Review: "It Comes at Night"

Joel Edgerton is for sure among my favorite actors working today. Ever since Animal Kingdom, I have time and time again been floored by his ability to disappear into roles. His work there and in the likes of Warrior, The Gift and Loving, among other pictures, exemplify his immense talents on the screen. Moreover, Edgerton has proven himself more than capable of making a lot out of a little, case in point his terrific turn in 2015's otherwise limp Black Mass.

Edgerton's latest film, thankfully, is much more in line with his finest projects, as opposed to Black Mass and The Great Gatsby.

It Comes at Night, directed by the fabulous young filmmaker Trey Edward Shults, is a masterfully unsettling psychological horror flick. It's that breed of cinema, woefully rare these days in the genre, that's determined to get under your skin without resorting to much in the way of guts and gore.

The film opens on a family - Paul (Edgerton) and Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and their teenage son Travis (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) - who have secured themselves inside a desolate country home as a mysterious disease ravages the world around them. Paul has established a strict routine and order that has thus far kept them safe and sound. That is, until the arrival of Will (Christopher Abbott), another desperate family man, searching for water to provide for his kin.

After much reluctance, Paul agrees to trade some of the family's water in exchange for food Will has amassed. Furthermore, once more of a rapport is struck, Paul and Sarah allow for Will's wife (Riley Keogh) and son (Griffin Robert Faulkner) to move into their home. That's when problems begin to arise. Travis' dog Stanley goes missing in the woods after a berserk response to something in the distance. Travis is also plagued by horrific nightmares involving the new inhabitants and his grandfather, who succumbed to the disease.

Matters really get tense, however, when one evening, Travis discovers the front door of the house, which is always locked up to the tee, has been left open. Outside the door is a suffering, infected Stanley. The question of who opened the door sparks a contentious conversation among the residents, one which could threaten to tear the house apart.

An aura of intense claustrophobia and uncertainty lingers throughout It Comes at Night. The film is brilliantly, convincingly acted by all involved but the real star of the show has to be Shults, working wonders with the camera in a way that rings of John Carpenter and Stanley Kubrick. The film is beautifully lit too - kudos to Drew Daniels on his stunning cinematography. Shults' screenplay is also something to marvel at, guaranteed to spark discussion over the meaning of the proceedings and just what the hell may have happened with that damn door.

I look so forward to the next projects from both Shults and Edgerton.

A-

Review: "Wonder Woman"

Growing up, I was all about the DC comics. The Marvel stuff rarely floated my boat (as has proven the case with most of its recent films) but DC almost always managed to satisfy, as did the early motion pictures - I wouldn't hesitate at all to shower the first two Superman films and first two Batman flicks in Oscar nominations (I think we can all agree Michelle Pfeiffer deserved to win a trophy for Batman Returns). There's genuine movie magic to be found in those pictures.

So, given my adoration for all things DC, it's been more than a little exasperating watching more misses than hits come out of the franchise on the silver screen in recent years. Sure, Zach Snyder, with his bombastic vision for DC on film, deserves much of the blame, but even prior to Snyder's involvement, we were treated to the comparably insufferable likes of Catwoman and Green Lantern. 

From the project's announcement, I admittedly figured, despite having a fine filmmaker attached, Wonder Woman would be destined to disappoint.

Thankfully, Wonder Woman does not mark yet another cinematic catastrophe of the DC universe. While it doesn't quite operate on the sky-high level of the best DC pictures either, it is a fun romp that is destined to instill hope in the hearts of those DC devotees who haven't been so keen on the comics' recent offerings on the big screen.

The picture opens on the island of Themyscira where Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of the Amazons, has trained to be an unstoppable warrior. Her blissful existence, surrounded exclusively by fellow female warriors, is interrupted by the entrance of pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), a World War I-era Allied spy whose plane crashes off the coast. After rescuing him and learning of the war that is ravaging the planet, Diana is determined to use her powers to restore world peace. She decides she will leave home for the very first time and join in Steve's efforts.

Wonder Woman sports a number of exceptional set pieces, perhaps the most riveting being Diana's valiant push across enemy trenches upon arrival at the Western Front in Belgium. There are fabulous comic bits too, fueled by the enchanting pairing of Gadot and Pine, neither of who are spectacularly talented actors but still pitch-perfect in their respective roles. Pine in particular has a matinee idol charisma that is apt for this sort of old-school comic book adaptation.

