BradWesley123's Movie Journal- May 2019

It doesn't veer into "so bad it's good" territory as much as I'd hoped, but Season of the Witch is pretty fun. By that I mean, of course, it's a cruddy film with a dumb script and bland filmmaking, but it's often absurd enough to have a little fun with. Whether it's the oddity of Cage and Perlman playing their characters like 20th century beat-cops, the poorly rendered CGI, the terrible attempts at humor, and any number of little trash touches, the film has moments of fun. That said, much of it is so downtrodden, so dour, that it seems to be going for something straighter and credible; it fails miserably in this regard. The script is bad, the cast is mixed (Perlman has a bit of fun and it's interesting to watch a pre-breakout Claire Foy, but Cage is as muted as he can be), and the direction lacks vitality or life. It can be fun, but it's more of a slog than one would hope from a Nic Cage flick about 13th century witch hunting.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Costume Design (Fantasy)- Carlo Poggioli
Best Makeup
Best Worst Picture

It's a mixed bag of a movie, with some serious tonal clashes and unnecessary subplots, but Someone Great, ultimately, is a solid relationship dramedy. There are about four plots and/or subplots to be found in this one; of those two work; of those two, only works completely. That one, the best of the stories found here, is Rodriguez's storyline. While the dissolution of love is nothing new for film, few things are as harrowing as when it's captured in an honest way. Here, it is. In fact, you'll wish that the emphasis of the whole film was on her and Stanfield's characters because they feel the most lived-in, the most real. The others, in comparison, suffer. Wise has a nice presence and her side story is nice enough, but it offers little in the way of entertainment or insight. It's miles better than Snow's though, which feels lifted from a bland, mid-season episode of some Freeform series. The core friendship works well-enough, which is disappointing because it should work exceptionally well; it's the core of the film. The three women have a strong connection in the more emotional scenes, but have a hard time with the outlandish "friend" moments; they feel performative, more like they're trying to add meaning to their friendship instead of, simply, living in it. The meat of the story, that people change over time, works though, and there's enough solid material to warrant a viewing. If you're like me though, you'll wish that everything was just a bit tighter.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Soundtrack

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Rewatch

I was impressed while watching The Bookshop. Not with the film, but with myself; I had no idea how much patience I had. Apparently, enough to sit through nearly two hours of complete and absolutely bland filmmaking. There's no signs of life, no joy, nothing signifying any genuine humanity. It's like a robot gained sentience and tried to mimic human drama. The cast tries their hardest and, hell, the story isn't half but, but they're given nothing from Isabel Coixet's utterly flat direction. Scenes occur, then another does, and so on, with no flow. It isn't the worst film I've ever seen, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most boring.

Serenity is a goofy film that thinks it's a rather profound and thought-provoking one. It's a self-serious story built around an, frankly, absurd plot twist that completely blows the whole movie up. It's kind of amazing that anyone thought that audiences would accept it which, frankly, why the thing is so damn interesting; who thought this would work? I'm stacking the deck here but, to be perfectly honest, I kinda liked it. Sure the story is bonkers, but there's some wonderful craftsmanship on display here, as well as terrific acting (they can't salvage that nutty ending, but they sure as hell try) and strong filmmaking; I wish that this crew would've just done a standard noir picture. It might not have been as memorable, but it would've been better. It's not a particularly good film, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. It's fun if you're willing to take everything at face value. At the very least, it'll probably hold your attention.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Actor- Matthew McConaughey

Until it near-completely lets all the air out of the balloon for an aggresively stupid and redundant coda, Escape Room is a thrilling piece of filmmaking. The set pieces are elaborate and expertly staged, the character work is surprisingly caring and empathetic, and the storytelling, not always a positive in horror/thriller films, is solid. It's no masterpiece but, for the first 75 or so minutes, it's a nimble, well-oiled thrill machine... then the end comes. The last act, as the answers start to come in, loses some steam. Not enough to derail this thing, but it does let down all the good that came before. Then the last 15 to 20 drop the ball completely, deciding to forego storytelling in favor of table setting, delivering a wimpy cop-out of an ending. Please, cinema, take notice; you have to tell one story before you start to tell the next one.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Production Design (Contemporary)- Edward Thomas and Tracy Perkins

Too mild and familiar to be necessary viewing, but too amiable to be completely discounted, The Perfect Date embodies the rom-com middle ground that is becoming Netflix's forte. The plot is warmed-over from better films, the characters are archetype genre creations, and nothing is as comedic or romantic as they should be. That said, this is a comfort food type film; nothing is offensively bad, and some things are handled rather well (the cast is solid, a few of the jokes land, and the concept itself is somewhat timely). For people who enjoy the genre, that may be enough. It wasn't quite for me, but, as mentioned, it's not actively awful either, so that's something, I guess.

