2017 – Page 62 – Podcasting Them Softly

Seven-Sentence Reviews, by Joel Copling: THE BAD LIEUTENANT – PORT OF CALL: NEW ORLEANS (2009)

February 11, 2017 by Joel Copling, posted in Film Review

Werner Herzog’s The Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call: New Orleans hits like a bat out of hell. This is the physical ideation of complete madness, weaving a tale that surprises and delights even in the particulars. Nicolas Cage, in one of his great performances, stars as Terrence McDonagh, a coke-addicted police sergeant in New Orleans who injures his back after a pitiful play of weaselly chivalry toward an inmate in his prison. Soon, though, he’s on the case of a murdered family of African immigrants who seem to have met the wrong end of a drug deal gone horribly awry. There is only one witness, and the film observes, seemingly out of the tunnel of a drug haze, McDonagh’s morally and psychologically bankrupt method of solving the case. The supporting cast is deep, from Val Kilmer as McDonagh’s brutal partner, Xzibit as their chief person of interest, Eva Mendes as a hooker with a heart of gold, Brad Dourif as a bookie owed his due, and Michael Shannon in a small role as McDonagh’s aide in acquiring items of a particular kind of illegality. William M. Finklestein’s screenplay exists at a strange four-way intersection of comedy, tragedy, absurdity, and inconsequentiality, and all of its lurid excess is disarming.

badlieutenant

SPLIT (2016) – A REVIEW BY RYAN MARSHALL

February 11, 2017 by population40, posted in Film Review

The cinema of M. Night Shyamalan has always been marked through thick and thin by the embrace of warmth where exploitation and cynicism would simply be an easier alternative. With one foot planted firmly in reality and the other in the prospect of paranormal phenomena (and even more specifically, its application in our daily lives), the Philadelphia native’s latest endeavor is simultaneously a sign of purest artistic reinvigoration and a most welcome return to form; magnificently erratic form at that, and most remarkable of all is how the man who was once dubbed “The Next Spielberg” balances his own conflicting muses amidst the deliberate chaos.

James McAvoy is absolutely intoxicating as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder who kidnaps a trio of teenage girls – Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) – after a particularly awkward birthday party and keeps them confined to a single locked cell underground for some undisclosed higher purpose, revealing more and more about his intentions through his various alter egos – including but not limited to a nine year old boy, an obsessive compulsive psychopath, and a woman with protective instincts not unlike a mother – which are constantly competing against one-another for dominance.

Due in no small part to the exquisite precision of “It Follows” cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, the walls, floors, closed and opened doors of Kevin’s seedy lair never breathe easy; in fact, they retain an intensely suffocating, sleazy ambience throughout that fits Shyamalan’s intentionally alienated (and perhaps alienating) direction like a glove. The director has always displayed a knack for manipulating the frame in unorthodox ways, and it serves him well for the purpose of immersive claustrophobia. Even the open air of the outside world feels tainted by palpable pulsating paranoia, as if escapism is utterly inexcusable in this disturbed domain.

A few of the more gleefully over-the-top indulgences in the film’s delightfully demented third act might prove to be slightly problematic, especially in regards to how seriously the connection between mental illness and childhood abuse is treated on a whole, but it makes for an unusually compelling spectacle. Only the final moments, which clumsily attempt to meld the preceding events with the enduring legacy of an earlier Shyamalan joint similarly about harnessing supernatural abilities, feel out of place in an otherwise exceptional example of exercising restraint and boundless, off-kilter ingenuity in equal measures.

As much as he goes for the jugular when he wants to get weird, it’s Shyamalan’s intuitive empathy that makes his best work utterly unforgettable. “Split” doesn’t claim to have all the answers to some of its bigger problems, and one suspects at times that its tongue may be planted firmly in its cheek, but it nevertheless stands as a satisfying exploration of inhuman actions and their potentially horrific repercussions; a mostly successful attempt to envision “monsters” inherent in our society as something more than that. It’s true that we’ve been here before, and so has M. Night, but what can you say? He’s damn good at what he does and it’s rather exhilarating to see him get in touch with the same unique gifts – as a storyteller, a preserver of perversion and perception alike – that he exhibited at a more tender age and elaborate on them in such a thoroughly satisfying way.

