Week Ending 5/31/24
Collecting more Knives
New KNIVES OUT saga news is good for two reasons:
I enjoy the series.
Rian Johnson has snuck two f-bombs through the censors in each.
Who’s going to drop one this time? Oscar-nominee Glenn Close? Oscar-nominee Andrew Scott? Oscar-nominee Jeremy Renner? Emmy-winner Josh O’Connor? Emmy-winner Kerry Washington? Golden Globe-nominee Cailee Spaeny? Someone who hasn’t been announced yet?
As long as Noah Segan pops up in WAKE UP DEAD MAN, I’ll be happy.
What I Watched:
EZRA
(in theaters)
Friends for four decades, director Tony Goldwyn and screenwriter Tony Spiridakis join forces to bring the latter’s inspired-by-life experience being the father of an autistic child to theaters. So, despite the title being EZRA, this is really Ezra’s (neurodivergent actor William A. Fitzgerald) father Max’s (Bobby Cannavale) story. Max is at a crossroads (not yet signing the divorce papers filed by Rose Byrne’s Jenna and on the cusp of a potential big break as a comedian) and his sole constant is his son. As a result, everything that’s happening in Ezra’s life is forcing him to overcompensate through fear under the guise of love. Max thinks he’s fighting for his boy when he’s really just hiding from his own problems.
It leads him to kidnap Ezra from his mother’s house in the middle of the night in a bid to “save” him from what he sees as an opportunistic cabal of “normal” society. They want to put Ezra in a specialized school and give him medication. Max wants to assume such acts are a means to force his son into conformity and refuses to even consider the possibility that both outcomes might actually help give him the tools to better be himself instead. Thus begins an ill-conceived road trip from New Jersey to a spot on Jimmy Kimmel’s show in Hollywood with his father (Robert De Niro’s Stan) and Jenna on their tail … and the police looming large once this ordeal becomes a welfare issue.
The journey leads Max towards a couple old friends (Rainn Wilson’s Nick and Vera Farmiga’s Grace) who know and love him enough to be able to help while also telling him he’s out of his mind. This whole script is pretty much people trying to get Max to understand that his heart being in the right place doesn’t mean what he’s done is justified, but they all know that he’ll only be able to come to that realization after the consequences arrive. Because he’s blinded by what he believes to be the duty of a parent—something he hasn’t had many good examples of to truly know whether he’s correct. Max is acting on impulse, throwing himself and Ezra into an uncontrollable session of exposure therapy on the run.
That’s where things get a little shaky insofar as Max doing exactly what he doesn’t want anyone else to do: propping Ezra up as “special” when it suits his needs and forcing the boy to do and try things that make his own life easier. Half the time it feels like it’s done to show us how Max has a lot to learn about himself and his own shortcomings, but the other half presents it as evidence that random events can cure what ails you if your life was a Hollywood movie. But nuance isn’t what drives honest feel-good stories like this. EZRA isn’t made as much to educate people on autism as it is to entertain audiences with more wins than losses. So, while what occurs on-screen is authentic, it can also seem too easy.
I think it works more than not, though. And the acting is great with Cannavale and Fitzgerald finding a wonderful rapport for both the highs and lows inherent to the relationship depicted. Byrne and Wilson are memorable supporting players with De Niro proving the scene-stealer on a couple of occasions to add some pathos to his otherwise curmudgeon straight man for comedy. This is a piece about fathers and sons in the end and the struggle between Max and Stan is as real as the one between Max and Ezra. Neither will ever be perfect, but they can come close if they’re willing to look inwards and recognize when their actions are truly for the other and when they’re just being used to shield themselves from blame.
- 6/10
HAIKYU!! THE DUMPSTER BATTLE
[Gekijôban Haikyû!! Gomi Suteba no Kessen]
(in theaters)
Unlike some films based on existing manga/anime properties that set themselves up to be standalone in the sense that you don’t need to know anything about what happened previously, Susumu Mitsunaka’s HAIKYU!! THE DUMPSTER BATTLE is billed as a “direct sequel” to the television series. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean the story itself isn’t still standalone in the sense that it has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Yes, you will have no clue what’s going on with some peripheral details, but the main plot never confuses. Why? Because the lead character is Kenma Kozume (Yûki Kaji).
I am completely unfamiliar with this IP, so I cannot tell you anything about the apparent coach rivalry (one is at the match, one is in the hospital watching his grandson call plays) or the die-hard fans (a pair of girls for the Wildcats and a couple for the Crows). I can’t tell you much about Shôyô Hinata (Ayumu Murase) either despite reading that he is the central focus of HAIKYU in all its many iterations since he’s a secondary concern here. So, while having a grasp on the history of the Karasuno High volleyball team is obviously a plus, know that Mitsunaka does a nice job pivoting to follow someone else instead.
