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Cardinal (2017)
If Fargo was a TV show
This is a true reflection of what Fargo would have been if it was a TV series. Proof positive that Canada can make extraordinary TV shows. It's gruesome and gritty just like the Cohen brothers classic.
The cinematography is excellent without the superficial dark scene common in other police procedural shows. The show also does not attempt to rush to conclude each case in the space of 45 minutes. This allows the storytelling to be much fuller and nuanced.
Each season follows the main characters working on solving one major case. The two leads are exemplary in their portrayal of the seasoned detectives. The supporting actors come in each season with focus to fill out the story. A true gem of TV, not just Canadian TV.
Sound of Freedom (2023)
For the children - A must see film
This review discusses the film in general terms, not in specifics that would give spoilers away.
The film is based on one year in the life of Tim Ballard. Like any dramatized film, it is "based on", not a "dramatic reenactment". This is obvious, and should not be used as a criticism of the film.
The film accurately portrays the challenges involved with crime that is multi jurisdictional. At one point Tim's supervisor insist that he stop a specific engagement because the stated department could no longer support him. But, it also shows how this same supervisor does what is within his power to support Tim through other official channels. Not a single senator, congressman, Hollywood elite or rich person is singled out. It is not a name calling movie, because it is not about any specific perpetrators. It is about the children.
It also shows how people from all walks of life in South America rallied around a single goal, namely saving the children. The Columbian police and military are shown in a very positive light. Not as incompetent malcontents or as fraudulent collaborators, which is the typical Hollywood model. So here the film also outshines Hollywood in it's honesty and seems devoid of an agenda. It does not perpetuates the stereotype of the "white saviour." Yes, the main character is a white person, but that is not the focus of the film. This would at best be a very jaded viewing of the film, and at worst unnecessary disparagement of the person on whose life the film is based.
Now lets address the technical and artistic aspects of the film.
The suspense is well crafted, even reminding me of old Hitchcock movies. I watched it in a packed theatre and for most of the film you could hear a pin drop. Nothing lascivious is shown, but is clearly implied. As Hitchcock said "fear lies in the anticipation thereof." Interpreting what is happening is more pure and impactful than showing crass details. The tension builds and release as the story unfolds, with a clear buildup towards the last act of the film. Just like Rear Window, or Dial M for Murder. This is masterful storytelling in any era and much better than most films released in recent years. Lately it feels like Hollywood only churns out sequels and remakes.
The filming locations are tastefully selected. Showing clean and dirty, city and country, rich and poor areas, free and entrapped, urban and remote. In each of these places the filmography is artfully and skillfully done. This includes framing of shots, the choice to go in tight or widen the shot, and making a scene light or dark to create mood. At no point does it feel like a made-for-TV movie with low production quality. This is totally unexpected for a film with only a $15M production cost.
The acting from the adult actors is very good. And I do mean very good. The singular focus of Tim Ballard is felt through the acting of Jim Caviezel. This is achieved without a silly over the top style acting in a show like Criminal Minds, or films like Heat or The Untouchables. Bill Camp and Javier Gedino also do a great job with their characters. But as good as the adults are, the children steal the show. Wow! This is deservedly so, since the film is ultimately about the children who are being trafficked.
No doubt, the director had an influence on some of the acting choices made. But the children still had to execute, and boy did they deliver in spades. When a typical Hollywood production would have the children show exuberant emotion when being saved or crying uncontrollably, this film does not make such sentimental decisions. Rather you see relief, but also a numbness from the trauma experienced. When there is joy, it is so skillfully done that it leaves a true impact rather than drawing a couple of quick tears from the viewer that are forgotten a half hour after leaving the theatre.
In summary: It is suspenseful, tasteful, impactful. A true gem of a film that will age well, since the message is timeless and truthfully told within the normal bounds of storytelling. This film is an absolute must see.
The Mountain Between Us (2017)
Poorly executed and predictable disaster movie
From the beginning of the movie you know exactly what's going to happen. The plane is going to fall out of the sky. Then, only some people will survive. The survivors are going to have difficulties to overcome. They will argue about the best way to move forward. In the end the survivors are going to build an emotional bond.
