitants led by Ikron (genre stalwart Morris Ankrum). At first the natives seem friendly but it's only a facade. Fortunately, the lovely Martian scientist Alita (Margeurite Chapman) sympathizes with the astronauts. Alita is a nod to the silent film AELITA, QUEEN OF MARS.

Directed by Lesley Selander (who did dozens of Westerns) over a glorious five days, FLIGHT TO MARS is prime Saturday Matinee fodder running just 70 minutes. It re-uses props, costumes and effects from ROCKETSHIP X-M and DESTINATION MOON but it moves quick enough and the mini-skirted martians were certainly appealing to the largely male audience of the time.

FLIGHT TO MARS is no classic, but it's an enjoyable little voyage.

Black Bag (2025)

Soderbergh's sleek throwback spy thriller

[7 May 2025]

BLACK BAG (2025) Steven Soderbergh's sleek clever spy thriller is largely devoid of big action thrills and focuses more on the psychological aspects. Indeed, the first major sequence isn't a death defying chase scene but a --- dinner party. George (Michael Fassbender) and his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) have invited two other couples from British intelligence for a game of tell the truth. George is a chief interrigator who's even used his skills on his own parents. Freddie (Tom Burke), Clarissa (Marisa Abela), Zoe (Naomie Harris) and James (Rege-Jean Page) all have their various specialties.

The main plot could easily have worked in Screenwriter David Koepp's script for the Mission Impossible franchise - something involving a new software named Severus which could unleash great harm upon the world if it falls in the wrong hands. The Russians are involved, but that's about as much real world relevance as the screenplay allows for. Hitchcock would dismiss it as a "McGuffin".

The real intrigue is the cat & mouse game between the sextet, one of whom is suspected of leaking info on Severus. What makes it all the more intricate is that each of the six can bluff their way out of a jam by citing "Black Bag" - code for: It's so classified I can't even tell my partner. Fassbender's cool, impassive demeanor reminds one of his performance in Fincher's THE KILLER. Blanchett matches her husband step by step. The others are more emotional each of whom reveals more and more as the story develops. It's a deft stroke to cast the ultimate British agent as the head of the department, Pierce Brosnan (a former James Bond, of course).

Soderbergh's Direction is mostly low frills and to the point, as the movie comes in at a brisk 93 minutes. His camerawork (as Peter Andrews) is similarly unfussy, but there are some nice tracking shots and angles. BLACK BAG may not be the kind of action thriller that audiences are used to, but, it's nice throwback to a time when spy thrillers were more about the characters and less about the stunts and CGI.

The Commitments (1991)

Infectious musical fun

[3 May 2025]

THE COMMITMENTS (1991) Alan Parker's charmer about a Soul band in Dublin remains an enjoyable watch. Based on Roddy Doyle's novel, Parker brought together a band of largely unknowns lead by Robert Arkins. Many of the players were musicians including Glen Hansard (later of ONCE fame) and Andrea Corr (and her The Corrs bandmates). Veteran actor Colm Meaney is terrific.

The film spawned not only one, but two soundtrack albums. It began a trilogy of movies based on Doyle's work which included the equally enjoyable THE SNAPPER and later, THE VAN. Not a huge hit in the States at the time, it's become a cult film (In the UK it won four Baftas including Best Film, Director and Screenplay; it did get an Editing Oscar nom).

THE COMMITTMENTS is infectious and pure joy.

Companion (2025)

Entertainly if oddly structured AI tale

[30 April 2025]

COMPANION (2025) Drew Hancock's COMPANION sports an odd structure, but it has its rewards. It begins fairly conventionally depicting a relationship evolve between Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) complete with a 'meet cute' in a supermarket. Hancock lets it play out as if nothing is odd about the couple, but it's clear that Iris is more than a bit 'awkward'. It's a full 25 minutes before the cat is let out of the bag - she's a love robot - a "Companion". The approach is curious for the advertising and promotion doesn't make it a secret.

What does work is Thatcher's performance which makes it believable without overplaying it. The issue of AI is addressed in a decently intriguing manner, albeit intermittently. Initially, it's disappointing that the structure is a bit of a ruse disguising that the main "plot" driver is a standard issue greedy cash scheme with Josh and his friends Patrick, Kat and Eli (Lukas Gage, Megan Suri and Harvey Guillen) conspiring to shake down a rich Russian (Rupert Friend). It's not a bad story-line, but the switch in gears takes a while to gain a foothold. It plays out decently enough with some dark humor and one solid surprise, but any deeper discussion on artificial intelligence takes a backseat to the antics. Same with any real exploration of the sexual relationship dynamics which are similarly buried under the gab and grue. The grocery store opening plays as a nod to the ending of the original STEPFORD WIVES and Iris' story could be read as a continuation of the adventures of EX MACHINA's Ava after 'she' is let loose upon the world. COMPANION isn't up to the those features, but there's some fun and even a bit of thoughtfulness built in with Thatcher's performance earning some 'human' compassion.

