Week Ending 6/23/23
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It’s been quite the few days in film with THE FLASH bombing, Zaslav laying off every executive at TCM, and everyone and their Paul Schrader going gaga for ASTEROID CITY. Not only did a brief weekend vacation make it so this week only contains three reviews, but it also put me on the road during the press screening for Wes Anderson’s latest. I’ll try to catch it soon.
Next week might be light too as there weren’t too many screener offers for the end of June. I was going to watch season two of THE AFTERPARTY, but it doesn’t look like Apple is putting the finale up before embargo and I don’t want to binge everything only to have to wait two months for the conclusion. So, stay tuned for thoughts on season two of THE BEAR instead.
What I Watched:
RENFIELD
(streaming on Peacock)
Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been under Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) thumb for so long that he’s truly forgotten how he got there. Was it hypnosis? Was it greed? How about a toxic case of codependency? Ask the leader (Brandon Scott Jones’ Mark) of the “Assholes Anonymous” group he frequents to target victims for his master and the answer would easily be the latter, but Renfield isn’t yet ready to share his fear or helplessness. In his mind he’s still doing his best and assuaging his guilt by sacrificing the criminals and bullies who haunt his AA companions to Dracula despite him demanding innocent blood instead. It might have been enough to keep the cycle (unchecked hedonism leading to vampire hunters leading to an inevitably long period of recovery) going too if Renfield hadn’t also accidentally stumbled into the crosshairs of New Orleans’ infamous Lobo clan (Shohreh Aghdashloo’s Bellafrancesca and Ben Schwartz as her son Tedward) along the way.
Born from a treatment by Robert Kirkman and scripted by Ryan Ridley, director Chris McKay’s RENFIELD serves as a comically warped sequel to Tod Browning’s DRACULA complete with Cage and Hoult mimicking the roles performed by Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye in order to be superimposed atop them. These reworked scenes serve as prologue to the present with a burnt and powerless Dracula locked inside an abandoned hospital in The Big Easy while Renfield trolls for “food.” They show us the gradual sense of defeat that has taken hold of the “familiar,” his lost gaze a mix of disenfranchisement and ambivalence. It’s only when he witnesses a beat cop (Awkwafina’s Rebecca Quincy) standing up to Teddy Lobo with a gun against her head that he remembers what it is to feel empowered. She may call him a hero for what he does as a result, but Renfield has a long way to go before shaking his own self-loathing to even pretend to agree.
Don’t feel too bad for him, though. While RENFIELD is built upon the scaffolding of self-help affirmations, the true weight of what they instill and the growth of those who benefit from them is merely fodder for laughs (and bloody, gruesome deaths). And the whole notion of naming the villains Lobo and having their family crest be a wolf is simple distraction—so don’t anticipate any werewolves either. No, this film is neither deep emotionally nor narratively. If it sets up a (new) future MonsterVerse, as some are speculating, you wouldn’t know it (sorry, Easter eggs calling back to its literary and cinematic origins do not automatically a franchise make). The film is a horror romp, plain and simple. It’s the makings of a buddy comedy where Renfield’s slave of a demon and Rebecca’s chicken in the on-the-take henhouse decide to rise against their systems of oppression to save themselves … and maybe the world. But definitely themselves first.
The gore is wild and the fight choreography uses every bit of it to impale enemies with arm bones while keeping Hoult and Awkwafina in shock towards what they’re seeing and doing. It’s entertaining to watch Schwartz as a bad guy (because he’s still a dweeb) and always a pleasure to see Aghdashloo on-screen, but the real draw is Cage chewing scenery like it’s his only chance to continue breathing. I have to believe he’s overdubbed his entire performance too since the pointed teeth have his mouth moving in ways that don’t seem physically able to maintain whatever accent he’s pulling off. He’s having a blast right alongside us as Renfield pushes beyond his usual hemming and hawing to finally fight back (with the help of insects since all insects apparently hold the necessary elements able to trigger Dracula’s powers within a human familiar’s body). The movie ultimately delivers everything it promises as a result, a fact that makes it successful if not inherently “good.”
- 6/10
POKER FACE: Season 1
(streaming on Peacock)
It’s a great gimmick: Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) knows when someone’s telling a lie. She doesn’t guess. It’s not a hunch. She knows. It’s an infallible involuntary action to the point where it’s ruined her ability to maintain long-lasting relationships with friends and family due to humans not being able to stop lying. Is it a white lie, though? An intentional lie? One lie mixed between multiple truths? Deciphering the difference is where things get interesting thanks to confusion (although the writers generally clarify things quickly) and humor. It also adds a bit of variety insofar as where each episode’s story can go while allowing for nuance in situations often devoid of all subtlety. And ignoring the lies proves impossible. Charlie is physically unable to walk away. She’s a puzzle solver—even if the puzzle risks her own wellbeing. To hear circumstantial evidence of a crime is to pursue it with patently unorthodox methods to uncover something concrete.
