West Side Story

WEST SIDE STORY
2021 | Dir. Steven Spielberg | 156 Minutes

"I saw you and the world went away."


A young Puerto Rican woman and a Polish ex-gangster fall in love in the midst of a tense turf war between gangs led by her brother and his best friend. Inevitably, tragedy stemming from the hatred between their communities tears the couple apart.

While Robert Wise's 1961 West Side Story is rightfully a beloved Oscar-winning all-time classic, Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of the celebrated musical belongs on the extremely short list of cinematic reiterations that improve upon their predecessors on virtually every level. From the quality of the performances to the authenticity of the sets and the social commentary, the picture is an exemplary work of art, featuring more thoughtful and accurate representation in its thematic content and in its cast. This film particularly places heavy emphasis on the fact that all of the lead characters are victims of institutional failure, the Jets products of poverty-stricken broken households without hope for better lives, the Sharks immigrants struggling to make it in an often unduly hostile country.

The extremely impoverished west side of Manhattan as it was in 1957 is realized in gritty, lived-in detail, stripped of any artificial glitz or glamour. The elaborate set pieces feel all the more natural due to the picture's exemplary production design. Choreographed with dazzling precision, the musical numbers are exciting, brimming with infectious energy, delivering arguably definitive versions of time-honored musical theater standards.

In the lead role of Maria, Rachel Zegler is soulful and magnetic, her sensational voice put to excellent use. Ansel Elgort is fine but unexceptional as Tony, capably filling the part of a square-jawed singing and dancing leading man without bringing anything too memorable to the table. Ariana DeBose as Anita is a force to be reckoned with, so naturally playing the part of a woman full of life until she transforms into a grief-stricken casualty of profound misfortune. As Riff, Mike Faist gives a revelatory performance, simultaneously rough-around-the-edges and astonishingly charismatic, pulling off a laid back demeanor that hardly hides the street punk's nothing-to-lose outlook on life. Riff's foil Bernardo is played with amazing physicality by David Alvarez who imbues the character with an authentic air of pride and dignity. Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 film, brings appropriate gravitas and immediate cinematic respectability to the picture playing Doc's widow Valentina, essentially replacing the classic Doc role, still looking and still sounding fantastic. Josh Andrés Rivera exudes pure sympathy as Chino, a tough role that he plays remarkably well, foil to Tony who never stood a realistic chance as a rival love interest for Maria. Non-binary performer iris menas makes a big impression as the recontextualized Anybodys, giving genuine humanity to the role of a marginalized character who has always been a stand-in for the marginalized people in society. The picture also features Brian d'Arcy James as the hapless Officer Krupke and Corey Stoll as the insufferable Lieutenant Schrank.

Steven Spielberg's take on West Side Story is a rich feast of sight and sound telling a uniquely American tale that grows more relevant every day. The picture is sure to impress those who love the timeless original stage production, challenge devotees of the 1961 film version, as well as delight brand new audiences.


FRAGMENTS
- The film is dedicated to director Steven Spielberg's father Arnold Spielberg

- Impressively, all of the actors in this version did their own singing

- It's difficult not to draw comparisons between this and the 1961 film



MCU CONNECTIONS
- Corey Stoll (Darren Cross in Ant-Man and Ant-Man: Quantumania)
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The Power of the Dog

THE POWER OF THE DOG
2021 | Dir. Jane Campion | 126 Minutes

"For what kind of man would I be if I did not help my mother? If I did not save her?"


Abrasive rancher Phil Burbank subjects his brother and business partner George's new bride Rose and adopted effeminate teenage son Peter to a constant barrage of verbal and psychological abuse. To his suffering mother's dismay, Phil seems to suddenly take an interest in Peter after the boy discovers Phil's most guarded secret. However, the true nature of their new bond is not as it seems.

Adapting of Western novelist Thomas Savage's 1967 book of the same name, Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog is an engaging drama that is gradually revealed to be a clever, darkly satisfying tale of vengeance. Diving deep into the twisted psychology of a bully who belligerently projects his insecurities onto others, the picture is a comprehensive character study on the frailty of the male ego and toxic masculinity stemming from sexual repression, envy, and self-denial. Its central character's arrogance and antagonism are so complete and overwhelming, so beyond redemption, that they inevitably lead to his total destruction at the very moment he allows himself to be vulnerable. When the tables turn, when Peter finds a way to put an end to Phil on behalf of his mother before the audience even realizes what has transpired, the film earns a twist that is simply sublime. It's a compelling story that Campion tells through technical excellence and powerful performances.