Zardoz (1974)

Boorman's crazed cult item

[26 April 2025]

ZARDOZ (1974) Director John Boorman has had a fine and distinguished career (DELIVERANCE, POINT BLANK, HOPE & GLORY, THE GENERAL etc.), but in some circles, he's perhaps known most for his pair of 70s gonzo cult films - THE EXORCIST II and ZARDOZ.

Sean Connery was anxious to break out of the Bond stereotype, but even he must have found Boorman's screenplay a bit baffling. A giant stone head (Zardoz) is worshiped by the Barbarians including Zed (Connery). The Eternals have telepathic powers and live peacefully and Consuela (Charlotte Rampling) wants to mate with Zed.

Complications ensue. Chants like "The Gun Is Good!", "Go Forth And Kill!" and "The Penis Is Evil" are spoken. Zardoz flies through the sky. There's a vortex. A sacred text. Connery wears an infamous Red Diaper get-up.

At times, ZARDOZ feels like 2001 or Planet Of The Apes as directed by Ken Russell. Still, Boorman is a fine filmmaker and the movie has a certain bizarre charm. The effects are decent. David Munrow's music themes are interesting (also with cues by Beethoven and Mozart). Geoffrey Unsworth's Cinematography with its wide open lenses and diffused lighting gives the film a haunting look.

It's a mad mess, but one can see why a cult has grown around it (when Fox contacted Boorman about doing a restoration, his first response was: "Why!?"). Interesting that the gimmick here of a garbled phrase to come up with "Zardoz" is similar to the one used a few years later for the first Star Trek film (V'ger).

The Room Next Door (2024)

Swinton's performance makes this Almodovar worth seeing

[25 April 2025]

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (2024) Superb filmmaker Pedro Almodovar's first feature in English is an adaptation of a novel by Sigrid Nunez. Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton play a pair of old friends who are brought together when Swinton's character Martha has inoperable cancer. Ingrid (Moore) lends support and sympathy for her former writing colleague but, despite having authored a book on dying, finds it emotionally difficult to accept letting go. It's an intensely difficult situation with Martha being so headstrong while Ingrid is brittle.

Moore and Swinton are very good here. Some of the situations and dialogue feel awkward, but they each breathe life into the movie. Swinton in particular is fearless as always and digs deep here. She previously collaborated with Almodovar on a short film that was also in English (The Human Voice), and she becomes yet another exceptional collaborator for Almodovar.

Almodovar wrote the screenplay himself and it doesn't have the natural flow that his finest films exhibit. It's not just the sometimes stilted words, but seemingly being hamstrung to another writer's story structure. The character of Damian (a mutual ex-boyfriend to the women) in particular ,spouts pessimistic platitudes that even a fine actor such as John Turturro struggles to make feel real.

Almodovar is more successful working with the leads. His sensitivities and compassion shine through. Abetted by Production Designer Inbal Weinberg, Costumer Bina Daigeler and Cinematographer Eduard Grau, the movie show off Almodovar's sharp eye. There are some ghostly imagery, an unapologetic double role, and his patented preference for bright colors. All distinctive touches. Longtime colleague Alberto Inglesias contributes another lovely score.

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR may not be essential Almodovar, but Moore and, especially, Swinton make it a touching and compassionate one.

Grand Tour (2024)

Heady travelogue spans time and experience

[22 April 2025]

Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes' (TABU) latest cinefile creation was a Cannes Winner for Direction and that country's official Oscar submission.

It's a heady combination of travelogue and dual personal journeys. We are told by narration that in 1918 Edward (Goncalo Waddington) escapes from his fiancee Molly (Crista Alfiate) and embarks on a 'Grand Tour' of Asia (Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Japan and China). The location footage is clearly of the present day, which emphasizes the transitory nature of time and experience. There are separate narrators for each of the five countries. The audience doesn't see Molly until past the halfway point in the film as she traces Edward's travel paths.

It's a visually dense production, shot on 16mm and primarily in Black & White. The story is spare and largely secondary to the sensory experience. Waddington's Edward is quiet and taciturn. Alfiate is quite the opposite, vivacious with a distinctive laugh/chorttle.

Gomes' film isn't out for any grand statements, but if one can give themselves over to his leisurely vision, it's one to savour.

Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (2024)

Your definition may vary, but enjoyable music doc

[17 April 2025]

YACHT ROCK: A DOCKUMENTARY (2024) One can be forgiven for still not understanding what the definition of this sub-genre is supposed to represent even after watching this enjoyable documentary. "Yacht Rock" is an invented term by a couple of comedians about a slice of music from the 70s and 80s with Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald being the patron saints.

