BradWesley123’s Movie Journal- May 2021

There's a fun idea at the core of A Kid in King Arthur's Court, but it's suffocated by lazy storytelling and bland filmmaking. There's no originality, no spontaneity; there's little here that will hold one's attention. It's actually semi-intriguing to watch at times, just to see how many times a film can open an intriguing idea only to close it seconds later. Admittedly, it is a bit interesting to watch, if only to see Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig in very early, pre-fame roles (Craig doesn't do much, though it's quite clear just how talented Winslet is, bringing a level of poise to a film that don't deserve it). Otherwise, skip it.

Oof. I'm not sure what, exactly, was the thinking behind this. You've got an okay setup for a spy thriller (discounting the wild disconnect between the source material), a compelling and charismatic lead actor, and carte blanche to start a new franchise. Somehow, Without Remorse fucks up all of these ingredients. The story is handled bluntly, without tact, creativity or humanity, the lead's charisma is snuffed out, leaving no character to empathize with, to care about, and starts a bland, murky franchise that I cannot imagine anyone caring enough to seek out. Little, if anything, works here; it's like they wrote a checklist of things that audiences may enjoy, wrote "FUCK YOU" over all of them, and wiped their asses with the list. There's nothing here. It's the shrug emoji adapted into a film.

Monthly Wesley AwardWorst Picture

Meh. 2021's Mortal Kombat is fine. There are a few okay fights and some fun, brutal kills, but little sticks. The script does nothing new, sticking to a self-serious tone that does the movie no favors (including another, in a long line, of bland, boring protagonist with family shit), and the direction doesn't go beyond the script's lead. The editing absolutely kills much of the film's momentum, sucking what should be the film's selling point, the fights, of their impact. The film's greatest sin, however, is that it relegates the title tournament (you know, the "Mortal Kombat" of Mortal Kombat) to a presumed sequel (and, to a lesser extent, fails to feature 90s techno classic "Mortal Kombat" at any point; damning, to be sure). Despite these fault though, I have to admit that I didn't hate it. Some of the effects worked, I liked the Scorpion/Subzero bouts, Josh Lawson has a blast as Kano (even if they don't give that character enough shading), and there's a middling amiability that carries throughout. It's not good, but it's watchable.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Costume Design (Sci-Fi/Fantasy)- Cappi Ireland

I didn't expect a movie called The Kid Detective to have the emotional resonance that it does. Don't get me wrong, I didn't really have expectations, but I'd assumed an odd, subversive, arrested development-tinged quasi-mystery that fit within independent cinema perimeters. While it is, to a degree, all of those things, it's also a surprisingly adept illustration of the ways trauma can linger and affect every facet of life. This is the best kind of mystery-noir story; one that can adhere to and appreciate genre staples, while infusing them with something deeper. With a smart script, confident direction and a phenomenal performance by Adam Brody, The Kid Detective is certain to become a cult classic.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Original Screenplay- Evan Morgan

Locked Down is not a particularly good movie. It's rather aimless, with the heist plot not actually entering story until late in the second act. Much of the movie is a relationship dramedy, with two characters who don't seem to care much about each other (Hathaway and Ejiofor are quite good here, but have no chemistry). Even the last act heist, which should give the film some immediacy, is made airlessly. So, why then I am somewhat partial to this film? All of those problems might make this film the quintessential motion picture about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those long days where you're sitting around in your home, doing jack shit, trying to find something to fill the day; that is this movie. It's those days that you hopefully won't remember, it a time where you alternated between scared and bored, often from minute to minute. There's a relatability to all of this that got to me in a way that I wasn't expecting. Again, this isn't a particularly good film, but there's enough genuine insight here to make it a fun relic to someday look back on.

The concept at the core of The Time Traveler's Wife is tantalizing. Time travel and romance are two genres that, if mixed just right, can create an indelible, poignant love story. Traveler's Wife makes too many fundamental mistakes to be a lasting love story, chief among them is that the film never invests in the characters of the love story. The characters are nice, pretty people. That's it. It assumes that this couple is compelling simply for their predicament.