It’s that curiosity and morality that puts Charlie on the road in the first place so creator Rian Johnson and his collection of writers and directors can build POKER FACE into a collection of ten unique murder mysteries. The season opener and finale are obviously connected to bookend the whole, but even they become their own journeys ignited by a character’s death. “Dead Man’s Hand” is unsurprisingly the closest to her heart, leading Charlie to perhaps bite off more than she can chew where consequences are concerned. So, she flees in her blue Barracuda to travel city-to-city in search of under-the-table cash jobs and respite, hoping her pursuer (an old acquaintance out for revenge) will remain one step behind. Unfortunately, her “gift” always seems to throw her into the limelight in such a way that none of these stops last long enough to actually see the conviction.
This might be my favorite part of the show’s writing. None of the scripts belittle our intelligence. None are determined to spell things out. All we need is an acknowledgment of guilt or the tease of justice to close the chapter and move on. There’s no need for Charlie to gloat or loved ones of the victim to praise her. She doesn’t have time for either anyway since she knows a clock has started the second she makes her identity visible. The moment she pursues a lie and works to uncover its origins is the moment her stay concludes. Because the people chasing her (personified by Benjamin Bratt’s Cliff) have the kind of resources that mean any technological or media-driven ping will give her position away. So, she can’t call the police for help or even use a credit card. Everything she has is courtesy of a bottomless wealth of charisma that most folks can’t resist.
Every episode follows a similar formula wherein the first portion (sometimes five minutes long, sometimes half the runtime) shows the murder from the perspective of the murdered and/or murderer. We therefore always know who is to blame (eventually, since some curveballs are thrown to keep our expectations in check) before Charlie even appears on-screen. The next portion is therefore often a replay of those same events from her perspective. The camera pulls out or changes vantage to show Charlie was there in the background or soon to arrive. And finally comes the resolution wherein she bounces from lie to lie to discover what really happened. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s hard. It all depends on how savvy the culprits are in choosing their words in a manner that allows them to circumvent her lie detector.
With a fun premise, fantastic lead (Lyonne is a delight), and impressive guest stars (from Nick Nolte to Judith Light, Stephanie Hsu to Tim Meadows, and Johnson regulars Noah Segan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt), there’s little to dislike. The effectiveness of the episodes may vary (“Time of the Monkey” is my favorite, “The Orpheus Syndrome” and “Exit Stage Death” have some of the most memorable performances, and “Escape from Shit Mountain” is well-written if disappointing visually with what seems to be a perpetual green screen), but the trajectory is purposeful and consistent. The crimes get more complex with Charlie’s involvement growing more crucial until almost becoming a victim herself. And while Bratt only appears sporadically to remind us of the bigger picture (Charlie only really remembers it out loud once without him triggering it), we do ultimately want to see how things end so as not to simply kick her fate down the road.
So, know that there is closure. There’s a “cliffhanger” too as far as setting up a second season, but not one steeped in desperation. If NBC were to decide not to move forward, nothing is lost since the initial arc is finished. That’s not to say we don’t want to know what happens afterwards, just that Johnson and company do well to pique interest without shoving their breadcrumbs down our throat. To finally learn something about Charlie’s past in “The Hook” is to add complexity to her emotional state in the moment more than tease some grand mystery. Everything toes that line to serve its purpose and open a door without getting us angry that we didn’t walk over the threshold. Does it leave things two-dimensional in the moment? Maybe. Plot-wise, at least. Not character-wise. For only spending forty-minutes with most, each supporting player feels authentic.
And as an added bonus for pop culture enthusiasts, there’s a wealth of detail in each joke from a THE CONVERSATION reference that goes over someone’s head in an early episode and gets recognized in a later one to a running BURN NOTICE gag. Just wait until Blues Traveler’s “Hook” gets an entire verse sung in spoken word by an unlikely singer too. It’s that quirk that makes POKER FACE entertaining enough to feel like it’s more than “just” a solid mystery comedy. I may not have *loved* as much as some, but I do get their enthusiasm.
- 7/10
SURROUNDED
(now on VOD/Digital HD)
Mo Washington (Letitia Wright) is introduced praying to God to get her to where she’s going. It won't be an easy task to deliver. Not when she’s a Black woman on the edge of the Old West just five years removed from the Civil War. Not when her only shot at not being asked too many questions is to pose as a former Buffalo soldier, knowing most white people won’t want to look at her close enough to see that she’s actually a woman. So, when the coach that takes her money for a ride to Colorado also takes her gun (while forcing her to sit on the back bumper instead of inside), she complies. When the only passenger who seems friendly enough (Jeffrey Donovan’s Wheeler) asks about said gun, she tells him she can hardly hit a dead buffalo. Well, that’s most certainly a lie.
Anthony Mandler’s gorgeous-looking western SURROUNDED soon proves as much courtesy of a gang of bank robbers led by Tommy Walsh (Jamie Bell). Once their thievery goes awry and the coach horses run wild, the circumstances become life or death in such a way that Mo cannot help but prove her accuracy. Luckily for her, the only one who takes notice is Tommy. It makes sense, of course. An outlaw like him doesn’t care about the racism of “decent” rich folk. He’s only interested in an angle to save his skin and make more money. As such, he keeps the secret once he’s chained up. He knows Wheeler and the others won’t trust Mo to fetch the sheriff (or the sheriff to listen if she did), so he lets them make their plans and leave her as guard. What follows is as much a test of will as it is wits. Because even though Tommy is destined for the gallows, Mo has the most to lose (and gain).