Poorly plotted and dourly sadistic, Untraceable is a grimy "thriller" that plays to the worst of audience expectations. This is a film that believes it has something profound to say about human beings; their propensity to violence, their reveling in the misfortune of others, their inability to get out of their own way. There are the makings here of a film that could examine those ideas, but the script is so poorly rendered, so inept in its ability to tell a recognizably human story, with anything resembling human emotion, that it just lays there, coldly flat and brutal. It really a movie that can never overcome a terrible script, as, otherwise, there isn't anything glaringly awful; the direction is fine, the mood right, and the acting solid (the editing is rough, but how could it not be with a script this crummy). Its a cruel piece of work and a stupid one, as the killer's motivation is so damn illogical that I legitimately screamed at the television. It wants to have it both ways; it wants to condemn the audiences indulgence in torture porn, while simultaneously indulging the audience in torture porn. I could go on with this one, but I'll spare you. This is a bad movie, don't watch it.

Monthly Wesley AwardWorst Picture

Into the Storm is fine. It's a perfectly watchable, well-made film. It's a TV movie though, and very much so. It is, mostly, content to check the boxes and go for the big moments, banking on audience preconceptions to do the heavy lifting; like most biopic fare, it resembles a historical-moment sing-a-long. For those reasons, it alternates between fun and turgid; fun when it plays up into the big moments, and turgid when it refuses to go deeper than surface appearance. Gleeson's solid as Churchill, but the story beats are, often, so oppressive, and scattered (this movie jumps around a lot), that he never really gets a handle on the role that many have. Again, it's a perfectly acceptable film but, for those wanting something more, not a particularly satisfying one.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Costume Design (Period)- Consolata Boyle
Best Production Design (Period)- Luciana Arrighi and Ian Whittaker

On the Basis of Sex is, far the most part, the standard "great man" biopic story, with a gender-flipped lead. While that doesn't automatically make it better than the glut of cookie-cutter true stories, director Mimi Leder wisely understands that it makes it more unique, and uses that freshness to underscore an important, well-told story. I'd argue the most comparable film to this one would be 2017's Marshall, focusing on an earlier, somewhat defining, case in a beloved future Supreme Court Justice's career. While it doesn't have that film's energy, it works better as a heartfelt, inspiration film. That's not to say it isn't fun; its witty and fleet-footed, enough so to paper over it's more cliched and melodramatic moments. Another factor elevating the film is the acting. While the supporting cast all dig into their roles, especially Armie Hammer as one of cinema's most supporting husbands, it's Felicity Jones film and she runs with it, painting deeply human portrait of a figure that's often stereotyped, caricatured, mythologized or deified. Yeah, she's the notorious RBG, but the film never forgets that she's also Ruth. Not the greatest, most enlightening of films, but it's an entertaining, motivating one.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Actress- Felicity Jones

It's a predictable film, made with an anonymous blandness, but Miss Bala is never truly bad enough to hate. Well, at least not to me (it's very easy to see how someone would, though). The story is pretty sloppily told, alternating between faux-empowerment (the lead's journey is, actually, quite depressing), clumsy messaging, and Latin stereotypes (as with most films, Mexico is presented as Hell on Earth). There are enough moments of okay action to hold attention, I didn't find fault with any of the cast (Rodriguez and, especially, Ismael Cruz Córdova are quite good); i.e. it's the kind of movie that can satisfy, as long as you don't ask for much.

Much like it's protagonist, The Front Runner is a solid contender until you start to look a bit deeper. On the surface, this is a witty and important look at the relationship between politics and the media; at it's core, it isn't about those things. Well, that's not fair; it is, but it doesn't go much beyond vague questions, with few hints at answers. It wants to indict the press's sensationalist tactics, but also, somewhat, probe the cost of the political process. It wants us to sympathize with Gary Hart, but also disregard that he brings almost every bit of trouble he gets onto himself. You get the sense that there's nothing to say here, but everyone thought coasting on the material would find a message. That said, there are enough flashes of wit, as well as a quick pace that makes its rather enjoyable for about the first hour, and an excellent ensemble (it's crazy how many great character actors show up for a wide array of roles) to keep it compelling. Jackman is solid playing the film's cipher protagonist, which is either a problem of the script or it's smartest insight. In the end, Hart was something of an empty suit; the film detailing his bid for president suffers the same fate.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Supporting Actress- Molly Ephraim
Best Ensemble Performance

Chain Reaction falls into that unfortunate action movie wasteland; it's not smart enough to be visceral, and it's not fun enough to make up for that intellectual deficiency. That's not to say it doesn't have either of those qualities; there's some great chase sequences here, especially the one involving the Michigan Avenue Bridge, and the cast is solid (Freeman is always a steady presence, Rachel Weisz is much more than the typical female lead/damsel, and Brian Cox seems to be having a blast). The story just isn't there though, as the script seems, at times, to be both over and undercooked. There are a lot of ideas here, but not a real cohesive tissue connecting them. It's okay, but it's not one that'll stick with you after you've seen it.

