Wicked

WICKED

2024 | Dir. Jon M. Chu | 162 Minutes

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly."

In the Land of Oz, by chance the outcast Elphaba Thropp finds herself enrolled in Shiz University. Following their contentious first meeting, vain popular girl Galinda Upland gains a measure of compassion and gradually befriends Elphaba. When destiny calls, Elphaba learns hard truths about her world and must decide between fulfilling the expectations of others or doing what she believes is right.

Adapted from the first act of Stephen Schwartz's celebrated Broadway production, which in turn is based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel reinterpreting L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, director Jon M. Chu delivers a visually dazzling showcase of song and dance with spectacular choreography and fun set pieces. Primarily serving as a revisionist origin story for a classic villain, Wicked is at its best when it focuses on its core relationship, the unlikely but genuine friendship between misunderstood Elphaba, who learns to embrace her agency, and the conceited Galinda, who learns humility and empathy. The narrative also has much to say regarding prejudice, discrimination, and disinformation, with a considerable amount of focus on the mistreatment of not just Elphaba but also the intelligent animal inhabitants of Oz. However, the pacing of the film suffers from an overabundance of exposition and lore to unpack. While the picture concludes on a triumphant high, with so many plot threads left unresolved it isn't quite satisfying as stand-alone feature when all is sung and done.

The songs by Stephen Schwartz are all-around phenomenal, many of which are immediately unforgettable, and they are performed by an immensely talented cast with superb cinematic direction for this film adaptation. The "Dancing Through Life" sequence is the perfect example of the picture's incredible scale, taking place in a massive dynamic magical library set populated with excellent dancers. On a smaller, more personal scale, the "Popular" number is a great spotlight for the picture's leading ladies, perfectly matching the clever and funny energy of the catchy song. The epic sequence capping off the film featuring the exceptionally memorable "Defying Gravity" is truly exhilarating, a fittingly moving and inspirational showstopper accentuated with impressive visual effects.

Cynthia Erivo is magnificent as Elphaba, a role that fully utilizes her incredible voice, but even more impressively, allows her to demonstrate her screen acting talent as she capably carries the emotional weight of Elphaba's story. Frequently hilarious and believably earnest, Ariana Grande embodies Galinda to perfection. Playing the part of Fiyero, Jonathan Bailey is suitably charming and convincingly magnetic. The supporting cast also features an Michelle Yeoh exuding an air of authority as the deceptively regal Shiz University headmistress Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum more or less just being Jeff Goldblum in the role of the master con artist Oz.

A crowd-pleasing ride overall, Wicked is an entertaining and emotionally engaging movie musical featuring iconic visuals and memorable songs. Elevated by a universally appealing tale of self-discovery at its heart, the narrative also offers a timely and timeless cautionary look at the evils of scapegoating and propaganda. Unfortunately, the film falls short of perfection in no small part due to its extended runtime bloated with expository material that does not pay off in this first installment of an ambitious duology.

FRAGMENTS

- The ad campaign for the film strategically neglects to mention it is the first installment of a two-picture adaptation, though the actual title card featured in the opening reads: Wicked ~Part 1~

- Peter Dinklage playing Dr. Dillamond further demonstrates his frequent typecasting as persecuted intellectuals

- The way John Powell's score builds as Elphaba takes flight during the finale reminds me so much of Hans Zimmer's theme for Superman from Man of Steel

007 CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok)

- Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Peter Dinklage (Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War)

The Substance

THE SUBSTANCE

2024 | Dir. Coralie Fargeat | 141 Minutes

"Remember you are one."

Unceremoniously let go by the producer of her television show, aging celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle uses a mysterious drug to create a younger version of herself to begin her career anew. However, the youthful copy callously saps away at Elisabeth at an alarming rate.

Writer/director Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is an instant horror classic. The film is a stylish, surreal, provocative, and intensely furious satire unfolding in an aggressively heightened world taking one woman's feelings of inadequacy, in large part imparted upon her by unrealistic societal beauty standards, to birth a superficially enticing self-destructive monster. When one considers the very last instruction card enclosed within the package of the titular substance printed in bold capitalized letters, a reminder to the user that they and their counterpart "are one," the most direct reading of the increasingly antagonistic push-and-pull relationship between Elisabeth and Sue is Elisabeth expressing the hate she has for herself, an internal conflict that's externalized and transmuted into a visceral interpersonal struggle. Sue stealing time away from Elisabeth is in reality Elisabeth refusing to accept the current natural state of her aging body and a life away from the spotlight. It's telling that despite her reactive desperation to put an end to Sue when her body deteriorates to an unrecognizable state, Elisabeth is ultimately unable to let go of the Sue aspect of herself.

The hilariously sharp dialogue and frantically rapid pace of The Substance, along with outlandish creature effects of its final act, take the already excellent dramatic conflict over-the-top. On a technical level, the picture is absolutely phenomenal. The masterful editing by Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, Valentin Feron combined with the pulsating electronic score by Raffertie create a tense and breathless audio visual experience with propulsive energy. The practical make-up effects by Pop FX are brilliantly inventive, culminating in the bloody finale with one of the most convincingly rendered fascinatingly disgusting movie monsters in cinema history.

Stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are nothing short of perfect, particularly impressive as the narrative spirals into absolute chaotic and revolting weirdness. Alone without a single word of spoken dialogue in some scenes, Moore gives an exceptionally natural performance portraying a fading star refusing to give up her fame at any cost, remaining consistently engaging even as heavier and heavier prosthetics are applied to her as Elisabeth's body rapidly degenerates. Qualley also gives it her all in the physically demanding role of Sue, totally captivating whether she's mugging for the cameras or literally fighting for her borrowed life. Dennis Quaid is horrifyingly convincing as the blustering slimy television producer all-too-aptly named Harvey.

Incredibly daring and delightfully grotesque, The Substance is a cautionary tale body horror film with unforgettable inventively disgusting imagery. The picture stylishly and mercilessly confronts and subverts the absurdly high value society places on youth and surface-level beauty. Most provocatively, the most terrifying aspect of this feature is arguably its depiction of one woman's self-loathing mutating into full-blown self-destruction.

FRAGMENTS

- The brief introductory sequence elegantly showing without verbal explanation how the titular substance works on an egg is pure genius, as are the bookend sequences of Elisabeth's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

- The moment the "Monstro Elisasue" title card appears is one of my favorite cinematic experiences of 2024

Nickel Boys

NICKEL BOYS
2025 | Dir. RaMell Ross | 140 Minutes

"In here and out there are the same, but in here no one has to act fake anymore."

In 1962, black teenager Elwood Curtis is wrongfully arrested in Florida as an accomplice to a criminal. Imprisoned at the Nickel Academy reform school, Elwood quickly befriends the pessimistic Turner while both boys witness and endure horrible abuse. Years later, an adult Elwood confronts his past as authorities discover unmarked graves at site of the defunct campus.

Director RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer-winning novel is visually captivating, frequently distressing, and even occasionally suffocating, however appropriate. Filmed primarily from a first-person perspective without ever coming off like a cheap gimmick, Nickel Boys fully immerses its audience in the journey of its pair of main characters, from moments of peaceful serene stillness to intense sequences of pure anxiety. As horrific events gradually unfold at the reform school, the dramatic tension never feels manufactured and never truly lets up. Even as the narrative segues away from Elwood's time Nickel, these flash forward scenes exclusively address the left over trauma.

The work of cinematographer Jomo Fray is exceptionally inspired, both in how it brilliantly captures Elwood and Turner's respective points of views but also in how it conveys deeper meaning whenever the camera shifts out of first-person view. Replaying the moment Elwood meets Turner from Turner's perspective is a clever way to clue the audience in on the fact that the picture will also follow the story of a secondary main character. A dreadful moment when Elwood suffers horrific physical abuse, the perspective shifts to third-person to depict his mental dissociation in a way that's both incredibly artistic and incredibly harrowing. At first viewing, it may be somewhat curious how scenes interspersed through the picture featuring an adult Elwood are exclusively shot from behind his head and shoulders, but it's a particularly profound creative choice in hindsight considering the concluding revelation that the grown man is in actuality Turner, having taken on both Elwood's name and aspects of Elwood's idealistically headstrong perspective.

Leads Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson both deliver engaging, incredibly moving performances. As Elwood, Herisse is the ideal audience surrogate, an intelligent young man rallying against the injustices inflicted upon him, while Wilson is rather charming and convincingly cynical as Turner, a child world-weary beyond his years. The cast also features Daveed Diggs who is heartbreaking as the adult Elwood/Turner, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor embodying love turned to helpless sorrow as Elwood's grandmother Hattie, and a believably detestable Hamish Linklater serving as the face of Nickel Academy's hateful draconian practices.

Nickel Boys is an emotionally devastating experience, one that is equally captivating and challenging. Through outstanding cinematography, the picture drops its audience directly into the perspective of its central characters as they are subjected to one of the most notorious forms of institutionalized oppression that thrived in Jim Crow-era America. The filmmakers present the narrative in a way that, ingeniously only possible through the medium of motion pictures, directly requests empathy from the viewer.

FRAGMENTS

- Just when I was starting to enjoy seeing Hamish Linklater since watching him play the morally conflicted lead on Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass -- his performance is good in this film, but what an evil, evil character

- I simply do not understand why this film wasn't nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography

Ainda Estou Aqui (I'm Still Here)

AINDA ESTOU AQUI (I'M STILL HERE)

2024 | Dir. Walter Salles | 137 Minutes

"It's absolutely necessary to compensate the families and do the most important thing: clarify and judge all crimes committed during the dictatorship. Otherwise, they will continue to be committed with impunity."

In 1971, operatives of Brazil's military dictatorship take former congressman Rubens Paiva away from his home in Rio de Janeiro. In the aftermath, Rubens' wife Eunice does what she can to protect her children while investigating what happened to her husband.

Adapted from Marcelo Rubens Paiva's memoir of the same name, Walter Salles' I'm Still Here is a moving chronicle of one family's harrowing experiences under authoritarian oppression. The events of the film unfold naturally without obvious dramatic embellishment, presenting an unsettling narrative of a good husband and father abducted by unidentified men never to be seen in public again, a loving mother and her young daughter imprisoned and relentlessly questioned without just cause, a nurturing family doing everything in their power to somehow carry on. Salles' direction is outstanding, as is Fernanda Torres's performance as Eunice, portraying the true story as well as the hardships of a remarkable woman with care and nuance.

For its rather heavy subject matter, I'm Still Here is exceptionally well-paced. Early scenes before Rubens' disappearance convincingly convey joy, if not a sense of security, showing the idyllic day-to-day lives of the Paiva family enjoying the beach near their home and celebrating birthdays with friends set to Brazilian pop-rock. Vera's "sensory experience" letter from London with accompanying 8mm film and vinyl record is particularly fun. As Rubens is taken from his family by a squad of inconspicuously terrifying people, Torres work as Eunice make her the prefect audience surrogate as the tension and fear ramp up to a visceral level, particularly during Eunice's imprisonment while she, along with the viewer, is still kept in the dark about Rubens' fate. Torres' deftly delivers her most powerful moment of the film when Eunice openly confronts the men observing her home sitting in a car across the street, after their carelessness brings tragedy upon the family dog. The final sequences of the picture set in 1996 and 2014 serve to demonstrate that life moves on and may even flourish, but the scars left upon the victims of a fascist regime never fully heal.

As much an account of personal hardship as it is a cautionary reminder of the horrors endured by a country ruled by a military dictatorship, I'm Still Here is an uncompromising picture that authentically portrays dark times without sensationalism. It's a solid film, superbly directed and featuring excellent performances, particularly from its leading lady. The story is one of hope, of life persevering against cold and uncaring forces, of fighting for and disseminating the truth long after the transgression so that it is never forgotten, and it is one that will always be worth telling.

FRAGMENTS

- Pimpão the dog is truly adorable, and I was justifiably worried form him since the film's opening moments

- The soldier overseeing Eunice during her imprisonment letting her know he "doesn't think it's right" is just slightly endearing but infuriatingly frustrating

Emilia Pérez

EMILIA PÉREZ

2024 | Dir. Jacques Audiard | 132 Minutes

"Changing the soul changes society, changing society changes it all."

A Mexican cartel boss coerces struggling lawyer Rita Mora Castro for assistance to secretly arrange gender-affirming surgery and begin a new life. Years later, the former kingpin Emilia Pérez needs Rita's help again, requesting to reconnect with her family while taking on the false identity of an estranged relative. Returning to Mexico, Emilia uses the her wealth to help families victimized by gang violence, but the sins of her vicious past inevitably collide with her altruistic present.

Adapted from a portion of Boris Razon's 2018 novel Écoute, writer/director Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez is ostensibly a bold and daring musical about how the transformation of one person may change the world, but the evident lack of care the film has for handling its subject matter destroys any sense of emotional earnestness that's essential for this type of story to work. Centered around a transgender protagonist, the narrative leans hard into tired outdated plot tropes for queer people, the worst of which is the character's nonsensical decision to totally abandon her family as a part of her transition only for her to reconnect with them through underhanded deceptive means. The narrative seemingly takes on more poignant aspects in the second act as Emilia establishes a nonprofit organization to help bring closure to families who had fallen victim to cartel violence, but things quickly go off the rails and the film turns into a clumsy pseudo-telenovela pastiche involving romantic affairs and custody battles, offering little in the way of either amusement or catharsis. The feature comes off as cheap and disingenuous, stripping away any meaning from the marginalized peoples it chooses to focus on, rendering them mere aesthetic choices utilized in questionable taste.

Stylistically on an overall level, Emilia Pérez is more visually garish than appealing. The elaborate dance choreography is consistently hamstrung by some truly off-putting lyrics in the featured songs, making many of the musical numbers a real chore to sit through save for a handful of highlights. "La Vaginoplastia" with its lyrics listing away various gender-affirming surgical procedures kicks off amusingly enough but quickly overstays its welcome, and "El Amor" with Emilia contemplating how she is "half him, half her, half kingpin, half queen" before segueing into a poorly-written ballad about "making love with love" is confounding bad. "Para," highlighting the good work of Emilia's nonprofit through the point of view of the families and its ex-criminal volunteers seeking redemption is one of the few songs with genuinely poignant moments, while the rap-rock number "El Mal" with Rita expressing her anger over the misdeeds of the nonprofit's most prominent donors is the only sequence that somewhat convincingly strikes an engaging defiant punk rock tone.