Film romances are, almost always, preordained; the leads are going to end up together, damn near every time. The audience knows this. The appeal to these films is making us care that the central pair end up together. Fully developed characters, actor chemistry, believable stakes; that's all it takes. The goods one understand this, infusing genuine emotion into the proceedings, making us care. The ones like Traveler's Wife just tell us to give a damn. We can accept the narrative messiness (and, trust me, this story is a mess of unexplained phenomena, obvious plot twists and superfluous supporting characters) and unbelievable circumstances as long as you give us characters worth giving a damn about. Bana and McAdams are fine, but they're never given enough to enliven things. Thanks to an intriguing concept and beautiful imagery it's a very engaging film, but it's also hollow. (Side note: this movie is not about The Time Traveler's Wife. We learn very little about her, and The Time Traveler is, clearly, the protagonist).

Wrath of Man is a blunt, twisty, brutally pulpy crime flick that cribs from several other films (Tarantino, other Guy Ritchie films, Scorsese). Luckily, Guy Ritchie understands how to mine these genre staples (shadowy locales, a seedy underworld spilling out into regular society, double crosses, shocking violence, etc.) for all their worth, twisting them into something that's not exactly "fun", but is propulsive enough to be imminently watchable and outright engrossing. There are no true surprises to be found here, but the plot is fractured so as to dole out the information in pieces, leaving viewers consistently curious as to where everything is heading. Some of this obfuscation takes too long, leading to some underwhelming revelations and, in the last act, dropped character threads (strong acting not withstanding). These aren't necessarily major quibbles though. I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, and if you're a crime and/or Ritchie movie junkie, this should scratch an itch. Plus, it was great to have popcorn in a movie theater again.

There's more emotional meat on Redemption than your average Statham movie, but that doesn't make it inherently better. Statham is quite good here, as walking instrument of war trying to break free of a cycle of violence by committing violence. So too is Agata Buzek, as a nun in the midst of a crisis of faith. It's a well-made film too boot. The story just plods, for the most part though. It feels like Luc Besson without the indulgences or trashiness; it goes for restraint, but doesn't add much insight in its place. Eventually, we hit the predetermined climax, which, though containing some effective blunt catharsis, can't overcome too many listless stretches.

The only thing interesting about The Perfect Man is that there hasn't been a How Did This Get Made? episode devoted to it. It's a bad film, and not in a fun way, but there are so many weird moments in here that make it worth discussing (like, how fucking practical is it, financially or otherwise, to uproot your kids every time you get dumped). Not in a weird "why would they do that?" way, but in a "well, that would mean this" or "I'm not sure they thought this through" kind of way. I can't recommend viewing this, but it is fun to mock in the moment.

Herbie: Fully Loaded is a technically a film. It hits a feature running length, there are scenes with characters and dialogue, framing and blocking, etc. Outside of that, I wouldn't say much about Fully Loaded. It's a fairly listless slapstick comedy, where the comedy is too pat, too poorly timed, too lame to make much of a dent. Matt Dillon's okay, I guess, but I would've preferred if he was more unhinged. That's something that the film could use, too. Pass.

Monthly Wesley AwardBest Costume Design (Contemporary)- Frank Helmer

Those Who Wish Me Dead has a lead character problem. Angelina Jolie is, ostensibly, the protagonist; she's top-billed, the biggest name in the cast, and she's positioned as such. Strangely though, writer-director Taylor Sheridan frequently sidelines her, focusing more so on the film's villains, and the couple played by Jon Bernthal and Medina Senghore (whom it becomes quite clear Sheridan prefers; they make for a more compelling pair, especially Senghore). It's an effectively, respectably lean thriller, in an era of needlessly convoluted stories, and there are several thriller set pieces, but the core of the film, Jolie and her relationship with the young boy, are undeveloped, leading to hollowness. Fine for a boring afternoon, but not much else.