A broader definition would be soft rock from that era with an emphasis on the "L. A. Sound". The term is both too broad and too restrictive - Steely Dan are the forefathers even if they rebel against being lumped in (in an amusing clip, Donald Fagan hangs up on Director Garret Price when he tries to interview him by phone). The Doobie Brothers weren't Yacht Rock until Michael McDonnell joined them. The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac aren't members because they don't have enough jazz. Hall & Oates were too Philly etc.. Some of Michael Jackson's work is Yacht Rock, but not most. The contradictions never cease.

Regardless of the silly definitions, YACHT ROCK is a pretty enjoyable piece. Cross, McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto (almost by definition, if a member of Toto played on your record, you were an honorary Yacht Rocker) and others who participated have their careers covered in good detail and are allowed the time to speak for themselves. Even if the early inspiration (a web series) began with a mocking tone, the artists here are treated with respect. Cross, in particular, comes off as a very human character. One monster hit album and then never able to come close to duplicating it again. Still, he perseveres and seems content to just doing what he loves.

YACHT ROCK may have a dubious premise, but it's an enjoyable look at a place in time which had a certain sound that many still find warm and comforting to this day.

The Quiet Earth (1985)

Mind Bender from New Zealand

[12 April 2025]

THE QUIET EARTH (1985) Often cited as an underrated Sci-Fi and 80s film, THE QUIET EARTH earns the distinction. New Zealand Director Geoff Murphy's heady apocalyptic thriller (based on a Craig Harrison novel) is one of the best Last Man On Earth scenarios.

Zac (a really good Bruno Lawrence) is a scientist working on an international energy project. He gets jerked awake and finds himself seemingly the only person around - or, maybe, on earth. Eventually, a couple of other 'survivors' make themselves known, but the early portion with Zac alone is quite well done. The love triangle material is a bit of a subgenre cliché, but the actors (Alison Routledge and Pete Smith acquit themselves well). What's most interesting here is how Zac tries to piece together what happened and what could happen in the future. Did the rest of the planet really vanish, or is this some kind of alternate universe? The finale is an all-time mind-blower.

Director Murphy directed YOUNG GUNS II, FREEJACK and UNDER SIEGE 2 before returning down under to collaborate with Peter Jackson directing second unit on the Lord Of The Rings films. THE QUIET EARTH has become quite the cult film for genre fans, and just cinefiles in general.

Nosferatu (2024)

Visually stunning take on the classic legend

[10 April 2025]

NOSFERATU (2024) Robert Eggers' version of the classic tale is an occult erotic fatalist take versus the haunting expressionism of Murnau's silent masterpiece and the brooding dread of Herzog's fine 1979 edition. Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen Hutter is already in the grip of Nosferatu/Byron Orlock (Bill Skarsgard) as the movie opens which is a departure from the earlier films. Her husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) ventures to Transylvania in order to settle the deed to the property of a decrepit home in Wisborg Germany.

Eggers' script essentially follows the pattern of the original film's storyline but with added details (in addition to the Ellen's connection to the vampire). Once Nosferatu and Thomas return to Wisborg, the screenplay hews fairly closely to the previous works (of course, all of them using Bram Stoker's Dracula as the true inspiration). Nosferatu brings pestilence and disease with him to the town. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin play the Hardings, who also fall into the clutches of the evil creature. Willem Dafoe is Professor Von Franz - the Van Helsing role. It's an oddly drawn character, and, most surprisingly, the usually reliable Dafoe is a bit off key here due in no small part to Eggers' writing and direction. Depp is asked to display such extreme swings in emotion, that it's difficult to gauge her overall performance.

Eggers does expand on the model with lengthy diversions like the gypsies and villagers in Transylvania, but some of them seem designed more to show off the handsome production values than add to the story. And, it is a mighty impressive film visually with Jarin Blaschke's superb lensing (in 35mm and a boxy 1:66 aspect ratio) showing off Craig Lathrop's remarkable Gothic designs.

The possession angle here is novel, but it curiously makes it feel more removed in some ways with all the Exorcist-like gyrations and speaking in tongues. The idea that Nosferatu could have a hold on Ellen since she was young (and thousands of miles away) is curious to a point, but unconvincing. In addition, the third act's more dialogue heavy writing is more than a bit patchy. Character motivations seem a bit off. The processed voice for Skarsgard makes him hard to understand at times.

Fortunately, the finale is a sexually charged tour de force, and an improvement on the two predecessors. Skarsgard and Depp powerfully engage in a battle of wills. It's brutal, but daringly enthralling. It goes a long way to justify (along with look and atmosphere) this take on the classic tale even if Eggers never quite makes it his own.