The supporting players are memorable too - Robin Wright is unconditionally badass as Diana's aunt and trainer and Danny Huston and Elena Anaya make for amusing villains, even if the characters don't feel fully fleshed out. Also, the film looks fantastic, with a handsome production design by Aline Bonetto (of Amelie and A Very Long Engagement).

Of course, I'd be remiss to not mention the film's director, the marvelous Patty Jenkins, who did an exceptional job directing Charlize Theron to an Oscar with 2003's Monster and then somehow, inexplicably could not land another feature film gig until now. There is no shortage of skill on display here - Jenkins is a star behind the camera and I'm delighted she'll be back for the sequel.

All of that said - the proceedings are smooth sailing for the first two hours, that is until a haphazardly staged final act that recalls all of the missteps of the recent DC pictures. All of the excitement, romance and laughter that enamored us is suddenly, tragically thrown out the window for 20+ minutes of uninspired, CGI-stuffed dueling that feels like the grand finale of another, supremely inferior film.

Still, its lame conclusion aside, Wonder Woman is for sure one of the better recent comic book film adaptations, a lively and lighthearted ride that, unlike all too many pictures in the genre, doesn't take itself so damn seriously.

B

Review: "Alien: Covenant"

The thrill is gone.

Ridley Scott's Alien is among my all-time favorite films, a taut, splendidly acted thriller that to this day scares my pants off. James Cameron's Aliens, while more amusing than downright terrifying, marks a plenty worthy sequel, paced like a rollicking roller coaster ride and sporting one of Sigourney Weaver's finest performances.

Since then, I'm afraid, it's been all downhill.

Alien: Covenant, Scott's third contribution to the series (following Prometheus in 2012), delivers none of the thrills or chills you'd expect. Unbelievably, it's a picture so slapdash and hackneyed, you'll be tempted to look back and admire David Fincher for at least having an intriguing vision for the cinematic catastrophe that is Alien 3. Single-handedly on the strength of one performance, Covenant does not quite sink to the same bottom of the barrel as the Fincher film but boy, it's still rough stuff.

This sixth entry in the franchise finds the crew of the colony ship Covenant, en route to a remote planet, diverted to what appears to be an undiscovered paradise. Among the explorers are terraforming expert Daniels (Katherine Waterston), first mate Oram (Billy Crudup) and synthetic android Walter (Michael Fassbender). Complications arise when two crew members fall gravely ill and then there's the introduction of synthetic David (Fassbender again), the sole survivor of the Prometheus mission, who now resides on this mysterious planet. Before long, of course, those pesky extraterrestrial creatures say hello, ready to lay eggs inside their prey and make mincemeat out of those who stand in the way.

When the monsters aren't gracing the screen, Covenant is, for the most part, a real snooze. The humor of Aliens is sorely missing and none of the characters here are nearly as expertly drawn as in the first entry. Problem is, the proceedings aren't all that exciting even when the aliens are doing what they do best, as the action here much more recalls that of Alien 3 than the first two entries. As was the case in the Fincher flick, these CGI creatures aren't the least bit convincing.

Keeping the picture from being a complete bust is Fassbender, marvelous in duel roles. While the rest of the ensemble struggles to make anything of their cookie-cutter roles, he at least seems to be having a blast and frankly, his David is a far more riveting foe than than any of the gnarly beasts who roam this picture.

Fassbender's impressive turn aside, however, Alien: Covenent is among Scott's worst pictures to date.

C

Review: "Snatched"

Growing up with a mom who adores Goldie Hawn, I had seen the bulk of the Hawn filmography by age 10.

Foul Play, in particular, was a mainstay at the Carden household, rented out countless times at our local library. Much as I enjoyed that one, Death Becomes Her won me over even more. In hindsight, I don't think I've ever disliked a Hawn picture, sans maybe Town & Country, in which she has a modest supporting role. With her presence, she has brightened up even the most middling of comedies, turning the likes of Protocol and Wildcats in something worthwhile.

Hawn's latest picture, Snatched, once again finds the actress in rich form, making the most out of rather uninspired proceedings. She and fellow leading lady Amy Schumer have a blast here and, for their ebullience alone, the film is worth a look.

