Review: The Life of Chuck

Image courtesy of Neon.

There aren't that many films I would describe as special and even fewer I'd call profound, but Mike Flanagan's "The Life of Chuck" - which is based on a Stephen King novella of the same name - manages to be both. I'm tempted to not describe too much about the film's plot because I think viewers should go into it knowing as little as possible.

Suffice it to say, it's a film in three acts, although movements might be a better word to describe its three parts, especially considering the importance that music and rhythm play in the picture. On its surface, the film's latter two sections involve chapters from the life of Chuck Krantz, an accountant whose existence seems by all measures not exactly extraordinary. 

The first section - which is really the final chapter as the film goes backward in time - may or may not be some sort of pre-apocalyptic story involving a handful of characters who are baffled about signs popping up around their town celebrating Chuck's 39 years, and they assume it must have to do with his retirement from his job. Meanwhile, the internet stops working and soon afterward the cable channels. Part of California has crumbled into the sea, while other parts of the world are burning. The end, as they say, appears nigh.

The first section's primary protagonists are a teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor, great as always) and his ex (Karen Gillan) who decide that with the end possibly near, the persons with whom they'd like to spend their last moments are each other. In between their final scenes together, Ejiofor takes part in some lovely and fascinating conversations with the townspeople about lost hopes and dreams, the nature of the universe, and many other things.

Many films barely have a perspective at all, but "The Life of Chuck" is bursting with ideas. The joy of dance faces off against the love of math, of all things, and both are given room for the wonder they instill. Carl Sagan's concepts of the universe make an appearance and a famous quote by Walt Whitman - "I am large, I contain multitudes" - gets a lot of mileage here.

The second section of the film is just a fleeting moment in Krantz's life and contains one of the most joyous dance numbers of recent memory. Tom Hiddleston is terrific as Chuck in middle age. As this brief section winds down, audiences may likely have little idea where it's all going, but each section is a piece of a puzzle that provides depth for its final section.

The third and longest section is set during the childhood of Chuck (portrayed by a buoyant Benjamin Pajak), who lives with his grandparents, Sarah (Mia Sara) and Albie (Mark Hamill), who raise him as their own after his parents die. I don't want to say much more, other than all three sections are significant to the overall picture here and they come together beautifully by the film's end, which reminded me - oddly enough - of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

The film ranks among the greatest adaptations of King's works - which include "The Shining," "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "Carrie." Few directors have been able to successfully translate King's work to the screen as Flanagan, who has also directed adaptations of "Doctor Sleep" and "Gerald's Game."  

"The Life of Chuck" plays with apocalyptic scenarios, but it's not science fiction, and there's sort of a ghost story, but it's far from a horror movie. It tiptoes to the line of sentimentality but avoids it and achieves pathos instead. It's ultimately a simple story when you break down the narrative, but it's thematically rich and open to interpretation. And yes, it contains multitudes. 

Review: The Phoenician Scheme

Image courtesy of Focus Features.

After two back-to-back films that rank among his best, Wes Anderson's latest, the short and breezy "The Phoenician Scheme," is more of a lark - a minor film, albeit an enjoyable one. The picture is, as always, loaded down with numerous returning cast members, an impeccably just-so mise en scene, and some of the themes one would expect from an Anderson film.

It is, nevertheless, after the structurally and otherwise inventive - but also underrated - "The French Dispatch" and the profound "Asteroid City," a more lightweight affair, despite being slightly more violent and obsessed with death than your typical Anderson film.

The movie follows the travails and exploits of Zsa Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), who has just survived his sixth plane crash and assassination attempt. The year is 1950 and Korda, a businessman and all-around schemer, is in the midst of a massive deal, albeit one without slave labor or detriment to the environment, something on which he prides himself and an indication that his previous deals have been less than above-board. 

The details of the project are too labyrinthine and absurd to describe in detail, but more important to the film is Korda's other big plan - to name an heir in light of the multiple attempts on his life. But rather than picking one of the numerous young boys - some sired by Korda, others adopted - living in his home where he conducts business, he chooses his estranged daughter, a nun named Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who has a score to settle with her father due to rumors that he may have been involved in her mother's death.

Much of the film involves Korda and Liesl, who agrees to sign on as heir on a "trial basis," traveling to various corners of the world to convince his financial backers to provide more funding for his project. These include a Middle Eastern prince (Riz Ahmed), basketball fanatic brothers played by Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston, a French nightclub owner named Marseilles Bob (Mathieu Amalric), an American military man (Jeffrey Wright), and a cousin (Scarlett Johansson). Last on the list is Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), who looks like a Russian czar and whom Korda blames for Leisl's mother's death.