As the titular lead, Karla Sofía Gascón delivers a serviceably compelling performance despite the shortcomings of the screenplay. Zoe Saldaña demonstrates maximum effort as Emilia's put-upon lawyer Rita, showing off impressive skills in the most physically demanding role of the film. The supporting cast includes Selena Gomez looking and sounding out-of-place as Emilia's ex-wife Jessi, Adriana Paz in a mostly thankless part of Emilia's love interest Epifanía, and Édgar Ramírez as Jessi's lover Gustavo who hardly registers as a character until the plot calls for an unimaginative car crash finale.

On paper, Emilia Pérez is a rather simplistic tale of change, love, and redemption. In execution, the film is a bafflingly misguided movie musical that fumbles its depiction of transgender people and the plight of the victims of cartel violence. The picture is a bizarre curiosity at best, a harmfully inauthentic representation of real world struggles at worst. Principal players Gascón and Saldaña show impressive commitment to their respective roles, but the dialogue and the musical numbers, ranging in quality and tone from awkwardly campy to downright awful, all but undermine their work. The topical issues the production utilizes as set dressing deserve much more thoughtful treatment than this.

FRAGMENTS

- Props to the filmmakers for casting a trans woman to play a trans woman, but not like this, not like this

- The comparisons between this and Mrs. Doubtfire are hilarious, but also sadly quite accurate

- I found the way the dialogue casually deadnames and misgenders Emilia particularly jarring

- Much has been said by others more qualified than I am regarding the mish-mash of the cast's non-Mexican accents, with particular criticism directed towards Selena Gomez's Spanish -- as a Cantonese-speaker subjected to all manner of bad Chinese in American and European cinema, I totally empathize

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Zoe Saldaña (Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Dune: Part Two

DUNE: PART TWO

2024 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | 166 Minutes

"Lead them to Paradise."

Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica, the last survivors of House Atreides, join the Fremen resistance against their sworn enemies, the ruthless House Harkonnen. Through his resourcefulness in combat, his willingness to learn, and his seemingly supernatural talent, Paul quickly earns the respect of the Fremen and finds love with the fierce warrior Chani. However, as the war against the oppressors reaches a key turning point, forces beyond Paul's control force him to choose between assured victory and his own humanity.

Completing his ambitious adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel, writer/director Denis Villeneuve delivers a powerful tragedy that works remarkably well as both an intimate drama and a sprawling space opera with romance, thrilling action, and awesome spectacle. Dune: Part Two chronicles the end of Paul's journey as he accepts his destiny despite his rational reservations. It's incredibly exciting to see him become a Fremen warrior, fighting back against those who decimated his family, but it's equally upsetting to see him ultimately embrace his role as a religious leader, a part he never wanted to play but he must in the interest of protecting the ones he love. The depiction of Paul and Chani's relationship, the earnest heart of the picture, is exceptionally well-written, well-acted, and well-paced, making the inevitable change in Paul all the more heartbreaking, giving the film a level of poignancy that few big budget blockbusters possess. Dune: Part Two is a superb film with a highly engaging narrative, and Villeneuve's Dune as a whole, in combination with his first part, is a monumental cinematic achievement, bringing a famously complex novel to the screen as an emotionally gripping and easily accessible saga.

The aesthetic of Dune: Part Two is simply stunning starting with the visually striking opening gravity-defying skirmish in the Arrakian desert. Several set pieces feature instantly iconic imagery, particularly the astounding feat of visual effects storytelling that is Paul's first worm ride, and the introduction of Feyd-Rautha on Giedi Prime presented eerie disquieting monochrome filmed on infrared cameras. The explosive battle sequences are impressive, but on a smaller scale, the fight choreography for the knife duel sequences is also incredibly inventive. Perfectly complementing every scene is Hans Zimmer's incredible musical score, his stirring love theme for Paul and Chani is arguably the prolific composer's best work to date.

Timothée Chalamet demonstrates the depth he brings to the role of Paul Atreides more prominently in this film than in the first installment, convincingly conveying affection, anguish, and ultimately a terrifying detachment. Zendaya delivers an equally strong performance as Chani, able to communicate deep admiration with a warm smile and stark disapproval with a soul-piercing glance. Standing out among the massive supporting cast is Austin Butler as the sadistic Feyd-Rauth, taking what is essentially an exaggerated impression of Stellan Skarsgård and giving it a fascinating life of its own. Javier Bardem also provides a surprisingly moving performance as the Fremen leader Stilgar, playing up the humor of the man's devoted reverence for Paul until it transforms entirely into a devastating illustration of blind faith.

Dune: Part Two is, in one word, epic. Satisfyingly paying off every narrative thread established in first installment to complete a magnificent thematically rich five-hour sci-fi picture charting the subtle descent of a reluctant hero, this second half absolutely delivers on every level. The acting, the writing, the production design, the set pieces, the visual effects, the musical score, all aspects of the picture across the board set a new standard for big budget genre filmmaking.

FRAGMENTS

- Timothée Chalamet also stars in 2025 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee A Complete Unknown

- Hans Zimmer's score for Dune: Part Two is even better than his Oscar-winning score for Villeneuve's first Dune film, but it is puzzlingly ineligible for an Oscar nomination due to the Academy's questionable rule against soundtracks for sequels and franchises featuring more than 20% of pre-existing music

- Stephen McKinley Henderson's Thufir Hawat is sorely missed, the scenes he shot for Dune: Part Two did not make it into the final cut

- Geidi Prime, the black sunbathed homeworld of the House Harkonnen, looks like a dark, cold, vaguely sexually suggestive H.R. Giger paradise -- even their fireworks look disgusting

007 CONNECTIONS

- Javier Bardem (Raoul Silva in Skyfall)

- Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swan in Spectre and No Time To Die)

- Dave Bautista (Mr. Hinx in Spectre)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig in Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Love and Thunder)

- Dave Bautista (Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

- Josh Brolin (Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

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

- Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova in Black Widow)

Conclave

CONCLAVE

2024 | Dir. Edward Berger | 120 Minutes

"No sane man would want the papacy."

When the pope unexpectedly passes away, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence gathers the College of Cardinals to elect a new leader for the Catholic Church. Sequestered in the Vatican to complete the voting process, Lawrence's principles are put to the test as he uncovers secrets surrounding each candidate that gradually shape the outcome election.

A taut drama playing out primarily through interpersonal conflicts with intriguing wider implications about human nature, director Edward Berger's film adaptation of Robert Harris's 2016 novel centered on the election of a new pope is a remarkably suspenseful thriller. Between contentious rounds of voting, Conclave is rich with intense monologues, unpredictable betrayals, and shocking revelations, presenting an ostensibly stuffy premise as a cut-throat competition between papal candidates. While each candidate is given enough characterization to make it easy for audiences to find them analogous to world leaders beyond the walls of the Vatican, at the center of the narrative is a man with no greater ambition than to urge others to make the right decision after considering all the facts laid bare, however difficult it may be.

The production thoroughly portrays the ritual pageantry of Vatican practices, depicting each step of the voting process with meticulous detail. Substituting various locations in Rome and sets at Cinecittà Studios for Vatican City, the filmmakers do a convincing job of depicting the Catholic epicenter. While striking, Volker Bertelmann's aggressive score is occasionally quite distracting. Ultimately, the picture's greatest strength is Peter Straughan's well-paced sharply-written screenplay performed perfectly by a fantastic ensemble cast.

Ralph Fiennes gives a stirring performance as the conflicted Cardinal Lawrence treading the line between loyal friend and impartial official. In the role of the dejected American Cardinal Bellini, Stanley Tucci effortlessly conveys disappointment and seething anger all at once. Captivating and soft-spoken, Carlos Diehz is intriguing in his subtlety as the mysterious Cardinal Benitez. Isabella Rossellini is masterfully understated in a memorable supporting role as Sister Agnes. The cast also features Lucian Msamati as the seemingly influential Nigerian Cardinal Adeyemi with a questionable past, John Lithgow as the deceptively ambitious Canadian Cardinal Tremblay, and Sergio Castellitto as the loathsome vaping far-right Italian Cardinal Tedesco.

Conclave is a gripping procedural on a cinematic scale featuring solid direction, a brilliant script, and a superb cast. Released during political divisive times, despite its isolated Vatican setting the film aptly serves a reflection of the society at large. The picture encourages its audience to make informed carefully-considered decisions, but also to compromise when necessary for the good of the many, just as its protagonist must make challenging and occasionally unorthodox decisions in order to appropriately fulfil his duty.

FRAGMENTS

- The reveal of Cardinal Benitez to be an intersex person is a bit heavy-handed, but I'd argue it works on a thematic level

- On the other hand, the preceding literal explosion is a bit much

007 CONNECTIONS

- Ralph Fiennes (M in Skyall, Spectre, and No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Stanley Tucci (Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger)

A Complete Unknown

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

2024 | Dir. James Mangold | 140 Minutes

"You're kind of an asshole, Bob."

In 1961, a teenager from Minnesota identifying himself as Bobby Dylan travels to New York City to visit his hero, music legend Woody Guthrie. Detecting an innate talent for songwriting in Dylan, Guthrie's friend Pete Seeger introduces him to New York City's folk music scene. As Dylan amasses a growing audience, he disappoints the women closest to him and upsets the folk community with his uncompromising push for artistic innovation.

Adapted from music historian Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric!, writer/director James Mangold captures Bob Dylan's rise in popularity in a way that makes it easy to understand the singer-songwriter's appeal and influence as an artistic voice but curiously and, perhaps, purposefully sheds little light on his motivations as a human being. A Complete Unknown portrays Dylan as a passionate musician and eloquent lyricists, but also as an emotionally unavailable individual who refuses to compromise for anyone without much in the way of an explanation for his behavior. The creative choice to not over-explain its subject but to let their music and relationships with others tell the story is a bold approach to the rather overdone biopic, but it's one that may leave some audiences in the cold.

