THE GREEN KNIGHT IS COMING FOR THE OSCARS

 The Green Knight is part of Arthurian legend. It doesn't follow King Arthur (Sean Harris), but instead Arthur's nephew, Gawain (Dev Patel);  a brash, headstrong, and foolish young man who dreams of achieving knighthood. On Christmas Day, an imposing Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) strides into Arthur's court and challenges anyone to land a strike on him, should they succeed then in a year's time it will be their turn to visit the Green Knight so he can return the blow in kind. 

Gawain, in his foolishness and pride, lops off the Green Knight's head. Undeterred, the Green Knight picks up his head and rides off, cackling as he leaves. That next Christmas, Gawain reluctantly sets out to complete his part of the bargain. Along the way, he will have great adventures and learn many things.

The Green Knight is the latest from writer/director David Lowery (Pete's Dragon, A Ghost Story, The Old Man and The Gun, Ain't Them Bodies Saints). It's with The Green Knight that he finally earns the status of visionary. This film is set in another world, a long time ago. It's a world of giants, beasts, knights, ladies, and sorcery. A world where honor and chivalry are the guiding forces of the day. The cinematography by Andrew Droz Palerma (A Teacher, The Long Dumb Road, You're Next, VHS: Tape 56, A Ghost Story) is simply sublime, perfectly capturing this fantasy world and effectively immersing audiences within it. There are large, wide open spaces and vast vistas throughout as well as forests, fields, caverns, and more.  It's hard not to feel completely transported as you watch.

I would be completely remiss if I failed to mention the other-worldly and transcendent score by Daniel Hart (Ain't Them Bodies Saints, A Ghost Story, Pete's Dragon). The score mostly consists of chants, whispers, and humming. It's often over-powering and always haunting. It really helps to transport you to this other world. 

Another reason The Green Knight works so well (besides the deft directing, strong script, and stunning cinematography) is the cast chosen for the film. Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain and is fantastic, completely embodying the role. He is believable, empathetic, and all-too-human  as a young man whose brashness and dreams of knighthood  might just lead to his ruin...or lift him up to greater heights. It's thrilling to watch him go to face his potential death. With this role, Dev Patel firmly establishes himself as a true star. 

Alicia Vikander plays the dual roles of Essel/The Lady, and is great (as always). She acts as a love interest for our lead, and has a thought-provoking discussion with Gawain near the end of the film.  Kate Dickie (aka the mom from 'The Witch') appears as Guinevere, and is impressive. She is very kind and quite likable, and is host to one of the creepier moments in the film. Joel Edgerton plays The Lord, a friendly man who invites Gawain to shack up at his castle before his appointment with The Green Knight. Edgerton is memorable as a person that we don't quite trust (and indeed, he does have a nice surprise before he leaves the pic).

Emmet O'Brien is mostly in the background as Merlin (it's just nice to see the character here). Barry Keoghan makes a brief but memorable appearance as a Scavenger whom Gawain runs into during his quest. Keoghan really plays up his role, stealing the scene and chewing some scenery along the way.  Sean Harris also stars as the aging King Arthur, and completely nails the role. He brings a majesty, as well as a humbleness and a humanity to the role. He IS King Arthur.

Ralph Ineson (aka The dad in 'The Witch') plays the titular Green Knight, and is quite a sight to behold. WETA created the Green Knight, and they hit a real home run. The Green Knight is a majestic and imposing figure. He looks scary, but carries himself with an air of wisdom and sadness. His eyes in particular really suck you in. The Green Knight is an antagonist, but he isn't exactly a "bad guy".

David Lowery's The Green Knight is a re-imagining of a classic Arthurian text (some might also call it a "mythic morality tale") . The OG story was written sometime in the 14th century by an unknown author. Only one copy of the tale remains, surviving a fire in 1731. David Lowery's revision of Sir Gawain and The Green knight deals heavily with themes of honor, brashness, youth, mortality, the search for meaning, self-discovery, man vs. nature, man vs. self,  and much more. The film is ultimately pretty long and slow (If you found Midsommar too long or too slow, then The Green Knight likely won't be for you). It's methodically paced, and some might say it's self-indulgent and pretentious, though this reviewer disagrees. 

It's hard to imagine a world where The Green Knight doesn't have some sort of presence at The Oscars. It's score, acting, cinematography, visual effects, directing, and the film as a whole are worthy of nominations. The Green Knight provides audiences a thrilling, immersive escape from our world while still finding time to present numerous rich, culturally relevant messages and themes for us to chew on. It's easily the best film of 2021 (thus far). 

5 STARS

WHO IN THE WORLD THOUGHT CLIFFORD WAS A GOOD IDEA?

