THE REVENANT Is a Visually Stunning But Thematically Hollow Adventure

 THE REVENANT Review:

- The trailer for THE REVENANT was straight-up awesome. In the span of a few minutes, it was clear that, if nothing else, this would be a film filled with jaw-dropping visuals and visceral action. As it turns out, the trailer didn't lie. THE REVENANT is a visual stunner - with scene after scene of immense beauty, and several brutal, vertigo-inducing, brilliantly-filmed action sequences. But I have to say ... I'm starting to wonder a bit about director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The guy is clearly an immensely talented visual stylist. And I give him credit for working on out-of-the-box, narratively-ambitious movies. But what I keep seeing from him are films that feel ever-so-slightly hollow, as if the director isn't quite sure what point, exactly, he's trying to make with his stories. I felt this about last year's Birdman - a movie that received widespread critical acclaim, but to me was sort of thematically vacant. THE REVENANT is similar. It's a revenge movie and a survival movie, but it's got little of interest to say about either revenge or survival. Instead, there's a lot of star Leonardo DiCaprio crawling through the wilderness hand-over-foot, caked with some quasi-spiritual moments. The movie features such great acting and such incredible visuals - so why did it leave me feeling sort of empty as the credits rolled?

Based on a purported true story, the film - set in the 1820's - follows a group of frontiersmen on a hunting expedition, collecting pelts that they will later sell off. The group includes DiCaprio's Hugh Glass, an expert when it comes to the local terrain. We don't get a ton of Hugh's backstory, but we do know that he was married to a Native American woman (very taboo at the time), who was ultimately killed in a military raid on her village. But not before she gave birth to a son, Hawk, now a teenager. Hawk accompanies his father on the hunting expedition, where he's got to deal with the prejudices of the other hunters. Chief among those who look down on him is Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), a short-fused Texan who bares the disfiguring scars of a Native American attack - in which he was nearly scalped. He wears an ever-present bandanna to cover his head, and he holds a long-simmering hatred for Native Americans. Fitzgerald's hatred only burns brighter when the expedition is ransacked by a roaming Pawnee tribe, on the warpath after their tribe-leader's daughter is kidnapped. The attack leaves the group in disarray, but things only get worse from there. Following the attack, a further series of unfortunate events occurs - leaving Glass separated from the group and near death. The group thinks he has died, and abandons him in the wild. I won't spoil what happens from there. Suffice it to say that a severely wounded but still-breathing Glass makes it his mission to track down certain parties that he holds responsible for the ills that have befallen him and seek bloody vengeance for the wrongs that have been committed.

DiCaprio is put into a difficult position as Glass. For much of the film, the character is unable to speak, but is in severe pain. And so DiCaprio spends much of the film grunting, wheezing, and breathing heavily as he slowly claws his way across the wilderness. I think DiCaprio is pretty fantastic here, but the script sometimes fails him a bit. It's not the no-talking thing, it's that the film oftentimes seems to lose some of its narrative drive. This is at its core a revenge film, but Glass' burning desire for that dish best served cold seems to come and go. The film becomes so in love with giving us these serene, sweeping, ponderous shots of nature that it sometimes seems to forget what kind of movie it actually is. With its at times glacial pacing, the sense of urgency is occasionally lost. And that waters down DiCaprio's performance a bit. But he's great overall, and he certainly makes us feel every cut and abrasion and pain-point that Glass must suffer through during his long journey.

Meanwhile, Tom Hardy nearly steals the film as Fitzgerald. Hardy is a complete badass here - a grizzled hunter who does what he has to to get by in life. Fitzgerald harbors a perpetual mad-on, resentful of their group's leader, Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson - always great, apparently in every other big movie of 2015) for his privileged background, annoyed by Glass' half-Native American son, and just generally looking for a fight. Fitzgerald gets all of the movie's best lines, and Hardy seems to really relish playing the loose-cannon antagonist. He's got such a great physicality and sense of menace to him. Plus, the dude is quite simply one the best actors working today. Hardy pretty much owns this one.