Joss Whedon’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

February 11, 2017February 10, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

avengers-age-of-ultron-james-spader1

This is going to sound absurd, coming from me and all, but AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON might just be my favorite Marvel movie. Sure, it is riddled with things I do not like about the cookie cutter template Marvel has perfected, along with a lot of the trite shtick from the mainstay characters, but there are aspects of this film that completely overrule my hangups with Marvel Studios.

What makes this film work so well is that this time they brought in a villain who you believe actually CAN destroy the Avengers. For as charming and cute Tom Hiddleston is, I found Loki to be incredibly inferior in the first film. But Ultron is great. From the design of the character to the motivation, and especially with the voice casting of James Spader. Ultron works incredibly well.

I love The Vision too. He’s such a great character and looks incredibly cinematic. Bravo for Paul Bettany, all those years of voicing Tony Stark’s computer finally paid off. Old boy finally gets some screen time!

The other aspect of the film that I absolutely love are the inclusions of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, who are two of the most interesting characters brought into the entire MCU. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olson are terrific together, and their characters are so well written, their additions into the story comes off as organic as possible.

As a friend pointed out recently, a huge hangup in this film is the fact Quicksilver gets shot. I mean…really…?

While the film still stays comfortably within its own safe zone, Robert Downey, Jr’s same song and dance, the joke every three and a half minutes, I truly feel that Joss Whedon took some bold and legitimate chances with this film, just not enough to keep me vested and wanting more from Marvel. But hey, that’s just me. Regardless of how I personally feel about the MCU, it is clear they know exactly what they are doing and really don’t need to change a thing of their well-oiled machine.

32nd Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

February 10, 2017February 10, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Festivals, Film Review, Interviews, Podcast, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

4161418625791602350-account_id1 We’re very excited to publish our 32nd Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival podcast. This year, Frank was able to get red carpet interviews with Executive Director of the festival, Roger Durling, film historian Leonard Maltin, Naomie Harris of MOONLIGHT, Stephen McKinnley Henderson of FENCES, David Crosby who wrote and performed an original song for LITTLE PINK HOUSE, filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson who premiered his film, JOHN G. ALVIDSEN: KING OF THE UNDERDOGS at SBIFF, Aaron Taylor-Johnson of NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, and filmmaker Damien Chazelle who wrote and directed LA LA LAND. On the latter half of the podcast, Frank is joined with Devin Godzicki who took photographs and attended panels with Frank at this year’s SBIFF. They discuss a film they saw, SEPTEMBER 12th, and end the conversation with a brief chat about LA LA LAND.

Kenneth Lonergan’s MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

February 10, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

It is not easy to quantify Kenneth Lonergan’s MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. At times, it is a very taut drama with an engrossing story, yet the narrative unravels a bit, and finds itself spiralling into subplots that tend to take away from the emotional core and impact of the story.
There is a lot to like, more than a lot to like; there are things to absolutely love about the film. The performances are paramount. Casey Affleck has never been better in the token stifled and stoic man who has internalized all of his pain that we surely have seen on screen before. Lucas Hedges plays Affleck’s nephew, and surprisingly received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor (Ralph Fiennes from A BIGGER SPLASH, anyone?). Michelle Williams is wonderful as Affleck’s ex-wife, and Tate Donovan and Matthew Broderick show up in small roles. If there’s an unsung performance in the film, it lies within Kyle Chandler, who plays the deceased brother who shows up plentiful in Affleck’s flashbacks.
Kenneth Lonergan is not a filmmaker for everyone, his films are dark and keep a flame of intrigue lit, yet at times he will purposely detach us from the emotional story, and take us to a small arc that really doesn’t go anywhere. Specifically in this film, there is a small scene where Affleck’s nephew (who he is the sole guardian of) visits his mother played by Gretchen Mol, and her fiance played by Broderick. While the scene is a believable progression of the story, it is scenes like this that remove us from the core of the film.
The film’s narrative is akin to a relay race, with each act of the film, supplementing a baton pass. At times, there is a slight fumble, but the rest of the race runs smoothly, and as expected from a filmmaker like Lonergan. The best elements of the film lie within Affleck and his story, the final confrontation between Affleck and Williams is heartbreakingly wonderful. It is not only the best moment in the film, but it is one of the best moments of this year in cinema. This isn’t a bad film, by any means, but had the filmed stayed laser focused on Affleck and his tragedy, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA would be more than deserving of the hype and praise it entered the awards season with.

