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Hytti nro 6 (2021)
COLD WAR
If ever there was a movie for this time in history. This is it.
"Compartment No.6" is the creaky train battle ground for a bright Fin and a bellicose Russian, brought together in uncomfortable circumstance. She solo tripping (after a partner bail) to check out ancient petroglyphs. He solo tripping for slavish mine work. Destination Murmansk, as frigid and unforgiving as a quick map query would suggest.
The student and the brute. Things don't start well. Booze fuelled and smoke ashes flying, Lhoja inflicts his party hardy manchild personality on a retreating Laura. Cornered, she flees the dungeon compartment to find no sleeping alternatives. A rail ride from hell, perhaps to hell. Hell is involved it would seem.
Flip Finland for Ukraine (not much of a stretch in current and past circumstances) and we have a political allegory of current events - a bizarre coincidence. Yet this is more a personal clash where language, ideals, class, and gender are in play. Borders be damned.
Out of options, Laura reluctantly returns to her intended journey, keeping the clumsy Russian at arm's length, which proves difficult in their claustrophobic pad. Of course there is more to the simple boor that only time and patience could reveal, the train being the ideal vehicle for a relationship to develop. Where and how this cold war interaction of lost souls goes is the glorious guts of this stark, cramped film.
Yuriy Borisov and Seidi Haarla are pitch perfect as the strangers on a train, with little in common, much to despise, and yet an odd dependence that slips out every now and then. The human condition is a funny one, sometimes ha-ha, sometimes strange, and sometimes, if only briefly, confoundingly wonderful. This movie has all the feels, without ever slipping into sloppy cliche.
Nazdorovie!
- hipCRANK.
Madres paralelas (2021)
MOTHER AND CHILD
Typical Pedro Almodovar, expertly prodding his beloved Spain, this time with two forks: literally digging up Franco's fascist history, and then focusing on the complicated role of single, first time mothers. Long standing muse Penelope Cruz handles both utensils, as the orchestrator of village women who long their victimized men exhumed from a mass grave for proper burial, and as an unexpected expecting mother.
It is a fascinating dual trip, with just enough overlap before a coalescing finale. As the strong centre piece, Cruz is awesome as usual. Professional photographer turning a chance fling (how European) into a sudden family affair at an advancing age seems ripe for whoopsie adventure. Round and hospital bound, she befriends another solo expector, much younger but equally determined. The game of chances continues as the ladies give birth on the same day, solidifying their bond, a bond rekindled by yet another chance encounter down the line.
This may sound soap opera-y, and it is, but Almodovar shakes his film awake with a stunning mid-plot turn. A higher gear at the perfect time. The strength of the main character assaulted by circumstance, cracks a well established facade, and presents the mother of all dilemmas. Viewer patience pays off as "Parallel Mothers finally gathers proper steam.
A movie that digs up the past, stokes the present, and looks to the future in equal, messy and thought provoking doses, with the complexities of lineage as a central theme, and Cruz as the ideal conduit. Almodovar has done it again.
- hipCRANK.
Red Rocket (2021)
THE LYIN' KING
Small town Texas, scorched flat, brown landscapes, dusty store fronts, and a drying oil industry in full denial, the perfect backdrop for the futile American wet dream. Glimpsed but not mentioned, the 2016 Trump campaign is clever distant fodder for a place that will inevitably embrace the lies, because lies and broken dreams is all they know. Mining similar class struggles as "The Florida Project", Sean Baker proves an important filmmaker of hard lucked southern state pockets rich in fool's gold.
Sleepy town gets woke when Mikey Saber, the lyin' king and recovering porn star, returns home with his dick between his legs. A bit of a local legend, to his gawky next door neighbour that is. Everyone else can smell the grift, and yet smooth talkin' Mikey slithers his way into his ex's life, house, bed and clothes in short order. Reloading for a return to the land of smut, Mikey spies his ticket for a happy ending with Strawberry, an underage cutie countering the Donut Hole. How this cringey dalliance plays out is testament of America's desperation, clouded with misguided affection and the lure of escape.
Though the story is a good one, what happens is secondary. "Red Rocket" is about capturing a moment, a place, and a people, disrupted by a force of nature they are helpless to control, and secretly, excitedly adore. The storm will pass, the dust will settle, and the grind will resume.
Himself a former adult, tv, and movie star, Simon Rex is perfectly cast as the self-absorbed has-been motor-mouthed bombast who barrels ahead horny teen style while middle age taps his shoulder. Shameless, determined, manipulative, but with a charming smile, Mikey is everyone's Tequila. There will be regret in the morning, but what a ride.
Drink up.
- hipCRANK.
No Time to Die (2021)
DANNY BOY
As the 25th crack at the whip of the Bond franchise, "No Time To Die" means there cannot possibly be an unbiased diatribe of a well oiled formula carefully concocted to press all the right buttons. So here goes.