The Mauritanian is one of the few films to accurately depict the relentlessness of torture in the "enhanced interrogation" Bush-era. There are two films here; the courtroom drama and the prison drama. The plot machinations are too basic and scattered in the first (it's a courtroom drama that has only two or three courtroom scenes, and they're quite spaced apart), and the characters are often boxed into usual genre tropes (the jaded defense attorney who grows more of a conscience; the squeamish rookie; the righteous prosecutor who loses his faith in the system; etc.), but it's brutal dramatization of life at Guantanamo Bay, the monotonous of unjust imprisonment and dehumanizing terror of torture, cuts to the bone. This half works tremendously, featuring smart, tight filmmaking and an exceptional, soulful performance from Tahar Rahim. The courtroom stuff features a great cast (Jodie Foster is always strong), but clumsy, hackneyed writing and a lack of focus. The Gitmo stuff is strong enough to warrant a viewing, but this could've been a modern classic if the other half was handled as well.

With a little more effort, The Vault could've been a genuine Redbox surprise. Maybe not a classic, but certainly one the made me question why I hadn't heard more about it before seeing it. It's a heist film with a very intriguing heist, and the film boasts a great deal of production value; the bones are there, and the body looks great. It's just missing a heart and soul. Highmore's miscast in the lead, too lowkey and withdrawn, and the script lacks personality. These kind of movies have to have personality, flavor; Ocean's 11 isn't a just a breezy heist classic because the plot is ingenious, it's because the characters and the script pop. You want them to succeed. In The Vault, you don't mind if they succeed. It's pretty solid though; as mentioned, it's exceptionally well-made, with a couple of sequences that would be standouts in a more fun picture.

I have never seen a Saw film. I've seen pieces on TV before, but I've never sought them out. I'm not the biggest fan of "torture porn" or mutilation in film, especially when those films revel in it. That said, Spiral appeared to be something a bit different; a new spin on an old format. Plus, I'm looking for excuses to take in a matinee since the pandemic has eased up. I wasn't expecting anything, and I'll be honest; it had me... for the first two acts. It's all obvious (the story beats, the characters), and there's some gleeful grisly violence, but it's easy entertainment, with surprisingly solid filmmaking and an intriguing take (examining police violence and culpability) on the material. The cast is decent (Rock has some trouble here and there, but he's certainly compelling here), the direction solid, the craft terrific.

Then, the last act just gets unintentionally goofy, with a climax that had me rolling my eyes. It's a climax that's fairly predictable (you can see it coming early in the first act), but I would've been forgiving if has been handled well, or even adequately. It's near-comical, and taints the film. I wouldn't mind a sequel here, but the weak ending casts a pall on the franchise prospects.

There's a lot of good stuff to be found here, but Zack Snyder doesn't have the focus as a filmmaker to bring it all together in a satisfying way. Once again, he treat's us to a terrific opening credits sequence, one that, unfortunately, contains material that probably would've made for a more compelling film, if not entirely original. After that, the movie plods for about an hour before the action starts. The action itself is fairly solid, though not necessarily spectacular, but it gives Snyder a chance to revel in world building. The zombie-plagued Vegas is striking in it's exteriors, and the undead ecosystem is imminently intriguing. Unfortunately, the film is set in dimly-lit corridors with glum humans, with little in the way of zombie action until the last half-hour.

Much like The Vault above, this is a heist film that doesn't invest in personalities for it's band of thieves. Everybody's just sort of sad, or bland, or pointless. Matthias Schweighöfer seems to be having some fun and Tig Notaro's last-minute replacement sardonicism juxtaposes the grimness decently, but everybody else is playing shades of a similar character. We don't care much about them, so what we're left with are the plot and set pieces. The action and presentation is strong, but the plot is riddled with holes and half-explained turns. Snyder does have a way with plot momentum, and he keeps things moving well enough that it, genuinely, doesn't feel like it's two-and-a-half hours, and there's enough here to warrant a view. It could've been a lot more, though.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Makeup & Hairstyling- Ozzy Alvarez, Kevin Kirkpatrick, Victoria Down, Marie Larkin
Best Visual Effects- Michael Gaspar, Andrew Byrne, Marcus Taormina

There's nothing new to be found in Dream Horse. It's cinematic fluff; the kind of feel-good stuff that shoots for safe instead of daring. But it's damn good fluff. It invests us in the world of the film, and gives us characters that are likable and engaging. Plus, HORSES! PRETTY, MAJESTIC HORSES! One might want a more substantive look at the economic hardship that have befallen the small Welsh town at the film's center, or a sobering look at horse breeding, but Dream Horse isn't that film. It's just a solid little inspirational film that's meant to be enjoyed and then, mostly, forgotten.