About Dry Grasses (2023)

Novelistic tale of two teachers by the master, Nuri Bilge Ceylan

[8 April 2025]

ABOUT DRY GRASSES (2024) Master filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan continues in his current vein of taking a novelistic approach to his films. Spanning over three hours, ABOUT DRY GRASSES isn't concerned with the rhythms of even an arthouse feature.

Samet (Deniz Celiloglu) and Kenan (Musab Ekici) are teachers who room together in a remote section of Anatolia, Turkey. Their more or less sedate bachelor lives are altered by a pair of events: They meet a teacher from another school, Nuray (Merve Dizdar), who takes an interest in both of them, although Samet seems to pass her along to Kenan. Sevim has an artificial leg as a result of a terrorist bombing. On a professional level the men are roiled when a couple of their young students accuse them of inappropriate touching. Sevim (Ece Bagci) is one of the pupils, and she has a devilish quality that bewitches Samet in particular.

While Ceylan's films are quite dialogue heavy, what sets them apart are the often stunning visual imagery. The Director uses landscape like no filmmaker since perhaps Tarkovsky. The irony of the title is that almost the entire movie takes place during a harsh and snowy winter. Samet is an art teacher (as is Nuray) which add to the pictorial pleasures here (Samet is also an amateur photographer).

Ceylan's script (with a pair of collaborators, Akin Aksu and his wife Ebru Ceylan) is very leisurely. It comes to a head in a brilliant intimate dinner sequence between Samet and Nuray. Samet's selfishness is clearly revealed, but Nuray is more than capable of parrying him at every turn. Ceylan breaks the fourth wall at one point, although it more interesting for the fact that such a formalist filmmaker would do it, than for any real revelation. Be that as it may, it's an excellent centerpiece, and more interesting than the school material.

Ceylan's work may only appeal to a certain sector of the cinefile community, but, to those, he's a genuine treasure even if ABOUT DRY GRASSES isn't at his top level.

The Last Wave (1977)

A Haunting vision connecting Man and Nature

[5 April 2025]

THE LAST WAVE (1977) Peter Weir's haunting Australian apocalyptic thriller features Richard Chamberlain as David Burton, a lawyer who is drafted to represent four Aboriginals accused of a mysterious death. He gets so close to the case that he begins to feel a spiritual kinship with the Native peoples, including one of the accused, Chris (David Gulpilil). Burton experiences a kind of unconscious reality which is referred to as Dreamtime in which he has visions of an upcoming disaster.

Coming off of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, Weir again explores the unknowable bond between man and nature and the mysteries that aren't fully explained by logic and the physical world. Chamberlain is very sympathetic and Gulpilil (WALKABOUT) is magnificent. Russell Boyd's Cinematography (he also shot HANGING ROCK) is superb as is the creepy score by Charles Wain. Weir went on to shoot GALLIPOLI before becoming more of an international filmmaker - and a brilliant one, but THE LAST WAVE stands on its own.

A Complete Unknown (2024)

Terrific stage performances triumphs over average script

[3 April 2025]

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (2024) James Mangold delivers good vibes with A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Vibrations are important in any music bio-pic, but doubly so when the subject is Bob Dylan who's life and career has been so thoroughly documented and (some would say, including Dylan himself) over-analyzed. The script is based on Elijah Wald's book Dylan Goes Electric!

Mangold (and co-writer Jay Cocks) smartly focus on Dylan's rise in the early to mid-60s. They set the folk music backdrop pretty well positing Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) as the movement's spiritual grandfather, Pete Seeger (an excellent Edward Norton) as the father and Dylan (Timothy Chalamet) as the prodigal son. It's a bit contrived, but works for the purpose here. Some of the signposts (the JFK assassination, the Cuban Missile Crisis etc.) are a bit too on the nose. Dylan's rocky relationships with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning; "Russo" being a pseudonym for Suze Rotolo - per Dylan's personal request) and, especially with cohort and collaborator Joan Baez (Monica Barbara, also very good) are decently depicted. Trying to decipher who Bob Dylan really is, presents more of an issue as his 'character' morphed many times over the decades beginning with dispatching his childhood as "Robert Zimmerman". Dylan's statements are more questions than answers, seemingly in the process of creating riddles and mythology on a daily basis.

It's all about the music. The cast also includes Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash (who, in his way showed Dylan than one can crossover genres), and they all do a fine job of making it all look and feel authentic to the artists involved. There's a pop and spring to the performance sequences which energize the movie.