The cinematography featured in The Power of the Dog is absolutely stunning. Ari Wegner shoots New Zealand for Montana with great success, capturing the dusty desolate majesty of vast empty plains, perfectly complementing Phil Burbank's unbearable corrosive loneliness. The only moment in which he can be his true self is when he bathes nude in a lush forest pond, the only sequence in the picture featuring a landscape that feels alive. Jonny Greenwood's haunting atonal musical score is only too appropriate accompaniment to this film.

Benedict Cumberbatch gives his best performance to date as the mean-spirited fundamentally broken Phil Burbank, convincingly brutal and relentless. Perhaps superficially, but nonetheless notable, Cumberbatch's American accent has never been better. Keeping up with Cumberbatch's masterful performance, Kodi Smit-McPhee is excellent as sensitive boy Peter, subtle but truly amazing work particularly during the picture's final act. As Rose, Kirsten Dunst is in turns lovely and heartbreaking, deftly portraying with care and compassion a victim of abuse that turns to the bottle to self-medicate. Jesse Plemons is also low-key brilliant as Phil's pushover of a brother George, fitting very well into the role of a put upon man with barely any agency of his own. The supporting cast also features Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy, and Thomasin McKenzie in brief but notable roles.

The Power of the Dog chronicles from beginning to end the story of a despicable man, a film that unravels the origins of an exceptionally human villain and traces the misanthrope's path to its inevitable conclusion. Discomforting, tragic, and even triumphant, Jane Campion constructs a visually appealing, complex, and compelling vision that is elevated further by the picture's spectacular cast.


FRAGMENTS
- Though Jesse Plemons was approached for the role first and initially turned it down, Paul Dano was at one point cast in the role of George but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts

- Elisabeth Moss was originally cast in the role of Rose but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts


MCU CONNECTIONS
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Nightmare Alley

NIGHTMARE ALLEY
2021 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 150 Minutes

"It's not much, but it's a job, right? Of course, it's only temporary, just until we get a real geek."


A charismatic phony psychic with a shady past and a beautiful amoral big city psychiatrist hatch a scheme to scam an incredibly wealthy but also incredibly dangerous man.

The second film adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's pulpy 1946 novel of the same name, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley examines the fine line between swindlers and the swindled. Thematically rich, the film can be neatly divided into two parts: its first half is focused on the morally questionable lives of carnival workers both born from and sustaining off of desperation as the dodgy protagonist learns the ins and outs of the profession, its second half a thriller that tracks the depraved lengths the conman would go to fool others and, more tragically, to fool himself. The feature essentially presents two worlds, a grimy filthy existence and a life of glamorous luxury, but demonstrates that both can be just as rotten and corrupt when manipulated by self-serving people.

A mesmerizing spectacle throughout, Guillermo del Toro's customary meticulous attention to detail and admiration for the misfits of society serves his distinctive cinematic take on Nightmare Alley particularly well. The various carnival sets are designed with as much thought and craftsmanship as the aesthetically pleasing art deco skyscrapers and stately manors featured in the film. The shadowy cinematography is stunning, evocative of the very best film noirs of the past without lifting the iconography wholesale.

In the lead role, Bradley Cooper turns in a masterful performance that is convincingly detestable and pathetic often at the same time. The final shot of the film is particularly emotionally disquieting and all of the credit for its effectiveness belongs to Cooper. Cate Blanchett is the perfect femme fatale playing the corrupt psychiatrist, exuding high confidence and questionable vulnerability. The stacked supporting cast also features Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, David Strathairn, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, and Tim Blake Nelson in memorable roles.

A tragedy that unfolds with a compelling sense of inevitability, Nightmare Alley is an unsettling but thoroughly captivating noir thriller. Known for telling stories of supernatural creatures, in fitting with the true monsters of all of his films, Guillermo del Toro's monsters in this picture are all too human. From start to finish, the feature shows its audience the complete origin of such a pitiful beast.


FRAGMENTS
- Bradley Cooper also has a brief but memorable supporting role in 2022 Best Picture Nominee Licorice Pizza

- Cate Blanchett and Ron Perlman also appear in 2022 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Don't Look Up

- According to Guillermo del Toro, though he expected to shoot as many takes as necessary to perfect the final shot of the film, Bradley Cooper's first take was perfect


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Tim Blake Nelson (Samuel Sterns in The Incredible Hulk)


- Cate Blanchett (Hela in Thor: Ragnarok)

- Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home)
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Licorice Pizza

LICORICE PIZZA
2021 | Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson | 133 Minutes

"I'm not gonna forget you, just like how you're never gonna forget me."