Following the whimsical wink-wink silliness of messieurs Moore and Brosnan, the startling coldness and pugilistic rage that Daniel Craig stuffed into an uber tight tuxedo was quite the shock, but now as he exits stage left after four franchise films, he has made a definite imprint. The curtain falls on the most serious 007, and it falls with a bang. Several bangs actually. Checking off the classic spy list - Aston Martin chase: check, drop dead gorgeous leading lady: check, geeky gadgets: check, damaged super villain: check - the latest installment knows and pleasures its audience to full satisfaction.
The world is in peril, close but secondary associates succumb to shocking ends, rage builds, small scale armies hunt the hero, the hero turns the tables, you know the script. On his fifth swing as Bond, James Bond, Craig drops his tough guy guard a wee bit, revealing some deeply hidden sentiment, and delivering a couple of cracking quips. About time on that. The rest is all action, all the time. Everything from hand to hand combat (always overdone but thrilling), to inventive stunts (always overdone but who cares?), to mind games (always silly but necessary to balance the physical).
This is the perfect pandemic escape watch: full of life, jaw dropping vistas, a yummy colour palette, acrobatic combat, shaken Martinis, silk sheets and dapper fashion. Everyone needs these two hours of a dreamy yet sedentary, private, voyeuristic vacation.
The Bond flicks may be the most paint by numbers series ever concocted, but there are usually a couple of eyebrow raising surprises to keep things interesting. And there's a couple of biggies here.
Since 1962, the spy game has never looked more glamorous, more thrilling, and that is something to count on. Can't wait for the next Bond, whomever she may be ... whoopsie.
- hipCRANK.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
WHO'S A GOOD BOY?
Who's a good boy indeed. Jane Campion knows, and knows how to properly veil a tense mystery in her wonderful cinematic universe.
A man for all seasons, Benedict Cumberbatch realizes his greatest thespian subversion, a complex, multi-layered antagonist hiding under several sheets of dirt. As cowboy Phil(th), he embraces the quickly disappearing romance of the old West: breaking horses, castrating bulls, caressing saddles, braiding rope, bullying the weak, and plucking a banjo "Deliverance" style. It is a delicious portrayal equal parts tension, mystery and explosion, surely to land an honour or several.
A parade of family victims suffer Phil's glorious wrath: a prim and stumblingly proper brother (played to pasty perfection by everyman actor Jesse Plemons), his meek and suffering wife (a sheepish Kirstin Dunst), and her freakishly frail, praying mantis-like son (the brilliant Kodi Smit-McPhee). This is no simple family affair, but a plethora of simmering duels that toy with the notion of victim.
Backgrounded by Montana's (actually New Zealand's, shhh) gold tinged expanse, "The Power of the Dog" interrupts the typical macho western trope with several homo erotic set pieces. Much like a series of baroque paintings, these scenes of innocent frivolity are carefully and oddly staged to disrupt the dusty landscape and macho story line. They, like everything on screen, are crucial to the clockwork plot, developing the complex characters as they are slowly revealed. There is absolutely no fat to cut here.
Crafting a carefully prolonged and utterly evocative set up, and buoyed by a plucky, often atonal soundtrack by Radiohead Johnny Greenwood (for those who care for such trivia, as you should), Campion leads her helpless audience to a startling and oh so fitting conclusion. "The Power of the Dog" is a thrilling wide screen spectacle befitting plaudit, a crackerjack story to die for, and a sneaky tale that brings much to chew on to the table. Giddy-up!
- hipCRANK.
Benedetta (2021)
CHOCK FULL O' NUNS
Dutch director tackles Italian stigmata lesbian nun! In French! Please sit back down.
Paul Verhoeven has given us "RoboCop", "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls", so this really should come as no surprise. And as it turns out, "Benedetta" isn't as outlandish as that triptych of film bombast, in fact, for the first half, it plays very much like a typical Euro historical drama. Taking advantage of ancient buildings and creative costume design, Verhoeven nails 17th Century Italy, where religion was king, the Plague was raging, and women were misunderstood. Some things never change.
Based on the documented travails of Catholic mystic Benedetta Carlini, this is one outlandish story. Or many. From the minute the child directs a bird dropping on to a thief, it is evident her spiritual powers are to be reckoned with. In order to harness her connection with God, she is presented to a convent where more miracles occur. Pretty basic stuff. But then, as a young woman, Benedetta is introduced to carnal pleasure and the movie takes off. Soon she is dreaming of dreamy Jesus, bleeding Stigmata style, running about without any clothes, and commanding others in a possessed growl. Hoo-boy.
Somehow Verhoeven retains control of this simmering beast of a project, never letting it off leash into total chaos. What actually happened back in the day is pure speculation - no phone videos then - so it is utter hersay and popular folklore. The visions and miracles are sketchy and shady enough to cause raised eyebrows, and as is often the case, witnessed by a select few. Whatever the truth, it sure makes for a wild story, one that has survived centuries to reach a theatre near you. Lucky bastard.