The result could have been nothing more than a familiar two-hander awaiting a familiar conclusion. It probably should have been. But that’s where screenwriters Andrew Pagana and Justin Thomas come in with enough tricks up their sleeves via unknown entities still on the horizon (one of which is the late, always fantastic Michael K. Williams) and complex backstories for their dual leads that provide enough reasons for them to work together as keep them apart. Questions too. Will Wheeler return? Will he and the sheriff kill Mo rather than deal with the trouble of splitting the bounty? Will the Native Americans on that land kill them first? Can Tommy coax Mo onto his side with promises of bank loot? Is any choice Mo makes guaranteed to keep her alive? Every character on-screen makes a case for her to choose him and yet the only person she can truly trust is herself.
I was enthralled throughout by the effectiveness of the plotting, but also Wright’s performance. Bell is fantastic. He’s a real piece of work lying every time he opens his mouth since the words being true don’t mean his intent is, but it’s Wright who carries the drama. She’s the one with an authentic mix of vulnerability and courage depending on how far into a corner she’s pushed. Because Mo might survive this night in the desert with Tommy just by keeping her head down and ears shut. Maybe his gang isn’t coming to save him. Maybe Wheeler will have her back. As Tommy’s desperation grows, however, he ultimately moves to force her hand. Every character does because they think they can trip her up. The moment they reveal who they really are, though, is the moment she’ll shoot straight without regret. She hasn’t lived this long and this hard to fall without a fight.
- 8/10
Cinematic F-Bombs:
This week saw CHEVALIER (2023), THE KITE RUNNER (2007), LITTLE NICKY (2000), MURDER MYSTERY 2 (2023), THE VISITOR (2008), and WHO’S YOUR CADDY? (2007) added to the archive. I’ve been waiting since TIFF 2022 to get CHEVALIER in. Just a spectacular opening scene the culminates in a perfect f-bomb segue to the title. I did wonder if it got censored since the trailer uses an overdubbed version without the curse word, but they thankfully left the film itself intact. cinematicfbombs.com
New Releases This Week:
(Review links where applicable)
Opening Buffalo-area theaters 6/23/23 -
ADIPURUSH at Regal Elmwood
ASTEROID CITY at North Park Theatre; Dipson Amherst; Regal Elmwood, Galleria, Transit & Quaker
GOD IS A BULLET at Regal Transit & Quaker
THE LAST RIDER at Regal Elmwood
NO HARD FEELINGS at Dipson Flix & Capitol; AMC Maple Ridge & Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Galleria, Transit & Quaker
Streaming from 6/23/23 -
iNUMBER NUMBER: JOZI GOLD – Netflix on 6/23
KING OF CLONES – Netflix on 6/23
MAKE ME BELIEVE – Netflix on 6/23
THE PERFECT FIND – Netflix on 6/23
THROUGH MY WINDOW: ACROSS THE SEA – Netflix on 6/23
UNWELCOME – Shudder on 6/23
“The filmmakers are so intent on pushing Maya and Jamie's backs against the wall of sanity and decency that they kind of forget just how silly their climax proves by comparison. Thankfully, that imbalance doesn't ruin the experience.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
WORLD’S BEST – Disney+ on 6/23
TAYLOR MAC’S 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC – Max on 6/27
ANTHEM – Hulu on 6/28
ELDORADO: EVERYTHING THE NAZIS HATE – Netflix on 6/28
ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED – Max on 6/28
RUN RABBIT RUN – Netflix on 6/28
“Director Daina Reid does a great job visualizing this lifting of the veil with figures hiding in shadows while young LaTorre steals scenes opposite an unraveling Snook with uncanny ease.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
Now on VOD/Digital HD -
CHEVALIER (6/20)
“For all the verve of that opening sequence and style of an equally powerful final few showstoppers, the middle portion can feel pedestrian by comparison, yet effective thanks to Harrison Jr.'s fantastic lead performance.” – Full thoughts at The Film Stage.
GODLAND (6/20)
THE MACHINE (6/20)
OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN (6/20)
SANCTUARY (6/20)
“Just when we think we have a handle on where things are going, though, Bloomberg and Wigon take another left turn. Love, destruction, sex, and assault are all on the table. The result is equally intense and absurd.” – Full thoughts at The Film Stage.
SUBLIME (6/20)
SURROUNDED (6/20)
Thoughts are above.
THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER (6/23)
“With great practical makeup and effects to up the horror quotient, Story's film does a really good job pulling FRANKENSTEIN into the twenty-first century. I do think the genre conventions get in the way of fully mining the psychology of the updated concept, though.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
I’LL SHOW YOU MINE (6/23)
MAXIMUM TRUTH (6/23)
From the press kit archive:
