Train Dreams

TRAIN DREAMS
2025 | Dir. Clint Bentley | 102 Minutes

"This world is intricately stitched together, boys. Every thread we pull, we know not how it affects the design of things."

In early 20th century America, laborer Robert Grainier experiences love and loss as time marches relentlessly forward.

Adapted from Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same name, Clint Bentley's Train Dreams tells what is ostensibly the simple life story of an American workman at the dawn of the 20th century from his birth to his eventual passing, but it does so by delicately transporting the viewer through a meditative and exceptionally poignant journey. The film offers a wealth of insight into protagonist Robert Grainier's psyche not only through the voice of an omniscient third-person narrator applied rather skillfully but also through glimpses into Grainier's haunting dreams. While Grainier is a man of few words, the feature does an outstanding job of turning his joys, fears, and aspirations into the audience's own. As Grainier's understanding of his place in the grand scheme of nature is gradually influenced by the people in his life, arguably the viewer by extension attains a bit of existential perspective as well.

Filmed in the forests of Washington state in a 3:2 aspect ratio to evoke a sense of nostalgia, the look of the feature is visually striking, immersing viewers in the lush majestic greenery of the natural world juxtaposed against humanity's relentless industrial progress. It's all the more devastating when the land is set ablaze at the midway point of the narrative, bathing the picture in shadow and flame as Grainier plunges into despair. The film depicts Grainier's dreams in an appropriately surreal manner, populated with fleeting visions of his murdered Chinese workmate and, eventually, the wife and daughter he lost.

Joel Edgerton is perfectly cast as Grainier, believably rugged but gentle exuding a deep well of emotion, totally captivating as his performance alone carries the film for long stretches at a time. As Grainier's wife, Felicity Jones is lovely, effortlessly portraying a capable woman with an inner world of her own. In a small but memorable part, William H. Macy is absolutely convincing as a veteran explosives expert with the wisdom and respect for the environment that comes with years of experience in the wilderness. The supporting cast also features Nathaniel Arcand as a kindly storekeeper who cares for Grainier in his most desperate time of need and Kerry Condon as a forestry services worker who befriends Grainier later in his life.

Train Dreams is a soulful meditation on life, nature, love, and loss. While the story of Robert Grainier plays out on a relatively small scale, the film makes a solid case is both universally relatable and remarkably profound. The picture is a visually and emotionally satisfying cinematic experience.


FRAGMENTS
-  Will Patton who previously narrated the audio book of the original novella provides the voice over for this film adaptation

- Kerry Condon also appears in 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee F1


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Kerry Condon (FRIDAY in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

Hamnet

HAMNET
2025 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 126 Minutes

"I shall be one of father's players."

 

Free-spirited Agnes Hathaway falls in love with aspiring playwright William Shakespeare, and while their union is met with opposition from their respective families, they happily start a family together. However, Shakespeare's frequent travels to London frustrate Agnes as she is left alone to care for their children. When terrible tragedy strikes, Agnes fails to understand how Shakespeare is able to carry on with his work -- until she attends the premiere of his latest play.

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name by writer/director Chloé Zhao and O'Farrell herself, Hamnet is a beautifully filmed exceptionally moving drama. The narrative takes viewers on a tumultuous soul-stirring journey, chronicling the courtship of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, the births of their children, the devastating loss of their boy Hamnet, and the first performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet all from Agnes' point of view. Brilliantly directed by Zhao with a powerful performance from lead Jessie Buckley, the film is a remarkably emotionally accessible exploration of the challenges of being in a relationship with an artist and how grief may be channeled into lasting works of art.

Cinematographer Łukasz Żal skillfully captures lush green landscapes in natural lighting that immerse the audience in Agnes' paganistic world, while he delicately illuminates interior night scenes to emulate period-accurate lamplight, dark shadows particularly accentuating the most fraught and tragic moments of film. Production Designer Fiona Crombie delivers fine work, authentically recreating the look and feel of the setting in addition to creating a believably lived-in replica the Globe Theatre. Composer Max Richter's score is fine, but while the use of his famous work "On The Nature Of Daylight" strikes with surgical precision during the finale, it may jolt those who associate the piece with other cinematic works right out of the picture.

As Agnes delivering her finest work yet, Jessie Buckley gives a natural, bold, and versatile performance, seemingly effortless in the way she draws sympathy from the audience. While slightly leaning into tortured artist cliches, Paul Mescal is appropriately convincing as Shakespeare. Emily Watson makes the most out of what amounts to a stock character role as Shakespeare's initially disapproving eventually empathetic mother Mary. Jacobi Jupe nearly stealing the entire production as little Hamnet, utterly lovable playing the sweet and spirited little boy which proportionately makes the eventual passing of the child all the more tragic.