Much like many other films in Anderson's oeuvre - but especially "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums," and "Asteroid City" - "The Phoenician Scheme" involves one of Anderson's longstanding fixations - relationships between either estranged parents and children or younger characters struggling against father figures. Much of it is played for humor in his latest picture, but it ends on a note of subtle warmth.

Overall, "The Phoenician Scheme" is more of a trifle, which might be due to the fact that his two most recent films - "Asteroid City" and "The French Dispatch" - were such high points in the director's career, the former being an insightful and profound take on our place in the universe that left me thinking about it for days. In comparison, his latest is more laid back and less heavy.

But it's still a good time. The cast is, not surprisingly, great, especially Del Toro in his first lead role in an Anderson film and Michael Cera as Bjorn, the Swedish tudor of Korda's children who has a few tricks and secrets up his sleeve. The production design is impeccable, the film is funny in the way that most Anderson movies are, and the director as always manages to squeeze a whole lot into a short running time. It might not be among his finest works - I'd place it somewhere in the same vicinity "Moonrise Kingdom" - but it's imaginative and enjoyable.

Review: Bring Her Back

Image courtesy of A24.

Australian filmmaking brothers Danny and Michael Philippou's first two gruesome features focus on characters who are grieving and ultimately find themselves mixed up in body horror stories involving supernatural elements. I thought their first film, "Talk to Me," was a little overrated, but mostly good, whereas their latest, the grim and gloomy "Bring Her Back," is just overrated.

The film follows two siblings - Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) - as they find themselves in the foster care system after discovering their father dead in the shower. It is suggested that the hulking Andy was traumatized by his experiences with his father and previously found himself in some trouble, while Piper, who is blind, was the favored child and Andy's stepsister. There seems to be some question as to whether he'll successfully be able to gain custody of her when he turns 18.

The two land in the home of Laura (Sally Hawkins), a former social worker who lost her daughter, also blind, some time before in an accident. Laura comes off as warm and inviting, a goofy individual who likes to blast music in the house, curses off the bat in front of Andy and Piper, and even gives in to Andy's request to allow them to take some whiskey shots.

There's also an unexplainable presence in the house - a young boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) who will not speak, has a shaved head, and a bruise of some sort underneath his eye. Andy never seems to get the response he wants when enquiring about Oliver's backstory. 

Not too long after they have been staying at Laura's, some odd things occur. Andy starts wetting himself and we later discover a nefarious explanation. At every turn, Laura appears to undermine Andy in front of Piper, reminding him that her report on their relationship could make or break his efforts to later be her guardian.

Much like after a particularly memorable gruesome sequence in "Talk to Me" - a scene involving a younger sibling playing a deadly game - things go haywire in this movie after a nauseatingly gruesome sequence in which Andy tries to feed Oliver some melon. From there, things get more disturbing.

There's a lot going on in "Bring Her Back" and, truth be told, there's insignificant explanation for much of it. The filmmakers continually show clips of some sort of ritual involving a cult that become increasingly grotesque, but the role they play in the film's story is nebulous to a frustrating degree. There are also numerous scenes of horrific body horror gore involving children and most of them appear to exist solely to shock.

Hawkins, a great multitalented actor, convincingly portrays Laura as a person whose grief turns monstrous, and Barratt and Wong are both solid as the children unfortunate enough to be in her care. But one of my quibbles about "Talk to Her" was that, though impressive in many respects, it ultimately didn't add up to more than just being a decent horror movie. "Bring Her Back" is more extreme in this respect: It's unrelentingly gruesome and grief is clearly an important element of the story, but it mostly feels skin deep - which might seem like a bad pun considering how much flesh is torn in this picture.

The Philippou brothers are obvious talents - "Talk to Me" was, if nothing else, a series of impressive set pieces - but they have taken a step back here. "Bring Her Back" ultimately left me cold. It's the feel bad movie of the summer and while it puts its audience through the ringer, there's little payoff to make the experience feel worthwhile.

Review: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

If you're thinking that a film about a love-averse bookshop employee who adores Jane Austen, but avoids romance, and is invited to spend a week at Austen's home for a writer's workshop where she'll most likely find love sounds like the setup to a corny early 2000s rom com, I won't fault you. But you'd be wrong.

"Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" involves the aforementioned scenario but its lead character is Frenchwoman Agathe (Camille Rutherford) and its take on the literature-inspired romantic comedy is more French than Hollywood and, therefore, a little more risque and a sharper-than-average film of this sort.

Agathe is prompted to attend the workshop by best friend Felix (Pablo Pauly), a possible romantic interest, after he comments on the gloomy state in which she's been since she recovered from a car accident that claimed her parents' lives. Her sister, Mona (Alice Butaud), thinks that the getaway will do Agathe good and comments that she needs some attention from the opposite sex.

While the film starts out as a fish-out-of-water comedy - Agathe thrown in among the Brits in a quaint countryside manor - it soon becomes more of a will-they-or-won't-they romantic dramedy after she runs afoul of the scion of the Austen estate, Oliver (Charlie Anson). He's a bit stuffy but droll in the British sense, especially during a very funny scene in which Agathe mistakes his bedroom for a bathroom.

Nothing happens here that you don't expect - Agathe comes to the weekend with writer's block and continues to suffer from it, Oliver's possibly dementia-suffering father causes some nude mischief in the garden, and Agathe struggles with her feelings for both Felix and Oscar - but it's done in a humorous, charming, and decidedly French manner.

While there is some humor in the film - though it's more of a quiet nature than the laugh-out-loud type - "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" is similar to the "Bridget Jones" series in that it is primarily concerned with the foibles, of the artistic and romantic type, of its headstrong lead character. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but instead gives some well-worn material a fun and refreshing spin.

Review: Friendship

Image courtesy of A24.

Andrew DeYoung's debut, "Friendship," is what you might call an uncomfortable movie about an awkward and abrasive person who engages in a lot of cringey behavior. I feel like there's a genre out there that includes other films of this nature - but none immediately spring to mind. It's an effective movie that doesn't always work, but when it does it can be hilarious and off-the-wall.

One element that allows the film to catch viewers off guard is that not only is its lead character, Craig (Tim Robinson), awkward is an almost hostile manner, but the film itself has an almost surreal vibe in that its world doesn't quite reflect the one we're living in now. For instance, all of the characters have cell phones and yet they are frequently getting caught up in the spiral cords while talking on their landlines. One particularly memorable scene - easily the film's funniest - involves Craig trying to score drugs and the result of his taking part in a ritual that leads to a hilarious hallucination.

In the film, Craig has few friends. He works for a public relations firm and seems bored by life. His wife (Kate Mara) has defeated cancer and Craig awkwardly makes the moment all about himself when they are talking during a cancer survivor meeting. She seems to tolerate him - as does his son, who behaves more adoringly toward his mother.

One day, Craig returns a package to a neighbor that was delivered to his address. The neighbor turns out to be local weatherman Austin (Paul Rudd), a sort of man's man with a crew of cronies who hang out at his house regularly - and occasionally break into bizarre impromptu a capella performances of "My Boo" by the Ghost Town DJ's. 

But Austin also has some quirky interests - such as collecting ancient artifacts or foraging for mushrooms by climbing through an underground pipe that leads into city hall (we're never told exactly where this film is set, though it looks snowy and the characters often wear heavy coats). And Craig feels special because Austin pays him a lot of attention quickly and lets him in on his interests.

But Craig makes a series of truly indescribable faux pas during a hangout night with Austin and his friends and is quickly shunted aside. At first, Austin politely tries to brush him off - for instance, when Craig shows up unannounced on the the set of the news show for which Austin provides the weather forecast. Then, Austin gets more blunt.

Meanwhile, Craig's work and home life begin to slip as his character goes the route of Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction. Thankfully, no rabbits were hurt during the making of this film. Craig's awkward and bizarre behavior becomes more self destructive and, at times, pretty creepy.

While I wouldn't say that everything works in "Friendship" - Robinson occasionally plays Craig's weirdness to 11 on a scale of 10 - it's an unusual and uncomfortable film about the joys and dangers of male bonding. It's also frequently hilarious - a scene involving the licking of a toad (don't ask) and what occurs afterward are riotously funny and there's a very funny quip regarding the war in Afghanistan that's awkwardly tacked onto the end of a speech. 

I've never seen Robinson's sketch TV show "I Think You Should Leave," but from what I'm told it also pushes the boundary of offbeat examinations of human relationships. Robinson's portrayal of Craig, while an overall good performance, occasionally goes over the top, but "Friendship" is regardless a mostly effective comedy about a somewhat deranged individual.