Kenma plays for Nekoma High. We meet him as he realizes his phone has died, leaving him with no clue about where to go for the practice match he’s meant to play. It’s here that Shôyô walks by, introducing himself and trying to get this stranger to be as excited about his favorite sport as he is. Unfortunately, Kenma doesn’t really care about volleyball. Or anything for that matter. He plays because his best friend (Yûichi Nakamura’s Tetsurô Kuroo) loves it and got him to tag along and become the team’s setter. Kenma would rather not sweat or get tired, but he trudges along, captivated by the nuances and strategies of the game.
The film’s goals are thus two-fold. To see who is going to get out of the preliminary round of the Harutaka tournament (Kenma’s Nekoma or Shôyô’s Karasuno) and to see if the latter’s tenacity and drive to win can force his new friend into getting so caught up in the action that he can’t help but admit he’s having fun too. You have crazed passion on one end and indifferent malaise on the other. So, it’s fun for us when the first set is mostly Kenma finding the tactics necessary to render Shôyô a non-factor and, subsequently, sap that love for the game away. Once Shôyô rekindles that fire, though, all bets are off on whether Kenma matches his energy.
And that’s about it. THE DUMPSTER BATTLE is literally just a volleyball match. It’s not as visually inventive as THE FIRST SLAM DUNK (a film I liked a lot and made me want to see if “sports anime” was a thing to get into with this one), but it’s entertaining in its “volleyball as fighter” aesthetic. I liked the numerous flashbacks triggered by on-court events (giving us a bit more insight into Kenma’s motivations) and thought the overzealous positivity via end-to-end compliments (messaging about mutual respect being a stronger motivator for victory that hatred) was cute. Would I have liked it more knowing the show? Probably. But it was worth the look and definitely has me thinking I’ll seek out the next chapter of this two-part finale to see how things officially end.
- 6/10
PS: Stick around after the credits for a scene that sets the stage for Part 2.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE
(in theaters; streaming on Shudder TBA)
It’s an interesting thought experiment: What if we made a slasher from the perspective of the monster doing the slashing? Rather than following the unsuspecting coeds camping in the woods only to hear and see things in the shadows, we follow behind the “creature” as he lumbers along and spies through windows in search of his next kill. We don’t therefore need to worry too much about how idiotic the victims are as they get picked off one by one. They’re merely prey. The experience is thus less about hoping anyone survives and more about how unrelentingly gruesome the next attack might be.
Here’s the thing, though. We do need to care about something to stay invested. Otherwise, it’s just a snuff film devoid of rhyme or reason regardless of whether writer/director Chris Nash instills some semblance of plot via the origin mythology of this beast. Yes, we pity Johnny (Ry Barrett) and what happened to him, but that doesn’t inherently mean we want to condone his animalistic drive to seek revenge by mutilating every living being in his path. Especially not if the crime that seems to be motivating him (retrieving his mother’s stolen locket) proves little more than a catalyst for carnage rather than a potential end game.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE becomes a chore as a result. Quiet sequences of Johnny from behind, skulking around the woods until a voice or noise stops him to divert towards his next victim. The screams are short as he sneaks up with his drag claws and axe, the flesh ripping and contorting in ways that ensure most of the gore arrives after his target is already dead. Then off he goes to the next one. And the next one. Until finally the third-person camera perspective shifts onto one of the coeds (Andrea Pavlovic’s Kris) instead for a final scene consisting of more dialogue than the rest of the movie combined, superficially wrapping everything beneath a “theme” of nature being uncontrollable.
Horror fans will get excited by the graphic nature of what Johnny does to these campers. It’s not enough for me to recommend the film due to its laborious pacing and empty aesthetic, but I also won’t deny its effectiveness. From a quick but brutal bit of decapitation at the mouth to a drag claw yoga session that makes good on the clichéd quip of shoving a body part through another, the blood flows freely before its shown coagulated on Johnny’s hand in close-up. I simply wish it didn’t feel so clinical due to our inability to invest in anything but the violence. Without an emotional connection, it becomes little more than an effects reel.
- 5/10
THE YOUNG WIFE
(VOD/Digital HD)
I’ll let writer/director Tayarisha Poe describe THE YOUNG WIFE in her own words because I don’t think any others could hit the nail on the head like these two sentences: “It’s a sunny day panic attack, a Lisa Frank lucid dream. An expression of future nostalgia.”
If I was being reductive, I’d call it MELANCHOLIA by way of SHIVA BABY because it’s an intense, dense depiction of independence, love, anxiety, and longing. It’s friends and family suffocating Celestina (Kiersey Clemons) in equal measure to helping her breathe. It’s a party (not a wedding) where guests bring gifts despite being told not to. Where secrets are revealed and judged. Choices bolstered by confidence and shattered by uncertainty. Is this really what Celestina wants? Is it what she needs? Is it simply to help make the noise stop?
I love that “Lisa Frank lucid dream” line because the whole does feel very trippy in its not-quite-sci-fi but not-quite-lo-fi aesthetic with tube tvs and cellphones, apocalyptic weather and hypnotic meditation trances (led by Poe’s SELAH AND THE SPADES star Lovie Simone) every hour on the hour. Celestina’s soon-to-be grandmother-in-law Cookie (Judith Light) has an oxygen tank built around a Peruvian flower that breathes out the element into her lungs. It’s all just left-of-center to ramp up the uneasy atmosphere threatening to consume its bride whole.