 In Clifford, Martin Short plays the titular 10 year old holy terror who manages to finagle his way into a stay with his uncle Martin (Charles Grodin) in the hopes the man will take him to Dinosaur World. When uncle Martin promises to do so, only to renege after Clifford embarrasses him at work, the 10 year old sets about methodically destroying Martin's life. There's also a creepy romantic subplot surrounding Sara Davis (Mary Steenburgen), Martin's girlfriend whom Clifford also has an intense crush on.

Yeah, this film is weird. It's centered around the idea of Martin Short playing a psychopathic self-centered 10 year old, and Short is unhinged here (Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you). His Clifford is never remotely likable. I will say the oddness of having Martin Short portray a 10 year old definitely had me laughing at times, though.

Charles Grodin is actually kind of great as the slowly unraveling and much tortured Martin. Short and him work off of each other fairly well, and it's a kind of schadenfreude watching things progressively get worse for Martin. It's not hard to share Martin's hatred of Clifford well before the end credits roll. Mary Steenburgen is given very little to do except be the dumb but kind girlfriend. Richard Kind also makes a fantastic cameo as Clifford's long suffering father. His reactions to Clifford's antics are hysterical.

Clifford was billed as a kids/family film, but in reality it's very dark, mean, sexual, and odd. I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea, but I'm glad they put it on screen. A film this weird, bonkers, and wrong doesn't come around too often, making Clifford a true treat for any lover of bad film. Complete with a book-end sequence that doesn't quite gel with the rest of the film, a surprisingly fantastic message (That doesn't exactly feel like it belongs here), and a very game cast, Clifford stands out as a memorably bad movie (One that I would love to read a tell-all book about).

1.5 STARS

IN THE HEIGHTS MOSTLY DOES ITS SOURCE MATERIAL JUSTICE

 note: this review was originally written June 14

Mostly faithful to the stage version (Some songs are switched around in terms of where they come in, some minor moments are changed, and a very minor sub-plot involving Dreamers plays a part as well), this long-awaited film adaptation is joyful, bright, energetic, and full of meaning.

Melissa Barrera (starring in the upcoming Scream reboot) plays aspiring fashion designer Vanessa and is fairly memorable, Leslie Grace portrays struggling college student Nina and is fine. Corey Hawkins is Benny, an underappreciated radio dispatch operator, and he fits very comfortably into the character. He definitely impresses with his energy and enthusiasm. Lin Manuel-Miranda plays a supporting role as the Piragua guy and is fun as always. Christopher Jackson (Benny in the Broadway production, George Washington in Hamilton) makes two brief appearances as The Mr. Softee guy, competitor to the Piragua guy.

The real star here is Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, a bodega owner and our narrator/central character. Usnavi is increasingly bothered by the gentrification of his neighborhood and dreams of escaping back to his home in Puerto Rico. Ramos first started out on Broadway in In The Heights as Sonny (My favorite character in the show. Sonny is portrayed here by Gregory Diaz IV , who is great and memorable. He nails the role). Ramos would go on to play the dual roles of Phillip Hamilton and John Jaurens in Hamilton. Now, he comes full circle as Usnavi (It's hard not to be proud of his journey). He is absolute perfection as Usnavi, bringing a charisma, likability, and youthful energy to the role. He totally nails it and is a burst of sunshine anytime he appears on screen.

The songs and dance numbers found within In The Heights are bright and energetic (with In The Heights and 96,000 stealing the show). The choreography (by Christopher Scott) is fun and infectious. Jon M. Chu previously directed Step Up 3D and he brings the same sensibility and visual style here (it works).

In The Heights is not a perfect film, it's also not going to be what those who loved Hamilton might expect. This is a smaller scale, intimate musical about a dying neighborhoods' hopes and dreams, and it's inhabitants every day lives. Expect to be moved, to feel joy, and to maybe even shed a few tears. It's a film about the importance of home, family, and friends. It likely won't win any Oscars, but In The Heights provides a good time and then some. After 2020, we could all use a good pick-me-up. In The Heights fits that bill.

4 STARS

TIP: Make sure you stay after the credits for Piragua reprise.

SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW WANTS TO EVOLVE THE SAW FRANCHISE

 note: this review was written May 16

Spiral is a Saw film that doesn’t want to be a Saw film, isn’t marketed like a Saw film, and doesn’t feel like a Saw film. Despite this, it still wants to retain some classic Saw elements and at the end of the day is still a Saw film. Spiral is an attempt to evolve the franchise, but the ideas and plot needed more development. I loved that corrupt cops are being targeted this time, and the plot of Chris Rock bring the sole good cop in a department of crooked officers. That said, there needed to be more depth. 