- hipCRANK.
The Exchange (2021)
LE FROMAGE
Small town drab Ontario, mid-eighties, The Smiths poster on the bedroom wall, and a soft spot for France's New Wave cinema. Classic class nerd. Four-eyed and heartbreakingly awkward, Tim (Ed Oxenbould) finds a glimmer of hope to his sad sack existence with foreign exchange student Stephane (Avan Jogia). But instead of bileting a dissonant, trench-coated, intellectual poet, his mail ordered bride is a chain-smoking, acid washed greaseball, more interested in bedding the graduating class than discussing great cinema.
Add bumbling parents, a ridiculously mustachioed gym teacher, an obvious love interest to the mix, and everything's in place for a feel good teen RomCom. Jogia is wonderful as the strutting fish out of water, obliviously embarrassing his local chaperone to no end. Yet the cookie cutter plot holds few surprises, as it methodically moves from initial, flirtatious fun, to some oil slicked drama mid-film, before bringing everyone and everything together in a tidy full circle. There's life in the characters, the film has some good laughs, but several interesting ideas are left dangling, and it lacks a knockout punch.
The "Exchange" is certainly not without charm, but in the end, a tad underwhelming.
- hipCRANK.
Nuevo orden (2020)
GREEN MONDAY
The revolution will be bathed in, uh, green. An odd choice, and one that may excite environmentalists until it becomes quite clear that "New Order" is all about class struggle, and not climate change.
In his visceral dystopian Mexico City tale, director Michel Franco pushes buttons, many, many buttons. Class discrepancy is on crystal clear display via the glamourous wedding reception opening, interrupted by a former employee's desperate plea of funds to save his dying wife. Greeted with faint empathy, some not so well-disguised contempt, and an unsatisfactory handout, he is briskly and discretely ushered off the premises. When the heart of gold princess bride to be gets a whiff of the events, she bolts the mansion to save the day. The disrupted nuptial festivities is soon the least of the elites' niggling problems, as revolutionaries storm the grounds and matters get nasty mighty quick.
Touching similar themes (and cinematic flare) as "Parasite", "New Order" captures the explosive desperation when the haves meet the have-nots on level ground. Digging deep to turn the classes upside down, the focus is on the inherent greed and situational compassion dichotomy lurking in most everyone. It is uncomfortable, disruptive, vicious, anxiety inducing, and bluntly shocking. But unlike "Parasite", there are no moments of levity. No amusing interludes. No time to digest the revolving, evolving struggle. Barely time to take a breath. Many factions are involved, taking turns ruling the day, with corruption and merciless brutality the only common threads. It is a bleak, ninety minute commentary on a world that doesn't seem too far away, creating a provocative, powerful film.
The dystopia of fiction past is unfortunately an unsettling present day proposition in many parts of the world. How it plays out is anyone's guess. Franco's is now on the big screen.
- hipCRANK.
The Humans (2021)
THANKSGRATING
A one act play in a crumbly, mouldy, creaky, vacuous, claustrophobic, dark, frigid house, well, apartment, that brings together a family full of secrets and dreads for a thankless Thanksgiving dinner makes an adept transition from stage to screen.
Kin strife over an uncomfortable, obligatory gathering is nothing new, but writer and director Stephen Karam has a few swell tricks up his sleeve. Shot in murky shadows, focusing on physical apartment wounds (water stains, paint bubbles, cracks), and jarring sound clashes (garbage trucks, door creaks, lead footed neighbours, outdoor cacophony), "The Humans" is an unsettling horror score full of jump scares that delivers gratuitous verbal violence of the meanest kind: family back stabs.
Never leaving the premises, Karam traps his prisoners in a two story dungeon joined by a treacherous spiral staircase. Possible escape routes are endless hallways which everyone is powerless to employ but for brief respites before returning to the battle rooms. Back stories are revealed gradually over chatter and drinks, sometimes whispers, often from a distance and to the side, as the camera lens trains on the space structure rather than the humans within. Unsettling to good effect.
An excellent ensemble cast brings the word spar to fast beating life, headed up by Richard Jenkins' brilliantly flawed father figure. It is one damn fine performance. Turns out comedian Amy Schumer does drama, and does it quite well. She is a revelation. More of this to come for sure. There isn't a weak acting link here, impressive for an all in the family affair who take turns digging digs, opening wounds, consoling hurts, and opening hearts. Emotional turmoil for the everyday person, stuck in a squeamish situation of personal circumstance, battling relationship demons whilst strapping on a brave mask. Life.
This thing won a Tony, and will probably show up at the Oscars. Acting is back baby!
- hipCRANK.
Luzzu (2021)
FISHY BUSINESS
"Luzzu" starts innocently enough with a solitary fisherman plying his trade, and though it touches on a wide variety of big topics - fatherhood, tradition, working-class struggles, Brexit" as well as a thoughtful character study, it never loses the charm of the opening minutes. A story about a third generation Maltese fisherman, played by an actual Maltese fisherman, not only feels true, but has a warm vibe only good fiction can bring. You can almost smell the sea breeze.