Gleeson is also very good, as mentioned (he's once again playing the virtuous leader here, following his flirtation with the Dark Side in The Force Awakens). There's also a really great supporting turn from Will Poulter - who I've been a fan of since Son of Rambow - as the junior member of the group, who becomes a bit of a protege to Fitzgerald.

THE REVENANT has a great cast, and it also benefits hugely from Iñárritu's unmatched ability to shoot both chaotic action scenes and quieter scenes of the untamed wilderness with an immersive, eye-melting, you-are-there style. The single-take style of some of the big action set-pieces reminded me of the work of Fukunaga on True Detective and the recent Beasts of No Nation. And the more serene scenes of nature call to mind the work of Terence Malick. The movie oftentimes feels, quite simply, epic as hell from a visual standpoint. If ever they were to make a Skyrim movie, THE REVENANT's snowy expanses, rocky mountain stretches, and out-of-nowhere spurts of shocking violence make a strong argument that Iñárritu would be the right guy to direct it.

But as memorable as scenes like the film's holy-$%#&-this-is-insane bear attack are in and of themselves, the thematic linkage between them often seems not-quite-fully-formed. And that's a sizable problem in a two-and-a-half-hour movie. The film never expends the energy to make Glass into a great character, and that hurts it. I think of the great revenge films, and what makes them great is, in large part, that their protagonists are iconic. Glass ... well, he's just a guy. At least as far as we know. What's odd is that Hardy's Fitzgerald seems much more well-defined. The film gets a jolt of life whenever it shifts its focus to Hardy. As good as DiCaprio is here, his character is sort of blah. And by extension, the film's message feels muddled and ill-defined. The movie ends with a really intense, amazingly-shot action scene. But then, after a brief coda, the credits roll, and you're left wondering what it all means. Again, there's that hollowness to the story that keeps it from being great. A movie about an epic journey across the wilderness by an injured/dying man seeking revenge? That is a story that should leave us with some sort of profound takeaways -- right? In this case, we're left kind of scratching our heads.

THE REVENANT is well worth checking out for its top-notch performances and absolutely stunning visuals. But I also hesitate to say that it's the Oscar-worthy masterpiece that some may proclaim it to be.

My Grade: B

BROOKLYN Is a Guaranteed Charmer

BROOKLYN Review:

- BROOKLYN is exactly the sort of movie that could be totally off-putting to me if done a certain way. A star-crossed love story about a precocious young woman deciding between two worlds and two suitors? On paper, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to see that story. But as I've gotten older and (hopefully) wiser, I increasingly realize that any story can be great if done properly and told well. BROOKLYN exemplifies this, as it's so charming, funny, and likable that I can't help but expect that it will win just about anyone over (even the hard-hearted cynics out there). The strong cast is anchored by Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, in a winning performance that should hopefully raise the actresses' star wattage. She kicked ass as a young assassin in Hanna, and charms here as an IRish immigrant finding her way in 1950's New York. If that's not range, I don't know what is.

BROOKYLN follows the journey of Ronan's Eilis as she is sent by her family to America with the hopes of better job opportunities and a fresh start. But coming from a small Irish village where everyone knows everyone, Eilis finds life in the big city to be challenging. Eventually though, loneliness and frustration turns to excitement when Eilis meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a salt-of-the-earth Italian kid who frequents Irish dance halls (because he's got a weakness for Irish girls). Eilis and Tony quickly hit it off, and soon thereafter Eilis' overall feelings about New York improve - she becomes adept at city-livin', better able to handle her job working at an upscale clothing store, and more excited about a possible future with Tony. However, Eilis gets thrown a curveball when she's forced to travel back to Ireland in the wake of a family tragedy. She finds comfort and solace in being back in her homeland, and having returned from America, she finds herself now very much in-demand both from local businesses and local men. One in particular, Jim (Domhnall Gleeson), takes a liking to Eilis, and she - far from Tony and New York - begins to warm up to him as well. She can see a life for herself back in Ireland - a traditional, cozy life - far from the alien, distant world of Tony and New York City.

