Category: Film Review

2016.  Directed by David Yates.

David Yates returns to the Harry Potter universe with a delightful prequel that focuses on the adult wizarding world of America.  Featuring gorgeous visuals, unforgettable costuming, and a terrific ensemble performance, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them provides an enchanting atmosphere, populated with mythical creatures, devious villains, and some surprisingly dark subject matter that abandons it’s intriguing set up in favor of a cataclysmic superhero finale.

Newt Scamander is a protector of magical beasts who arrives in New York City with a mysterious agenda.  Some of his collection escapes from his bewitched suit case and begin to wreak havoc on the city, increasing tensions among the magical community who are desperate to remain unknown to ordinary humans.  A wizard detective named Graves is investigating a series of supernatural disturbances that he believes are being perpetrated by one of the escaped creatures.  Newt, along with a human bystander named Jacob set about recapturing the animals before they’re harmed by the paranoia of the American wizards.  Their quest takes them through the heart of an esoteric metropolis where they’re joined by new comrades and challenged by unspeakable darkness.

Eddie Redmayne does an outstanding job as Newt, portraying him as the consummate outsider.  It’s a refreshing take on the awkward loner, with Redmayne communicating pain and wonder in equal amounts, without ever turning nasty.  He’s a mischievous and misunderstood explorer whose pursuits have left him isolated, but not cold.  Katherine Waterston does an admirable job as one of his sidekicks, but many of her scenes are so rushed that its difficult to identify with her until the film gets through it’s clunky first act.  However, once it does, this film shines, with Phillipe Rousselot’s spellbinding cinematography coming alive.  There are some outstanding compositions, especially during the sequences inside the magical headquarters, with a daring escape scene stealing the thunder.

Dan Fogler has the comic relief portion, starring as the human who is unwittingly drawn into the wizards’s reality.  One of the best parts of his role is how his character is a summation of everything great about the golden age of America and it never feels forced.  Alison Sudol stars as a telepathic love interest who outshines her classic good looks with empathy and wit.  These are desperate times, despite them not involving He Who Will Not Be Named, and the film does a great job at making things count by focusing on the social issues of a city tearing itself apart.  Colin Farrell’s Graves is under cooked, due to the nonsensical script.  When it’s brilliant, it’s brilliant, but the moments in between are confusing and often hard to follow due to the sound editing.  Despite this, once it becomes apparent that the focus is on adult wizards who are proficient in their trade, many of the conveniences of the narrative are forgivable.

Coleen Atwood’s costume design is one of the strongest elements, easily transporting the viewer to an alternate 1920’s.  Every character’s ensemble is top notch and perfectly at home in the chaos.  David Allday’s art direction bolsters the roaring 20’s veneer by sprinkling mystifying artifacts throughout, with a sequence inside an arcane speakeasy being the centerpiece.  Music icon James Newton Howard’s score is the final touch, using the familiar notes of the franchise to create a foundation for an entirely new vision that mimics the child like awe of Newt’s perspective.

There are stumbles in the set up, but once it calms down, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them becomes one of the best films in the series.  If there is a flaw it’s in the climax, which forgoes the academic problem solving of the central act for a CGI bonanza, complete with city destruction and dazzling light effects.   The subplot that leads to the final showdown is shallow and tacked on, but this is easily forgotten thanks to the amazing work of the central quartet, whose actions would gain them an instant invitation to Dumbledore’s Army.

In theaters now, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a worthy entry into one of the most popular film franchises of all time.  Featuring a touching lead performance, crisp visuals, and a softball ending, this is a film that reminds the viewer, what it’s all about: Telling an engrossing story that allows the audience to have a memorable and enjoyable time in a world that appears different from their own, but also a place with hope, goodwill, and heroes to root for.

Recommend.

2016.  Directed by Ang Lee.

One of the most talented directors working today, Ang Lee’s latest is a war story that focuses on the soldier’s personal plight and the impossibilities of returning to a country that cannot fully comprehend their experiences.  Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is an awkward epic, using slick visuals and first person points of view to keep everything within Lynn’s conflicted mind.  A largely wooden cast and shallow script are overcome by the sheer scope of the picture, delivering an emotionally resonate film that forgoes preaching in favor of intimacy.

Billy Lynn is an Army Specialist who received the Silver Star for an act of bravery in Iraq.  As a result, his squad, the Bravos, become national heroes and are sent on a US tour to bolster support for the armed forces.  The tour ends on Thanksgiving, with the Bravos being the guest of honor at a professional football game in Dallas, including their participation in the half time show.  What follows is Lynn’s recollection of the war interwoven with his current dilemma on whether to return to the fight or abandon his unit in order to heal his traumatized soul.

This is the first film to be shot at 120 FPS in 3D at 4k resolution.  Lee’s choice to unleash the technical fuselage on a dramatic film is controversial, with only a handful of theaters in the country able to show it in all of it’s splendor.  The result on a conventional screen is nothing short of breathtaking.   John Toll’s formidable camera work has a surreal quality, bolstered by the electronic wizardry.  Even the most innocuous items are so saturated with color that it’s difficult to focus on any one thing for too long.  There’s some wonderful reverse shots and close ups that are framed as if the viewer is Lynn, giving the proceedings a video game feel that takes some time to get used to and Lee never seems to settle down.  The combat scenes are the centerpiece, with Drew Kunin’s sound mixing adding depth to the visceral carnage. Every gunshot and explosion cascades off of the screen, putting the viewer into a figurative harm’s way.