This movie has lots of nonsensical scenes with no basis in reality. The editing has flashback scenes that are poorly executed. There is also the obligatory tear the clothes of each other sex scene. Finally there is the last scene with the main characters who survived running into each others arms after the ordeal is over and they spent some time apart.
Much better options for survival movies:
Biopic: Alive
Drama: The Flight of the Phoenix.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Disturbing aftermath of cult indoctrination
Warning: Anyone who has ever been in a cult, or been mentally and psychologically manipulated will find elements of this film triggering.
This film has a very dark disturbing feel to it. It is not explicit in a titillating way such as movies like Basic Instinct, Single White Female, etc. Yet there are elements that are explicit, as the Parents' Guide shows. There are three scenes that are explicit in its realism - a drugged rape scene without nudity, a stabbing that is quick and less graphic than expected, and a quick flash of a female character's right breast.
These scenes will be enough the make some choose to avoid this film. But is should not, as each of these are essential contributions to the overall narrative.
Let me explain the role these scenes play in forwarding the narrative, and one other scene that is more implicit than explicit:
The Rape: The scene is done in a non gratuitous way, not lingering on the sexual elements. No nudity is shown and the scene is not overly long. It portrays how sex is almost always used in a cult for the satisfaction of the leader and the indoctrination of the subjects. Martha is drugged and raped as part of an acceptance into the cult. She wakes up partway through the act and shows clear shock, pain and sadness on her face as the cult leader keeps her pinned down. Afterwards she is comforted by another female cult member letting her know it was a good thing. Martha eventually buys into this lie and even contributes to the same thing being done to a new member of the cult later in the film. This scene is shocking not in its explicit elements, which is as limited as can be, but rather in how real the portrayal is. Many women have been victims of this kind of sexual manipulation in cults.
The Stabbing: The tension in the scene builds, in a Hitchcock like way, until a cult member finally stabs the owner of a house that the cult members had broken into. This again is the culmination of previous actions by cult members. The cult leader progressively makes the members comfortable with doing morally abhorrent acts. The genesis of this is when Martha sees a vehicle operated by the cult driving off in an earlier scene. She is curious where the members go every night. Eventually she is part of the group that goes out at night to breaks in and steal valuables from a home. Finally, she is present when this home owner is stabbed. Only a split second of the stabbing is shown, with the cult members quickly leaving. The aftermath is not shown like a typical Hollywood movies with a pool of blood and the stabbed person gasping for air. Rather, the scene immediately ends with the cult members leaving. It cuts to the members removing their clothing in a laundry room while bottles of what appears to be bleach being brought in. The implication is that they are all destroying their clothing to remove any evidence of the crime.
The Nudity: Martha takes of her shirt to put in a dress her sister picked out for her. Earlier she undressed on the dock at a lake to skinny dip, which shocked her sister and brother-in-law. Her lack of modesty is a carryover from her experiences in the cult. The women all slept together and in various states of undress. In the mornings they would dress together, which is shown in one darkly lit scene. So while there is nudity, it is very brief and does not serve to be sexual or arousing in any way. It reflects the breakdown of personal boundaries which is part of the cult indoctrination.
The Other scene: In another scene female members of the cult are taught how to shoot handguns. There are sexual overtones in this, which serves to make the use of guns more acceptable. The leader of the cult also puts down another male member of the cult, which is a common tactic used to establish the dominance of a cult leader. The cult leader is also carrying a bag. Nothing is ever shown, but you hear cats meowing of screen. He then proceeds to instruct Martha to shoot the cats. When she is reluctant he uses various manipulation tactics to get her to breach her own sense of morality. When she doesn't act quickly enough, two other members shoot the cats. Again, nothing explicit is shown, but it is implied that the cats are killed.
The film focuses on Martha, the younger sister of Lucy. Martha became the unfortunate victim of a small cult. It is stated numerous times that Martha has been "away" for two years. Lucy doesn't know where Martha has been, and Martha is too closed off to share anything. She only states that she left a boyfriend who lied to her. It soon becomes clear that something dark is troubling Martha. She does many things that is not normal, from skinny dipping at a public lake to having a full anxiety attack about alcohol being served at a party. Clearly something terrible happened, but Lucy can't get Martha to open up.