The message at the end of the day is that corrupt cops needed to be rooted out of the force. More would have been nice. I also didn’t love the reveal of who the Jigsaw copycat is ( it’s kind of obvious). Chris Rock is great as our lead, and his backstory is great too. Sam Jackson is slumming it here and isn’t given much to do, his screen time amounting to 20 mins or less. 

Spiral is significantly more graphic than Jigsaw was ( There are some stand-out traps, but none rank among the series’ best), but it’s likely the simplest Saw film we’ve gotten thus far. Here, we are only following one single storyline: that of Chris Rock’s Detective Banks, and how the investigation is starting to deeply affect him. This is refreshing. Spiral is likely the most colorful and visually appealing entry in the Saw franchise thus far as well. 

In the end, Spiral has more of a reason to exist than Jigsaw did. It’s actually trying to do something new and evolve the franchise, but it doesn’t do enough different to really stand out. It’s worth a watch for Saw fans, but if you are tired of this franchise this film likely won’t re-spark your interest.

3.5 STARS

CRUELLA IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

 note: this review was written June 13

Cruella is certainly...different. It's definitely not what I was expecting from a Disney villain origin film. Emma Stone is great, though her Cruella doesn't really feel like the Cruella from either 101 Dalmatians film (The scene after her coming out as Cruella where she is driving her car is perfection though). Emma Stone definitely steals scenes throughout the entire film and her performance was top notch, so I don't necessarily blame her for the issues I have with the character, but more so on the script and what it gave Ms. Stone to work with.

Emma Thompson plays Baroness Hellman, a popular London fashion designer who takes Estella/Cruella under her wing. Hellman is without a doubt the best modern day Disney villain I've seen. She fits into the classic Disney Rogues gallery quite well. Joel Fry brought a surprising amount of heart and empathy to the role of Jasper, and Paul Walter Hauser was also great fun as Horace (He definitely resembled the classic Horace from the cartoon).

Cruella is not a great Disney film, but it is certainly pretty memorable thanks to superb cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis, editing by Tatiana S. Riegal, set design by Alice Felton, and costume design by Jenny Beavan. Cruella is set mostly in the 70s, and some striking clothing styles are featured throughout the movie. The sets can be incredibly visually appealing as well. Craig Gillespie (of I, Tonya fame) directs, and he brings an Indie sensibility, a punk-rock vibe, and an intense energy to the proceedings. Cruella is also bursting at the seams with great song choices (It uses music in a similar way to Suicide Squad), although it can get tiring after a while and some of the selections are a little too on the nose (Sympathy For The Devil as the closing song, for example). The film isn't afraid to get dark, mean, and "out-there" at times as well.

My biggest complaints with the film are it gets more than a little silly at times, it's not very faithful to the classic character or source material, and that Cruella isn't especially evil here (she also hasn't yet acquired her propensity for fur). At the end of the day, Cruella is the story of how a poor working class girl became the biggest fashion designer in London, and how she adopts the Cruella moniker and persona because it is more true to who she really is. There are also some very odd similarities to events seen in 101 Dalmatians, although this is indeed a prequel (There's an end credits scene too that only further convolutes things). There are enough visually striking, stand-out, WOW scenes that Cruella makes for an easy recommendation, although in the end it doesn't fully work as an origin story for the classic villain.

3 STARS

THREE O' CLOCK HIGH SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN 80S MASTERPIECE

 Not your typical 80's high school comedy.

Casey Siezmasko stars as Jerry Mitchell, a meek dork( He does the whole Matthew Broderick thing, but better than Matthew Broderick). Richard Tyson co-stars as Buddy Revell, an angry new student whom Jerry inadvertently pisses off. This leads to Buddy challenging Jerry to a fight after school, which Jerry desperately tries to find new ways out of before the clock strikes three.

The plot sounds pretty basic, but it's all in the execution. The direction (by Phil Joanou), cinematography (by Barry Sonnenfeld. Yes, THAT Barry Sonnenfeld), and editing (by Joe Ann Fogle) are all superb. The score by Tangerine Dream (always great) helps to accentuate the dream-like quality this flick has throughout.

The film has a surprisingly "elevated" look and style to it. The whole thing feels increasingly surreal, nightmarish, huge, edgy, and epic (in other words, it doesn't feel like a high school comedy). It helps that Three O'Clock High isn't afraid to get bonkers at times. Right from the opening shot of Three O'Clock High, you should know you are in for something special.