Even when they sound 'different' from the well known versions, one never questions their veracity. That's the irony here. Many film bios on musicians feel phony when the actors open their mouths and strum their instruments. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is the opposite. The music is credible, it's the dialogue scenes where it's sometimes tone deaf. The actors are good, but the script is full of predictable cliches and platitudes, which also hampers Chalamet's otherwise solid performance. At times, one feels like exhorting: Shut up and play yer guitar! It's historically pretty accurate save for the most important scene - the climactic 1965 Newport Folk Festival - which is riddled with distortions. Rotolo/Russo wasn't there, and neither was Cash. The near riotous booing was minor compared to an earlier show in England. Seeger didn't really threaten to take an axe to the sound system etc. Etc.. No, this isn't a documentary, but, as noted at the outset, this stuff is so well documented that Mangold simply strays too far. It's not a fatal blow, but it's still an unforced error.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, wobbly script and all, is still a very enjoyable ride that captures the feeling of Dylan and the music world at the time with exceptional art direction and costuming. The actors should all take a bow for how well they studied and rehearsed their musical chops. Mangold deserves credit for selecting and help shape their performances. The vibe is solid.

Queer (I) (2024)

Craig is very good in this stylish adaptation

[1 April 2025]

QUEER (2024) Luca Guadagnino's adaption of William S. Burrough's novella Queer is stylish but meandering. Unquestionably, it's difficult to depict a writer's inner life on screen (particularly one as singular as Burroughs), but the director and his writer, Justin Kuritzkes (who wrote Guadagnino's CHALLENGERS) give it a fair shot abetted by Daniel Craig's fully committed performance as "Lee" (aka Burroughs).

Broken up into three chapters and an epilogue, the first two sections depict Lee wandering around Mexico soaking up booze, cigarettes, drugs and any intersting man he encounters. Jason Schwartzman is Joe, a gay friend who shares Lee's cyncism - and gossip. Guadagnino's woozy cinematic gaze helps enliven a fairly mononotonous pair of acts, filmed in moody 35mm by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score is interspersed with modern rock songs by New Order, Nirvana, Sinead O'Connor, Prince etc. Which isn't as jarring as it would seem for a film set in the 1950s. In a way, it subconsciously displays how Burrough's themes continue to remain relevant.

The third act takes Lee into the wilderness with his latest man of attention, Allerton (Drew Starkey) to an Ecuadorian jungle in search of a wild plant that supposedly can bestow telepathic powers. An unrecogrnizeable Lesley Manville plays the local Witch Doctor who leads the pair on a hallucinatory experience where they literally trip their brains out! At times, these scenes look like somenthing out of Ken Russell's ALTERED STATES or Terry Gilliam's FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, but they perk up the journey. Like the rest of the film, it was all filmed in Italy on very stylized sets.

Guadagnino should have sprinkled some of the Ecuadorian yage magic dust over the other sections of the film. The epilogue has a few striking moments, but Guadagnino can't help but go too far and too long (even for him).

QUEER, if nothing else, shows how safe and conservative CHALLENGERS was an 'erotic thriller'. Intimacy of all sorts are portrayed here in all their carnal glory (more often inglorious). Craig gives the film what center it has, but he alone can't elevate this to much more than an honorable attempt at the nearly impossible.

Heretic (II) (2024)

Starts smart, ends up being standard shocker

[26 March 2025]

HERETIC (2024) MAX. A pair of Mormon missionaries prosthelize the wrong man - the title character. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are the two young women who knock on the door of Mr. Read (Hugh Grant) who has expressed an interesting into hearing more about the Church of Latter Day-Saints. They chat about religions in general, all the while Mr. Read is probing the two girls for more and more personal insights. It's a cat & mouse game, which, since it's a horror film, one knows will eventually turn dark. What's most interesting about the first act is that it's the rare mainstream film to discuss religion in some philosophical depth. Grant uses his natural charm and charisma to lure in the women. Thatcher and East are very good as well in laying out their characters.

Unfortunately, once the plot unfolds, it becomes less and less stimulating. There is a 'relgious' reason for Mr. Read's deviousness, but it ends up boiling down to another crazed man luring young ladies into their potential doom. There are some solid turns and a shock or two, but, it doesn't live up to the promise of the beginning. East's Paxton seems to change character towards the end which the events don't fully justify. Similarly, filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods can't seem to escape the genre pitfallys, but still must be given credit for a smarter than usual premise. Too bad they couldn't stick the landing.

The Outrun (2024)

Superb Ronan performance

[25 March 2025]

THE OUTRUN (2024) Netflix. Director Nora Fingscheidt's adaptation of Amy Liptrot's memoir (they co-wrote the screenplay) follows a young woman, Rona (Saorise Ronan), who returns from a decade of partying in London to her native Scotland. Rona was a biology graduate student before her drinking ruined her career and relationship with a caring boyfriend (Paapa Essiedu). She has to get sober and getting out of the city is her best shot at it.

Rona's intoxicated past (and that of her childhood) is told in flashbacks while she joins AA and tries to put together her life. She uses her science background to get a job helping conserve wildlife in the her hometown and the Scottish isles. The frequency of the flashbacks does tend to stall the dramatic flow at times. Fortunately, Ronan is such a fine actress that she keeps the viewer with her - and relate with her struggles.