For Martha, various small things trigger her to recall things that happened to her in the cult. The clank of a spoon stirring in a glass, gardening, working in the kitchen. In one heartbreaking scene she goes to her room and falls asleep on the carpet. While sleeping she recalls past events in her sleep and wets herself. Martha needs help, but it takes Lucy a while to realize just how badly she needs it.
Elizabeth Olsen is excellent in the role of Martha. With this as one of her earliest roles, it was clear that she had the skill to become a star. The other actors also provide convincing performances, especially Sarah Paulson as Lucy and John Hawkes as the cult leader.
This is an excellent film addressing a very dark subject with tenderness, yet disturbing realism. In contrast to Midsommar (that received more press), this film does not seek to linger on the sexual content or nudity. The scriptwriter and director used time very economically. Quickly moving you from one scene to another, jumping from present to past without warning. This lets you experience the troubled mind of Martha as she attempts to reintegrate into society. The cinematography is simplistic which only serves to heighten the feeling of realism. And finally, the ending is so abrupt that it leaves you unfulfilled and with a sense of emptiness. This is excellent film making as it further links the viewer with the Martha, feeling lost, empty and confused.
Anyone who knows someone that's ever been involved with a cult (or cult like organization) should watch this film. It will give you some small insight into the manipulation that person went through and how the smallest things can trigger painful flashbacks.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Sad treatment of Thor Jane Foster
The comic and animation movies have cool treatments of the female Thor character - Thor Jane Foster, or even the daughter of Thor. Unfortunately this movie made a mess of the character. That is sad for the character and for one of my favourite actresses, Natalie Portman.
The movie making industry is focussing on eliminating sexual exploitation of actresses. Now it seems that it's okay to do that to men, as long as you can extract a laugh. That's what happened in this movie.
The CGI is lazy. The development of Jane Foster into Mighty Thor is rushed. The story is messy. The redemption of the bad guy is nonsensical.
The only redeeming quality of this movie is the screaming goats. They were funny. The rest of the movie, not at all.
Criminal Minds: Final Shot (2013)
Typical episode with bad accent
The episode is a typical CM episode. Good analysis, quality cinematography, good acting, etc. My only disappointment is using Mike Colter to play a South African. He accent was as typically non-descript fake African accent. It sounded nothing like a South African. I'm sure the show producers could have cast an actual SA actor. Their are many quality actor. This is a common thing with movie and TV. I get that it's a challenge for an actor to play a character outside of their realm of experience. But, then the dialect coach should do a better job.
Black Widow (2021)
Flawed but enjoyable farewell to Natasha
The Good
The banter between Natasha and Yelena is amazing. The one liners from Yelena is typical MCU. The bit about the female reproductive system is truly a highlight.
The Bad
Natasha is almost a sidekick rather than the main attraction. Which is sad. She totally deserved an amazing movie dedicated to her character. The other members of her family are sloppily handled. Alexei looked promising in the opening scenes, but was then poorly handled in the back end. The Red Guardian could have been used much better.
The Ugly
Why oh why did Disney and Marvel destroy Taskmaster so badly. Taskmaster is a well know villain and occasionally anti-hero. A mercenary with exceptional training. Taking the best price to sometime work for good, but most often for bad. And he, yes he, is a male character. In this movie, the MCU version is a mind controlled puppet who's able to learn the opponent's moves through bionic enhancements rather than being a skilled fighter. And they made the character female.
I get that there a different storylines through the years. I also get that everything in the current era we're in demands more and more female characters. But changing a beloved character and butchering it like this is just poor decision making.
Conclusion
To enjoy this movie you need the following:
1 - Don't know who Taskmaster is, or accept that Marvel destroyed everything about the character to fit the script.
2 - Realize that this is a nostalgic farewell to an amazing character and actresses who portrayed her.
3 - Yelena plays a more significant role in the movie to set her up for future appearances in the MCU.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Total betrayal
Why, why, why? This is supposed to be earlier in the timeline, but the technology is more advanced than what came later. Utterly ridiculous to have a ship that can jump locations rather than travel using warp drive. The Klingons looked completely different. What was the point of changing everything. Give this series a different name and move it out of the Star Trek universe. It has nothing in common with any of the original series. YUCK is the best word to describe this show.