[Review] Fences

Death. Taxes. Baseball.

Denzel Washington directs and stars in Fences, a big screen adaptation of August Wilson's strikingly powerful stage play of the same name. The results? Pretty damned good, thanks to some excellent lead performances from Washington and Viola Davis.

1950s Pittsburgh. Troy (Washington) is a hardworking garbage collector with a weighty past. He also once was a talented baseball player, and depending on whom you ask, he was rejected by the Major Leagues either because of his age or color. The slow-burning story delves into his relationships with his wife Rose (Davis), estranged grown-up son Lyons (Russell Hornsby), his mentally impaired brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson), his longtime best friend Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and his high school aged son Cory (Jovan Adepo), who's being scouted for college football.

Now, the film definitely feels like watching a stage play. It's packed with heavy, longwinded rants of dialogue and it all takes place in minimal, contained locations. But August Wilson's words are so strong. So very strong that Fences still compels with its deeply developed characters, its snappy and loaded subtexts, its sharp lean on symbolism and metaphors, and its narrative of rich themes like race, class, family, and duty. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are absolutely stunning (no surprise there). This is an environment made for them to thrive in. The duo engages in a handful of intensely emotional scenes together where you might find yourself thinking, "Yep, Oscar nominations..."

Troy Maxson is a character that leaves such a haunting impression, as he walks a chalk-dusted line between noble hero and problematic villain. He's remarkably flawed, complicated, and he wears his mistakes on his sleeve. He's as funny and playful as he is mean and stubborn. He's both wise and head-scratching. Charismatic and clumsy. And even tragic. As the film progresses, it becomes harder and harder to stick by his side, especially considering the way his actions affect his family. But I was still in awe as I witnessed Denzel's committed, flesh and blood portrayal of such a boldly complex character. And as Troy himself would say, "What law is there saying I got to like you?"

* 8.5/10 *

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[Review] La La Land

"Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem..."

My heart aches, but I LOVED this movie.

After the breakout, drum-driven Whiplash, talented director Damien Chazelle goes for a full-on musical with La La Land. It's a passionate love letter to the joys and pains of Tinseltown. An exuberant homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood. A stylish CinemaScope marvel. It's as unabashedly vintage as it is rejuvenating. As escapist and surreal as it is genuine and now.

Setting the stage is a brightly jubilant opening number amidst L.A.'s infamous traffic (the sequence garnered cheers from the audience during my showing). From there, over the span of four seasons, we follow the blossoming romance of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress who, yes--works at a coffee shop, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a struggling jazz musician. While the film takes place in the smart phone present, it recalls the spirit of classic musicals from the '40s, '50s, and '60s like Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin' in the Rain, and The Music Man. It's a glorious fusion of time and panache.

Every frame: Gorgeous. Every song: Wonderful. Between the glowing splash of primary colors, the rich layers of sounds, the starry spotlight illuminations, the waltz-y camerawork, and the gleeful dance choreography, La La Land is the epitome of an elaborate production. It's enchanting. It's magical. And it's incredibly delightful to the eyes and ears. The film's main leads Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have an undeniable chemistry (it's their third film together!). Gosling is endlessly charming, capturing an old-fashioned eagerness. His vocal delivery is nasally and imperfect, but it's forgivable. It's human. Stone often steals the show with her immense magnetism, big beaming green eyes, wide range of emotions, and impressively good singing voice. It's the stuff made for Oscars.

But La La Land is not all sunshine and smiles. Beneath all the glitz and glamour is a swirling tone of sadness. The nostalgia for bygone eras and dying genres... The closing of landmark theaters... The push-and-pull between holding onto tradition or changing with the times... The relationship strains and harsh ironies that arise from diverging career paths... The conflicts in chasing your fantasies, sacrificing your values, or settling into "the real world"...  The hurt and heartbreak of rejection...

However, there's also the perks of perseverance, the importance of an uplifting nudge (or a "Honk"), and the power of dreams. In La La Land, the best endings aren't always happy--they're bittersweet.

* 10/10 *

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[Review] Things to Come

Isabelle Huppert gives a ravishing performance in Mia Hansen-Løve's Things to Come, a fresh and adept character study of latter-life changes.

Nathalie (Isabelle Huppert) is a passionate philosophy teacher, married with two kids, and doing her best to keep her ailing mother from going off the deep end. One unassuming day, her longtime husband tells her that he's leaving for another woman. What a jerk! From here, Nathalie navigates how to move forward. There's pains, but also newfound freedom. "I'm taking it very well," she says.

The film comes with a talky sense of realism. There's a lot of navel gazing and food for thought--while the characters literally eat food. I'll be honest, this isn't the most cinematic or engrossing stuff to see on the big screen. However, the film deserves appreciation for its portrait of a character that isn't usually explored in this way. Nathalie refuses to wallow in self-pity. No woe is me montages... No tearful breakdowns... She even takes a chance on new opportunities. Isabelle Huppert plays it with a flawless reserve, and by the end of the film, we feel like we've gotten to know an actual person.

Things to Come is a rich snapshot, drifting along--just like life. Oh, and there's an awesome cat.

( 7.5/10 )

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[Review] American Honey

Youth. Rebellion. Crime. Lust. Dreams. In many respects, Andrea Arnold's brash, raw, and vibrant American Honey plays like a modern-day Easy Rider--but with teenagers and a lot more rap music.