Precocious teenage actor Gary Valentine falls head over heels for twenty-something Alana Kane, a young woman searching for her calling in life. Gary embarks on one trendy business venture after another while he attempts to woo the woman of his dreams by including her in all of his questionable exploits.

Licorice Pizza is a quirky coming-of-age comedy featuring a cast of entertainingly off-beat characters that are undeniably Paul Thomas Anderson creations. The plot meanders quite a bit as its young protagonist crosses paths and occasionally runs afoul of show business elites, hatching various harebrained business schemes, but the film is consistently captivating thanks in no small part to its two talented lead performers. No matter how outlandish the situations become, Gary and Alana are always authentically presented as genuine, flawed young people that alternately demonstrate warm affection, deep jealousy, and youthful vulnerability throughout the narrative, knowing exactly which buttons to push to elicit a reaction from their suffering love interest.

Through exemplary production design, Anderson recreates the San Fernando Valley of his youth, immersing the audience in the bygone 1970s California setting. Licorice Pizza presents a warm, lived-in, somewhat dingy cinematic world, somehow dreamlike but not quite idealized. The gorgeous, nuanced lighting courtesy of industry veteran and frequent Anderson collaborator Director of Photography Michael Bauman truly gives the film its distinctive look.

As Alana and Gary, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman prove to be engaging stars as they make their screen debuts, each bringing more than enough charisma to carry the film. Haim is a natural performer, exuding frustration and romantic longing with convincing grace and playfulness. The moment Hoffman appears on screen, he immediately carries himself like a veteran screen actor giving an exceptionally measured and nuanced performance. The supporting cast notably features Sean Penn as an arrogant aging film star, Tom Waits as an eccentric director Rex Blau, Benny Safdie as charismatic politician Joel Wachs, and Bradley Cooper in a memorable extended cameo as the wildly unpredictable and threatening Jon Peters.

Licorice Pizza is a technically masterful film that is at its core, like many Paul Thomas Anderson films, an unconventional love story that may seem delightfully quirky to some while uncomfortably off-putting to others. The film is nevertheless a fully-realized reflection of a time when the world wasn't exactly less complex but perhaps just complicated in different ways. How well the audience receives the picture essentially hinges upon its acceptance of Anderson's views on romance.


FRAGMENTS
- To hilarious effect, Alana Haim's bandmate sisters Danielle and Este, and her parents play her character's family

- Cooper Hoffman is so much like his late father, frequent Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman

- It's great to see Mary Elizabeth Ellis, perhaps best known for playing the waitress on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

- Bradley Cooper also delivers a harrowing lead performance in 2022 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Nightmare Alley


MCU CONNECTIONS

- John C. Reilly (Rhomann Dey in Guardians of the Galaxy)
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King Richard

KING RICHARD
2021 | Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green | 145 Minutes

"You just went toe to toe for two hours with the best player in the world and you made her knees shake and you did it with grace."


Struggling to provide for his family, Richard Williams is an ambitious, fiercely protective father who faces true adversity while cultivating the world-class talent of his young daughters, Venus and Serena Williams. With stubborn determination to maximize the success of his daughters but without compromising their well-being, Williams faces off against street gangs, racist promotors, the ambition of his daughters, and his own ego.

Reinaldo Marcus Green's King Richard is centered on the formative years for tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams before the sisters became champions, the film credits the origins of their success to the struggles of the outspoken Richard Williams. Williams is portrayed as a man with an uncompromising plan for his daughters, a plan that courts controversy and often runs counter to the expectations of his daughters' coaches, sports analysts, and his family, most stirringly including the Williams sisters themselves. The picture delicately balances portraying Williams' sometimes psychologically cruel training methods and his controlling nature with the genuine love and affection he has for his family. He is unquestionably portrayed as the hero of this story, protecting his daughters from the negative influences of the street gangs in their Compton neighborhood, from the inherent racism of potential financial backers, from the pitfalls of early stardom, and from their own ambition. Perhaps King Richard's most significant flaw is in how it chooses not to address Richard Williams' other flaws as a person in more meaningful ways, most tellingly how his family from a previous marriage is only mentioned in brief in one scene.