It's an exceptional performance in the well traveled 'getting sober' theme. What also elevates the movie is that Liptrot's knowledge of science, conservancy and the region gives the backdrop a verisimilitude. When Rona muses about birds, Selkies and even seaweed, one believes the character truly understands what she is talking about. THE OUTRUN is primarily an acting showcase for Ronan - one of our finest performers (who was also fine in that same year's BLITZ).

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

A bracing Cold War classic; Still Relevant

[22 March 2025]

DR. STRANGELOVE (1964) It's hard to wrap one's head around how much of an impact Stanley Kubrick's classic had on Cold War America. This was a hard slap to the bow, using satire as a weapon to shake up the world to the true madness of "M. A. D."- Mutual Assured Destruction.

Peter George based his screenplay with Kubrick and Terry Southern on his more serious minded novel (Red Alert). The result is a no holds barred lampoon of the crazy world we lived in - and STILL DO. As great as the script and Kubrick's Direction are, it's the cast that propels the film to a different level, even above and beyond Peter Sellers' famous troika of characters. George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn and especially Sterling Hayden all deliver iconic performances. Hayden's Jack D. Ripper with his conspiracy theory obsessions with 'bodily fluids' is a indelible (is there any doubt that a modern day Ripper would be a hugely successful podcaster?). It's also great to see James Earl Jones in an early role. The only quibble is that Kubrick sometimes allows bits to go on a bit long including the title character. But, with Sellers et al. In such prime form who was to say "cut"?

DR. STRANGLOVE is a deserved classic that remains ever relevant.

Nickel Boys (2024)

Innovative take on a compelling story

[20 March 2025]

NICKEL BOYS (2024). RaMell Ross' film of Colson Whitehead's acclaimed novel follows the author's fictionalized story of the infamous Dozier School For Boys, a Florida reform institution where the black students in particular were often harassed, beaten - and worse. Ross and co-writer Joslyn Barnes' adaptation takes a semi-experimental route, telling the tale as first person POV - actually multiple ones.

Elwood Curtis (Ethan Cole Sharp) is a young boy in the early 60s set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement. The audience follows Elwood as he does well in class under the loving eye of his grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor). One day, he's 'In the wrong place at the wrong time' and condemned to Nickel Academy (the Dozier stand-in). There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson) and they bond despite their differing attitudes.

Up until this point about a half-hour in, Ross has filmed it almost exclusively from Elwood's point of view, the only glimpses of the boy are seen in reflections in windows and other shiny objects. With just a brief transition, Ross now includes Turner's POV as well, inter-cutting between them, but not necessarily in any traditional editing manner (Nicholas Monsour is the editor). Still, it allows for a more natural flow while also opening the movie up to some crucial artistic choices down the line. Further, the screenplay jumps forward in time to the 1970s and then the more or less present day. These scenes are shot in over the shoulder to the 'adult' Elwood (Daveed Diggs) who is mostly only seen from the back.

It's a daunting structure to which Ross further adds historical documentary footage and still photographs. This 'objective' material can be seen as being in the mind's eye of the characters in 'dialogue' with the viewer. The structure can be a bit confusing on the timeline and who's perspective is who's at any given point in time (there are some angles which don't seem fluidly consistent to boot). The cast is very good even within the strict boundaries the technique imposes on them. Luke Tennie also makes an impression as Griff, a hulking classmate.

Ross' Oscar nominated documentary HALE COUNTRY similarly refused to play by formalistic conventions. Cinematographer Jomo Fray works in the 1:33 aspect ratio, further emphasizing the Doc approach. The radically innovative style can make one question whether such a tack was necessarily the strongest manner in which to tell this particular narrative. The first 30 minutes are so enveloping and singular that they remain the strongest passage in the production. The immersive POV (including a dynamic sound track) does force the viewer to experience it as the characters do. Once can't help but feel like a participant in Ross' laboratory. It's a strong artistic vision, and the underlying tale is an impactful one.

Sugarcane (2024)

Heartfelt documentary

[18 March 2025]

SUGARCANE (2024) Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Instead of righteous (and justified) anger, filmmakers Julian Brave Noisecat and Emily Kassie take an introspective and personal viewpoint in telling their sad story of the Canadian Residential education program where Native Indigenous Tribe members were placed in predominantly Catholic run boarding schools (similar programs were also set up in the U. S.).

The St. Joseph's Mission which the Documentary focuses on, was the site of such horrors as underage pregnancies, sexual abuse, violence, deaths and even murder. Noisecat's father was one of the victims who survived. Many others weren't so fortunate. The cover-up and lies involving Priests who, even when found to be molesters, were simply transferred to other reservations.