Credit where credit's due; Abandon is a fairly nuanced take a well-worn genre. That doesn't mean it's satisfying (it isn't), but it's aspirations are loftier than most similarly themed films (pointing to other kinds of these films would spoil the ending, though I will say that their heyday was late-80s, early-90s). It wants to be an exploration of isolation, of adoration, of obsession. It comes closest exploring the first and third, but missing adoration means you can't fully explore the other two; you've gotta have the emotion. Holmes' is okay, but we're never sold on why she would be so hung up on Hunnam's character, who's presented as a genuine boob. Without that, the ending you've crafted can't have the impact you're going for, unless you invest in Holmes internal life, but it's all surface. Some of this works, and some of the side characters work (Bratt is actually quite good, coming close to selling the ending), but it's not focused enough to pull it all together.

The first two acts of Minari are phenomenal. A beautiful family dramedy with a fresh perspective, empathetic filmmaking, deeply felt screenwriting, and perfect acting. The third is not. It's not a bad ending, but the story takes some unfortunate turns that are either cynically expected (like almost everything that happens with Soon-ja) or not given much room to breathe (marital woes; the last scene is lovely, but I jut wish it had more time to play out). For most of its runtime though, this is a lovely film that captures fear, excitement, joy and longing of trying to succeed and find pleasure in a new place, and grasp some semblance of the American dream.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Supporting Actress- Yeo-jeong Yoon
Best Supporting Actor- Steven Yeun
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Original Score- Emile Mosseri
Best Original Song- "Rain Song"

There's not much to say about The Marksman. It's not much of a movie. You go in knowing the score; Neeson's gonna mow some fuckers down with righteous fury. Sometimes you get lucky with the star's late career output; his collaborations with Jaume Collet-Serra, Cold Pursuit. Most times, you get a reasonably entertaining play on an set formula; old gun is brought back into the world he's left behind. Marksman attempts a more ruminative angle, and that stolidness works at times, but more often than not it's just bland. There's a sturdiness to the picture, but it never indulges in the stuff that makes these kinds of films sing (characterizations and relationships, as well as a sense of humor). It's a discount Eastwood flick without the depth or soul. It's watchable, but that's about it.

The Wedding Planner is a completely amiable film. Two likable leads with solid chemistry, pretty locations, energy, etc. It's a ridiculous film when it comes to story; to even wade into the plot would lead to a headache, brought on by absurd character motivations and mind-boggling scenarios (McConaughey's hand getting super-glued to a stone penis). Again, though, it's too damn breezy for any of this to stick, either negatively or positively. It's an easy watch, and you won't hate yourself for enjoying it.

I should like Matinee more than I do. It's a nostalgic look at 60s b-horror movies, with the added innocence of young leads. There's a love and care that's gone into capturing the magic of cinema, what it means to moviegoers (particularly younger ones) and it's importance in our society (and, in the more humorous passages of the film, it's more outlandish impact). If Matinee had simply focused on those aspects, of the art of filmmaking and those making it (Goodman's character and his troupe), this could've been something special. Instead, it focuses primarily on some truly boring kids who bring nothing to the table. None are bad, necessarily, but there's a blank void where this film's heart should be. When Goodman's onscreen, as the filmmaker/huckster of the giant insect picture, the film's got energy and spark. When we go back to the kids, air.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Costume Design (Period)- Isis Mussenden
Best Production Design (Period)- Steven Legler and Eric & Frederic Weiler

There's nothing special about Summer Rental. It's just an easy, breezy, exceedingly simplistic 80s flick with an episodic plot that feels padded at just 86 minutes long. The jokes are clear, the filmmaking is obvious; it's stupid as hell. But it worked for me. Best viewed during, you guessed it, the Summer.

