[Review] The Meddler

Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, and J.K. Simmons are the spunky cast in The Meddler, an indie dramedy that's a great companion piece to this year's post-midlife crisis romp Hello, My Name is Doris.

The nosey, recently widowed Marnie (Sarandon) has just relocated in LA to hover over her daughter Lori (Byrne, awesome as always). The TMI-slinger constantly bursts into Lori's house announced, mines for personal details, and sends her at least 100 text messages a day. Basically, she needs a hobby. But unfortunately for Lori, the hobby Marnie chooses involves playing matchmaker.

Marnie's intrusive audacity makes us squirm and provokes secondhand embarrassment, but we have to believe it's part of some grieving, overprotective process. (At one point, she asks Lori to let her know whenever she goes somewhere and when she gets home--after seeing a story about a serial killer on TV.) So, along with the poignant undertones and emotional beats, there's plenty of juicy and awkward comedy to be found here--whether it's a slapstick sequence where Marnie shoves clumps of Marijuana into her mouth before being pulled over by the cops, her baby boomer antics with new technology, or the running gag of the soaring Beyonce ballad that plays on repeat in her car.

Around the midpoint, Marnie becomes interested in a charming fellow named Zipper (J.K. Simmons). I thought the story might take on an Enough Said scenario (a wonderful film that you should check out if you haven't), but writer-director Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) never spends too much time on any of the multiple subplots. However, this is a fitting choice given the spirit of Marnie--making The Meddler a scattered yet delightful and magnificently performed character study on love, loss, and attempting new things amid changing times. At age 69, Susan Sarandon has never been better.

( 8/10 )

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[Review] Mia Madre

Margherita Buy is a solid force in Nanni Moretti's sorrow and humor filled melodrama, Mia Madre. But it's John Turturro's comical turn that keeps things afloat and eventually steals the show.

Margherita is a meticulous, no-nonsense film director. But any control over her personal life begins to unravel when she's forced to deal with her mother's deteriorating health and poor prognosis. If that isn't difficult enough, an American actor played by John Turturro comes aboard for Margherita's latest film, and the guy is an absolute nightmare on set (which is actually really entertaining).

It's slowly-paced and un-engaging at times, but the second half displays some nicely emotional moments. The hospital scenes with Margherita and her mother are certainly poignant, as are the ones of her attempting reconnect with her own daughter. In a contrast to that, the film's humor escalates when Margherita and Turturro's tense Director/Actor relationship finally hits the fan in a hilarious scene where Turturro stops and yells "This dialogue is SHIT!" and then goes on to brag about how he's worked for Stanley Kubrick--only to have Margherita fire the proclamations back in his face.

Mia Madre ("My Mother" in case you haven't brushed up on your Italian) is a decent if somewhat minor exploration of the different shades of maternal ties, as well as the tough act of balancing a career when the messiness of life (and death) hits. Also, filmmakers and performers; they're nuts!

( 6.5/10 )

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[Review] Mechanic: Resurrection

First off, this movie is terrible. However, there's still quite a bit to enjoy about it. If that doesn't make sense, well, that's because nothing in Mechanic: Resurrection really makes sense. But if you want to see Jason Statham slam a guy's face into a flaming hot grill and then leap onto a passing hang-glider from a sky ride, then this is for you... as long as you can nap through all the painfully underwhelming parts.

A few years after the events of 2011's The Mechanic, Jason Statham returns as the cold-blooded, globetrotting assassin. This time around, he needs to save the love of his life (Jessica Alba, in utter damsel in distress mode). He's also tasked with taking out several more corrupt villains that he must frame as accidents, one of which includes an eccentric arms dealer played by Tommy Lee Jones.

Tommy Lee Jones' aesthetic of loud patterns, flamboyant shades, and a notably aggressive soul patch might be worth the price of admission alone. That said, the dialogue here is so stilted that it'd probably be better if this were a silent film. The extended non-action scenes where Jason Statham isn't busy murking somebody are a complete bore. (Statham doesn't seem too thrilled by them either.)