After Schumer's Emily is dumped by her wannabe-rock star boyfriend (Randall Park), she finds herself stuck with a nonrefundable vacation to Ecuador. With no interest from friends in joining her on the trip, Emily turns to mom Linda (Hawn) to venture on this journey. Overseas, Emily falls for the dashing James (Tom Bateman) but their excursion, alongside a hesitant Linda, into Colombia for a day trip turns treacherous as the mother and daughter wind up at the center of a kidnapping plot by (painfully nondescript and one-note) South American criminals. They manage to escape but, with the State Department of scant help, must rely on their own wits to somehow get to the nearest U.S. embassy, in Bogota.

Comparisons have understandably been made between Snatched and 1984's Romancing the Stone, which sent Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner on a wild Colombian adventure. The tone, humor and violence of Snatched, however, rings much closer to something like 2015's Spy, though this picture isn't nearly as successful as the Melissa McCarthy one. This film even has its own deadpan middle-aged badass (Christopher Meloni), like Jason Statham in Spy.

Hawn and Schumer are a delight to watch here, even when the material is so slapdash. The supporting cast is game too - Meloni is a hoot as a Trader Joe's manager-turned-jungle warrior; Joan Cusack and Wanda Sykes are a welcome presence as a special ops team keeping an eye out for Emily and Linda; and Ike Barinholtz and Bashir Salahuddin deliver some of the film's funniest moments as Emily's obnoxious brother and a government employee with negligible interest in saving the gals. 

Like Schumer's Trainwreck, which I also gave a B-, Snatched evokes nearly as many sighs as it does laughs. Still, it's not bad and it's most certainly worth checking out, if exclusively for Hawn's first big screen appearance in 15 years.

B-

Review: "Logan"

For someone who grew up head-over-heels for comic books, it's remarkable and kind of infuriating just how underwhelmed I've been by the genre's offerings on the big screen over the past decade or so.

I was raised on page-to-screen adaptations of the likes of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy and Tim Burton's Batman flicks, plus the first two Christopher Reeve Superman pictures. I still adore those films to this day, and was quite fond of Christopher Nolan's vision for Batman too. But Zach Snyder's DC productions? Don't even get me started. And while Marvel's offerings have certainly been less headache-inducing than Snyder's assault on the genre, few of those films have left me much invigorated either. Perhaps I'm just tiring of the focus on wall-to-wall CGI, in place of compelling storytelling.

The X-Men franchise, for the most part, has never left me with strong feelings one way or the other. I was enamored with X2, admittedly mostly on account of Ian McKellen's delicious performance, but the other pictures struck me as little more than serviceable.

Logan, the latest picture in the series, is decidedly a hell of a lot more than just by-the-numbers. It's the strongest of the X-Men films by a country mile and should titillate even viewers who are not fond of or familiar with the franchise. I suspect moviegoers who got more of a kick out of Mad Max: Fury Road or True Grit than say, Guardians of the Galaxy, will be especially delighted by this picture.

Hugh Jackman, in the finest performance of his career, returns as Logan who, in the not-so-distant future, is emotionally drained and at his least able-bodied. He cares for the unwell Professor X (Patrick Stewart, also fantastic) at a remote location on the Mexican border, earning cash as a limo driver with the goal of amassing enough to buy a boat and sail off into the sunset together. At this point in time, mutants are on the edge of extinction, so Logan is caught plenty off-guard when the young Laura (Dafne Keen, in a sensational feature film debut), who has powers not unlike Logan's, enters the picture.

Logan has been tasked with escorting Laura to a place in North Dakota called "Eden," where, to his great skepticism, she'll apparently be safe. All Logan, Laura and Professor X need to do is somehow make the road trip while warding off the deranged Reavers who have committed their lives to the destruction of mutants and Logan in particular.

The picture, directed by the hit-or-miss James Mangold, delivers all of the violent, exhilarating, well-orchestrated action you could ask for but Logan is ultimately so much more than that. The relationships between Logan and Laura and Logan and Professor X are fascinating ones and there are nearly as many scenes that tug pull at the heart strings as get the heart racing. The film was co-written by the brilliant Scott Frank, who not only has credits on fabulous motion pictures like Out of Sight and Minority Report but also penned TV episodes on series like The Wonder Years. His contributions are greatly felt here.

Logan isn't quite a perfect picture - the Logan vs. X-24 battles, for one, gave me nasty flashbacks to Superman III - but I wouldn't hesitate to rank it at least among the top 20 or so comic book films to date.

A-