Aside from the strength of Ronan's performance as Eilis, the movie really works because the chemistry between her and both Cohen and Gleeson is so strong. With Tony in particular, he and Eilis go through a lot of the typical "falling in love" beats that you've seen many times before - but the interaction between them is so sincere-seeming that you can't help but really root for them. When Jim enters the picture, it's not that he's a bad guy - it's that he is good, and good for Eilis - but he's the safe and easy choice. And what BROOKLYN is really about is taking a chance and venturing outside your comfort zone.

For that reason, BROOKLYN functions as much more than just a charming romance. Anyone who's ever moved far from home or taken a leap in life will relate to Eilis' journey here. This is a story about someone who makes a scary leap, and then has to face a situation where ever single gravitational force in the universe seems to be pulling her back towards a safer, more familiar life than the life she's chosen for herself. But we recognize - even when Eilis can't - that the leap was a positive one, and a necessary one. And for that reason, BROOKLYN delivers a surprisingly powerful story arc, about the resistance we all face when daring to make that big leap of faith, and about overcoming that resistance so that we can end up where we truly want to be.

BROOKLYN has its more serious, dramatic moments - but it's also consistently funny and quirky in just the right measure. A lot of humor comes from the boarding house full of female Irish immigrants that Eilis stays with upon her arrival in New York. Lorded over by a strict head-of-house, the young women gossip and tease each other - often to very amusing effect. The film was written by Nick Hornby - the man who's scripted such offbeat romances as High Fidelity - and Hornby very much brings his trademark mix of wit and heart to this film's screenplay (adapted from a novel of the same name). Meanwhile, director John Crowley accentuates the movie's sweeping story with tons of picturesque scenes of Ireland's green hills and serene beaches, and creates a 1950's New York that teems with life and rich attention to period detail.

BROOKLYN is a guaranteed charmer that's also got some surprising depth. Ronan is really, really good as Eilis. She and the film's smart script will make even the most unromantic root for romance. It's that kind of movie - one I'd recommend to anyone and everyone.

My Grade: A-

EX MACHINA Is a Riveting Robot Frankenstein Story

EX MACHINA Review:

- If you're into dark, psychological, head-trip-inducing sci-fi (and who isn't?), then EX MACHINA is a must-see. This is the movie Chappie wishes it could have been - a clever, ultra-intense Frankenstein-inspired fable about sentient robots, man vs. machine, and about what it means to be human. Written and directed by Alex Garland - the man who wrote the scripts for genre-film fan favorites like 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go, and Dredd - EX MACHINA firmly establishes Garland as one of the canonical voices doing sci-fi films today. The guy is the real deal, and he brings the same sort of visionary skill to directing that he does to writing. Tension-packed and mind-expanding - while still focusing on character - EX MACHINA is a first-rate mind-%$#& that I can't recommend enough.

In many ways, the film has the trappings of a stage play. It takes place in a single location, and focuses almost entirely on three main characters (though a fourth eventually becomes a significant factor in the story). The plot sees a brilliant, slightly geeky young coder for a huge, Google-like corporation whisked away to its CEO's remote, top-secret underground compound - after being chosen in a company-wide lottery granting its winner rare access. The coder, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), is unclear of what his purpose is as the guest of his enigmatic tech icon boss. But when he meets Nathan (Oscar Isaac) - the man behind the curtain - he soon finds out. Hidden away from prying eyes, Nathan has been conducting groundbreaking research into AI and robotics - and in doing so he's created the remarkable - and remarkably human-like - artificial being known as Ava. Nathan wants Caleb to test Ava - to spend sessions with her determining just how high-functioning her AI really is. Is there still an uncanny valley between Ava and a real human woman? Or has Nathan successfully erased the line between natural and artificial life?

The movie takes plenty of time to just let Caleb and Nathan bounce off of each other, ruminating on all manner of philosophical issues. But with actors the caliber of Gleeson and Issac, it works. Both are fantastic in the film, but what adds an extra layer to every scene of the film is the obvious tension that underlines their dynamic. Isaac's Nathan is clearly a bit off his rocker, but we're never quite sure just *how* far. Is he a well-meaning, brilliant inventor, or a dangerous Doctor Frankenstein? Whatever the case may be, he's clearly a wild-card, and his unpredictability - and Caleb's nervousness around him - keeps you on your toes. But the movie's most mesmerizing aspect is most definitely Ava. Played by newcomer Alicia Vikander, Ava is as fascinating for us to observe as she is for Caleb. Vikander plays her to perfection. Ava's movements are measured and deliberate - robotic at times. But there's also a spark of life in her eyes that is undeniably more-than-mechanical.