Conveying love, loss, and catharsis with incredible depth and clarity of emotion, Hamnet is a complete showcase of Chloé Zhao's mastery of cinematic craft. Sections of the feature are so affecting that the experience is akin to a full-on assault on the hearts of the audience. Jessie Buckley is undeniably excellent in the lead role and young Jacobi Jupe's heart-rending breakout performance is magnificent.


FRAGMENTS
- 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Sentimental Value also depicts the pursuit of personal catharsis specifically through theatrical artistic expression

- In a quirky bit of casting, Noah Jupe plays the actor who plays Hamlet, the role that was inspired by Hamnet played by his younger brother Jacobi Jupe

- Paul Mescal's tearful recitation of the beginning the Hamlet soliloquy over the Thames is a bit on-the-nose

- Memorably featured in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival among countless films and television shows, "On The Nature Of Daylight" was originally released on composer Max Richter's second album The Blue Notebooks, a protest album against the 2003 American invasion of Iraq

Frankenstein

FRANKENSTEIN
2025 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 150 Minutes

"If you are not to award me love, then I will indulge in rage."

In the frigid north, rescued by the crew of Danish ship from a seemingly invulnerable monstrous pursuer, a gravely injured Baron Victor Frankenstein relates to the captain an astonishing tale of scientific advancement gone awry.

Painted in broad strokes on an enormous canvas, Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is visually bold and emotionally explosive. The film unfolds in two engaging sections, one that firmly establishes Victor Frankenstein's madness and obsession as the product of a severe Oedipal complex, while the other, even more captivating, follows his creation's painful existential journey to understand his origin and come to terms with his accursed everlasting life in pursuit of meaning and purpose. Del Toro does a fine job of illustrating how both stories are steeped in tragedy, but as one attempts to overcome his misfortune through intellectual pursuit, he neglects his psychological shortcomings and foists his trauma upon a newborn entity that is consumed by destructive rage. Lofty ideas aside, del Toro can't resist inserting a sincere romantic subplot between the creature and Victor's sister-in-law-to-be that plays out rather awkwardly. His screenplay is also virtually devoid of subtext, as in one pivotal scene Victor's brother William literally tells Victor to his face that he is the monster. However, the picture is nonetheless a poignant examination of the universally relatable tension between parents and their children.

The production design by Tamara Deverell and the sets by Shane Vieau are absolutely breathtaking. The tower that serves as Victor's laboratory is uniquely opulent and memorable, each level constructed with meticulous attention to detail, with the giant stone face of Medusa on the main floor standing out in particular. The period costumes by Kate Hawley are stunning, particularly the elaborate dresses worn by Mia Goth in both of her roles. Save for one sequence featuring some janky-looking CGI wolves, the visual effects work is impressive all-around. Among the feature's bounty of ghoulish sights, the striking imagery of the flaming Angel of Death in Victor's feverish visions is outright iconic.

As Victor, Oscar Isaac is perfectly cast as the arrogant mad scientist, believably sad, petty, and vengeful. However, the best performance of the picture is from Jacob Elordi who is absolutely revelatory in the role of the towering pitiable creature, showcasing his entire range as an actor. Mia Goth plays William's fiancée Elizabeth taking on an admirable heavy lift to sell the romance between the bride-to-be and the creature, while she also appears briefly as Victor's mother. The supporting cast features Charles Dance fitting in his role of Victor's psychologically abusive father like a glove, Felix Kammerer as Victor's somewhat dopey brother William, Christoph Waltz chewing the scenery as Elizabeth's rich syphilitic uncle and Victor's primary benefactor, and a heartbreaking David Bradley as the kindly blind man who befriends and tutors the creature.

Thematic subtlety be damned, Guillermo del Toro's penchant for both appealingly monstrous and intricately ornate design work, breathtaking sets, and earnest sentimentality perfectly matches the spirit of Mary Shelley's pioneering Gothic horror novel. This iteration of Frankenstein is deeply moving, epic in scope, and simply gorgeous to behold. It's exactly the sort of adaptation one might expect from the auteur who built his filmography around sympathetic beasts and monsters who are all too human.


FRAGMENTS
- Andrew Garfield was originally cast as the creature but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts

- Dr. Frankenstein's tower looks like something pulled straight out of Konami's Castlevania video game series

- Doing perhaps what they do best, Charles Dance plays a very Charles Dance Character (see Game of Thrones, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, etc.), Oscar Isaac plays a very Oscar Isaac role (see Ex Machina, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, etc.), while Christoph Waltz plays a very Christoph Waltz role (see Inglorious Basterds, Spectre, etc.)


007 CONNECTIONS
- Christoph Waltz (Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre and No Time to Die)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- David Bradley (Church Keeper in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Ralph Ineson (Ravager Pilot in Guardians of the Galaxy and Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

Bugonia

BUGONIA
2025 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 118 Minutes

"I became a human being that I told myself I would never become."

A desperate man kidnaps a powerful titan of industry, convinced that she is an alien from outer space secretly plotting to destroy the human race.