Green balances dramatic moments and thrilling tennis match sequences to create a thoroughly engaging experience. There a persistent looming tension in the early moments of the film when Williams runs tennis drills with his daughters at the park as street gang members constantly threaten the family with violence. A scene in which Williams is viciously beaten by the gang leader is particularly difficult to watch. Conversely, watching the Williams Sisters triumph on the tennis court is extremely gratifying. The tennis action is captured and presented with a sense of immediacy, and the emotional tension in the film's climatic match is palpable.

Will Smith adds another powerful nuanced performance to his filmography portraying eccentric father and tennis coach Richard Williams. Smith has never been better, carrying the entire film with his trademark charisma and versatility. As Brandy Price, Aunjanue Ellis is convincing as the loving and frustrated wife and mother, playing the complex role naturally. Saniyya Sidney is captivating as young Venus Williams, exceptionally believable as the bright and fiercely competitive future tennis star, while Demi Singleton also gives a stand out performance as Serena Williams, conveying well how she channels her feelings of being seemingly neglected into becoming a powerful competitor in her own right. The film also features fantastic work from Tony Goldwyn as wary veteran coach Paul Cohen, and Jon Bernthal essentially playing a human positive reinforcement machine as coach Rick Macci.

King Richard is properly inspirational if somewhat repetitive at points. The film and its headlining star are at their best when addressing racism and classism head-on. While it is as flawed as most biopics, the film is a genuinely crowd-pleasing family drama that doubles as a rousing sports film.


FRAGMENTS
- The screenplay for King Richard written by Zach Baylin was featured in the 2018 Black List

- Will Smith divided his $40 million earnings from the film amongst his co-stars as bonuses for them

- It's incredibly entertaining to see Jon Bernthal, perhaps known best for portraying morally conflicted tough guys, take on such a positive and cuddly role and do it so well
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Dune

DUNE
2021 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | 156 Minutes

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience."


Young Paul Atreides, primed for a destiny he never wanted, travels to the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis when his family accepts the stewardship of the resource-rich world offered by the Emperor. Falling prey to an elaborate conspiracy to destroy his house, Paul and his mother must endure the perils of the planet, including giant all-consuming sandworms, and befriend the native people in order to survive.

The first installment of Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's beloved sci-fi opus is a meticulously crafted work of exceptional spectacle. The pacing of Dune is deliberate, with more of its two and a half hour run time devoted to world-building than the standard action beats one may expect from a big budget blockbuster. In spite of the heavy expository burden, Villeneuve's vision never fails to be mesmerizing, centered on the story of a boy reluctant to embrace his destiny as a prophesied savior, the picture delivers both breathtaking ethereal visuals and thought-provoking concepts throughout. Perhaps the film's only significant weakness is that it is in no way a complete stand-alone work, ending somewhat abruptly at an unnatural stopping point in the middle of the story.

Dune is an incredible work of brilliant production design. From the lush ocean Atreides homeworld of Caladan, to the dreary imperial army planet Salusa Secundus, to the dreamy desert of the titular "Dune" of Arrakis, every setting is fully realized in stunning detail. Hans Zimmer's hypnotic score is perfectly complements the dreamlike visual style of the film. The stillsuits, the dragonfly-like ships, the personal energy shields, the insect-like hunter-seeker assassination drones, all of the costuming and science fiction technology on display always feels practical in application. The massive sandworms skillfully realized in CGI are a sight to behold to say the very least. Villeneuve also does an excellent job depicting the mysticism and the intimidating power of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, particularly in how the "voice" ability is used in the picture, otherworldly as reality seems to slow and warp whenever a character utilizes it.

Timothée Chalamet is exceptionally affecting as Paul, capturing the boy's complexity and frustration as a reluctant destined hero. Rebecca Ferguson delivers the best performance of her career as Paul's Bene Gesserit mother, alternately deeply vulnerable and appropriately fierce. As Duke Leto Atreides, Oscar Isaac is convincing as a loving father and a compassionate, ultimately doomed leader. Without going over-the-top, Stellan Skarsgård seems to savor the disgusting nature of his role as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, breathing heavily through all of his dialogue. The massive supporting cast features Jason Momoa as charismatic House Atreides warrior Duncan Idaho, Josh Brolin as the stern weapons master Gurney Halleck, Stephen McKinley Henderson as the kind Atreides Mentat human computer Thufir Hawat, Chang Chen as the conflicted Dr. Wellington Yueh, Charlotte Rampling as the imposing Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dave Bautista as the brutish House Harkonnen enforcer Glossu Rabban, David Dastmalchian as shady Harkonnen Mentat Piter De Vries, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as the conflicted Imperial ecologist Dr. Liet Kynes, Zendaya as the ethereal Fremen woman Chani who haunts Paul's visions, and Javier Bardem as the proud Fremen leader Stilgar.