I was surprisingly motivated and inspired by this flick. To take what should be a dime-a-dozen, predictable high school comedy and find a way to make the proceedings fascinating, interesting, and new....it's impressive. Most of the film takes place in and around a high school, but it's easy to get forget that. The way the shots look and the shot composition throughout is jaw-dropping at times. I never thought high school interiors could look so cinematic and so different.

Three O' Clock High sets itself up as an average 80's high school comedy, and while it does fall prey to some tropes of the genre, average this is not. The film takes great joy in constantly surprising viewers. It's a damn shame that Three O' Clock High didn't become an instant classic. If you're looking for something visually inventive, stylish, and different...give Three O' Clock High a look.

4.5 STARS

THE FOREVER PURGE: THE BEST PURGE YET?

note: this review was written on July 2, 2021.

 In ‘The Forever Purge’, America has entered the darkest timeline. In the year 2048 (eight years after 'Election Year'), The NFFA have been voted back into power ( with a scary new logo to boot). The first thing they do is reinstate The Purge. What the NFFA doesn’t realize is that their creation and their base have spiraled dangerously out of control. After the most recent Purge, some rise up and attempt a violent overthrow of the Govt, wanting The Purge to never end. 

We follow Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and Juan ( Tenoch Huerta), a kind couple living in Texas who also happen to be illegal immigrants. They work on a ranch owned by Caleb Tucker (Will Patton), a sympathetic and wise old man. Caleb’s son,  Dylan (Josh Lucas), doesn’t approve of Juan and this causes some tension between families. When The Forever Purgers strike, Juan, Dylan, Adela, Caleb, and Emma Kate (Dylan’s heavily pregnant wife played by Cassidy) will have to band together and make a run for the temporarily opened Mexico border (Canada has also temporarily opened their border). 

The Forever Purge is the ballsiest installment in the franchise yet. It opens on Adela and Juan’s dangerous illegal trek across the border. There’s also a terrifying and creative animated opening credits sequence that fills in what happened in between ‘Election Year’ and now. 

The film is brutal, violent, aggressive, intense, and mean (all of these certainly more-so than previous installments). It also has quite a few thoughts about America today and the dangers of where we may be headed. Some of it’s dialogue is sharp, blunt, and direct ( you could also say too on-the-nose) and some of it’s effects aren’t great. That said, this is the best a Purge film has ever looked (and sounded. The score is the best of the series). 

The Forever Purge is stylistic as hell, and feels very different from your normal Purge outing. This fifth go-round benefits from a more southern/country aesthetic. It’s close to looking and feeling like a neo-western. Also, in The Forever Purge we don’t get a central antagonist. The villain this time around is all of The Forever Purgers ( and there are many of them). It’s a nice, subtle change. 

Most of our characters are likable ( even Josh Lucas’ racist, who softens by the end), with the stand-outs being Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta as Adela and Juan. Juan is a gentle, empathetic ranch hand who is struggling to improve his English. Adela used to fight the cartels, and now works in a factory. She believes greatly in America and is an optimist. Both actors work off of each other well, and they share a good deal of chemistry. You buy them as a couple and they are sweet together. Gregory Zaragoza pops in sporadically as Xavier, head of a Native American tribe horrified by what has become of America. He makes for a memorable character and Zaragoza’s performance is very good.

This outing does a lot right while still falling into the same old tropes of The Purge franchise. The characters aren’t fully fleshed out, the script isn’t the greatest, it still veers into camp occasionally (not a bad thing imo), there’s a good deal of bad jump scares, some of the proceedings border on feeling exploitative, and the film still takes time to revel in some of the chaos. 

James DeMonaco ( director of the first 3 films, writer of every one) wrote this outing, and it shows. He’s never been the strongest writer, but his ideas tend to be very interesting ( He definitely seems to have his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in America right now). Everardo Gout directs and he brings an intense energy to most of the proceedings. 

In the end, despite a lot of cynicism about the road America may be headed down, The Forever Purge still ends on an oddly hopeful note (which is nice). When all is said and done, The Forever Purge is far from a bad film. It’s actually the best of the franchise. The action is thrilling and intense, it’s messages are incredibly pertinent, and the whole thing feels very of-the-now. This franchise continues to remain a shamelessly, aggressively political one and this installment is the most divisive yet (this one is unafraid of pissing off alt-righters). That said, it’s flawed in the way the other Purge films are flawed. Luckily, the great parts outweigh the not-so-great ones. 

The Forever Purge is another (maybe the last? Wouldn’t be the worst thing) successful installment in the controversial  and divisive Purge franchise. Purge fans should be pleased.  It’s the 4th of July weekend, so I say why not go Purge? It’s an American tradition, after all.

4 STARS