[Review] 1917

War is an unforgiving hellscape of horrors and tragedy, and Sam Mendes’ tumultuous and riveting 1917 brings us directly into the fiery muck. 

The plot focuses in on a pair of British soldiers (played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) as they’re ordered to deliver an important message to another battalion while finding one of their brothers — all before the morning dawns. 

Commendably, the film develops in real time and sustains the appearance of one continuous, unbroken shot (like 2014’s Birdman, but with much more death). Not only is this an impressive feat, but it also adds a major sense of urgency to the events. It’s intense and immersive. Gritty and uncompromising. There are treks through sprawling trenches of mud and despair, risky journeys across fields of dead bodies and landmines, and harrowing fights for survival amidst perilous shootouts and explosive battles.

The cinematography is stunning and it’s bombarded with potent scene after potent scene. There’s a particularly haunting nighttime sequence where the main character frantically runs for his life under dilapidated structures, and the only light to guide him is the flares of bombs. The battlefields look like a “Walking Dead”-esque dystopia, with bleak grey skies and rough terrains of dour browns—as if the soldiers are trudging through the shit on multiple levels. 

George MacKay gives a great performance at the center of it all. This is as much a strenuous hero’s journey as it is horror film set on the frontlines of war. But for all the chaos that comes with the territory, the majority of 1917 thrives on quietly devastating  moments and emotional turmoil that’s as heavy as the gear the these soldiers carry on their backs.

Throughout the film, there are symbolic images of beautiful white Cherry Blossoms blooming in the fields, and all you can do is hope that they don’t end up covered in blood. 

* 9/10 *

Fade to Zach’s Top 15 Films of 2019 (in Haiku form)

In no particular order...

The Farewell

Sometimes secrets and

Hidden goodbyes transcend to

Universal truths

Avengers: Endgame 

Ultimate showdown

The climax of an era

Effin’ fantastic 

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Shooting and slashing 

Yeah, John Wick is on a horse 

I’m thinking he’s back 

Midsommar

Flowers and horror

Cults under burning sun 

Oh damn, a bear suit

Hustlers 

Keen stripper saga 

Swings and spins around a web

Of dangers and tricks 

Parasite 

Biting social class 

Genre experiment with 

Precise dissection 

Uncut Gems

Wow, Adam Sandler

Kills it as a fraught gambler 

Living on the edge

Knives Out

Twists on top of twists

A shifty-eyed whodunnit

As sharp as they come

Joker 

Dark decent into

Disturbing madness and you  

Just can’t look away  

Jojo Rabbit

Bold and affecting 

Tragicomedy with a

Fluffy heart of gold

The Peanut Butter Falcon 

This real fairytale 

Converges friendship and fate

Like a delta stream 

The Irishman 

Sprawling mob epic

Reclines back and ruminates  

With a cast of GOATS 

Marriage Story

Of messes and kin 

Closed chapters and open wounds

Emotions run raw 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The exciting end

To a glowing trilogy 

The force never leaves 

Little Women

Great stories told with 

The warmth of a crackling fire

Framed and bound with love

[Review] Little Women

Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chalamet make up the magnificent cast in director Greta Gerwig’s compassionate and appreciative retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women. 

Set in Civil War New England, the timeless plot revolves around the March sisters and their family trials and tribulations, personal ambitions, potential romances, and life complications. 

There’s a certain type of film that falls into the “What a lovely film” category and Little Women is definitely one of them. The story waltzes and twirls along with wonderfully likable and well-drawn characters. Greta Gerwig carefully and lovingly orchestrates the classic material with the warmth of a crackling fire amidst the dead of winter. The film is beautifully shot with winsome period costuming against the lush backdrops of old-fashioned country homes and handsome landscapes. There are so many exquisite images in this film that you could slide into a picture frame and set it upon the mantel. The musical score flows with elegant keys and delightful flourishes that make piano dust dance. 

The chemistry between the cast is superb, and the performances are great all around. Like she did in films like Brooklyn and Lady Bird, Saoirse Ronan impressively leads the way and embodies the central character of “Jo” with depth, dimension, and remarkable emotional range, proving that she is indeed one of the best actresses of her generation. Florence Pugh gives a stellar supporting performance as Amy, the spitfire sister extravagant tastes. Timothée Chalamet is terrific as the close family friend “Teddy” in a charming, heart-on-sleeve turn. 

Little Women is endearing cinema at its finest. It’s a thoughtful exploration of sisterhood, artistic craft, and getting what you want out of life. At one point, Laura Dern’s character declares “Pretty things should be enjoyed.” That’s certainly true about this film. 

* 9/10 *

[Review] Uncut Gems

Following their grimy breakout crime-thriller Good Time, Benny and Josh Safdie throw down their bets on Uncut Gems, a high-stakes rush that features a dramatic tour de force performance from — yes — Adam Sandler.

Sandler plays a wheeling, dealing jeweler and degenerate gambler who somehow probably even owes God money. When he concocts a scheme involving an imported opal from Ethiopia, a pawned NBA championship ring, and an insane sporting bet, he finds himself in an absolute mess. 