Visually breathtaking, thematically rich, and featuring an unbelievable all-star cast suited perfectly for their respective roles, Denis Villeneuve's Dune is the fully-formed first part of a thoughtful epic space opera that is massively appealing without sacrificing intellectual depth. The film is a transcendent achievement of genre cinema quite unlike other science fiction films to date.


FRAGMENTS
- Adapting Dune to film has often been considered an unfilmable undertaking

- Alejandro Jodorowsky began pre-production on a wildly ambitious film adaptation of Dune in the 1970s but the production was eventually canceled due to its massive cost

- David Lynch turned down a chance to direct Return of the Jedi to work on his much-maligned 1984 film adaptation of Dune

- John Harrison directed a Sci Fi Channel three-part miniseries adaptation of Dune that aired in 2000, slavishly faithful to the source material but marred by lackluster special effects and slow pacing

- Timothée Chalamet also plays a brief supporting role in 2022 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Don't Look Up


007 CONNECTIONS
- Javier Bardem (Raoul Silva in Skyfall)


MCU CONNECTIONS



- David Dastmalchian (Kurt in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Veb in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania)

- Zendaya (Michelle "MJ" Jones-Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home)
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Drive My Car

DRIVE MY CAR
2021 | Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi | 179 Minutes

"If you really want to look at someone, then your only option is to look at yourself squarely and deeply."


Theater director Yūsuke Kafuku travels to Hiroshima to lead a production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya designed to feature an international cast of actors performing their roles in their own native languages. The theater company requires Kafuku to be chauffeured by a young taciturn driver Misaki Watari, depriving him of the simple pleasure of driving his coveted red Saab 900, challenging his stringent routines. Kafuku and his appointed driver gradually form an understated but powerful bond as the pair commiserates over their respective interpersonal traumas.

Based on Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name while incorporating elements of other short stories by the renowned writer, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car is a sprawling epic of human emotion. Expertly paced and tonally varied, as the plot twists and turns in often unpredictable ways throughout the film's extended run time, its central characters remain compellingly vulnerable. Unconventionally structured, the first forty minutes of the picture establish the context of Yūsuke's emotional baggage, telling a tale of love, betrayal, and loss before the opening credits even roll. The central story that follows is a thematic deep dive into communication and flawed human relationships that are difficult to fully embrace, featuring imperfect characters that feel remarkably earnest.

Hidetoshi Shinomiya's cinematography is splendid, if somewhat sterile, but absolutely appropriate for this film. The film presents the streets of Tokyo, Hiroshima, and rural Japanese roads with a distinct stark beauty. The visit to the waste disposal facility in Hiroshima and the impromptu journey to Watari's hometown during the film's climax are sequences that truly stand out, perfectly reflecting the emotional state of the two leads.

As Kafuku, Hidetoshi Nishijima gives a heartfelt performance, skillfully conveying a deep well of pain on the verge of overflowing for most of the picture. As Kafuku's driver Watari, Tōko Miura puts on a cool and controlled demeanor that is fascinating to observe as it eventually softens. Masaki Okada manages to make dirt bag pretty boy actor Kōji Takatsuki a compelling character, going a long way to sell his big dramatic moments towards the end of the film. The cast also features Park Yu-rim delivering an enchanting supporting turn as the deaf actress Lee Yoo-na, Jin Dae-yeon as Yoo-na's good-natured producer husband Gong Yoon-soo, and Reika Kirishima as Yūsuke's enigmatic wife Oto.

Drive My Car is an emotionally powerful picture about failure to communicate and the struggle to accept the undesirable aspects of those we are meant to love unconditionally. The film is a consistently engrossing journey that beautifully distills the intricacies of human interaction while examining radically complex interpersonal relationships with appropriate humor and gravity.


FRAGMENTS
- The film was originally set primarily in Busan, South Korea, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting was changed to Hiroshima

- As a point of distinction, Kafuku's car is left-hand drive, as opposed to Japan's standard right-hand drive
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Don't Look Up

DON'T LOOK UP
2021 | Dir. Adam McKay | 138 Minutes

"The truth is way more depressing. They are not even smart enough to be as evil as you're giving them credit for."