Stamped with his baby footprint, "Luzzu" is the colourful family boat passed down for generations, that serious family man Jesmark Scicluna puts to sea on a daily basis. Trouble is the fishing industry is morphing into an unsustainable one, for the little guys anyway. A new born with special medical needs, and thus costs, puts a strain on the family, and Jesmark is asked to consider a career change.
Squeezed by big fish, various restrictions, and cutthroat, often illegal competition, this really is a lone man vs. The sea tale. While Jesmark's decision is a life altering one, and deftly describes the current political situation of many smaller European strugglers, it plays second fiddle to the personal trials of the defiant fisherman. A man of few words, he carries the weight of his world on broad shoulders, seeking to hold on to his heritage right to the breaking point.
Though forced to play the new game in town, a seemingly beaten Jesmark closes the movie with a moving parable to his infant son. A story about a boat, which over the years has been patched up so many times that very little of it remains, but yet, it still remains that boat. "Luzza" is a clever and affectionate tale about conflict, struggle, family, and the determination to retain one's humanity. A winner all around.
- hipCRANK.
Spencer (2021)
ROYAL MESS
Surrounded by a trio of English thespian heavyweights (Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall, Sean Harris), American Kristen Stewart, valiantly sheds the last of her "Twilight" past and her L. A. drawl in yet another defining career step as Princess Diana. Quite the feat this.
Taking place on the very posh and very cold and very hard grounds of Sandringham, where every polished vase is perfectly in its place, portraits of cruel kings and suffering queens adorn the walls, rooms are vacuous chambers, halls are never ending, the setting is deliciously ominous.
The Princess of Wales' endless stream of gowns for every occasion are labelled P. O. W. In a clever nod to the prisoner aspect of a manicured existence. Every move is orchestrated, scrupulously observed, and often harshly, derisively dictated. Captive in an expansive castle and of a cluttered mind over the Christmas holidays, this plays like a hallucinatory, terrifying, Royal version of "Home Alone".
Stewart is just right as the whispery lead, clutching to what remains of her humanity in a very inhumane circumstance, suffering under insufferable expectation. Yet we all know this bit of herstory, so why movie it?
This is not so much about the well known ridiculousness of the Royals, as it is an exploration of the fragile, fighting for sanity and normalcy with nary a hope of achieving either. Stewart's dreamy, distant and childlike persona is quickly disrupted by a series of nightmarish apparitions and self harms, as her Diana stumbles to stay upright and functioning. Tripping through suffocating circumstance of isolation, succumbing to bouts of depression, Diana's journey certainly was not the stuff of fairy tales.
Shot with a hazy filter reminiscent of flighty Euro cinema of the eighties, scored with a tension filled beboppy jazz soundtrack referencing the Nouvelle Vague, with meticulously designed set pieces overflowing with ornate embellishments, and paced with extreme military precision, "Spencer" is definitely a mood setter; a mood not everyone may care for.
- hipCRANK.
Das geheime Leben der Bäume (2020)
ROOTS
If a tree falls in a forest, does it hurt? Peter Wohlleben would like a word, or several thousand. "The Hidden Life of Trees" follows the maverick tree hugger around as he tries to make the case for a complex, communicating community of wood. Based on his best selling book of the same name, the documentary brings the lanky German to life as a media savvy eco-warrior with some astounding propositions. Dispelling some startling myths like our misguided attempt to reseed the forest instead of letting nature do all the work, is chief to the power of this film.
The composting, self-fertilizing nature of rotting trees, and the connection with the entire ecosystem is an eye-opener. Wohlleben gets a little carried away though, whimsically portraying trees as sentient beings capable of high level communication. Yes there is some kind of interplay here in nature's wonderland, which humans are probably best to leave the damn alone, but social advances by trees like making agreements with fungi, would be better served with less magical wonder and more actual science.
The movie works best when presenting clinical facts with beautiful cinematography, aiming at the just the right balance of eco awareness, eco dread, and possible eco solutions. Trees do appear to be more complex than anyone ever imagined and their existence is chief to our own, so a better understanding of what the heck is going on in the woods is probably a pretty good idea. Wohlleben comes across as a lone wolf advocate, which sadly, is the case for many an important cause. This doc just might change all that.
- hipCRANK.
Mogul Mowgli (2020)
BROWN RAP
Anothe Riz Ahmed project about a possible music career derailment due to a health issue? Yes, and this may be Oscar nomination number two for the young upstar(t). "Mogul Mowgli" does an excellent job of setting up the trending career of British born to Pakistani parents rapper Zed - easy since it parallels the real life of actor, writer, rapper Ahmed (Riz MC to you), but the real pulse of this film comes with the physical and mental torment that ensues with a family visit.