What distinguishes SUGARCANE (named for the location of the Mission) is how it displays that the crimes committed there have reverberated through multiple generations. St. Joseph's closed in 1981, but the program lasted until 1997. It's a dark cloud that looms over the Secwepemc people. Noisecat and Kassie never over-dramatize and let the people tell their own stories (including Noisecat and his father). As one elder implores early on that she wants the younger Secwepemc to "bear witness" to the events in order for their nation to heal.

North by Northwest (1959)

One of the most purely enjoyable of Hitchcock's films

[15 March 2025]

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) - One of the Master's most purely enjoyable films. Indeed, screenwriter Ernest Lehman said that he set out to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". NxNW rolls together all of Hitch's usual signposts - Mcguffins, paranoia, mistaken identities, intricate set-pieces and a blonde (here, Eva Marie Saint).

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is an ad exec who gets caught up with spies who falsely believe he's a government agent. James Mason is the ringleader of the secret agents out to catch him and a young Martin Landau is among his accomplices. Saint is Eve who gets mixed up with Thornhill along the way. The cast also includes Leo G. Carroll, Les Tremayne and Edward Platt.

There are a number of delicious twists and turns. The two major showstoppers are a crop dusting attack sequence and the impressive finale on top of Mount Rushmore. Hitchcock masterfully puts together the scenes with Production Designer Robert F. Boyle and Cinematographer Robert Burks. Bernard Herrmann's rousing score keeps the pace quick and exciting. Saul Bass' dynamic opening titles (propelled by Herrmann's main theme) sets the film off like a rocket.

Hitchcock may have made more artistic, suspenseful or romantic films, but it's hard to beat NORTH BY NORTHWEST for pure entertainment value. A classic.

Longlegs (2024)

Good texture and a creepy vibe

[13 March 2025]

Filmmaker Osgood Perkins certainly doesn't shy away from using the well-worn signposts of serial killer films with nods to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, SE7EN, ZODIAC and others - Coded messages, oddball suspects, mysterious motives, byzantine theories, taunting of authorities, disturbing imagery, symbolism etc..

Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is an FBI agent newly assigned to investigate a string of murders over a number of years where a family member has wiped out their own household. Harker has a seemingly preternatural ability to not only hone in on the suspect, but to deduce his writings and come up with a theory of the case. The early scenes with Harker and her partner Carter (Blair Underwood) are atmospheric and painstakingly realized by Perkins and his team. The cinematography, production and sound design and Elvis Perkins' score convey a convincing sense of palpable gloom. Even scenes set in the daytime seem dark and foreboding.

Things change when Longlegs (Nicholas Cage) enters full bore. The balance is tipped. Wearing a bizarre androgynous fright wig and makeup, Cage turns in a decent performance - but, his current reputation for going so far over the top precedes him. Audiences tend to titter and laugh, and not recoil in fear. More damaging, Perkins' script tilts the balance from crime thriller to outright horror film. Harker's investigation takes a backseat to the freak show elements. Ironically, the scarier the movie tries to be, the less creepy (and effective) it becomes. The two big twists in the final act are fairly easy to foresee, as well.

LONGLEGS has really good texture. The digital cinematography (including shifts in aspect ratio) is genuinely unsettling. The acting is good. In addition to Monroe, Cage and Underwood, the supporting cast includes Alicia Witt as Harker's mother and Kiernan Shipka as one of Longlegs' encounters. Perkins (son of PSYCHO's Tony Perkins) is no stranger to the genre, but, his screenplay gets away from him and falls into unnecessary horror film tropes. The serial killer films that it's clearly inspired by are all the more genuinely disturbing because they are set in the real world with real killers - not fantasy figures.

Still, LONGLEGS is worth catching for its better aspects. It has a vibe that even its weak finale can't quite be shaken from.

Red Island (2023)

Semi-autobiographical tale is effecting

[11 March 2025]

RED ISLAND (2024)- Robin Campillo's followup to his energetic and provocative B. P. M. Seems, at first, to be less confrontational and more evocative. It's another semi-autobiographical (as was B. P. M.) story, here showing Campillo's childhood in Madagascar. His character, a young boy, Thomas (Charlie Vauselle) is quite and observant. His brusque father, Robert (Quim Gutierrez) is stationed at the French Military base which has been imposed on the island's government. His mother, Colette (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is caring if sometimes distracted.

Thomas and a young girl, Suzanne (Cathy Pham), share a love of the comic book, Fantomette - a masked and caped teen girl crusader. It's through their eyes that Campillo drifts the film into fantasy segments. They are beautifully realized by the film's team. Further, Campillo lets other scenes in the film float into almost dreamlike montages. Fine Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie (BPM, BENEDETTA) produces some stunning visuals, including a gorgeous outdoor nighttime movie screening at the seashore.