Star (Sasha Lane) is an 18-year-old hoping to break free from her troubled home situation. On a whim, she joins a door-to-door magazine sales crew, led by a smooth-talker and possible psychopath named Jake (Shia Labeouf, sporting a ratty ponytail that someone should call Pest Control on). The pack of rowdy, scummy, and impoverished youngsters set out on a road trip of hustling and hardcore partying across the heart of the US. Newcomer Sasha Lane shines with her central performance as the group's conflicted moral compass who's still desperately in search for a new way of life.

American Honey is one of those rare films that manages to feel mesmerizingly surreal and vividly authentic at the same time. Beautifully lit and filmed under sunrise and sunset colors, the picture is presented in a squarish aspect ratio, rather than the usual widescreen views. But instead of conveying narrowness or confinement, the handheld camera captures an epic sense of intimacy, as well as a clear-eyed focus on slyly symbolic views of nature: A bee staying afloat in a swimming pool. A jumping spider zipping across a crayon drawing. A school of tadpoles on the verge of transforming. Then there's the scene of the squad cruising through a very wealthy neighborhood, ogling at MTV Cribs-style homes that don't even fit in the frame. It's depressing. It's hopeful. It's inherently plotless. It's contradictory and problematic--but in an observant it is what it is sort of way, similar to the gaze of 2014's Rich Hill documentary or a Viceland look at under-the-belly countercultures.

The film flaunts a vital diegetic soundtrack that becomes a star in its own right, whether it's enriching the themes, tapping into the zeitgeist, or sounding just plain wonderful. The anthemic splendor of Rihanna singing "We found love in a hopeless place" as Star and Jake first lock eyes in a K-Mart. The early morning motivation of Kevin Gates' "Out the Mud". E-40's boastful "Choices". The change of pace that comes with "Recharge & Revolt" by The Raveonettes as the Star rises out of a sunroof against the backdrop of city lights. The straight-up party jams of Rae Sremmurd and Migos.
There's even a Bruce Springsteen croon for good measure: "C'mon we gotta keep the fire burnin', c'mon dream baby dream."

* 9/10 *

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[Review] Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

"Rebellions are built on hope."

The extravaganza levels sure do skyrocket whenever a new Star Wars film releases into theaters, don't they? The latest installment is Rogue One, a sweeping side-story that operates as a lead-up to 1977's A New Hope. It's technically the first "standalone" film in the anthology. No iconic opening crawl. No screen wipes. However, the events are very much an integral piece of the whole. And while the film isn't an absolute triumph, it's undoubtedly a thrilling and crowd-pleasing blast of a blockbuster.

Meet Jyn (Felicity Jones, a great lead), a scrappy maverick who's developed a knack for defying orders and doing things her own way, which of course makes her character all the more intriguing. After some chance meetings and jailbreaks, she teams with Rebel officer Andor (Diego Luna), blind warrior Chirrut (Donnie Yen, purveyor of the already famous "I am one with the force, and the force is with me" line--which will probably get mixed up several times in the future.), heavy artillery wielder Baze (Jieng Wen), and cargo pilot Bodhi (Riz Ahmed). The rugged crew sets out to retrieve the plans in order to blow up the Death Star. And in operatic fashion, Jyn's own father (Mads Mikkelsen) is the keeper of the superweapon's secrets (I promise that's not a spoiler), as he's unwillingly been taken in by director of destruction, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn getting his villainy on).

The beginning involves a lot choppy of planet-hopping. But at least it's some interesting planet-hopping, immersing us into the vivid textures of the landscapes, and the eccentric production design, costumes, and creatures of this universe that we've come to know and love. Once the narrative finds its true path, the film launches into an elaborate heist mission containing loads of heavy exposition followed by grand spectacles of chaotic space combat (I mean, this is a Star Wars movie). And when the picture isn't shrouded in shadows, Rogue One proves to be one of the more visually striking films in the series--from the ethereal skies to the shots of the brooding Lord of the Rings-esque towers (I was almost waiting for Saruman's beard to pop out from somewhere). Speaking of darkness, the tone is mostly on the serious side this time around, even though the spunky K-2SO droid provides a source of comic relief, delivering plenty of chuckle-worthy wisecracks along the way.

Just like J.J. Abrams did with last year's spirited The Force Awakens, director Gareth Edwards (who's responsible for the fairly well-received Godzilla reboot) makes sure to give the fans what they want here, leaving little room for any colossal disappointments--even if there's a bit of a retread factor. Personally, I enjoyed the nostalgic nods and the connective tissue to films of the past (if you pay close attention, you can spot unused footage from original trilogy). I'll also go ahead and say that seeing Donnie Yen take out a squad of Stormtroopers by himself with nothing but a staff is worth the price of admission alone. And as the trailers hinted, there's even some good ol' Darth Vader action. At one point, he utters a polarizing pun (I'm still trying to decide if I like it or not). Dialogue beef aside, the film's biggest flaw is that the ensemble of characters aren't developed very deeply, and we don't totally sense their bonds or camaraderie as much as we'd like to, because they're thrust into action so quickly. That said, it's still cool to see such a diverse and charismatic group on screen together.

Rogue One ultimately ends up being a worthy addition to the Star Wars cannon. It's a tale of sacrifice, trust, and joining forces against seemingly insurmountable evils. That's certainly something to root for.

* 8.5/10 *

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