Because who is Celestina in all of this? Is she the focal point? Doesn’t seem like it considering all anyone wants to talk about is River (Leon Bridges) and how being his wife will either be the greatest thing since sliced bread or a curse that destroys her very identity—there is zero middle ground except from Cookie, being she’s on the other end of having experienced the highs and lows of embodying labels to her benefit and frustration. Is this a mistake? Has Celestina simply agreed to a new “job” that cements the “duties” she’s already been shouldering with a fresh air of necessity rather than desire?
Celestina is pushed and pulled through the room as River’s loquacious sisters project themselves upon her image, her childhood friends (led by Aida Osman’s Sabrina) question her every decision, and her mother (Sheryl Lee Ralph) judges the whole ordeal. River’s mother (Michaela Watkins) keeps him away to complete her to-do list. Celestina’s co-worker (Jon Rudnitsky) adds to the chores she’s already being forced to complete since no one wants to actually listen to her. And the world seems to be sabotaging every attempt at calm via brilliant prop use (the phones are a delight) and eerie cuts between the cacophony of reality and the silence of her mind.
It’s an exhilarating experience that presents the tug-of-war we all must endure to maintain a level of self within the communal “us” that’s born from the relationships we cultivate either through routine (family), choice (friends), necessity (career), or love (spouse). Clemons is fantastic, weaving in and out of the chaos to stand-up for herself despite the walls closing in. She’s looking into the potential mirrors of sisterhood, parenthood, and marriage, finding her place within those traditional conventions while refusing to let herself get trapped. Celestina does want this, but the “this” on her terms. The “this” of today without the expectations of tomorrow. Because tomorrow is no longer guaranteed.
- 8/10
Cinematic F-Bombs:
The cinematicfbombs.com experiment in sound has officially ended after receiving an email from Vimeo that my account would be deleted if I didn’t remove the clips—despite them not being accessible publicly. And even though YouTube does allow me to house them, they aren’t available in every country depending on copyright—rendering the embed a blank screen telling you to click over to YouTube.
The only reliable way to have the f-bomb scenes visible on the site is therefore to just stick to silent gifs. I’m going to still update each film’s page to the new layout and now add a YouTube link to view the video version (when available in your country) over there if you want.
So, I might go back to adding new titles weekly since there’s no rush to make the site fully sound anymore. I’ll just slowly upgrade and upload to YouTube while sticking to gifs as the site’s main vehicle moving forward.
Christian Bale dropping an f-bomb in FORD V FERRARI.
New Releases This Week:
(Review links where applicable)
Opening Buffalo-area theaters 5/31/24 -
BHAJE VAAYU VEGAM at Regal Transit
THE DEAD DON’T HURT at AMC Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
DEER CAMP ’86 at Regal Galleria
EZRA at Dipson Amherst & Capitol; AMC Maple Ridge; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
Thoughts are above.
GAM GAM GANESHA at Regal Elmwood
GARUDAN at Regal Elmwood
HAIKYU!! THE DUMPSTER BATTLE at North Park Theatre; AMC Maple Ridge; Regal Elmwood, Galleria & Quaker
Thoughts are above.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE at Dipson Capitol; AMC Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
Thoughts are above.
MR. AND MRS. MAHI at Regal Elmwood
SUMMER CAMP at Dipson Amherst, Flix & Capitol; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria & Quaker
Streaming from 5/31/24 -
A PART OF YOU – Netflix on 5/31
GASOLINE RAINBOW – MUBI on 5/31
JIM HENSON: IDEA MAN – Disney+ on 5/31
STOPMOTION – Shudder on 5/31
LET THE CANARY SING – Paramount+ on 6/4
THE PRINCE OF NONNA’S INHERITANCE – Netflix on 6/4
HOW TO ROB A BANK – Netflix on 6/5
UNDER PARIS – Netflix on 6/5
AM I OK? – Max on 6/6
BAKI HANMA VS KENGAN ASHURA – Netflix on 6/6
Now on VOD/Digital HD -
BOY KILLS WORLD (5/28)
CINDERELLA’S REVENGE (5/28)
THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED (5/28)
“Arnow structures the film as short vignettes stacked up. There's an idiosyncratic rhythm as a result that augments both the dry humor and threat of tedium. I do think Arnow does a good job keeping things fun, though.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
THE FIRST OMEN (5/28)
IRENA’S VOW (5/28)
NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE (5/28)
RICKY STANICKY (5/28)
TAROT (5/28)
BACKSPOT (5/31)
“BACKSPOT isn't necessarily treading new ground in revealing these truths, but it presents them in an effective, entertaining, and thoughtful way. The characters are very specifically depicted as kids, not young adults. That makes a huge difference.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.
GASOLINE RAINBOW (5/31)
GUY FRIENDS (5/31)
POOLMAN (5/31)
WHAT YOU WISH FOR (5/31)
THE YOUNG WIFE (5/31)
Thoughts are above.