Beyond recreating the aesthetic of its period setting with pleasing attention to detail, A Complete Unknown truly shines during its live music sequences. From early performances in the cozy setting of Gerdes Folk City to the crowd-engraging finale at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the strength of Dylan's songwriting and stylistic choices are enhanced with the context of music history as depicted in the film's narrative. The most engaging dramatic conflict of the picture isn't the struggle between folk music conservation and progress between the folk music community and Dylan, but the romantic tension between Dylan and Joan Baez. The film is at its most captivating in the scenes illustrating Dylan and Baez's tempestuous relationship, particularly through their tense exchanges on stage

Timothée Chalamet is perfectly convincing in the lead role, delivering more than just a solid impression of Bob Dylan, but also replicating the unquantifiable qualities that make the celebrated musician such a uniquely appealing and frustrating character. Monica Barbaro stands out among the supporting cast, absolutely mesmerizing in the role of Joan Baez, perfectly delivering the wit and musical talent of the icon. In a somewhat thankless role, Elle Fanning does her best to give depth to the part of Dylan's neglected girlfriend, though one can only do so much wavering between enthusiastic admiration and tearful disappointed glances. The picture also features Edward Norton going full-folksy as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as a perpetually-inebriated Johnny Cash, Dan Fogler playing Albert Grossman as a standard run-of-the-mill music executive, and Scoot McNairy making an infirmed non-verbal Woody Guthrie more interesting than one would expect.

Running on Chalamet's charismatic lead performance and an authentically understated narrative, Mangold presents the start of Bob Dylan's career with a degree of nuance and specificity that makes A Complete Unknown more engaging than the average biopic. More of a feature than a bug, while the importance of what Dylan's songwriting and music represents is paid due tribute, the picture sheds very little light on the man himself who comes off as a bit of an unresolved enigma. If anything, the feature is a serviceably entertaining way to enjoy some of Dylan's greatest hits with a side of drama.

FRAGMENTS

- Timothée Chalamet also stars in 2025 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Dune: Part Two

- Though his screen time is limited as a sickly Woody Guthrie unable to speak, it's always a pleasure to watch Scoot McNairy take on a role with full commitment

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Edward Norton (Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk)

The Brutalist

THE BRUTALIST

2025 | Dir. Brady Corbet | 215 Minutes

"No matter what the others try and sell you, it is the destination, not the journey."

In 1947, talented Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor László Tóth arrives in America to begin a new life. Catching the attention of industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren following a contentious chance meeting, the wealthy businessman hires László for an ambitious project and promises his family safe passage to America. However, László's personal demons and Van Buren's fickle and cruel true nature warp the immigrant dream into a nightmare playing out over decades.

The general premise of writer/director Brady Corbet's The Brutalist has all the ingredients of a standard prestige picture centered on the journey of an immigrant struggling to make it in America. However, the film's prologue featuring a striking inverted view of the Statue of Liberty quickly clues the audience into the fact that the narrative will unfold quite differently from the routine inspirational story. The Brutalist spends its first half combining shreds of hope and aspiration with abject desperation and cruel betrayal as László's every achievement is immediately followed by severe setback. The life-changing opportunities Van Buren offers to László before the halfway point seem to suggest the times of hardship will come to an end thanks to the admiration of his rich benefactor, and that the narrative may yet amount to an uplifting triumphant immigrant story. However, the gut-punch of the second half makes it clear that Van Buren and his son only consider László and his family as resources to be abused, his refusal to compromise met with underhanded retaliation, sending the architect reeling into a deeper state of despair that is all too relatable for any immigrant who ahs ever felt exploited. The picture as a whole is a bold criticism of the very notion of the American Dream, suggesting that it is hardly attainable by everyone, least of all by those unwilling to sacrifice their basic dignity.

Filmed in its entirety using the old fashioned VistaVision process, cinematographer Lol Crawley's work for The Brutalist is nothing short of breathtaking. The aesthetic of the picture gives it a nostalgic quality that complements its period setting very well and accentuates the grandeur of the featured architectural work. The film is visually splendid, from the reveal of Van Buren's new library with its massive folding wooden doors, to the on-location photography at the Carrara quarries, to the massive community center - most notably its ethereal chapel. Daniel Blumberg's score is a superb fit for the picture, alternating between moody and foreboding with bursts of orchestral glory at key moments.

In the lead role as the devastatingly vulnerable László, Adrien Brody is the best he's ever been on screen, affecting and nuanced in his approach to playing the rather complex character. Guy Pearce is perfectly convincing as the pompous, duplicitous, and insufferably pretentious Van Buren. Felicity Jones is also exceptional as László's wife Erzsébet, serving empathetically as the voice of reason as well as a grounded representation of post-war trauma. The supporting cast features memorable performances from Joe Alwyn as Van Buren's obnoxiously entitled son, Raffey Cassidy as László's niece Zsófia who is non-verbal for much of the film, and Isaach de Bankolé as László's loyal friend and confidant Gordon.