When a pair of astronomers discovers a comet that's on a collision course with Earth, sure to cause an extinction level event for all life on the planet, they do everything in their power to warn politicians, the media, and the masses. However, no one seems to care. As their proposal to save the world is ignored, postponed, and subsequently hijacked by a heartless megacorporation, time inevitably runs out for humanity.

Don't Look Up is tonally in line with director Adam McKay's recent output of politically charged dark comedies, The Big Short and Vice, but while those films present embellished accounts of true events, Don't Look Up is work of fiction that essentially functions as an allegory for the immediate crises of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of its production. The picture is an epic scale, deeply pessimistic satire exploring how a global crisis can be ignored by the powers that be and then quickly politicized and exploited for capitalistic gain. Though the feature paints a disturbingly accurate picture of how incompetent politicians, shallow media personalities, greedy corporate moguls, and the perpetually-distracted masses would react to such a crisis, the comedy mined from the scenario is more smug and contemptuous than sharp or incisive. The first two thirds of the film are serviceably amusing but the humor of the situation fades considerably and a general feeling of bitterness reaches overwhelming levels as the narrative winds down and the frustrated main characters find humanity barreling towards extinction.

Don't Look Up is at its most impressive when it effectively demonstrates its massive scope. All sectors of humanity are represented with a generous allotment of screen time in order for McKay to dress them down thoroughly and brutally: inept politicians, arrogant industrialists, shallow entertainers and, last but not least, the ignorant masses comprised of belligerent science-deniers, social media sycophants, and the apathetic youth. The visual effects are genuinely mostly awe-inspiring as the film features numerous well-rendered shots of the comet's journey through space. To the credit of McKay's vision and the effects team, the half-heartedly interstellar attempts at saving the world are depicted with as much drama and overwrought detail as any blockbuster disaster flick.

As Kate Dibiasky, the flustered indignant doctoral candidate who first discovers the comet, Jennifer Lawrence gives a solid if somewhat one-note performance, fluctuating between manic rage and resigned existential depression. Leonardo DiCaprio is fun though somewhat miscast as the spineless Dr. Randall Mindy who is quickly seduced and led astray by his newly minted celebrity status. Though underutilized, Rob Morgan fits well as the consistent voice of reason playing the head of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office. Stealing the entire film, Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill are truly amusing as the woefully incompetent self-serving President of the United States and her shamelessly devoted Chief of Staff son. The film also features in stand-out supporting players Mark Rylance as an eccentric amoral tech billionaire, Tyler Perry and Cate Blanchett as a pair of insufferably vapid morning show anchors, Ron Perlman as deranged out-of-touch military colonel, Arianna Grande and Scott Mescudi as a pair of overhyped star-crossed pop idols, and Timothée Chalamet as a blissfully detached teenager.

Functionally a timely apocalyptic comedy, while Don't Look Up features a wealth of hilarious moments that are ridiculously true-to-life, the film is built to deliver more cynical chuckles than belly laughs. The dread of the world-ending scenario is presented with a straight face, while the characters presiding over these events are played a little too broadly. All-in-all, the picture is more emotionally draining than it is entertaining or particularly insightful.


MID-CREDITS STINGER
Thousands of years after the destruction of the planet, Isherwell, the President, and the elites who escaped Earth land on an inhabitable planet but are soon purused by the local fauna.


POST-CREDITS STINGER
The President's son emerges from the rubble, the last man on Earth, posts an update on social media.


FRAGMENTS
- Timothée Chalamet also stars in 2022 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Dune

- Cate Blanchett also delivers a fantastic performance in 2022 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Nightmare Alley, in which Ron Perlman also plays a supporting role

- Scenes featuring Matthew Perry and Gina Gershon were shot but did not make the final cut


- Cate Blanchett (Hela in Thor: Ragnarok)
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CODA

CODA
2021 | Dir. Siân Heder | 111 Minutes

"I guess it's about sacrifice. What it means to need someone else."


A child of deaf adults, Ruby is the only member of her family with the ability to hear, but she loves to sing more than anything else. Ruby's choir teacher recognizes her natural talent and encourages her to develop it, but her family, struggling to make ends meet running a fishing business, expects Ruby to remain their designated interpreter. Ruby must choose between assisting her family indefinitely or going to college to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer.