Campillo's screenplay (with two collaborators) is a bit hazy, allowing the visuals and the general mood to carry the movie. For much of the runtime, the method works due to the visuals and performances. It's only in the last act where the script brings the politics of the country's turbulent situation where it becomes a bit bumpy. RED ISLAND's end meaning is clear, but the steps along the way are blurred and don't blend well. It's still an effecting film, flaws and all.

Black Box Diaries (2024)

Vital Oscar nominated documentary

[7 March 2025]

BLACK BOX DIARIES (2024) Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Journalist Shiori Ito's intimate film about her sexual assault in 2015. Ito's first person account details not only the crime but the public outrcry and her subsequent book ('Black Box') and civil trial. Her assailant, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, was not only a fellow journalist, but also a close confidant of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Yamaguchi claims the encounter was mutual).

Ito's documentary is, by it's nature 'one sided'. There is very little objective news footage. It's her story, compellingly told. She isn't always seen in a favorable light and even her own family was against her going public with the accusations. Her attractiveness was used against her by opponents claiming she 'set up' the man. The police never arrested nor charged Yamaguchi with the strong implication that his ties to the Prime Minister put pressure on law enforcement to look the other way. Ito's book and civil lawsuit sparked a furor and movement to update the Japan's criminal laws which place the burden on the female victims.

As a film about journalism, BLACK BOX DIARIES has given rise to criticism that Ito filmed many of the participants surreptiously and without consent. There are legitimate concerns raised, with the defense that the filmmaker was documenting a news story, her book has been published and the case has been tried and appealed all the way up the Supreme Court. Still, they are questions worth considering. The film has not been released in Japan.

BLACK BOX DIARIES tells a vital story of a woman who became a virtual one person Me Too movement. Ito's quest continues on both with her emotional recovery and spreading the word of the movement.

Strange Darling (2023)

Big bold filmmaking

[6 March 2025]

STRANGE DARLING (2024) - JT Mollner's thriller announces itself from the get go: Big Oversized lettering for the credits; Proudly boastiing it was all shot on "35mm Film"; Brash chapter headings; Even an onscreen countdown clock at one point. Writer-Director Mollner certainly can't be accused of modesty.

After a brief opening text stating that a Serial Killer is on the loose, STRANGE DARLING plunges the viewer into the 'middle' of the story (Chapter 3 of 6). An intimidating man, The Demon (Kyle Gallner) is chasing The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) wielding a rifle. Mollner's screenplay deliberately jumbles the chronology which makes it difficult to mount much of a synopsis, but suffice it to say that the couple are brought together for what appears to be a night of casual sex. A man wants to bang a live wire temptress.

Fitzgerald and Gallner are very good. There's a genuinely unnerving chemistry when they are on screen together, even if only a couple of the chapters truly allow much interaction. The main other significant characters are an old couple in the woods where the woman runs for shelter. It's good to see Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. Here, if only for a few scenes. Actor Giovanni Ribisi makes his feature film debut as a Cinematographer and the genuine celluloid look is pleasingly grungy. Craig DeLong's score and Z Berg's songs mostly work (including a cover of Nazareth's "Love Hurts" with Keith Carradine).

The very structure of the piece is designed to delay information to the viewer in order to increase the suspense. Mollner delays one turn as long as possible by placing the episodes out of order, but once revealed, it opens up several plot holes. Further, it's fairly easy to see where the big development is heading for eagle eyed viewers. Even if one doesn't foresee it, once the dust settles, there really isn't much insight or revelation. It's mostly sizzle.

STRANGE DARLING is bold filmmaking. The individual scenes make an impact, but it doesn't add up to much. Tell the story in chronological order, and much of it's momentary excitement would dissipate. The performances are so strong, that Mollner need not have depended so much on misdirection. He has the chops. Trust them.

Music by John Williams (2024)

Entertaining, informative if very much authorized

[21 February 2025]

MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS (2024) Very much an authorized Documentary on the great film composer (it's co-produced by his friend Steven Spielberg, after all). Still, it does a good job of fleshing out his distinguished filmography and sheds some intimate light on his work.

The discussions with several of his collaborators including Ron Howard, George Lucas, Itzak Perlam and - of course, lots of Spielberg - do provide support to John Williams' on-camera interviews. Not sure why Coldplay's Chris Martin gets so much screentime, but when you have a big celebrity Rolodex, I guess you use it.

For a documentary covering a musician with such a long resume, Director Laurent Bouzereau kind of runs out of things to say and stumbles around for a way to wrap it up. There are some nice persoanl moments Williams shares with the camera, but don't expect too much criticism more scathing than he admits to not spending more time with his family. In the end, it's the music that matters, and Williams has provided a lifetime of great notes.