I think The Woman in the Window hasn't gotten too bad a rap. Make no mistake, it's not particularly good, and director Joe Wright squanders so many strong elements (chief among them, this outstanding array of actors). It also chickens out in the last act, letting up on the storytelling style that it follows in the first two. This style is best described as claustrophobia. Mirroring Adams' character's agoraphobia, the goes for an inversion of Hitchcock's Rear Window; rather than building a community from one room, Woman centers a mystery entirely from the perspective of it's lead, placing us in her headspace.

While the characterization is disappointing and predictable, Adams does solid work, and the film does draw some actual thrills from isolating us with this character. This does, unfortunately, waste the majority of the cast (Julianne Moore and Brian Tyree Henry do manage to do fine work), and the actual mystery at the center is undercooked, but if the story followed through on its' aims, it could have resonated as the story of one woman navigating her deteriorating mental health and grief to reconnect with the outside world. Instead, the last act drops the thread and becomes a standard, "twisty" thriller with a laughable reveal and bland filmmaking. Again, a real missed opportunity.

A Quiet Place Part II is just terrific filmmaking. While it lacks the narrative conciseness of the original, Part II dazzles with excellent set pieces, and solid storytelling/character development. The plot is a bit lacking this time around, though. While the world is expanded here, the characters being separated spreads things a bit thin. Some plots, like Noah Jupe's, feel a bit like filler. Plus, Emily Blunt gets sidelined a bit too much. Luckily, Cillian Murphy is a terrific addition, and Millicent Simmonds rises to the occasion as, essentially, the co-lead with a superb performance. And even with a plot that bites off a bit more than it can chew, this is just such an exceptionally crafted thriller, that milks every scenario for maximum tension, that the problems seem minor compared to the pleasures. Honestly, this is the perfect first blockbuster to get back into the cinema.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Cinematography- Polly Walker
Best Production Design (Sci-Fi/Fantasy)- Jess Gonchor and Joseph Amato & Nancy Haigh
Best Sound Editing- Erik Aadahl & Ethan Van der Ryn
Best Sound Mixing- Michael Barosky and Brandon Proctor

The Father is one of the most brutal horror films ever made. A harrowing look into a deteriorating mind, the film dramatizes the terrors of dementia in a wholly original way, one that gives the film it's dramatic heft; by placing viewers into that mind itself. Director Florian Zeller achieves this brilliantly, with a specific vision that includes a complex screenplay, inventive editing, and shifting production design. His gift as a director is finding a way that makes all of this more a gimmick, and he combines all of these elements organically. Of course, success isn't possible without proper vessel for all of this, and Anthony Hopkins is flawless here. There's a terrific cast here (Olivia Colman is, in particular, heartbreaking), but the film belongs to Hopkins, who gives a bruising, broken performance that ranks as one of the best of his career (and, most certainly, Oscar-worthy). Hard to watch, but worth it.

Monthly Wesley AwardsBest Picture
Best Director- Florian Zeller
Best Actor- Anthony Hopkins
Best Actress- Olivia Colman
Best Adapted Screenplay- Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Best Editing- Yorgos Lamprinos
Best Production Design (Contemporary)- Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone

There's a great movie hiding within the mess of Chaos Walking. In the film, there's hints of a solid exploration of masculinity, and the ways that society shapes men and boys, and the ramifications that that has on the whole of society. There are moments, here and there, that actually do well with this idea. It just never lets up, though. Nothing is really given time to breath, to be explored deeper, to ruminate. I'm not saying that every sci-fi blockbuster needs to be some deep work of art, but when one toys with such tantalizing ideas, it's a shame when it doesn't dig in. It's still rather enjoyable; the cast is strong (Holland is perfectly jittery; Mads adds nuance to a character that doesn't need it), it's reasonably well made, and director Doug Liman's ADHD level filmmaking keeps things moving well. The last act drops the ball though, poorly ending one story while, simultaneously, bungling the preview for the next. Not particularly great, but an intriguing misfire, to be sure.