I've got to give a ton of credit to the movie's f/x team. In a decidedly non-flashy, stripped-down movie, Ava is nonetheless a next-level revelation, and a miracle of art/costume/character design. A mix of human flesh, mechanical limbs, and exposed mid-section wiring, Ava's artifice is on full display, yet so is her all-too-human face and expressiveness. That odd, can't-take-your-eyes-off-her allure is on full display in her scenes with Caleb. At first, the two engage in standard sorts of AI limit-tests. But soon, their relationship becomes less about AI patterns and more about much more human concerns. Is the developing friendship between them genuine? An AI-aided illusion? Or is it, in fact, a manipulation by Ava in order to create an ally for herself? The same sort of psychological tension that's present in the Noah/Caleb scenes is also there in the Ava/Caleb scenes. And that sets up a gripping cat-and-mouse game between the three leads. Who can trust who? What's real, and what's illusion and/or deception?

At times - with its atmospheric lighting, pulsing synth score, and constant sense of bird-on-a-wire tension - EX MACHINA almost feels like a horror movie. And sometimes, in its most genuinely disturbing moments, it straight-up is one. The film doesn't skimp on science or science-fiction trappings, but it is above all else a dark, Frankenstein-esque parable about humans playing God and Creator vs. Creation.

Garland proves himself here as a director - making the most of a confined location, but still giving the film a big, sweeping feel. The exotic locale in which Nathan's compound is hidden feels suitably epic - it's surrounded by waterfalls and soaring mountain ranges. The inside of the compound feels eerily claustrophobic and mysterious - a corridor-filled maze of locked rooms and real and metaphorical skeletons-in-the-closets. But to me, Garland still truly shines as a writer. There are obviously some familiar elements in the story of EX MACHINA, but Garland does a great job of keeping things unpredictable. There are certainly nods to the likes of Blade Runner and other genre classics, but the movie never copies those stalwarts. The film is filled with jaw-dropping twists, but Garland wisely eschews some of the more overdone tropes of this sort of film, while still acknowledging them as possibilities and having some fun with audience expectations. This is the rare twisty movie where the big revelations feel appropriately huge, yet never forced. And Garland brilliantly continues to escalate things throughout the film. By the end, the movie is just gloriously, giddily insane - but, again, in a way that makes sense given what's come before.

EX MACHINA is an instant contender for the sci-fi movie cannon. It's one of the best films about AI and robots and man vs. machine that I've seen. It's thought-provoking, scary, cool, and even darkly funny at times (actually, surprisingly often). Ava is an instantly-iconic robot, and Vikander kills it in the role. Isaac and Gleeson nail their parts as well - a good sign for Star Wars given that both star in future installments. But this ain't Star Wars. EX MACHINA is a does of real-deal, old-school, Twilight Zone-esque sci-fi. A dark parable that deserves to be seen by many.

My Grade: A-

CALVARY Is a Sweeping Cinematic Elegy

CALVARY Review:

Father James: I think there's too much talk about sins, and not enough about virtues.
Fiona: What would be your number one?
Father James: I think forgiveness has been highly underrated.

- From writer/director John Michael McDonagh, CALVARY is a darkly funny, elegiac, and downright badass film. Set in a small Irish town where everyone knows everyone, the film opens with a stunning scene: local priest Father James (the great Brendan Gleeson) sits in his confessional booth, listening as an unseen man states his intent to kill him in one week's time. Why? Because the man was molested by a priest as a child, and now he feels that someone must suffer for the sins of the Church. He doesn't want to kill a bad priest, because few would take note. Instead, he wants to kill a good priest, a good man like Father James. That, he feels, would be a meaningful sacrifice. From there, the film follows Father James through the next seven days - and as he interacts with the various locals (many of whom are having some sort of crisis of faith), our list of potential suspects for the would-be murderer grows. The film is only part mystery though. It's also a meditation on faith and sin. Father James' struggle is not just to avoid being murdered, but to avoid what that murder would represent: the death of a community, of a faith, of a way of life. As James tries to make peace with his life, with his congregants, with his formerly-estranged daughter - we come to see him for what he is: the last good priest. He's the last bastion of what his faith could have been had it not all been flushed away by lies and sin and corruption. It's a hell of a story, and a hell of a film.