Based on Éric Lartigau's 2014 French film La Famille Bélier, Siân Heder's CODA is an engaging, no frills story of a young woman who discovers her calling in life but feels held back by the obligation to remain a key factor in her family's livelihood. Heder skillfully balances the picture with equal parts drama and humor, establishing characters and situations that feel true to life. The ensemble cast consists mostly of deaf characters and they all are depicted as complex, fully realized people, never as simple caricatures or plot devices. Ruby's family is charmingly working-class - indulging in the pleasures of drinking, cursing, having loud sex, and smoking weed as much as any other blue collar family. All the while, Ruby's frustration with having to interpret for her family, oftentimes reluctantly, never comes off as completely selfish.

To better depict the experience of deaf people, dialogue is usually muted for scenes in which Ruby isn't present. This creative flourish is used to great dramatic effect during the sequence in which her father's fishing boat is boarded by the coast guard to her father and brother's confusion and dismay when Ruby decides to not translate for them late in the second act, the family already under heavy scrutiny for defying the local fisheries board. The musical performances are a real treat, featuring the genuine substantial vocal talent of the picture's lead actress.

As Ruby, Emilia Jones gives a versatile performance, nuanced and showcasing incredible emotional range, particularly shining when she sings. Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin are consistently funny and occasionally heartbreaking as Ruby's loving and stubborn parents. Amusingly prickly, Eugenio Derbez steals all of his scenes as the tough love dispensing choir teacher Bernardo Villalobos. The film also features great work from Daniel Durant as Ruby's brother with a large giant on his shoulder, Amy Forsyth as Ruby's lusty best friend, and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Ruby's love interest.

CODA is a touching story that authentically explores the struggle all young people must face when the time comes to leave the nest and pursue their dreams. With a stellar cast lead by a multi-talented young lead, the film is a well-balanced blend of drama and comedy that tugs at heartstrings but never feels manipulative.


FRAGMENTS
- While the title of the film CODA is an acronym that stands for Child of Deaf Adults, the title carries a double meaning as in musical composition a "coda" means a concluding passage of music

- Emilia Jones took voice lessons, learned American Sign Language, and learned how to operate a fishing trawler for nine months before filming began

- All of the deaf members of Ruby's family are played by performers who are also deaf in their real lives
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Belfast

BELFAST
2021 | Dir. Kenneth Branagh | 97 Minutes

"That wee girl can be a practicing Hindu, or a Southern Baptist, or a Vegetarian Anti-Christ, but if she's kind and she's fair, and you two respect each other, she and her people are welcome in our house any day of the week."


The carefree life of a bright and inquisitive 9-year-old boy named Buddy is thrown into disarray when local political upheaval forces his family to consider leaving their homeland. Pressured by external forces to join a cause he doesn't fully understand, Buddy's loving family teaches him to remain true to his kind and thoughtful self.

An unmistakably autobiographical story, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast is told primarily from precocious school boy Buddy's point of view, authentically presenting the joy of childhood as it is disrupted by escalating turmoil in his community. The film immediately establishes Buddy as a sweet and caring child, loving and loved by his family, harboring an innocent crush on a classmate, and profoundly shaken by the threat of spiritual damnation courtesy of the passionate sermons of the local minister. By design, it is easy for the audience to identify with Buddy's hopes, dreams, concerns, and fears. As his parents squabble over household financial problems on top of the constant threat of violence in the streets, the way the film depicts Buddy's growth as a result of his exposure to these stark realities despite his limited understanding of the world is emotionally impactful on profound level. Buddy breaking down into tears when his parents ask him how he would feel about moving to London, despite Buddy having prior knowledge of the plan, is a particularly heart-wrenching moment.

Shot in striking black and white, Branagh presents the 1969 setting of Belfast in a visually captivating presentation that evokes the films and news reels of the time. The terror and chaos of the riot sequences feel very real while the quieter moments spent with Buddy and his family are appropriately intimate. Thoughtfully, the few sequences of color in the film are reserved for the film's bookends showing its titular city in modern day and, more artfully, when Buddy and his family watch films or stage plays together, when they are afforded opportunities to escape reality for a few fleeting moments.

As Buddy, young Jude Hill delivers a wonderfully natural performance, capably carrying the film as its true emotional center. Caitríona Balfe also does truly fantastic work as Buddy's headstrong mother and though he is not featured as prominently, Jamie Dornan is a solid match as Buddy's industrious, morally centered father. Lara McDonnell is amusing as Buddy's miscreant bad-influence teenage friend Moira. The picture also features Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench giving standout performances as the most adorable Irish grandparents ever, Lewis McAskie as Buddy's older brother Will, Colin Morgan as a sectarian street thug, and Turlough Convery and an intimidating fire-and-brimstone minister.

Belfast is a deeply affecting snapshot in time capturing everyday life and fleeting innocence amidst the unyielding tumultuous movement of history. Without pulling any punches or leaning into melodrama, Kenneth Branagh's composes a loving tribute to the people of Northern Ireland as they were when the Troubles began.


FRAGMENTS
- Buddy is seen reading a Thor comic book, an amusing reference to Marvel Studios' Thor directed by Kenneth Branagh

- "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair is prominently featured in the picture's advertising campaign and performed by Jamie Dornan in the film was stuck in my head for days after I saw the film


007 CONNECTIONS
- Judi Dench (M in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre)
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The 94th Academy Awards

My ranking of the Best Picture Oscar contenders of 2022:

* Actual Winner
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Turning Red

TURNING RED
2022 | Dir. Domee Shi | 100 Minutes

"We've all got an inner beast, we've all got a messy, loud, weird part of ourselves hidden away, and a lot of us never let it out, but I did. How about you?"


13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl Meilin "Mei" Lee balances school work, time spent with her friends, and time spent with her family seemingly with aplomb. However, when an ancient family curse catches up to her, transforming her into a giant red panda whenever she feels strong emotions, just as her favorite boy band comes to town, Mei must find her own way and either learn to suppress the beast within or embrace it.

Director Domee Shi's beautifully realized feature-length animated feature debut authentically encapsulates an unmistakably personal story that offers a specific point of view and subject matter that have never been depicted before in an animated film. On the surface, the body changing comedy featured in the plot is an obvious metaphor for puberty, but on a deeper level Turning Red is about embracing one's individuality, depicted in meticulous lovingly composed detail. The film presents the Chinese-Canadian teenage girl experience embellished with a humorous supernatural flourish but ultimately without compromise, and the picture is absolutely brilliant for its distinctive vision.

Turning Red is impeccable on a technical level, soundly maintaining the high visual standards of Pixar Animation Studios. The picture's 2002 Toronto setting is rendering in loving stylized detail from Mei's Chinatown home that doubles as family temple and tourist attraction to the famed SkyDome. The character designs for Mei, her alternate red panda form, her family, friends, and classmates are all unique and highly appealing. Ludwig Göransson's musical score employing the use of Chinese instruments, string orchestration, and hip hop beats is lovely and uplifting, supplemented by 4*Town boy band songs written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell that sound accurate to the era.

Rosalie Chiang is a natural fit playing Mei, expressing the alternating exuberance and body horror of the changing 13-year-old with impressive comic timing and heart. As Mei's mother, Sandra Oh brings dimensionality to the role that proves to be much more than the standard overbearing Chinese mother, convincingly exuding maternal love but also amusingly believable portraying a raging giant monster during the finale. Ava Morse, Hyein Park, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan are all excellent as Mei's best friends, each with standing out in their own way. The cast also features Orion Lee as Mei's father, Wai Ching Ho as Mei's grandmother, Tristan Allerick Chen as Mei's bully, and the indispensable James Hong as a local elder who moonlights as a Taoist priest.

Turning Red is a delightful tale that beautifully captures the specific experience of establishing one's own unique identity as a child of Asian descent growing up in North America, torn between the influences of the sometimes overbearing love of a Chinese family steeped in tradition and the indelible power of teenage friendship with Western kids. As an allegory for puberty, a young woman transforming into a giant red panda is hilariously on-the-nose, but the film is sweet, sincere and, above all, exceptionally authentic throughout.


POST-CREDITS STINGER
Mei's father privately jams to 4*Town alone in the basement.


A113
The chalk wheelbarrow Mei's father uses in the finale is labeled A113


PIXAR INTERCONNECTIVITY
- There is a Lightyear sticker on the bottom of Miriam's skateboard referencing the next Pixar film

- Bao's Restaurant seen in Toronto Chinatown is a reference to Domee Shi's award-winning directorial debut Pixar short film Bao

- The Pixar Ball can be seen in the pool at Tyler's birthday party

- The Pizza Planet truck can be seen on parked on the street when Mei races to the SkyDome just before the final act of the film


FRAGMENTS
- The body changing comedy of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ is a clear influence on the premise of this general film

- Mei watching Cantonese costume period dramas with her mother is something I can specifically relate to directly as a Chinese-American

- The use of the Cantonese dialect, particularly the chant during the separation ritual, is impressive, and I'm blown away that a Cantonese language track for the entire film is available on Disney+
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