Adapted from Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 dark comedy Save the Green Planet!, Yorgos Lanthimos' fourth collaboration with star Emma Stone puts conspiracy theorists under a microscope for decidedly more chilling than hilarious effect. Lanthimos' signature deadpan style lends itself all too well to this narrative positing that more terrifying than any space alien is one deeply hurt human being's unflinching vindictive focus on pinning his misfortunes on others by way of spiraling headlong into magical thinking. Jesse Plemons' Teddy chooses to believe he is on a noble mission to free the world from the control of extraterrestrials by means of kidnapping, torture, murder, and even domestic terrorism, rather than confront and process his own trauma and grief. The fear in Stone's eyes in her portrayal of the abducted CEO Michelle is palpable. The narrative's final twist does not diminish the impact of the picture's social commentary through-line. If anything, Teddy's actions leading to the extinction of humankind in order to allow the planet to heal perfectly serves as one final gut-punch.

Lanthimos frames Bugonia in a claustrophobic 3:2 aspect ratio, immediately creating a constant feeling of unease. The heated exchanges between Teddy and Michelle that make up a significant portion of the feature are all the more intense, as are the punctuating sudden bursts of violence. The high-contract color palette of the picture further heightens the extreme emotions primed to explode at any given moment.

Emma Stone makes for an excellent win-at-all-costs negotiator who never lets slip her true feelings despite dire peril. Jesse Plemons gives a heartbreakingly earnest performance as a man horrifyingly entrenched in rather baffling beliefs. Aidan Delbis also stands out as Teddy's sweet and loyal cousin Don delivering some of the funniest line readings of the picture.

There is a potent contemporary tragedy residing just under the surface of the seemingly quirky premise of Bugonia. The material is arguably a perfect match for dark comedy auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. While it is a rather adaptation of a film released two decades before its own debut, depicting acts of domestic terror committed by the unhinged disenfranchised hits harder now more than ever and, at times, more challenging to digest than ever.


FRAGMENTS
- Showing some real commitment to the role, Emma Stone actually shaved her head to play Michelle

- It almost goes without saying that Jesse Plemons is a natural when it comes to playing awkward and/or creepy white dudes

- Aidan Delbis, not a professionally trained actor, is a natural sweetheart

- The finale not only confirms that extraterrestrials from Andromeda are manipulating the human race but also that the Earth is indeed flat

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

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)

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 Zone of Interest

THE ZONE OF INTEREST

2023 | Dir. Jonathan Glazer | 105 Minutes

"This is our home. We’re living how we dreamed we would."

Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss and his family live happily in a picturesque house next to the concentration camp.

Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest is a sobering examination of infuriating complicity. Adapting Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name, Glazer provides the bare minimum in terms of narrative. The most significant drama that unfolds concerning its central characters is a woman's frustration at the suggestion of having to relocate her family due to her husband's promotion, the most unremarkable of conflicts if it were not for the horrific context. What makes the picture overwhelmingly unsettling is what the scenes of seemingly ordinary domesticity illustrate, that it was so easy for Nazis to carry on with their lives unbothered by the genocide they were committing just next door, in this case quite literally. The film is incredibly difficult to watch by design.

A technical masterwork in terms of subtlety and suggestion, The Zone of Interest utilizes the medium of cinema in ways that very few films do. The camera is consistently positioned to imply the horrors of Auschwitz are occurring just out of frame, with the majority of the feature made up of mundane moments at the commandant's house. The most notable shift in style are the night vision scenes featuring a young Polish girl sneaking food into the concentration camp under cover of darkness, the sole presence of resistance represented in the picture. What the audience doesn't see, the audio design forces them to hear. The sound of gunfire, shouting, crying, and screaming, while sometimes only coming through softly, is consistent and incessant. Though the production hired Mica Levi to compose music for the film, Levi's score is seldom used, which only highlights the nightmarish soundscape underscoring the proceedings.

Christian Friedel plays Rudolf Höss as a hardworking family man and loyal servant to his government most convincingly, one would almost forget the detestable nature of his gruesome work if such a thing were impossible. As Höss's wife Hedwig, Sandra Hüller is so believably smug and casually hateful that the woman she portrays somehow becomes even more despicable than Höss himself, a testament to Hüller's immense talent.

With The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer delivers a viewing experience that is most appropriately deeply unpleasant. While it is a film that is totally devoid of escapism and entertainment value, it is a work of tremendous value that must be preserved and studied. Masterfully encapsulating exactly what complicity to the evil of fascism looks like, it makes a powerful statement on the banality of evil. 

FRAGMENTS

- Sandra Hüller also appears in 2024 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Anatomy of a Fall

- While I greatly admire The Zone of Interest and its purpose as the film, I don't think I'll ever want to watch it again

Poor Things

POOR THINGS

2023 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 141 Minutes

"I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence. It is most charming."