JAMES PONSOLDT’S OFF THE BLACK — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

February 8, 2017 by nlclement, posted in Film Review

James Ponsoldt’s debut film, Off the Black, came and went in 2006, and while not amazing, it’s certainly a solid effort with an unsurprisingly excellent Nick Nolte holding the entire piece together. Nolte plays an alcohol guzzling, gravelly-voiced, down and out auto junkyard operator named Ray who spends his spring and summer nights umpiring the local high school baseball games. When he makes a questionable call during a key game, the frustrated pitcher named Dave (affectingly played by Trevor Morgan) and his buddies vandalize Nolte’s house later that night. After catching Dave, Ray tells him that he’ll have to hang out with him a bit and clean his yard, and also attend his 60th high school reunion and pose as his son, so that he’s not embarrassed by the relatively unremarkable life that he’s led. There’s more, of course, but I don’t want to spoil all of the low-key bits and pieces that make this oddly compelling movie work.

There’s some unfinished plot business and some murky character beats, and maybe those were intentional decisions by Ponsoldt, who also wrote the screenplay; there’s a sense of awkwardness that permeates many scenes during Off the Black which might point to life’s many unpredictable qualities in general. But whatever its shortcomings might be, this is a small and unassuming picture, and one that clearly demonstrated a strong filmmaker working to find his voice. Ponsoldt’s striking follow ups, which include Smashed, The Spectacular Now, and The End of the Tour, are a serious trifecta of extreme-quality filmmaking, and his newest effort, the trippy-looking The Circle, with Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, and John Boyega, looks very different for this more reserved filmmaker.

Matt Ross’ CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

hero_captain-fantastic-2016

This is a wonderful film. I don’t know how Matt Ross got this film made, even anchoring it with an actor like Viggo Mortensen, it had to be difficult. Mortensen is the patriarch of a gaggle of children who he and his late wife raised in the wilderness of Washington. They all know how to hunt, make a tourniquet, and speak a plethora of languages from Japanese to German. His wife, who suffered from a mental illness killed herself and in turn, Mortensen packs all his children up into his Ken Kesey-esque bus and they travel to Nevada to stop her from being buried so they can cremate her and flush her ashes down the toilet like she wanted.

The film asks and answers an elusive question. How much reality would one sacrifice to raise his children in such a noble yet unrealistic manner? What he and his wife set out to do is remarkable – raise children away from the dangers and structure of society, is very admirable, but all the virtues of their upbringing yield an unrealistic member of society.

Viggo Mortensen certainly does deserve his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor this year. He is terrific. This might even be his finest performance, but that’s such a tough call to make considering his wonderful canon of brilliant performances. Most of his character is told through his body language, which for Mortensen seems natural and organic, not as if an actor is acting.

The film, also written by Matt Ross, is so unique it is refreshing. We don’t really see too many films like this anymore; an adult drama with humor and heart that roots an emotional connection through its taut narrative very early on in the picture. Frank Langella shows up in the third act; watching Mortensen and Langella matched up is why a lot of us love movies. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC isn’t a perfect film, but its originality truly is awesome.

Damien Chazelle’s LA LA LAND

February 6, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

Damien Chazelle is the next Bob Fosse. His latest film, LA LA LAND, is cinematic perfection, and he and his film are on pace to win the Oscar for director and picture, among many others. Chazelle has already won the Golden Globe, and just won the Director’s Guild of America’s achievement for the best direction this year.

ending1

The film is not only a throwback to the musicals of the golden age of Hollywood, but also Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO, and of course the French New Wave. The film is warm, tender, funny, romantic, and bittersweet. Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone give two beautiful showboats of a symbiotic performance. They constantly make each other better, scene by scene, and their chemistry is so undeniable that they rank up among some of the greatest screen partners of all time: Nicholson/Dern, Belushi/Aykroyd, Tracy/Hepburn, and De Niro/Keitel.