Attacked by his more traditional circle who find it hard to recognize the high flying rapper, and attacked by his body's immune system because it cannot recognize itself, Zed the rapper and Zaheer the son sees his rosy world come crashing to a violent halt in a double whammy of identity theft.
During a frantic hospital stay on the eve of a major tour, an unsettling past haunts a desperate Zaheer in a series of hallucinatory sequences as he searches for his mind and his body. The historical context, left unexplained except for a few cloudy clues, refers to the 1947 Pakistani and Indian partition of British India, more specifically the short story "Toba Tek Singh" that deals with the repercussions of creating a border and shuffling people based on religious lines. Oh those crazy Brits.
Identity is a complex struggle Zaheer is forced to reconcile as his life crumbles, and he is literally and figuratively stuck in no man's land. A borderless prisoner.
Brilliantly edited, from flashy concert scenes to humble immigrant apartment life, "Mogul Mowgli" flows freely from English to Urdu in a wonderful rhythm, especially poignant when father and son move from awkward social niceties to butting stubborn heads. All of this heaviness boils down to the Riz Ahmed and Alyy Khan show, and a damn fine show it is.
- hipCRANK.
Stray (2020)
GOOD BOY
Just what everyone is missing from their life: more doggie videos.
Shot from a wonderful ground level pooch point of view, "Stray" follows a wayward pack on the streets of Istanbul as they play, scrap, mooch, befriend, sleep, and just plain struggle to survive. Without context or history, this movie just is. And it is intoxicating.
Aligning themselves with another bunch of outcasts - homeless refuge orphans - the canines offer a different take on the man's best friend cliche, one that finds common bond in flight, survival and squatting. In what is a desperate, dangerous, harsh and bleak existence, the pack finds not only solace, but also camaraderie and slivers of unexpected joy.
Accentuated by dreamy cello accompaniment, there's a wonderful wordless poetic vibe permeating throughout, creating an enticing, sometimes hypnotic viewing experience. Often the focus of exotic wildlife films, "Stray" proves the gymnastic dance of mammal movement also exists on unforgiving city streets.
Includes a grand howl to prayer finale so you know you wanna like and subscribe.
- hipCRANK.
Nine Days (2020)
SOLE
'Tis a rare cinematic beast that presents an original, thought provoking premise, and executes it stumble free to perfection. Many a bold visions lose their direction halfway through the popcorn box, but not here. Not an easy task, considering the heady subject matter.
Without spoiling with the spoilers, a tricky thing with this one, "Nine Days" tackles the human soul, questions the existence of existence, and offers a thrilling treatise on the meaning of life, whatever life is.
Last seen towering in the Marvel Universe, the imposing Winston Duke slips into the calm, assuring and almost folksy body of Will, a gatekeeper of sorts, tasked with determining the fate of several candidates vying for the job of their lives. A meticulous, calm, slow paced figure, gentle and empathetic, Will does not take his decisions lightly. For various reasons, some obvious, some to be discovered. His portrayal is magnificent. It carries the film.
Playing out like the antithesis of "The Apprentice", or perhaps "Survivor", instead of superficial fluff "Nine Days" unfolds (patience is rewarded) by asking important questions. Questions that resonate for everyone involved (the audience as well). How all this is created - a totally unique, psychological, spiritual mystery that feels earthy - is half the magic of the movie.
Usually a thought-provoking arrow shot up in the air will have a limited, if devout target, but "Nine Days" touches such a universal subject that it may become quite the sensation. The talkie is officially back in vogue, and a reading of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is the perfect cherry on this delicious thespian cake. Yummy.
- hipCRANK.
Daman akeseo guhasoseo (2020)
EVIL RAY OF SUNSHINE
This is one humid movie. Everyone is sweating. Beads and beads of sweat in glorious close ups. No time to towel off you see, as there's too much action for hygiene. Bathed in thick burnt yellow hues, "Deliver Us From Evil" is a non-stop Korean action film with a capital A. This go-go thriller pits two veteran hitmen in each other's path of destruction, which means boffo fight scenes and ridiculous collateral damage for the solid duration.
Sure there's plot, but that's irrelevant. A daughter needs to be saved, a brother needs to be avenged, a retiring agent is called in for one last job; the script writes itself. In-nam (a stoic and very sweaty Hwang Jung Min) travels to exotic locales (Tokyo, Bangkok), stalking a nasty kidnapping ring, with The Butcher (an even sweatier Ling Jung-jae) in hot pursuit. Good and evil are clearly defined, as The Butcher - you can call me Ray - dominates his scenes in a stylishly dark, over the top psychotic performance. Combat is often close quartered, impressively acrobatic and darn clever, with that parkour flavour born of the Bourne series.
This film delivers the goods, and the evils, in copious amounts. Rooting comes easy, jeering too. Leave logic at the door and c'mon in.
- hipCRANK.