Brought to life by a mad doctor, Bella Baxter is a young woman who perceives the world with the innocent mind of a child. Strongly desiring life experience and knowledge, Bella ventures into the world on a journey of self-discovery while challenging societal norms at every turn, particularly ones pertaining to women.

A wildly entertaining adaptation of Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel, Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things is a hilarious, sharp, and engaging fantastical comedy loaded with critical observations on gender-based inequity and double standards. Philosophically perceptive and perfectly-paced, the thought-provoking narrative also features an overabundance of off-color comedy but also a whole lot of heart. Throughout Bella's odyssey, she is never robbed of her agency despite the bizarre circumstances surrounding her existence and the best efforts of some of people in her life, and much of the picture's humor derives from the novel manner in which Bella approaches and resolves the various challenges she encounters.

Visually inventive and unconventional, Poor Things is immensely appealing aesthetically. Utilizing stark monochrome and lush color photography, warped fish-eye lenses, and surreal outlandish special effects, the picture is an entertainingly disorienting feast for the eyes. To say that the style of the film's production design is heightened is putting it mildly, as it features fun over-the-top period costuming and a radical variety of beautiful sets.

Poor Things is dependent upon leading lady Emma Stone's performance, her second feature collaboration with Lanthimos, and she does not disappoint. Stone confidently plays the part of Bella to perfection, fully committing to all of the character's bizarre behavior at the start of the picture while quickly and convincingly becoming the outspoken voice of reason in an objectively absurd world. Delivering perhaps the funniest performance of his career to date, Mark Ruffalo is delightfully dastardly and eventually quite pathetic in the role of the lawyer Wedderburn. As something of a scientist, Willem Dafoe shows off his range as the complicated physically and psychologically scarred Dr. Godwin Baxter, believably well-meaning but detestable yet pitiable, all the while amusingly burping up utterly disgusting bubbles. Ramy Youssef makes for an effortlessly relatable McCandles, the audience surrogate who cares deeply for the protagonist but is only able to stand by and observe her journey. Though her screentime is limited, Kathryn Hunter gives a stand-out performance as Madame Swiney, fantastic at portraying the seemingly wise and empathetic woman but still the sleazy manager of a brothel.

An excellent off-beat comedy that examines the mistreatment of women through an absurdist lens, Poor Things is equal parts funny and profound. The film's peculiar premise serves as an unlikely springboard for timeless social commentary. Director Yorgos Lanthimos, specializing in his unique brand of satire mixed with sincerity, and star Emma Stone, reliably hilarious and exceptionally versatile, are the perfect pair to bring this story to the screen.

FRAGMENTS

- Supporting players Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott starred in the psychological thriller Sanctuary which was also released in 2023

- Considering the all-around excellence of Poor Things and 2018's The Favourite, here's hoping there will be more Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone comedies to come

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

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

Oppenheimer

OPPENHEIMER

2023 | Dir. Christopher Nolan | 181 Minutes

"We might start a chain reaction that destroys the world."

In 1954, J. Robert Oppenheimer appeals the United States Atomic Energy Commission's decision to revoke his security clearance. A private hearing is held to review Oppenheimer's leadership on the Manhattan Project while scrutinizing his history with members of the Communist Party. In 1957, a Senate confirmation hearing is held for Lewis Strauss to become Secretary of Commerce. Adversarial to Oppenheimer, Strauss quickly finds that the scientific community and history are not on his side.

Adapted from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's 2005 J. Robert Oppenheimer biography American Prometheus, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a sweeping epic charting the rise and fall of a deeply flawed genius. Written and directed by the celebrated auteur, he tells his most personal and contemplative story yet, exploring festering guilt and overwhelming anxiety through the eyes of the father of the atomic bomb. A decidedly unconventional biopic that chronicles the man's career rather than his entire life, the film celebrates scientific ingenuity but also condemns the nuclear arms race in no uncertain terms, a resounding protest against political agendas manipulating and exploiting scientific advancement.

The audio-visual components of Oppenheimer are unmistakably Nolan. Consistent with the director's non-linear storytelling tendencies, the feature interweaves two primary storylines occurring years apart with elegant aesthetic coding, structuring the narrative around an emotional through line rather than a strictly chronological one. Oppenheimer's demoralizing 1954 security hearing behind closed doors, depicting key events through flashbacks as he recounts his fraught education at Cambridge through the Trinity test at Los Alamos and the years that followed in which he used his influence to promote nuclear disarmament, are filmed in color. The events surrounding Lewis Strauss's humiliating 1959 Senate confirmation hearing, with flashbacks presenting his seemingly contentious professional relationship with Oppenheimer, are filmed in black and white. It's a fascinating approach to deliver the impression of a man from both internal and external perspectives, poignantly expressing both his confidence and his insecurity with nuance in the color sequences while conveying his supposed arrogance as perceived by Strauss with incomplete context in black and white. Ludwig Göransson's moody score is appropriately atmospheric, but it is incessant and occasionally more distracting than complementary.

Nolan's strength as a filmmaker are on full display showcasing the scale of the Manhattan Project. The gathering of the scientists, and their interpersonal conflicts and their collective accomplishment are the most engaging parts of the film. Conversely, Nolan's greatest weakness remains his inability to write nuanced female roles. While they serve their purpose as key figures in the protagonist's life, the roles of Jean Tatlock and Kitty Oppenheimer can be distilled down to purely temperamental forces that consistently behave like emotional disasters.

Cillian Murphy is excellent in the lead role, equally superb in portraying the confident man of science and the anxiety-stricken wretch overcome with guilt. As the vindictive Lewis Strauss, Robert Downey Jr. gives one of the very best performances of his career, absolutely convincing as a jealous and spiteful man who relishes in utilizing backhanded tactics for political gain. Making the most of her role as Kitty, Emily Blunt's considerable talent shines through despite the character being drunk and upset for the majority of the picture. The massive supporting cast features memorable performances David Krumholtz as Oppenheimer's lifelong friend physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi, Matt Damon as the amusingly straight-forward General Leslie Groves, Florence Pugh as the bewilderingly mercurial Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Oppenheimer's conflicted colleague Ernest Lawrence, Dane DeHaan as the hateful Major General Kenneth Nichols, and Alden Ehrenreich as Strauss's conscientious Senate Aide.

Oppenheimer is a monumental cinematic achievement. Despite turning up all of his signature proclivities to maximum output, Nolan's unconventional biopic is never over-indulgent. The film presents a sprawling narrative that leans heavily into the nature of regret and the folly of political division in the atomic age.

FRAGMENTS

- Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the July 21, 2023 in the United States, creating the cultural phenomenon dubbed the "Barbenheimer" in which moviegoers opted to watch both pictures as a tonally-contrasting double feature, significantly benefitting both films financially

- The fake post-credits scenes for this film circulating around the internet amuse me to no end

007 CONNECTIONS

- Rami Malek (Lyutsifer Safin in No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

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

- Matt Damon (Asgardian Actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder)

- James D'Arcy (Edwin Jarvis in Avengers: Endgame)

- Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova in Black Widow, Thunderbolts*, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

Barbie

BARBIE

2023 | Dir. Greta Gerwig | 114 Minutes

"Being a human can be pretty uncomfortable. Humans make things up like patriarchy and Barbie just to deal with how uncomfortable it is."

When Barbie suddenly experiences an existential crisis, she must leave Barbie Land and enter the real world to find the root cause of her troubling thoughts. Tagging along, Ken discovers patriarchy and returns to Barbie Land to reshape it into a world ruled by Kens. Barbie and her human allies must work together to save the other Barbies and restore Barbie Land while Barbie works out her issues.

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie is a phenomenal film that thoroughly deconstructs Mattel's flagship fashion dolls. The narrative capitalizes on the original intent of the product as totems of girlhood aspirations, but also, on a deeper level, it recontextualizes the toys as symbols of the immortal ever-evolving nature of ideas. The inadvertent introduction of patriarchal notions into Barbie Land, an unexpected byproduct of Barbie's odyssey into the real world, serves to escalate the conflict brought on by Ken's unrequited feelings for Barbie and humorously places fragile masculinity under a microscope. However, not every idea featured in the picture works. A notable misstep is the corporate subplot featuring the all-male group of Mattel executives that doesn't quite add up to very much either comedically or thematically. All in all, for what could have been a shallow feature-length toy advertisement, Barbie contains a multitude of ideas and makes a stirring statement for female empowerment.

On a technical level, Barbie is truly marvelous. The fully-realized Barbie Land sets are a sight to behold, as are the meticulously-designed costumes for the various characters that authentically replicate actual Mattel dolls and playsets. Hilariously, Gerwig takes the opportunity to deliberately call attention to infamous poorly-received and discontinued products. The various song and dance numbers are very funny and executed with gleeful panache featuring incredibly clever songwriting and brilliant choreography. 

Margot Robbie is perfectly cast in the lead role as Stereotypical Barbie (despite what narrator Helen Mirren says in an audience-rousing one-off gag), giving an exceptionally engaging performance as the doll takes on both an emotional and metaphysical journey. Playing the dimwitted Ken to Robbie's Barbie in his funniest performance to date, Ryan Gosling makes for a superb absurd antagonist fully embodying misguided heartbreak and machismo. As frustrated everywoman Mattel employee Gloria, America Ferrera is particularly excellent, earnestly delivering one of the most entertaining but also one of the most upsettingly accurate monologues ever about being a woman. Standing out from the massive supporting cast are Ariana Greenblatt as Gloria's disaffected teenage daughter Sasha, Kate McKinnon as the wise and bizarre overplayed and worn-out Weird Barbie, Simu Liu as the charismatic rival Ken to Gosling's, Michael Cera as the awkward singular Ken friend Allan, and comedy legend Rhea Perlman as the ghost of Barbie's literal maker Ruth Handler.

Greta Gerwig's Barbie is a metatextual comedy masterpiece that both challenges and celebrates the monolithic toy line. Hilarious, touching, and delightfully weird, this film is a soul-nourishing tonal smorgasbord. Featuring a completely committed star-studded cast and spectacular production design, it's a fun and colorful nearly-perfect ride through and through that's more enlightening than preachy despite being the sort of movie that wears its progressive messages on its hot pink sleeve.

FRAGMENTS

- Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the July 21, 2023 in the United States, creating the cultural phenomenon dubbed the "Barbenheimer" in which moviegoers opted to watch both pictures as a tonally-contrasting double feature, significantly benefitting both films financially

- Issa Rae also appears in 2024 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee American Fiction

- The Ken actors shared a group text, though Michael Cera, the one Allen, was not included naturally

- Ryan Gosling is a fan of Doctor Who and was elated when he learned co-star Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the Doctor while shooting Barbie

- Shooting on the neighboring soundstages, the cast and crew of Fast X would often visit and hang out on the Barbie Land set

- The use of Matchbox Twenty's "Push" as the song that the Kens would sing "at you" is straight-up ingenious

SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF

- Video: Dua Lipa "Dance The Night"

- Video: Billie Eilish "What Was I Made For?"

- Video: Ryan Gosling "I'm Just Ken"

- Video: Ryan Gosling & Mark Ronson "I'm Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie)"

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Ariana Greenblatt (Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War)

- Simu Liu (Xu Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Top Gun: Maverick

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

2022 | Dir. Joseph Kosinski | 130 Minutes

"Trust your instincts! Don't think, just do. You think up there, you're dead. Believe me."

Called upon to instruct a new generation of elite fighter pilots taking on a perilous mission, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell confronts his past when he is tasked to train the son of his deceased best friend.

A long-gap sequel to the beloved but objectively brain-dead 1986 blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick is an undeniably exceptional action film that defies all expectations. Aside from the picture's main draw of mesmerizing fighter jet sequences, this follow-up also features a disarmingly sentimental narrative that ingeniously builds upon the woefully underdeveloped storylines from the original Top Gun, utilizing the preceding film as backstory for its older, guilt-ridden protagonist, creating a more well-rounded main character and immediately giving the mission at hand some truly engaging emotional stakes. The central interpersonal conflict between Maverick and Rooster is fairly simple, but it is adequately compelling, as is the now decades-old friendship between Maverick and Iceman that greatly benefits from the nostalgia naturally brought on by the passage of time. The picture is also strengthened greatly by its roster of genuinely likeable hotshot fighter pilots, each with just the right amount of distinct personality, and the gradual development of their camaraderie is convincingly depicted. Even the cheesy beach football team bonding sequence works. However, the romantic subplot, bringing back an old flame of Maverick's mentioned only in passing before, is weak and generally inconsequential.

Inventing new IMAX camera setups in order to capture the actors in actual fighter jet cockpits, Top Gun: Maverick creates a unique authentic and immersive cinematic experience. The thrilling high-flying maneuvers and intense dogfights are expertly staged and beautifully photographed in a way unlike any other film featuring aerial combat before it. The insistence of the filmmakers to minimize the use of green screen and CGI absolutely pays off, particularly in the mind-blowing hypersonic test pilot sequence, the various playful training sessions, and during the riveting bombing mission. As if the bombing run with heavy shades of Star Wars weren't a tense enough climax, the film's immensely entertaining extended final act includes even more action when Maverick and Rooster mount a daring escape from enemy territory, hijacking a vintage F-14 to make their getaway. 

As Maverick, Tom Cruise more or less plays a variant of his public celebrity persona, a reckless man of action with more courage than sense, though he also convincingly gives Maverick a lingering remorse over the events of past. Miles Teller is impressive as the stubborn Rooster, more than keeping pace with Cruise's intensity. As Maverick's love interest Penny, Jennifer Connelly is captivating and as charming as ever despite the character not having enough material to truly leave a lasting impression. Glen Powell stands out as Rooster's cocky rival Hangman, convincingly equally charismatic and detestable. The supporting cast also features Jon Hamm as a no-nonsense vice admiral that provides additional conflict to the story; Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Jay Ellis, and Danny Ramirez as the lead mission candidates; Ed Harris appearing briefly as a stern rear admiral; and Val Kilmer making a truly moving special appearance reprising the role of Iceman.

Top Gun: Maverick is superior to its predecessor in almost every way imaginable, perhaps even retroactively making the empty-headed original picture slightly better. With phenomenal aerial action sequences and a surprisingly heartfelt story at the center of its narrative, it is a technically and emotionally satisfying cinematic treat. Though it is far from the deepest film thematically, Tom Cruise's return to the role that firmly established his movie star status is a quality crowd-pleaser.

FRAGMENTS

- Since Val Kilmer unfortunately can no longer speak due to throat cancer, Iceman's voice is produced using AI technology mimicking Kilmer's voice

- Previous Top Gun love interest Charlie played by Kelly McGillis is conspicuously absent, intriguingly though, new love interest Penny is briefly referenced in seemingly throwaway dialogue in the original film

- One of the few things this film doesn't do better than the original, the theme song "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga is a decent tune but it doesn't hold a candle to Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" from the original Top Gun


MCU CONNECTIONS

- Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres in Captain America: Brave New World)

- Lewis Pullman (Robert Reynolds in Thunderbolts*)

All Quiet on the Western Front

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
2022 | Dir. Edward Berger | 147 Minutes

"All of this is like a fever. No one actually wants it, but suddenly it's here. We didn't want it, the others didn't want it. And yet, here we are. And yet, half the world is here. And God watches on as we slaughter each other."

During the First World War, teenager Paul Bäumer and his classmates cheerfully join the Imperial German Army but their dreams of heroism are quickly broken by the harsh realities of warfare in the brutal trenches of Northern France. As Paul watches his comrades fall in battle one by one and experiences other atrocities, his hope and humanity irreparably deteriorate. Meanwhile, German and French officials spend days negotiating a ceasefire long overdue.

An adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's 1928 novel of the same name, Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates in gut-wrenching detail the myriad of horrors soldiers faced during the First World War. Though the story has been brought to the screen on several previous occasions, most notably Lewis Milestone's 1930 Academy Award winning picture, Berger's take is a worthy reworking of the source material, depicting the intense, merciless nature of war in the age of industrial warfare without pulling any punches. Most provocatively, the film also sharply juxtaposes the carnage on the battlefield against scenes of passionless methodical negotiation between diplomats to end the bloodshed. It is an intense examination of how misguided nationalistic pride and false promises for superficial glory can lure young men into fighting battles they don't fully understand for their cold and uncaring leaders.

The feature's production design and cinematography work hand-in-hand to create a nightmarish aesthetic that is drained of color and convincingly filthy. The terrifyingly visceral combat sequences would not seem out of place in a horror movie, re-enacting the many, many awful ways to die in trench warfare. The battle on the French front line complete with tanks and flamethrowers is particularly gnarly. Volker Bertelmann's musical score is spare but striking, most notable during the transitions between the scenes featuring the soldiers and the scenes featuring the diplomats.

Felix Kammerer capably carries the bulk of the film as Paul, embodying the idealistic young man turned hardened soldier. As Paul's loyal comrade-in-arms Kat, Albrecht Schuch is fantastic, equal parts charismatic and tragic. In the role of German official Matthias Erzberger, the sole voice of reason, Daniel Brühl delivers a controlled and sympathetic performance.

The 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front is an appropriately bleak vision of futile and senseless warfare. Disturbingly, graphically violent and emotionally distressing with purpose, this anti-war picture is not for the weak of stomach or the faint of heart. Though the story takes place over a century ago, its powerful central message will remain relevant as long as young soldiers continue to needlessly go to war on the whims of vain and spiteful military commanders and heads of state.

FRAGMENTS
- It's frankly very surprising that this is the first German-language screen adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, nearly a century after the publication of the novel

- Though the subplot featuring the negotiations for armistice is newly written for this film, the way it is depicted with a distressing lack of urgency certainly strengthens the anti-war themes of the story


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Daniel Brühl (Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War)

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

- Benedict Cumberbatch (Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

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)

- 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)

- 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, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

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

Nomadland

NOMADLAND

2021 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 108 Minutes

"My dad used to say: 'What's remembered lives.' I maybe spent too much of my life just remembering."

After the passing of her husband and the economic collapse of her town, Fern chooses to live out of a van, perpetually on the move working odd jobs to support herself. She joins an often neglected segment of the American population, left behind by the world but finding contentment in a life of constant wandering.

Inspired by journalist Jessica Bruder's non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, director Chloé Zhao's Nomadland straddles the line between narrative feature and documentary. The film's barebones plot serves as a springboard for episodic slices of life featuring real elderly transient laborers playing fictionalized versions of themselves recalling the often tragic circumstances that brought them to life on the road. The picture passes on these stories in an intimate and frank manner that's often profoundly beautiful, exploring the freedom that's found on the other side of grief.

As Fern moves from one seasonal job to the next working for a wide range of employers such as an Amazon fulfillment center, Badlands National Park, and a beet processing plant, the audience is invited to vicariously live through all of the simple joys and unflattering hardships of the nomadic way of life. Following her travels for one full year, it becomes easy to understand why a woman like Fern would choose this from of existence over one that follows standard societal conventions. There is no way to return to her old life and she wouldn't have the freedom she's grown to cherish living any other way.

