[Review] Murder on the Orient Express

It's no secret that Hollywood is a prime culprit for producing remakes. But even the decision to revisit something like the whodunnit puzzle Murder on the Orient Express is a curious one from the get-go, especially considering that Agatha Christie's famous novel already experienced a pretty great on-screen adaptation with its 1974 version. But here we are...

All aboard the lavish train is the all-star cast of Daisy Ridley (in her first major role outside of The Force Awakens), Leslie Odom Jr., Penelope Cruz, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Sergei Polunin, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Olivia Coleman, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp (using another unidentifiable accent), and Michelle Pfeiffer. Things get tense when a passenger suddenly turns up stabbed to death, and all the characters in the coach are enlisted as suspects. On the case is Hercule Poirot (played by Kenneth Branagh), who proclaims himself as "Probably the greatest detective in the world." I like how he says "probably." It keeps him honest. Anyway, what unravels is a shifty-eyed murder mystery.

Branagh serves as director too, and to the film's credit, it's winsomely shot and it confidently achieves the old-fashioned mood and aesthetic its heading for. But narrative-wise, it has a difficult time building up much suspense or arriving at a compelling payoff, especially for those that have seen the original. It's an inherent problem, really. And the revamped cast is definitely a proven one, but with so many players involved, they all just kind of get shuffled into the mix, like cards in a deck vying for their moments at the top. Aside from Branagh (and his glorious mustache) standing out by default, Michelle Pfeiffer (who was also fantastic in mother! this year) impresses in the only other memorable role.

2017's Murder on the Orient Express is a faithful and fateful film... maybe a little too much. It's a competent remake, and exactly that. Nothing more. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if this thing had decided to deviate off the tracks.

( 6.5/10 )

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[Review] A Bad Moms Christmas

The Bad Moms are ringing again, and this time it's Christmas! Thankfully, this film's fun cast presents just enough spirit to decorate this middling comedy sequel with some joy.

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn return as the threesome of bad moms, and they're ready to
take on the stress of the season and pull off the perfect Christmas for their kids, and maybe even enjoy a little bit of it themselves. "Take Christmas back!" they say. "Put the 'ass' back in Christm-ass..." But things get even crazier when their own bad moms roll into town for the holidays, including the uptight and hard-to-please prude (played by Christine Baranski), the oversharing and overbearing care bear (Cherly Hines), and the freewheeling gambler (Susan Sarandon).

The cast is fully game, and they all bring a lot of life to to the festivities, even if their characters are a bit one-note. The film is stuffed with raunchy, brash, awkward, and self-deprecating humor. Not all of it will kiss your mistletoe, but it definitely has its moments, like the tension-filled dodgeball match at Skyzone, or the amusing scene at Hahn's character's spa when Justin Hartley (also known as Kevin from NBC's hit "This Is Us") comes in for a wax, and things get...close. Very close.

Not to anyone's surprise, but there isn't a whole lot of weight or focus to this thing. Most of the time, A Bad Moms Christmas feels like you're watching a montage-driven sitcom. And it's so overtly formulaic and the territory is so well-worn -- that if you've ever seen a Christmas movie or one about parental drama -- you can practically pin down every single story beat before it even arrives -- like, swifter than Santa.

( 5.5/10 )

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[Review] The Killing of a Sacred Deer

After 2016's bizarro The Lobster, provocative director Yorgos Lanthimos recruits Colin Farrell once again, along with Nicole Kidman (these two also starred together in this year's The Beguiled) for another beastily-titled film called The Killing of a Sacred Deer. It's a darkly comedic and disturbingly dour psychological drama that leaves a punishing, infectious mark.

Farrell plays Dr. Steven Murphy, an esteemed cardiovascular surgeon and family man who lives with his wife (Kidman), daughter (Raffey Cassidy), and son (Sunny Suljic). Everything is fairly normal until the boy of a former patient (played by Barry Keoghan, Dunkirk) begins to infiltrate Murphy's life in obsessively strange ways. And to go any further than that would be spoiler territory.

From the film's opening close-up of open-heart surgery, you know you're in for a doozy. A not for everyone type of flick. But even though it's challenging, it isn't the kind of thing to cause walk-outs. Personally, I was fully intrigued. The narrative perplexes and stuns, practically catching the audience like an actual deer in headlights. The unhinged tone is enough to make your own heart race, especially as the story steadily gets weirder and weirder, and weirder. The picture is shot with a sterile elegance -- the camerawork slowly glides and zooms with Kubrickian-like style, while the unnervingly high-pitched musical score cuts deep like a scalpel. The cast is solid all-around. Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman skillfully lock into a coldly deadpan mode, but it's Barry Keoghan who stands out in one of the most clinically creepy on-screen performances in recent memory.

But as The Killing of a Sacred Deer approached its end, I got the impression that there wasn't much meaning to any of it. While The Lobster was a symbolic and substantial examination of dystopian romance, this film is more of a hollow head-scratcher. But whether it's pointless or not -- it still gets under your skin.

( 7.5/10 )

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[Review] Wheelman

First there was Baby Driver, and now there's Wheelman -- a car chase crime-thriller on Netflix that's well worth the ride.

Frank Grillo plays the getaway driver. After a botched robbery, he receives a phone call from an Unknown number and an ominous voice begins giving him commands. From there, his situation spins out of control as he gets mixed up in a dangerous web of money, mobs, and shootouts.

In an interesting twist, the whole movie essentially takes place within the vehicle. It's like the Tom Hardy-starring Locke, but much more intense -- without being too overwhelming. The route is steadily paced with impeccable speed and timing, and director Jeremy Rush--with a name that's almost too rich to be true--incrementally ups the stakes and infuses a constant sense of unpredictability as the story takes some surprising turns. The car itself practically becomes a narrative catalyst with close-ups of screeching wheels, stops and shifts, flashing lights, and a (keen) use of mirrors. At times the camera even takes a backseat -- quite literally -- as its placed in the backseat of the car. This POV strategy makes it seem as if we're sitting in on the immediate madness.

Frank Grillo is perfectly cast and does an awesome job carrying the story mostly on his own. And the film clocks in at a fittingly swift 80 minutes. It's an exhilarating get in and get out.

( 8/10 )

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[Review] Marjorie Prime

Marjorie Prime is an intimate and low-key sci-fi drama that takes a thought-provoking look at one form of artificial intelligence and its effect on emotions.

Set in the advanced future where 3D computer technology has risen to stunningly sophisticated levels, this story focuses on a woman with dementia named Marjorie (Lois Smith) as she recounts her past with the help of her "Prime", which happens to be a life-like holographic recreation of the younger version of her deceased husband Walter (played by Jon Hamm).

Thematically, it's like Away From Her meets Blade Runner. The film moves at a slower place, and it's definitely on the quiet, non-flashy side, but it pulls you in with its pure elegance, intriguing vision, and deep examination of the memories, love, and loss. The film is actually less concerned with the technology itself or the potential benefits as well the problems and moral conundrums that can arise from such a thing -- and is instead more concerned about what it means to be human.

Unfortunately, some elements get lost in translation along the way, and the narrative focus shifts in frustrating ways. And my guess is that most audiences will find the film to be too confined and talky (it is based on a stageplay) for its own good. Still, Marjorie Prime has strong performances and is a fairly interesting portrayal of the world's ever-changing futurescape.

( 6.5/10 )

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