Black Widow (2021)
SCARLETT FEVER
The Marvel Universe is reeling. Well, the feverish fans are. Instead of the usual endless chock a block CGI army battles the Avengers series suffers from, "Black Widow" concentrates more on back story, comedic touches and a healthy dose of James Bondish intrigue. Heck, they even pay proper homage by having Roger Moore as 007 on the telly in an opening sequence. Bravo!
That means less cataclysmic explosions, and no destruction of civilizations. Less is more. Less destruction, but still plenty on a more psychological level, if you get the drift. We even have Ray Winstone as a deliciously sleazy Bond type villain, slurping his salacious world domination lines. Where's the white pussy? Black Widow is more acrobat and firearm expert than sheHulk, and thus the action has to be paired down to almost reasonable levels, where agility and smarts will win the day. Cool.
Yet alas, this is Marvel, and thus there are issues. These are not really films, they are entertainment vehicles that fill a coupla hours with fantasy escapism. Accents come and go. Continuity seems like a costly premium. Bone crushing blows are quickly brushed off. Bad dudesses come crashing through the ceiling for no apparent reason other than it is super cool. This is action Hollywood damn it, do not question reason! You know the score. And yes, there is some crazy CGI explosive awesomeness for the comic book diehards. Thankfully "Black Widow" is entertaining enough to gloss over the silliness; it is quite easy to sit back with a giant bag of popcorn and eat it all up.
Scarlett Johansson is excellent in the sexy (yet asexual), clever and self-effacing lead, martial arting her way through robotic foes (one at a time of course), and handling a motorbike through ridiculous traffic like, well, you know who.
As a nice bonus David Harbour playing the bad father and failed super hero, threatens to steal the movie, but he is discretely inserted for just the right amount of kicks. The ideal supporting character, part of an insistent dysfunctional family reunion that gives our heroine a muddled history tree to trim as she attempts to save the world while sorting out some family strife.
- hipCRANK.
Pig (2021)
CAGE CLOSED
Is this the movie year of the pig, or the year of the fungi? Yes, yes it is.
Nic Cage never looked worse. Hair is long and matted. Scruffy beard hiding his face. Collecting scrapes and bruises and cuts that map his mug as the movie trudges on. He's never looked worse, and he's never been better.
After years in B-movie wilderness, much of it quite grand in the manic, out of control demonic thespian sense, Nicolas Cage returns in perhaps his most restrained performance. It is all glances, silent pauses, old man groans and whispery words. And even when crap happens, the only fist clenched rage comes from the viewing audience.
There's a lovely, comedic foodie aspect to this weirdo film noire tale, presented as a three course menu. So, very cool. A Baroque cinematic experience, full of deep reddish browns, shadowy portraits, exquisite detail, cartoonish characters, and scenes that beg for a scratch and sniff card (for better or worse).
A dishevelled hermit in a wooden shack even his pig knows a wolf could blow down, Rob survives by collecting expensive, hip resto delicacy fungi with the guidance of his clever companion: The Truffle Pig! The backstory of this existence is murky, with only a few clues pointing to some kind of personal trauma. "Pig" slowly unravels a past Rob is uneasy to reveal, let alone revisit. His forced return to civilization is full of quirky tangents and story lines, altercations that surprise as well as incrementally clarify.
As Amir, the truffle go-between dealer kid with a flashy yellow Camaro, a cocky attitude and wild-eyed disbelief, Rob's reluctant conduit to city life, Alex Wolf concocts some wonderful, odd-ball buddy-buddy chemistry, and a semblance of nervous, neurotic normalcy when matters grow out of hand.
This is a small film (yes), with small ideas (maybe not), that flows in unexpected and startling directions (most welcome). Full of emotional angst and suffocating confrontations, it doesn't shy away from brutal violence, but save for one shattering scene, never allows the main character to stray from his messianic, martyr demeanour.
Temper biased expectations, this is not recent Cage film bombast. It is something completely different, and quite special. Delicious.
- hipCRANK.
Gaia (2021)
TERRA TERROR
Turning the tables on the royal we destroying Earth, "Gaia" is a revenge fantasy where humankind gets a whiff of life as an endangered species. Sadly this is our inevitable fate, but here mother earth takes on a more pro active role. Our demise is a bizarre reforestation of sorts.
A pair of park rangers, with well meaning pro environment aspirations, trek into thick jungle waters with dire results. Of course. You can enter, but leaving is another matter. Mother Nature, in the form of a far reaching, breathing, growing, vengeful fungi comes alive at night. Plumes of spores infecting and reproducing with heaving pulses. Thick with atmosphere. Alluring cinematography. Stunning vistas. This is one succulent movie.
A couple of totally off the grid subjects (father and son) are already on board, providing much needed thread from the stunned rangers to the psychedelic goings on in this magical mushroom kingdom. What is real and what is not, is not so clear, creating a frustrating mystery aspect to the dreamy passages. It is beautiful, lush, creative and unsettling. Unfortunately the trippy trip is eventually dissected by some all too physical confrontations, steering the film into standard eco-horror fare.