Monthly Wesley AwardMost Forgettable Picture

What Women Want wasn't a masterwork, by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it had a point; a reason for existing. What Men Want should, in theory, have more to say than that film. By switching the perspective of that film, allowing a woman to hear men's thoughts, it opens up several interesting narrative avenues to explore; toxic/fragile masculinity, sexism, race (another added possibility by making the lead a black woman), etc. Unfortunately, Men goes for the laziest possible "insights"; men are always thinking about sex and/or farting. It isn't exactly kind to it's female protagonist either, often dabbling in the double standards that it's supposed to be critiquing and/or, simply, contriving, wildly, to make her fit in with the plot (we're told she has a problem connecting with men, but she's often seen connecting with men). These problems would be palatable, or at least mildly tolerable, if the film was funnier and/or better made. It's, simply, a bland comedy with an interesting setup and a lead trying her hardest to make anything work.

While it sounds like a standard Liam Neeson revenge flick on paper, Cold Pursuit is a delightfully morbid film with a offbeat tone and well-orchestrated thrills. There's a Tarantino/Coen Brothers-esque vibe to the film that becomes noticeable once the criminal element comes into the picture. It doesn't go as far as to ape their style though; there's still a fair amount of emotion running throughout the film, with an emphasis on fathers and sons. This emotional undercurrent adds weight to the film, but it also makes for some uneasy tonal shifts at times; one minute you get an off-kilter deceased title card, the next is a subtle scene about the pain that families can cause each other. This doesn't necessarily hurt the film though, as it seems baked into the film, rather than a by-product. All of this comes together to create a semi-deep, fun crime picture with a well-designed script, excellent cast, and direction that puts it all together in a surprisingly satisfying manner.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Picture
Best Director- Hans Petter Moland
Best Adapted Screenplay- Frank Baldwin
Best Score- George Fenton
Best Cinematography- Philip Øgaard
Best Costume Design (Contemporary)- Anne Pedersen

So well-made and acted that I feel guilty ragging on it, but The Vanishing is just too low-key for it's own good. Director Kristoffer Nyholm does some superb work creating an unsettling atmosphere, one where uncertainty and dread are around every corner. He also gets some spectacular work out of his trio of stars, with Gerard Butler getting to flex some acting muscles for a change, and Peter Mullan adding to his resume of under-looked performances. Unfortunately, that atmosphere suffocates as the movie goes on, slowly deflating the tension; the ending just feels perfunctory. It's certainly a respectable effort, but this one needed more life, more vitality, more soul.

Déjà Vu's breakneck pace is both it's most glaring problem and it's saving grace. While it does make the plot hard to suss out, it also means that everything happens so fast and loud that you can't linger on anything; you've just gotta keep going, and let the damn thing drag you like a rag doll. That, arguably, shields the film, at least while watching it, from criticism; in hindsight tough, the film is riddled with coincidence, cliche, and outright glaring plot holes that would sink a less propulsive film. It's too technically accomplished a film to let a little thing like cohesive storytelling sink it. The plot is, really, just a sketch but, luckily, it's a tantalizing sketch; all time travel related stories are. Director Tony Scott uses this outline to craft some daring action sequences, especially a great chase sequence in the second act, and give Denzel Washington yet another genre film to aid with gravitas. With a better, more connected story, the film likely could've been an all-timer, but, in it's own right, Scott and Washington give us a solid sci-fi/thriller with enough brains and technical prowess to keep an audience hooked from beginning to end.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Editing- Jason Hellmann and Chris Lebenzon
Best Sound Mixing

Sudden Death is Die Hard in a hockey arena. There's, really, no more accurate description than that, because that's what it is. That isn't an insult though, as the film proves, often, that inspirations don't have to be rip-offs. It's not exactly a smart film, but it is smart enough to understand what it is; an overblown JCVD joint with crazy set pieces, ludicrous plotting and, in one it's most sublime scenes, mascot murder. It's all solidly handled by director Peter Hyams, though one does wish that, even for a movie this goofy, he'd found more time for Van Damme, who's a bit more low-key here than he needs to be. That said, it does let the villain run away with the film, and Powers Boothe does that. He is, no exaggeration, perfect. Heavies don't get much better than this (it may be blasphemous, but I'd argue he rivals the Die Hard's Hans Gruber). It ain't perfect, but it's damn fun.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Supporting Actor- Powers Boothe

The beach, the heat, the bodies; Into the Blue is the cinematic manifest of a 13-year-old boy's craziest summer wet dream. And, as such, it's outlandish and exploitative entertainment; trash to just let wash over you. That might sound needlessly cruel but, well, it's the truth, and the film is actually quite fun when it understands that. It often gets too bogged down in bland story mechanics and, flat out, stupid characters, but when things are moving it's hard not to get a bit taken away. The action, while overly edited, is solid; the setting feels, genuinely, vibrant and pulsating, a character in it's own right (sorry); the scenery is gorgeous; the aforementioned bodies are exceptional, both the men and women (less said about the characters themselves, the better; Caan is, particularly, irritating in, what might be, the greatest poster child for white privilege that cinema has ever produced). I can't recommend it as a film necessarily, but as a piece of summer-atmosphere pulpiness, it's fairly entertaining.

Red Planet tricked me for about it's first 45 minutes; I kept thinking that something would happen. By the time I realized that nothing in this movie really mattered, that no interesting insights, ideas or discoveries would be made, I'd already watched half the movie. Languishing on the title setting might be worthwhile if the characters had any juice, but their just there to move the plot forward, which is odd because the plot has no purpose; it feels like a movie that's in a rush to finish. Help it along; don't start it to begin with.

It doesn't make the most of it's subversive, satirical premise, and frequently uses the cliches it mocks to prop up its plot, but Isn't It Romantic is a clever send-up of romance film and, itself, a pretty solid romantic comedy. While the script has a bit of trouble trying to reconcile the actual story with the parody-movie plot, it's clearly having a blast, lovingly spoofing the artifice of romantic films while, simultaneously, proving their worth, and Todd Strauss-Schulson's direction near-flawlessly recreates the look and feel of these films (he too, though, has trouble with the real-world scenes). While it is fairly hypocritical to use story beats that you're parodying, and it's something the film doesn't really probe in an insightful way (maybe tying in the fact that, yes, sometimes these films and the real world aren't completely divorced from each other), Romantic isn't going for lacerating satire, it's tossing a few well-placed, low-watt jabs; like play fighting. With a funny script, strong direction, and honed-in performances (Wilson's possibly at her most winning here, and you'll be stunned at how funny Liam Hemsworth can be), Isn't It Romantic is sure to be a cult hit for years to come.

The actual earthquake of the title is effectively handled, and a couple of the set pieces are thrilling (especially one involving the evacuation of an office building), but Earthquake predominately revolves around bland relationship melodrama and hammy acting. Both make for an occasionally fun viewing; the inexplicable subplot about a (likely homosexual?) psychotic going on a killing spree, Heston's attempts to be a normal romantic everyman, the fact that Lorne Greene is only eight years older than Ava Gardner, who's playing his daughter. It's a '70s cheesefest, to be sure, but it's also banal, with large portions of the film just floating by in scenes of bland squabbles. Its a technical marvel for it's time, certainly, but its also low-grade schlock; your tolerance of which will color your perception of the film.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Production Design (Fantasy)- Alexander Golitzen, E. Preston Ames and Frank McKelvy

Reign of Fire is just a really odd film. The plot is something out of a classic b-movie, but the film is played completely straight. Taking a harsh tone for such a fantastical movie, one might assume there's some allegorical point being, some sort of subtext; nope, this is just a weirdly somber movie about a world infested with dragons. It's a grim movie (sans one scene involving Star Wars), though there are enough bright spots to keep one invested. The action is solid, with some sequences actually proving tension-filled, and the one-two punch of Bale and McConaughey begs for a better film. While hampered by their time a bit, the visual effects, too, have some dreadful kick to them. It's just too dull, too self-serious, even too slight an enterprise, to make anything resembling a lasting impact.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects

Despite some structural/storytelling flaws glaring enough to keep it from true greatness, Always Be My Maybe is a charmingly refreshing romantic comedy that is, a rarity, actually romantic and comedic. Those flaws mentioned above aren't nearly enough to derail the many pleasures of the film, but they do hold it back, largely because they are rather important. Structurally, the movie has a problem with pace; there really isn't a classic three-act structure to be found here. The first and second are, mostly, entangled to the point of being one large one which, then, makes the third exceedingly short (if I had to diagnose it, I'd say the first and third are very short, and the second is probably 50 or so minutes long). This hampers, too, the storytelling, as the film has a problem building conflict; as a result, the film doesn't quite spark the way it should (there's no major friction, making the eventual union less exciting). That said, this is a strong rom-com with a pair of exceptionally winning leads who have great chemistry (and a pretty great supporting turn from Keanu Reeves), and a wonderfully relatable story that doesn't suffer from the usual imbalances found in this genre. Park and Wong's characters are treated as equals, and the third act hitches to their romance result from that equal footing, leading to a more genuine and romantic (i.e. satisfying) conclusion.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Original Screenplay- Michael Golamco, Randall Park & Ali Wong
Best Song- "I Punched Keanu Reeves"