Review: Fear Street: Prom Queen

Image courtesy of Netflix.

Trying to cash in on the popularity of Leigh Janiak's 2021 "Fear Street" trilogy, Netflix's fourth entry in the series - which only shares a location and title with the previous films, but not characters or story - does little to inspire confidence that this series has much life beyond its original three films.

Running a brief 81 minutes, "Prom Queen" is a gory slasher throwback that wastes little time on character development, story, or theme and gets right to its series of gruesome murders. Set in 1988, the film takes place amid the battle for prom queen between contestants from posh Sunnyvale and underdog Shadyside. Representing the former is teenage tyrant Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza) and her "Wolfpack" crew of sycophants, while Lori Granger (India Fowler) is the lone Shadyside denizen to enter the fray.

Lori has a best friend, Megan (Suzanna Son), who dresses like a goth, loves gory horror movies, and occasionally freaks people out with gruesome makeup and limb removal gags. Lori's family has a whiff of scandal as her mother was once accused of murdering her husband on prom night some years before, thereby making Lori the classroom "freak" whom the Wolfpack targets as an object of ridicule. She decides to jump into the prom queen competition to change things at the school.

This backstory takes up a scant minute or two as "Prom Queen" quickly starts delivering on what it is most interested in - dismembering teens, especially limbs being hacked off. There's a creative use of a paper cutter in one particularly gruesome death, while another teen finds himself on the wrong end of a buzzsaw. A lot of blood flows in this fourth entry - as it did in the original "Fear Street" films - but the picture is missing the je ne sais quoi that made that trilogy (especially its 1978-set entry) memorable.

Not surprisingly, Lori and Megan's friendship is the most interesting element going here, but it - much like all else in the film - is given short shrift to make way for the nonstop bloodletting. Lili Taylor pops up as a surly principal, while Katherine Waterston and Chris Klein make for an overbearing helicopter parent duo, but otherwise this fourth entry in the series can't hold a candle to the original films. It ends up feeling like every other generic slasher movie of the past however many decades.

Review: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Tom Cruise's death-defying stunts continue to nauseate and thrill in equal measure in "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning," which is likely to be the last in this long-running and well-received franchise. While this episode is among the lower ranks of the eight films in this series, it has its moments of amusement - including what has to be Cruise's most insane stunt to date.

There's not much reason to explain what is going on in this latest installment - if you've seen the other films, you'll recall where the plot left off from the last one; plus, I'm not sure I could explain the film if I wanted to. 

Calling it convoluted would be an understatement as the film flits from continent to continent, featuring one minor character after another providing expository dialogue and Cruise, once again playing super spy Ethan Hunt, racing against time to stop a sinister, globe-trotting villain (Esai Morales) and a super computer known as The Entity that intends to take over the world's nuclear weapons caches and turn them against mankind.

There's a surprise early in the film and a poignant moment or two after one of the series' central figures is killed, but otherwise there are a lot of plot twists and locale changes - and even a few callbacks to previous "Mission Impossible" movies, most notably the first and third. 

The film starts out solidly enough as Hunt and his cohort attempt to find Morales' Gabriel and hack into The Entity to bring a stop to it. Meanwhile, the U.S. president (Angela Bassett) and her advisors question whether to trust Hunt and his team to prevent a cataclysm or to launch a premeditated attack on the other nuclear powers.

The film's middle section is a bit of a slog as Hunt and company try to track down a sunken submarine that might hold the key to destroying The Entity. There's an extended set piece that takes place underwater that is, no doubt, meant to wow, but instead has a stultifying effect. It's not until the film's final third that it gets back on track.

The finale starts with a standoff in a cave, but then takes to the sky as Cruise pursues Morales in a small airplane. Cruise has long been his own stuntman in the "Mission Impossible" films and has taken part in some wild and impressive feats - scaling the world's tallest building or riding a motorcycle off a cliff - but his extended bout on the plane is likely the most impressive and terrifying. I'll give the man credit: He's fearless.

So, while "The Final Reckoning" is not among the best in the series - it's better than John Woo's second entry, but not as good as some of the other sequels - it's a decent enough sendoff for this long-running saga. It has a great cast of character actors who manage to rise above the script's Hollywood action film cliches to give their characters a bit of personality and it features some jaw-dropping stunt work.