Barend, the caveman like survivalist father who favours the most inappropriate of tree hugging, dresses like a caveman, owns a weird combination of encyclopedic knowledge, alchemy expertise, and a penchant for culty religious hogwash, is the most entertaining character running around the forest, yet his background and transformation from civilization are never duly explored.
What is clear is that slowly but surely, the creeping, growing organism that lies underfoot is a force of uh, nature, and there will be mayhem. Can't decide whether it is a thought-provoking cautionary tale (don't mess with nature) or slick monster flick (nature messes with you). Either way it does get messy. Pretty and messy. Pretty Messy.
An interesting and stylish take on infections, and all matters natural that we can't quite control, "Gaia" could have been quite powerful if handled with more restraint. Still worth a look though.
- hipCRANK.
Censor (2021)
VIDEO NASTY
It's 1984, you can tell by the chorded phones, but more importantly by the explosion of horror VHS tapes. A banned film loophole, tapes bypassed the cinema system, allowing the production of what was salaciously labelled in Margaret Thatcher's Britain as Video Nasties. These were convenient targets in the rising crime blame game and made for perfect tabloid fodder. A rating system was quickly cobbled in place, and a dedicated team of censors with sharp scissors decided the fate of the new art form. It was an interesting time.
As bookish, spectacled and hair-bunned Enid, Niamh Algar is delightfully stoic as a choice cutter who seems unaffected by the steady stream of B-movie drek she has to wade through on a daily basis. Enid debates screen violence with her co-workers in a professional, clinical, detached manner, like she was dead inside. Turns out a part of her may be just that, in the form of her missing sister. A mysterious disappearance from childhood days that is quite the obsession. Even though their parents want to move on, Enid is defiant and desperate to find her younger sibling. Things get interesting.
What begins as a moody mystery slowly morphs into psychological thriller as Enid traverses from her boring reality into the surreal world of horror movie making. With not so subtle nods to David Cronenberg's "Videodrome", "Censor" plays with the blurry lines of fact and fiction, steadily ramping up the pitch before climaxing to a bizarre finale. Enid finally lets her hair down, the screen turns red, and things get super crazy.
Not for the squeamish, "Censor" becomes the film within the film, deliver some ketchuppy eighties gore, startling video style glitchy edits, a host of creepy performances, and an ending sure to fire up the discussion boards.
- hipCRANK.
La nuit des rois (2020)
BEDTIME STORY
When survival means keeping a dangerous, unruly, and captive mob at bay with an overnight tall tale, it better be good.
"Night of Knights" is a riveting, theatrical Ivory Coast prison film that eschews physical action in favour of a flowing, Shakespearian drama. Run by an aging overlord dubbed Blackbeard, this cramped world capsule on the verge of anarchy is a clever analogy of larger systems beyond these walls. Their ruler is in trouble, with his health failing he must hold off the warring factions hungry for power, and he chooses a fresh inmate to cast a spell of procrastination with a red moon story. His new "Roman" is tasked with enrapturing the heaving masses until the moon sets, a feat that will spare his life.
Though based on fact, the story within the story about the revered Zama King, is enriched with magical fiction which serves to engage the itchy inmates who prove a tough but eager audience.
The oral tradition of history is a fascinating one, and "Night of Knights" shows how an effective messenger can develop the plot for various means. As rival gangs scramble in their quest for power, velvety rich colours pierce the shadows of the MACA prison transforming the harsh institution into a vibrant stage. For one night at least.
Will the messenger survive the night? What really happened to the Zama King? Who will seize power? Patience, patience.
- hipCRANK.
Gunda (2020)
RUNT
A stunning black and white silent (save the grunting) documentary that soft focuses on the life of a pig. Seems innocuous enough, but there is magic here. Shot at ground level, and sparing nothing from farm life, "Gunda" is not here to shock, or illicit clown tears, but to have a look, like a wide-eyed child might back in the day when summers were not filled with organized sports camps or school continuation. It captures that slow, languid, breezy feel of beautiful boredom.
Opening with the birth of a litter, it follows the towering mother sow as she clumsily deals with the runt of her offspring. It is astonishing, inviting, and then shockingly cruel. What is happening is not exactly clear, and there is no deep voice over to mansplain nature. That is the beauty of this film: it evolves along with the undetermined storyline.
A slow, dreamy bit of cinema, "Gunda" works well in transporting the audience to a world most are familiar with but few actually know or have experienced hands on. The sharp monochrome delivery turns a pigsty into a pleasant aesthetic. The absence of smell helps. Nothing revelatory here, and since this is a farm, well, let's just say that the animals are not in charge, and there is a sudden dramatic turn to remind everyone about life's cold harsh realities.
"Gunda" is an animal film that is really not an animal film. It is a brilliant exercise in moment capture, shot with an addictive lens, documenting some life lessons, without preaching or dwelling on anything in particular. Pigs in showbiz are usually funny, smart or exotic. Not here. "Gunda" is a mother, and that is that.