Chazelle absolutely knows what he’s doing. Every single frame had been mapped out prior to filming, neither Gosling nor Stone’s singing is pushed past what they can do, in turn making the musical numbers revolving around their singing absolutely natural and organic. The aesthetic is vivid and astonishing, Chazelle makes brilliant use of color, accentuating the frame with costumes, sets, and hair and makeup. He executes any and every aspect of the film in such a flawless way, showcasing his eye for absolute detail.

la-la-land-watching-04-videosixteenbyninejumbo1600

Inside of the film lays an incredible love story, not only between Gosling and Stone, but for music, passion, and the arts. The film features the best special effect all year, (yes – better than the CGI recreation of Peter Cushing in ROGUE ONE) where Gosling and Stone dance amongst the stars. For as much of a token of nostalgia the film can bring, it is also steeped richly within its own originality particularly with original music composed by Chazelle’s musical partner, Justin Hurwitz.

LA LA LAND is magical. It represents the best that Hollywood has to offer. There is nothing subversive, nothing is cloaked in the shadows of the film. Mark Wahlberg isn’t unrealistically saving the day for the hundredth time in as many days, there’s no political statement to be made – this is a film made by a lover of cinema for lovers of cinema.

ending2

Best Actor 2017

February 3, 2017October 26, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Festivals, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Denzel Washington is the modern day Cary Grant. He carries himself with grace and dignity. He is charming, affable, and is one of the few cinematic icons that is worthy of that title.

Denzel was honored at the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival, receiving the Maltin Modern Master Award with a two-hour question and answer with Leonard Maltin. It was incredibly joyous to listen to Denzel speak about everything from SAINT ELSEWHERE to FENCES.

He was very candid, yet gracious when he spoke about himself and his early career. He frequently lauded the late Bruce Paltrow, producer of SAINT ELSEWHERE, who released him early from his television contract so he could star in A SOLDIER’S STORY and CRY FREEDOM. He spoke in a very fond and sentimental way about Paltrow, attributing to his generosity that allowed Denzel to become the star he is today.

Denzel spent a lot of time talking about his childhood and how he accidentally found his calling as an actor. He spoke about how he was continuously told he was a natural on stage and how that led to his ego being inflated. He learned early on that his natural talent as an actor could only get him so far, so he constantly studied and practiced his craft.

He spoke about his relationship with Spike Lee and how no one in Hollywood had employed and birthed more black actors and crew in Hollywood at the time. Denzel’s son now works for Lee as an assistant, and Denzel’s son told his father that Spike truly has earned his name. He credits Lee with forcing him to become the actor he is today, that no one had pushed him and challenged him as much as Spike did.

Denzel just won best actor at the Screen Actors Guild, and he is poised as the front-runner heading into the Academy Awards at the end of the month. Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Roger Durling, called Denzel’s turn in the film the pinnacle of his career. Durling is correct, Denzel is a marvel in the film, and he knows when to yield the screen to other performers in the film. His subtlety in the film allowed Viola Davis to outshine Denzel, in his most Denzel performance.
Denzel is one of the few actors left in Hollywood that not only draws the masses to the theatre, but he also is the epitome of a role model. To say that Denzel is one of the greatest actors ever does not do him justice. He is more than an actor, he’s more than a director; Denzel Washington is an iconic titan.

STAR WARS POWERCAST EPISODE VI: Let’s Discuss Carrie Fisher and CGI Recreation

February 3, 2017February 3, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Podcast, Star Wars

Join Frank and Tim as they bring you yet another amazing STAR WARS POWERCAST. This time, we discuss the passing of Carrie Fisher and how Lucasfilm/Disney should handle the role of Princess Leia in Episode 9. We also discuss what we think is going to happen, the newly announced title for Episode 8 THE LAST JEDI, and whether or not Disney should CGI reconstruct Carrie Fisher for Epsidoe 9.