It’s a jackpot of engrossing chaos that grips hold and never lets up. It’s a cinematic panic attack that shatters glass and lives on the edge. It’s a neon and blacklight soaked rollercoaster ride that goes off the rails and crashes into a torrent of dooming synths.

The film sizzles and sprints with frenetic energy, while escalating at every turn and questionable decision. It sustains that frantic pace and heart-pounding exhilaration over the course of 130 minutes. Just when you think Howard can’t dig himself any deeper — he does. There are so many moments here that will make you put your hands on top of your head and shake no. Howard is the type of guy that you look at and think “I’m glad that’s not me.” Along the way, we witness him get shaken down at a middle school play, wind up naked in the trunk of a Mercedes, and engage in a physical altercation with R&B artist The Weeknd — and that’s only scratching the surface! 

Adam Sandler is terrific here, proving that he can anchor a serious role with convincing heft and make the right material pop with impressive precision. He embodies this character with unshakeable sleaze and a sense of desperation that could excavate an entire city. He truly deserves an Oscar nomination for this role. Lakeith Stanfield, Edina Menzel, Julia Fox, and NBA legend Kevin Garnett (who’s surprisingly great in a very significant role - Anything is possible, KG!) round out the stellar supporting cast. 

By the end of Uncut Gems I was sweating and sitting at the edge of my seat. It’s only after the credits roll when you can finally catch your breath, and even then — all bets are off. 

* 9/10 *

[Review] Cats

We came. We saw. We suffered.

Only the deepest, darkest depths of the netherworld could hack up a hairball as wretched as the new Cats movie. 

It’s atrocious. It’s horrifying. It’s appalling. 

None of this makes any sense. The plot is that there is no plot. All we really know is that the group of cats are called Jellicles and they’re competing for a shot at reincarnation or something, and considering how unbelievably horny and sexualized this thing is, they might as well be called Testicles. Rails are straddled, legs are spread, and hairy private parts are thrust across the screen like some sort of furry fever dream.

There’s something inherently creepy and disturbing about the rendering of the humanoid cats. It’s the stuff of nauseating nightmares. The set designs and colors look like a unicorn had an aggressive bout of diarrhea and decided to use the entire town as a toilet. The motion-capture and visual effects look like what would happen if a Snapchat filter became possessed by an evil spirit. 

And then there’s the hysterical combination of how the cast is genuinely going for it and how stupid they all actually look. An emotionally-charged Jennifer Hudson plays it dead-serious, singing like all 9 of her lives depend on it, and it’s hilarious. It’s just hard to take someone seriously when they’re belting out their lungs with twitchy cat ears on top of their head, superimposed whiskers, and a drip of snot that seems to randomly alternate between each nostril like a game of Whack-a-Mole. 

James Corden just spouts about being fat and tries so desperately hard to be funny that it’s pathetic. Will he make fun of himself on his late-night show? Rebel Wilson’s baffling scene of her being awakened to scratch her crotch, flop around, unzip her skin, and eat a line of humanoid cockroaches is something that no one should ever have to witness. Of mice and monstrosities. Judi Dench looks like she’s forgotten where she is or what she’s doing half the time. Jason Derulo over-acts like he’s somehow on an episode of The Masked Singer and Dancing with the Stars at the same time. And after this, that might be his only fate. Taylor Swift pops in for a wannabe showstopper that falls flatter than the bottom of a litter box. The only thing she proves is that her voice isn’t meant for musicals. Her character sprinkling catnip onto the other cats and putting them into a daze is fitting on multiple levels, because altering one’s state of mind might be the only way to convince people that this isn’t an absolute disaster.

Most embarrassing is Idris Elba. It’s a performance that’s so bad that it makes his turn in Obsessed look like a masterclass. It’s a performance that’s so bad that you’ll never be able to rewatch “The Wire” the same way ever again. 

There are so many questions that this film raises. Why do the cats have clear human hands? Where does the chosen one actually go? What is Gandalf doing here?

What’s so mind blowing is that this is a film that actually got made. Someone watched a final cut of this thing and thought “Yep, it’s good to go.”

I wanted to gouge my eyes out, but at the same time I couldn’t look away, except for when I made sure to locate the emergency exits in case I had to make a run for it.

This is the kind of movie that should be recalled from the market. It’s the E. Coli-tainted lettuce of films. This is the kind of movie that we have to warn future generations about. If aliens ever found out that this is something our civilization created, we’d be doomed. 

There’s just no way to wipe it out of your memory. There’s no rewinding back. 

I thought about my own real cats, and how they’d hate to be associated with this movie. I thought about the night, and whether I’d ever be able to sleep again. I thought about what it would be like to live in a post-Cats world, and how nothing would ever be the same. 

When the credits rolled, my wife and I looked at each other - speechless. A new day has begun. And I’m afraid. Very afraid.

( 0/10 )