Nomadland presents sights that range from absolutely breathtaking to strikingly tragic. Cinematographer Joshua James Richards does a phenomenal job of lovingly capturing the abundant beauty of the wilderness, the mundanity of blue-collar labor, the warmth of a communal campsite, as well as the empty desolation of the abandoned town featured in the final act of the picture. The varying landscapes and locations serve to effectively telegraph Fern's state of mind throughout the picture.

The character of Fern isn't too far removed from the headstrong no-nonsense roles in the Frances McDormand's filmography but the acclaimed actress reliably brings a sympathetic and heartbroken quality to her performance that's deeply moving. Real-life nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells are completely natural in their interactions with McDormand's Fern, exuding genuine human dignity as they relate their respective stories. David Strathairn delivers a delightful supporting performance as a soft-spoken nomad who sheepishly shows his affection for Fern.

Nomadland is a sobering, meditative, candidly unglamorous examination of transient life in the post-recession American West. The film sincerely and artfully conveys the connection between devastating loss and the specific brand of freedom afforded to those unwilling or, more commonly, tragically unable to return to a settled lifestyle.

FRAGMENTS

- Linda May is the protagonist of  the book by Jessica Bruder that inspired this film

- Nomadland was filmed over four months in seven different states, with cast and crew living out of vans during the entire production

- Writer/director Chloé Zhao split time between the set of Nomadland and working pre-production for Eternals

- Blending remarkably well into the nomadic lifestyle, most of Frances McDormand's co-stars in this film did not know she was an actress

Little Women

LITTLE WOMEN

2019 | Dir. Greta Gerwig | 135 Minutes

"Life is too short to be angry at one's sisters."

In mid-nineteenth Massachusetts, the March sisters learn to love and grow together and on their own as the years bring unique opportunities and challenges to each of them.

Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's literary classic is a beautifully crafted work of art. The film is an aesthetic treat, featuring beautiful production design, gorgeous costumes, and appealing sets shot on location in Massachusetts. Utilizing a non-linear story structure, the film accentuates the story's emotional beats in an engaging and remarkably creative way while subtly accentuating the novel's timeliness themes. It's an extraordinarily pleasant picture and yet it's never dull thanks to Gerwig's talent for presenting characters with genuine quirks, powerful motivations, and engaging interpersonal dynamics. Despite each harboring different artistic passions, the March sisters lead vastly different lives, and the film authentically and organically presents their respective struggles as they either shrink from, conform to, or rebel against the expectations of society.

Struggling writer Jo and aspiring painter Amy share the spotlight equally, fully illustrating the varying challenges faced by the two sisters. Clever Jo, with her unyielding determination and her vocal frustration with the limitations society imposes upon women, is a natural protagonist to follow. Her platonic friendship with Laurie and her reluctance to accept Friedrich Bhaer as a romantic prospect is presented ambiguously enough in this adaptation for contemporary audiences to plausibly view Jo as a strong queer character. More impressively, the picture does a brilliant job of making Amy a completely sympathetic character, exploring the motivations behind her occasional petulance, emphasizing the difficulty of being the youngest child. The picture also depicts Meg's courtship and marriage to John Brooke with a light touch, illustrating her low-key frustration with poverty as she learns to value love over luxury. However, perhaps fittingly, poor Beth's tragic story is relatively brief in this adaptation.

The ensemble cast of Little Women is wonderful through and through. The perfect chemistry shared among the principal cast truly warms the heart. Saoirse Ronan was born to play the headstrong wildly intelligent Jo while Florence Pugh brings a wealth of depth to the sensitive Amy. Ronan and Pugh's respective passionate performances really make this adaptation special, particularly Pugh's Amy. Emma Watson is a natural fit for eldest sister Meg, displaying a tangible weary maturity in comparison to her co-stars. Though her role is brief, Eliza Scanlen is simply heartbreaking as shy pianist Beth. Timothée Chalamet is brilliant as always in the role of the lovelorn Laurie, Laura Dern is enchanting as the even-tempered Marmee, Meryl Streep is absolutely entertaining as cynical Aunt March, Chris Cooper is charming as the kindly Mr. Laurence, Louis Garrel is a convincing heartthrob as Friedrich Bhaer, and Tracy Letts is appropriately insufferable as the shrewd editor Mr. Dashwood.

Greta Gerwig's Little Women is a lovely, soulful, and genuinely heartwarming picture, delivering the novel's timeless themes of family, romance, and pursuing one's dreams with earnestness, humor, and grace. While it's debatable whether or not this latest adaptation is the definitive film version of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel, it's indisputably a bonafide cinematic masterpiece.

FRAGMENTS

- Laura Dern also appears in 2020 Best Picture Nominee Marriage Story

- Tracey Letts also appears in 2020 Best Picture Nominee Ford v Ferrari

- It was a genuine wonderful surprise for me to see Bob Odenkirk as Father March

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova in Black Widow, Thunderbolts*, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)