Jean-Christophe Castelli’s script is double edged.  On one hand, the characters, for the most part, have a cardboard quality that is compounded by the optical kinetics.  None of the soldiers appear real, and yet that is part of the design.  The heart of the story is how veterans return as ghosts, faded images of the people they were before the bloodshed, haunting the national focus during war time and then receding to the fringe of social awareness until another news cycle summons them once again from the darkness.  Newcomer Joe Alwynn is the best surprise.  Lynn is a role that doesn’t require a lot of vocal effort.  Everything hinges on body language and Alwynn’s pathos is both heartbreaking and familiar.  Kristen Stewart continues to show her prowess with her portrayal of Lynn’s defiant sister.  What could have easily been a cliche’d social justice caricature is transformed into a believable rebel, who no matter what remains loyal to her sibling.

Garett Hedlund does solid work as Lynn’s superior.  One of the more disturbing aspects of this film is how it depicts post traumatic stress disorder.  Hedlund, more so than any other character, embodies the danger that hides in the wounded hearts of those who have experienced the nonstop life or death situations of war.  The amazing Steve Martin has a villainous role as a sports tycoon looking to buy the film,rights to the team’s ordeal for a paltry amount, simulating the sensationalism of war by the corporate elite.

In theaters now, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a unique film that doesn’t quite hit the mark.  It’s refreshing focus on the personal tribulations of American soldiers is endearing for its lack of politics, but is also unable to overcome to obtuse script and odd pacing.  Despite these flaws, it is a technical wonder and a genuinely human film that treads through familiar territory with a complacent sense of self.  It doesn’t offer anything new, but what it does provide is a lush viewing experience that focuses on a level of brotherhood few non combatants will ever truly understand.

Recommend.

1971.  Directed by Don Siegel.

Iconic.  Controversial.  Misunderstood.

Don Siegel’s legendary cop saga, Dirty Harry, is an abrasive and uncompromising bare knuckle brawl.  Built atop a turgid city in distress and featuring one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable performances, Dirty Harry strips away peaceful reflection, opting to depict a world in violence is not only appropriate, but welcomed.  An unapologetic imagining of one man’s obsessive hunt for a serial killer and one of the most revered films of the 70’s, Dirty Harry is a perfect marriage of blue collar grit and heart stopping action.

A serial killer known as Scorpio is terrorizing the streets of San Francisco.  Inept bureaucrats and bumbling police administrators are baffled and turn to Inspector Harry Callahan, an infamous detective, to bring the assailant to justice.  Paired with a Latino detective, Callahan pursues Scorpio across a variety of locales and tension wound scenarios, in which both the hunter and the prey switch roles numerous times.  As the violence escalates, Callahan’s disdain for the system forces him to abandon conventional means in order to stop the killer, leading him to forsake the badge and embrace the trappings of his dubious nickname.

Clint Eastwood’s performance has been unfairly categorized as a macho cop vehicle.  One of the best things about Eastwood in this film is how his Harry always seems inconvenienced.  He begins as a believer, who is always being interrupted by the nonstop corruption and villainy of the city he’s sworn to protect.  He stops a bank heist while absently chewing on his lunch.  During a ransom delivery scavenger hunt, Harry meets a myriad of miscreants, each of which he approaches with a tired sense of concern, desperately wanting to be left alone to pursue true evil, and yet unable to stop himself from policing.  Yes, he has catchy lines and always exudes an aura of coolness, but it’s the vulnerable outsider that brings everything home.

John Milius worked on the Zodiac Killer inspired script, which portrays San Francisco as a false haven.  On the surface, the city is populated by the beautiful and hard working masses, living in relative harmony while the rest of the nation fractured over Vietnam.  Underneath the veneer, the police perpetuate bigotry and the system ultimately fails those it seeks to protect.  Callahan’s colleagues shame his tactics and yet continue to call on him when the situation demands a forceful response, enriching the theme of necessary transgression when confronted with darkness outside human understanding.

Lalo Schifrin’s unique score combines jazz, creepy voice overs, classic rifts, and free love rock into a eclectic knife that cleaves through the smog, with memorable melodies that are still used in television and other mediums today.  Glenn Wright’s costume design is often overlooked, giving Harry a modern hounds tooth blazer, a symbol of his devotion to justice.  Bruce Surtees’s brash cinematography features some amazing shots of the nightlife, using aerial photography and stark contrasts to set the dark city apart from it’s sunshine counterpart.  There is a wide shot of Eastwood on elevated train tracks that is sublime, and the following sequence, in which Harry jumps onto a moving bus was performed by Eastwood himself.

Everything about Dirty Harry is a perfect convergence.  Siegel’s patented directorial genius shines in every scene, using a wealth of technical expertise and a phenomenal central performance to create a singular cinematic endeavor.  Available now for digital rental, Dirty Harry is an overwhelmingly American film, revered for it’s tough guy mystique and misjudged for its unrepentant brutality.  Underneath the blood and bullets lies one of the more thoughtful cop films of the 70’s,right down to its heartbreaking finale.  A slimmed down neo noir in an uncomfortably tight package, Dirty Harry is an essential piece of American crime cinema.

Highly Recommend.