Beautifully composed on an epic cinematic canvas, The Brutalist is a monumental work of art uncompromisingly conveying the undesirable aspects of the immigrant experience in America. An emotionally raw saga, the film skillfully depicts the ever-present conflict between the impoverished and the wealthy, artistic expression and merciless pragmatism. It is a powerful cinematic production exploring the uncompromising process of channeling trauma into creation, pointedly condemning those who would exploit such creation for its worth.

FRAGMENTS

- Watching this at a sold out screening at a local arthouse theater projected in 70mm is one of my favorite cinematic experiences ever -- the electricity in the air was palpable during the build up to the intermission

- As Hans Zimmer's musical score for Dune: Part Two is questionable ineligible for an Oscar nomination, Daniel Blumberg's score for this film is my pick for 2025 Oscar for Best Original Score competing against the scores for Conclave, Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and The Wild Robot

- Van Buren's literal raping of László during the second half is a bit on-the-nose, but I suppose it drives home the ultimate message of the picture

- The epilogue of the film, opening with a 1980-appropriate synth-driven version of the film's overture, also works overtime to deliver the message of the story as Zsófia explains to attendees of an architectural exhibition in Venice (and by extension the film's audience) how László's expressed his personal trauma hidden within the design of the community center

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Guy Pearce (Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3)

- Isaach de Bankolé (River Tribe Elder in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Anora

ANORA

2024 | Dir. Sean Baker | 139 Minutes

"You do not love him, and he doesn't love you. You understand? That's in your head."

Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from Brooklyn, meets Ivan Zakharov, the son of a Russian oligarch. After taking Ivan on as a regular client, attracted to Ivan's carefree nature and freewheeling lifestyle, Ani spontaneously agrees to marry him. Their nuptials set in motion a series of unpredictable events with emotionally cataclysmic results for Ani.

A pointed subversion of improbable Hollywood love stories, writer/director Sean Baker's Anora is as amusing as it is heartbreaking. The film is a highly entertaining tale of raw passion and devastating loss with an incredibly funny layer of cynicism masking heartfelt sincerity. Consistently hilarious in its frank, almost mechanical depiction of sex work, the outrageous wealth and fickle whims of Russian oligarchs, and the limited competence of three grown men attempting to wrangle one desperately determined young woman, the picture also poignantly explores the hidden overwhelming vulnerability of its protagonist under layer upon layer of antagonistic snark and anger.

Liberal glimpses of nudity, sex, and illicit substances aside, the first act of Anora plays out like a dreamy fantasy as Ani gradually falls for Ivan, an attachment that gives her a taste of decadent luxury and ostensibly allows her to leave behind an unfulfilling job and bothersome roommate. The moment Ivan flees his handlers, all hell breaks loose and the film descends into incessant shouting and random acts of violence Ani inflicts upon those determined to track Ivan down in the employ of his enraged parents. To Baker's credit as writer and director, the narrative remains thoroughly engaging through the pandemonium as he makes it incredibly easy to empathize with Ani while she gradually realizes her relationship with Ivan evidently does not align with her expectations. By the time the audience reaches the final heart-rending scene in a kindly hired goon's grandmother's car, the cathartic release is fully earned.

Mikey Madison is absolutely fantastic in the titular role, naturally exhibiting sly wit, gritty toughness, and deep heartache all through a thick but convincing New York accent. As the privileged and totally irresponsible Ivan, Mark Eydelshteyn is believably charming but also believably spineless and punchable. The embodiment of pure undiluted frustration, Karren Karagulian gives off infectious anxiety as Ivan's put-upon Armenian godfather Toros charged with retrieving the boy. Yura Borisov shines as lovable tough guy Igor, consistently and effortlessly stealing his scenes. 

Anora is a wild, chaotic, and deeply earnest emotional ride driven by a truly exceptional leading performance. Despite the somewhat unconventional and ostensibly salacious aspects of its narrative, at its core the picture is an engaging universally-relatable story of misplaced love and heartbreak. The pacing and incessant shouting can be a tad relentless during the second act, but the film starts and ends masterfully.

FRAGMENTS

- Igor is honestly the best, no notes

- While the rapid decline of his physical well-being due to Ani's relentless attacks and straight-up bad luck is incredibly funny, I really hope Garnik is okay

The 97th Academy Awards

My rankings for the Best Picture Oscar contenders of 2025:

1. Dune: Part Two
2. The Substance
3. The Brutalist
4. Anora *
5. Nickel Boys
6. I'm Still Here
7. Conclave
8. Wicked

9. A Complete Unknown

10. Emilia Pérez

* Actual Winner

Captain America: Brave New World

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
2025 | Dir. Julius Onah | 119 Minutes

"Steve gave them something to believe in, but you give them something to aspire to."

During a summit at the White House, several mind controlled combatants including Sam Wilson's friend Isaiah Bradley attempt to assassinate President Thaddeus Ross. With Isaiah in jail awaiting a potential death sentence, Sam and his trusted protégé Joaquin Torres race against the clock to uncover the true mastermind behind the plot while an increasingly emotionally erratic Ross begins to unravel.