John Michael McDonagh clearly shares his brother Martin's (In Bruges) knack for beautifully-written, bitingly funny, eminently quotable dialogue. There is a wonderful poetry to the script of this film, and it's a joy to listen to the witticisms and observations that are spoken by these characters. At the same time, the film looks incredible. Never have I wanted to visit Ireland so badly as I have while watching CALVARY. Sweeping views of the green Irish countryside, epic shots of the crashing waves along the shoreline, and many smaller, more personal moments that are also impeccably framed and only accentuate the film's drama and humor.

The anchor of this film is undoubtedly Gleeson. What a performance. Gleeson delivers in so many ways as Father James, making him an incredibly human, multifaceted character. James is a good man, but he's also got a dark past that haunts him. He steadfastly believes in the good that the church can do, but his eyes are also open to the rot that infects it. There's no question that the film paints James as sort of a Christ-like figure, but that in no way detracts from the raw humanity of the character. What the film does do is make James' plight about something bigger than just him. And we see that weight of responsibility, that burden in Gleeson's narrowed eyes as he walks the beach, as he converses with person after person who seems to have lost their faith. James is a man of the people - he hangs at the local pub, cracks jokes with kids, and is accepting of all types. He is a simple man in many ways: he believes in goodness, and forgiveness, and that people can change (in one of the film's most powerful scenes, he goes to visit an old student who's been locked away for murder, praying for some semblance of remorse or hope for redemption). But he faces a world that seems to corrupt that ethos on an all-too-regular basis. Gleeson is so good here, and just super badass to boot. His singular presence, matched with McDonagh's sharp dialogue, is a match made in cinematic heaven.

The rest of the cast is great, filled with fine actors who collectively paint a vivid portrait of a town, and of a way of life, on its last legs. Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen is fantastic as a hedonistic, atheist doctor who gets a rise out of antagonizing Father James and his beliefs. M. Emmet Walsh is fantastic as an aging writer planning for his looming death. Dylan Moran is memorably smarmy as a millionaire who finds no pleasure in people, possessions, or anything at all. Chris O'Dowd shows real dramatic chops as a troubled man whose wife is cheating on him. Domhnall Gleeson (who I just realized is the son of Brendan, and who is having a banner year) is disturbingly twisted (his M.O. these days) as the aforementioned unrepentant killer. And Kelly Reilly is a real standout as James' back-in-town daughter, Fiona, who returns to her father's care after a failed suicide attempt.

As someone who's fascinated by religion, and the role of religion in modern society, I couldn't help but get really caught up on the meaning and significance of this film. It helps that the movie is so thoughtful and witty in its musings about the church. It's funny, I've known many religious leaders who were good. People who consoled the sick, helped grieving families, mentored children, and were, overall, the kind of people who inspire and set a good example. But how to reconcile those people - and all the good that can come from religion and faith - with all the bad? CALVARY looks closely at that quandary, serving as a mournful (but also darkly funny) eulogy for the Good Men, for the Father James of the world. The men pushed out and away from forces both internal and external. CALVARY tells the tale in grand, funny, badass, epic fashion.

My Grade: A-

FRANK Is a Quirky Rock n' Roll Trip

FRANK Review:

- In a short span of time, Michael Fassbender has become one of those actors who I want to see cast in everything. Whenever I hear of a new film in production looking for an epic hero or a sinister villain, Fassbender is always one of the first names that comes to mind. He's one of those actors who can bring that extra something to a part - who can elevate it with charisma, presence, psychological complexity, and gravitas. With that said, I would probably not have thought of Michael Fassbender to play the titular role in FRANK - a quirky comedy about an eccentric, would-be rock star who hides his face at all times behind a giant cartoon-head helmet. But Fassbender, playing against type, kills it as Frank. It's a unique performance. We can't see the actor's face, so the acting is all in his voice and body language. What Fassbender does, given those limitations, is pretty remarkable. And what FRANK accomplishes as a film is also pretty noteworthy. This is a funny, heartfelt, and strange movie about the line between creative genius and madness, about success and selling out, about rock n' roll.