Jason Statham and Jessica Alba's lack of chemistry is almost laughable, especially because the filmmakers somehow thought people came to see a "love story". This whole plot could've been axed and nothing of value would be lost. In fact, the movie itself is just way longer than it needs to be. And while the major setpieces are good and violent and packed with patented Statham brawls, they're too few and far between. The intense combat sequence / throwaway scene ratio is very non-satisfactory.

( 4/10 )

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[Review] The Phenom

Ethan Hawke, Paul Giamatti, and Johnny Simmons star in this low-key, unconventional flick that involves baseball--but isn't really about baseball. In fact, there's hardly a single pitch thrown.

The Phenom scouts the tendencies of a major league pitcher named Hopper Gibson (Johnny Simmons) whose anxiety causes him to hit a wall on and off the field. He's then sent down to the minors where he begins therapy sessions with a sports psychologist (played by Paul Giamatti). Turns out, many of his issues stem from his overbearing "piece of work" father (Ethan Hawke).

Hawke is beyond scummy here as a mentally abusive macho dude, donning a crew cut and trashy tattoos that stick out of his unbuttoned shirt. We definitely dislike the guy, but Hawke plays the part incredibly well. His chops are so riveting that he completely steals the show. Simmons is solid at the center, while Giamatti is believable in a role that surprisingly doesn't call for his trademark yell.

The film is a meditative slow-burn, rooted in underlying drama and character studies. It also poses some thought-provoking questions about types of upbringing, pressure, mental health, success and happiness (or lack of), as well as the inner-workings of the unique lives that professional athletes lead. The headiness is driven home with stylized zoom-ins and sequences with red tunnel vision.

No motivational speeches or heroic homeruns amidst flashing lights will be found here, but audiences searching for a decent curveball (sorry) may want to give The Phenom a shot.

( 7/10 )

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[Review] Blood Father

Iconic actor and general maniac Mel Gibson makes a grizzled return in the uneven but entertainingly brutal Blood Father.

Within the bronze desert rust, we meet the M.I.A. Lydia (Erin Moriarty) who has been dragged into her boyfriend's drug cartel activities. After she gets into some deep shit, she calls upon her estranged father--a tough ex-con tattoo artist battling alcoholism (played by Gibson). The two troubled souls reunite and go on the run, while Feds and gangsters are coming straight for their heads.

Early on, the film has a rough time establishing a consistent tone. Its serious edge gets interrupted with some flat attempts at humor and embarrassing dialogue. During an awkward scene where Lydia is high as a kite and horribly playing a clarinet, she actually says "You must be tone deaf." The script also seems to have completely disregarded the 'show don't tell' strategy, as it contains a couple redundantly expository scenes of Lydia just telling her dad long stories about how she ended up where she is. Even worse--one of the stories she tells is what happened in the opening scene of the movie, so we've literally already seen the dang thing. With all that said, there are some amusingly memorable lines that cut through the nonsense, like when Mel Gibson yells "I'll see you on the inside you chickenshit motherfucker!"

An odd bunch of characters make up the supporting cast, but unfortunately they don't add much. William H. Macy plays Gibson's sponsor, and he's a bit too campy. Thomas Mann from Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is an oblivious motel worker and it's just bland and disappointing. Grungy southern gothic regular Dale Dickey (Winter's Bone, "Justified") makes an appearance, and the film really could've used more of her. Michael Parks plays a raspy white supremacist, and he gives a cheesy heavy-handed midpoint monologue about not running away from your problems that concludes with "Can you dig it?" I would've only accepted that line if Shaq was saying it.

As flawed and ridiculous (the not-good ridiculous) as this thing is, the unflinching hardcore action is enough to make you roll with the bad stretches. A wicked escape sequence from a Sicario-occupied motel is a particular highlight. There's also a shootout in the barrens that might bring about "Breaking Bad" flashbacks. And the last 15 minutes pack some hellacious, pulpy mayhem that I won't spoil.

Erin Moriarty was pretty good in a small part during this year's Captain Fantastic, but here she brings a Lifetime-y essence that's frankly cringeworthy to watch. As for Mel, he's solid as a rock here. It's an ideally gruff yet hearty role for him. One might even view it as a referential redemption plot. Maybe.

( 7/10 )


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