- hipCRANK.
Still the Water (2020)
POTATO PUCKS
P. E. I.. Family trauma. Adultery. Folk music. Hockey. Did I mention P. E. I.?
Jordie is a hulking, awkward hockey player returning home as somewhat of a local legend with what appears to be a tail between his legs. There is a mysterious dark past, and plenty of tension, amplified by the crowded circumstance. Small town? Howsabout small island? There is no escaping the past. Many will require nothing more. This is your wheelhouse. Good for you. Sadly, for those willing to remove rose coloured islander glasses, this is not a great viewing experience.
Stark realism is great if it ain't clunky, and damn, this is clunky. Unspoken secrets only work if some loose lips let slip, otherwise there is but conjecture and eventually, ambivalence. When sibling matters come to a lobster boil, the drama is pretty anti-climactic. A fishing boat scene, which should be life and death serious, plays embarrassingly tepid. The brothers do come to inevitable blows, and it is on the ice (get it: "Still the Water"), but they are on the same team. Yes the same team. Needless to say, any hockey aficionado will have a problem or twelve with the shinny sequences. The footage is akin to a beer league scenario, not from supposed Memorial Cup skaters. This is John Candy as Darryl Sittler silly, except it ain't played for laughs. Who throws down their stick (several times, this is Jordy's go to move) when mad? No one. No one does. The stilted and perplexing road hockey scenes on bumpy dirt roads are excruciatingly awful. Was there not a hockey player available as consultant? Maybe a seven year old with a rudimentary knowledge of the sport? C'mon!
As a wrinkled cherry on a collapsing cake, the big finale happens at centre ice in a darkened, empty arena, because that is where everyone hangs out when they look for redemption. Sports clichés are back baby!
Is the film this bad? Perhaps not. The music is fine. The scenery lovely. It does capture that odd islander vibe. Perhaps anyone not privy to the nuances of hockey will squeeze some sort of entertainment from this picture. Stranger things have happened.
- hipCRANK.
Retfærdighedens ryttere (2020)
THE B-TEAM
A rolling and coasting thrill ride with abrupt gear changes to keep everyone guessing is the bestest Hollywood smirk action blockbuster to come out of Denmark.
Mads Mikkelson stars, of course, as a stone faced army machine brought home from one tour of duty to another. The shocking death of his wife paratroops our hero back into civilian life where a reluctant teenage daughter awaits parenting.
The circumstance of tragedy leads to the inevitable daft father surly daughter clash, and the movie looks well on the way to an emotional series of life lessons. Don't hunt for the tissues just yet, for there is more afoot than meets the misty eye.
Guilt haunted by the explosive train crash which he luckily survived, a conspiracy nut and statistician whiz seeks some sort of redemption, which he finds in a far fetched theory, that once numbers are crunched becomes too plausible not to act on. Joined by a couple of other keyboard tapping stooges, they manage to convince our hero of their theory. With a satisfying explanation and a villain to focus on, Markus (Mikkelson) goes into combat revenge mode. It is awesome, and much easier than parenting. Grief is hard, revenge is easy.
Tagging along in a bizarre B-Team special forces unit of misfits - computer geeks with guns - brings much needed levity to an otherwise efficient by the numbers body count flick. The oddball characters' hilarious internal squabbling and deadpan commentary provide the perfect balance for this dark, violent tale.
"Riders of Justice" plays on the theory of chance, that certain choices no matter how insignificant, lead to a series of events. And true to theory, everything is linked from start to finish in a clever loop that wraps this movie present with a wonderful Christmas bow. A real Danish treat. Cheers.
- hipCRANK.
French Exit (2020)
LET US EAT CAKE
An oddball movie celebrating all things not so long ago retro, featuring a deadpan quirky cast maneuvering through insignificant misadventures, set to a well manicured soundtrack, "French Exit" invites comparison to a Wes Anderson project. That is a compliment, by the way.
With a strawberry red do and a classy cocktail party wardrobe, Michelle Pfeiffer is absolutely delicious as a suddenly destitute socialite. What does one do in such a dire state of affairs? Go to Paris of course. With her obedient, almost adult son Malcolm in tow, Frances continues to live her fabulous life as her last stack of cash quickly disappears. What should be a source of worry is immaterial, creating a weird empathy from the audience. How is it possible to root for a privileged one percenter who obliviously carries on, without much hope of any revelation? Wicked.
The Paris getaway soon becomes a bit of a squat situation, with seemingly the entire cast, which grows to include a housekeeper and a private investigator, suddenly crowding a posh apartment. There is drama, as Malcolm's spurned ex (the always terrific Imogen Poots) arrives with her new beau, but this comes sans fireworks, instead the movie is hijacked by the sudden disappearance of Small Frank, the cat.
This is one dry film, but with a sly sense of hilarious detachment in a series of clever vignettes that will surely delight the outsider crowd. You know who you are. Wink wink.
- hipCRANK.