The film is actually presented not from Frank's point of view, but from that of a guy named Jon Burroughs. Jon, played by Domhnall Gleeson, is a young British guy, living a relatively boring middle-class life with his parents, dreaming big dreams of being a musician. He's got a decent amount of talent, but so far has used it to record pretty middling song demos that won't exactly serve as his ticket to the big time. However, his life takes a sudden strange turn when he encounters members of a band he admires - with the unpronounceable name of "Soronprfbs" - who are in need of a replacement keyboardist. Jon joins them for a gig, and though there is some resentment from the various band members, their singer and leader, Frank, takes a liking to Jon. Soon, Jon is whisked away to a remote cabin with the band, where Frank has decided they will stay until recording of their new album is complete. 

Frank, as mentioned, is a bit of an iconoclast (to put it mildly). No one has ever seen him without the giant cartoon head he wears. He doesn't take it off to eat, drink, or bathe. Frank himself subscribes to a weird zen philosophy of music making. His album recording process is as much about strange rituals and training as it is about the music. He's clearly a bit off his rocker, but he also inspires a strange, cult-like worship from his band-mates. As Jon grows more comfortable with Frank, he becomes increasingly open in his desire to take Frank and the band from little-known rock curiosity to full-on pop sensation. He begins posting YouTube videos of Frank, and books the band at major festivals, including Austin's South By Southwest. But what Jon doesn't quite realize is that Frank's quest to find the perfect sound is less about winning over the masses, and more about indulging his own obsessive quirks. The band is less a band, and more a support group. A collection of lost souls who need each other, but not necessarily anyone else.

In addition to Fassbender's remarkable turn as Frank, there are a couple of other really noteworthy performances in the film. One is Gleeson as Jon. Gleeson is excellent as our POV character, and though he starts off the film as the typical ordinary-geeky-kid-who-gets-thrust-into-a-new-world-of-crazy, he evolves into something else - a semi-destructive force who becomes blindly ambitious. He starts as the classic underdog protagonist, but ends as someone who you almost have to root against. Secondly, Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent as Clara, a morose, prickly band member who has a complex, co-dependent relationship with Frank. The character reminds me just a bit of Julianne Moore in The Big Lebowski, as Gyllenhaal makes Clara darkly funny, but also just plain dark at times. Finally, Scoot McNairy as Don, another band member and acolyte of Frank's. World-weary and full of rock n' roll wisdom, Don takes Jon under his wing, and is the one who originally recruits him into the band. Don seems the most grounded of the band, but he may actually have the most pronounced issues. In any case, it's a funny and tragic turn from McNairy - definitely an actor to keep an eye on.

Director Lenny Abrahamson is not someone I was really familiar with before now, but he's now leapfrogged onto my movie-watching radar. What's impressive is that FRANK is both unbelievably odd and quirky, yet also has a realness to it that gives it a surprising humanity. There's a very delicate tonal balance achieved here. The movie is really funny at times, but it has scenes - including a nakedly emotional ending sequence - that are quite raw. There's a poignancy to FRANK - and to Frank - that stems from the movie's themes about art vs. commerce and the satisfaction gained from self-fulfillment vs. the adoration of others. Is music and art about simply doing what makes you and your circle of co-conspirators happy, or is it only valid if it reaches the masses? Frank's persona seems like a gimmick designed to get attention ... but is it? Or did it start that way, only to become a personal prison? Or was it, all along, just one person's crazy way of coping with major issues?

Regardless, FRANK looks at the madness of music-making, and the insanity of the search for rock n' roll perfection - with a keen satirical eye and a lot to say about art, music, and the human condition. Fassbender's performance is a brave one - and it further proves that the guy is as multifaceted and talented an actor as they come. This is a fascinating, strange film, and one of the year's most interesting indies.

My Grade: A-