While Marvel Studios films at their best are able to utilize aspects of their shared universe in fascinating and rewarding ways, it's apparent that on a storytelling level Captain America: Brave New World is too preoccupied with acknowledging previously established continuity to tell an engrossing story of its own. A direct follow-up to the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Solider, much in the same way Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels are reliant on their tie-in miniseries, this inaugural big screen adventure for Sam's Captain America quite noticeably skims through key exposition, testing the patience of diehard fans, potentially alienating for casual viewers, a disservice to all. The picture throws Sam into an adventure that's a bit too reminiscent of Captain America: The Winter Solider, though with far less intrigue, far more simplistic motivations for its protagonists and antagonists alike, and much less of a dramatic payoff to boot. Sam is primarily driven by his mission to exonerate Isaiah and the inherent complexity of his new role as Cap is all but glossed over. While Ross is given more depth and vulnerability than in his previous appearances, the script never makes a compelling case for this sudden face turn, making it all the more difficult to empathize with him when the central conspiracy turns out to be nothing more than an elaborate revenge plot targeting him.

Throughout the first two acts of Captain America: Brave New World, the action set pieces are ostensibly functional but plainly unimpressive, mostly featuring Sam and Joaquin taking out a bunch of mercenaries or brainwashed soldiers without much flourish. The most engaging sequence during this stretch is Sam's fight against Voelker without the aid of his wings and shield. The visuals finally start feeling cinematic during the skirmish in the skies of Celestial Island with some fun aerial action and the dormant Tiamut serving as an epic backdrop. The climatic fight between Cap and Red Hulk has its moments but never achieves the visceral thrills of Hulk fights from previous films due to the vaguely weightless quality of its action direction.

Anthony Mackie convincingly sells Sam's desire to represent the values of Captain America, working overtime to de-escalate political tension and any potential for violent altercation, but the breathless pacing of the rather thin plot doesn't leave him much room to chew on the hero's inner doubts aside from just one measly scene featuring a special guest star. Taking over for the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, a seemingly exhausted Harrison Ford does his best to provide emotional depth and humanize the tempestuous statesman on a redemption arc, but the rote conspiracy surrounding his role undermines his efforts. Reprising the part of Joaquin Torres from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Danny Ramirez makes for a charismatic sidekick to Sam, sharing natural friendly banter with Mackie. As the curmudgeonly disenfranchised super solider Isaiah Bradley also returning from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Carl Lumbly gives a reasonably gripping performance, particularly for being quickly sidelined, only to serve as dramatic motivation for Sam. The cast also features Shira Haas as the glowering ex-Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph, Giancarlo Esposito as the terrorist leader Seth Voelker going full Giancarlo Esposito, and Tim Blake Nelson milking what he can out of the supervillain role of Samuel Sterns returning from The Incredible Hulk an astounding seventeen years since he last appeared as the mad scientist.

Despite solid performances from Mackie and Ford, Captain America: Brave New World doesn't deliver enough emotional, dramatic, or narrative impact to be a truly captivating or memorable addition to the vast Marvel Studios catalog. For the cinematic debut of Sam Wilson's Captain America, the film sidesteps having to make a provocative statement of any sort by leaning hard into Sam's diplomatic and empathetic nature in the most milquetoast and simplistic ways imaginable. The picture more or less amounts to a string of recycled and watered-down story beats from the previous Captain America films and The Falcon and the Winter Solder miniseries, a disappointing approach to continuing those narratives arcs.

POST-CREDITS STINGER
Imprisoned on the Raft, Sterns warns Sam of the impending multiversal war.

FRAGMENTS
- The fact that this film doesn't feature the Marvel Studios logo with the fanfare immediately starts it off on a disappointing note

- Henry Jackman's theme for Sam that made its debut in Captain America: The Winter Solider and subsequently expanded into a triumphant fanfare on The Falcon and the Winter Solider is egregiously and upsettingly absent from Laura Karpman's score

- Though its miniseries format is bloated and its finale feels rushed, The Falcon and the Winter Solider features far more provocative ideas than this film

- I'm glad the film ties back to the aftermath of The Eternals, but I have to wonder if we'll ever see those characters again

- The brief cameos from Sebastian Stan as Bucky and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross are nice surprises

SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: Tide | Captain America: Brave New World | Collateral Stains | Mango Smoothie

- Video: Tide | Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World | Collateral Stains | Bus Stop (30 sec.)

- Video: Tide | Marvel Studios' Avengers | Collateral Stains | Lunch Break

- Video: Tide | Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World | Collateral Stains | Press Conference

- Video: Tide | Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World | Collateral Stains | Bus Stop (45 sec.)

- Video: Captain America: Brave New World - Like Your Shield 30 | American Family Insurance

- Video: Captain America: Brave New World - Like Your Shield 15 | American Family Insurance