Movie Review: "A Feral World" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "A Feral World"
Director: David Liban
Year: 2020
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

The "post-apocalypse" genre has been a favorite for big-budget studios and independent filmmakers for decades. Maybe it's because using abandoned, dilapidated buildings and limitless desert landscapes make for relatively inexpensive film shoots. Maybe it's because vast tundras devoid of people make excellent cinematic eye candy. Perhaps, it's a little of both. Over the past few years, we have seen numerous small-scale, human-centered stories told in post-apocalyptic settings, including "It Comes at Night" (2017), "The Road" (2009), and "Cargo" (2018). "A Feral World" (2020) also attempts to do the same. The film is written and directed by David Liban, a film professor at CU Denver's College of Arts and Media, who clearly made the movie on a shoestring budget. It was shot over several years. We believe this had more to do with the previously mentioned budget restrictions rather than it being a conscious "Boyhood"-esque artistic choice, but who knows. Liban manages to weave the time delays into his story to his advantage, making it seem intentional as the child actors age in real-time. The story centers on a young boy named Sonny (Caleb Liban, the director's son), who has been orphaned during a global fallout. He soon pairs up with a woman named Emma (Danielle Prall), who has been searching for her daughter, who was abducted from their home during the dissolution of society. Together, they must help each other survive long enough to figure out where Emma's daughter may have been taken.

Caleb Liban and Danielle Prall in "A Feral World." (Image Source)

The apocalypse in "A Feral World" (2020) seems that it was caused by technology gone awry. Tiny, flesh-eating, building-destroying nano-bots appear on-screen as a swarm of insects that look as though they've been yanked straight out of a poorly CGI-ed "made for sci-fi channel movie" or some tech-savvy child's homemade YouTube video. We don't enjoy the prospect of hating on a movie for its graphics, especially when it was so clearly someone's passion project, but the CGI in this movie is really bad. Luckily, the goofy CGI is offset by some competent camerawork. As we mentioned above, it's not hard to make the right landscape look incredible, even when your movie is being made on the cheap. The narrative itself is a simple one as Sonny and Emma form a familial bond while they look for her abducted daughter. They walk, walk, walk, and they talk, talk, talk, and occasionally, they come across other desperate, sometimes violent people who are looking for a fight in this changed world. Eventually, Emma and Sonny come to a point where they may have to save her daughter from the person who snatched her, even if they might get hurt in the process. Unfortunately, we never felt the danger or passion or tension these situations should have held. If a mother is looking for her abducted daughter, we should feel the sadness, rage, and concern that she's feeling. We shouldn't feel bored. The script lacks nuance and emotion, and it feels derivative as a whole. It doesn't help that the characters themselves aren't written with a lot of depth. We're sorry to say it, but the acting in "A Feral World" (2020) comes off as bland and overly-scripted. We know that most of the individuals in this film are not professional actors, and the ones that are aren't very experienced, but for us, the stiffness brought the movie-watching experience down a peg or two.

Drew Barrett plays Maddy in "A Feral World." (Add caption)

We certainly appreciate the effort and the dedication put in by those involved in the making of "A Feral World" (2020), but heart and drive will only get you so far. You still have to engage your audience, and sadly, we just weren't all that captivated by this story. There are a couple of interesting elements that could've worked out had they been explored more in-depth, but overall, the film is seriously lacking.

My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3/10
IMDB's Rating: ~3.2/10
RT Rating: ---%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Farewell Amor" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "Farewell Amor"
Director: Ekwa Msangi
Year: 2020
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Many immigrants from war-torn countries seek refuge in the United States. Frequently, one family member, usually the patriarch, will come to the U.S. to try and become financially stable and set up a home before the rest of the family joins them stateside. Writer/director Ekwa Msangi explores one such situation in her film "Farewell Amor" (2020). After the end of the civil war in Angola, Walter (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) left Africa for America so he could build a new life for his family. Little did he know he would be separated from his wife Esther (Zainab Jah) and their daughter Sylvia (Jayme Lawson) for 17 years before they would join him, and 17 years might as well be a lifetime. Esther and Sylvia are now practically strangers to Walter. Can they work together to overcome the literal and figurative distance that time has put between them?

At its core, "Farewell Amor" (2020) is about how Esther, Walter, and Sylvia have become drastically different people in the nearly two decades they have been apart. The story is told in three sections. Each portion focuses on a different member of the family. The first piece focuses on Walter, the second explores Sylvia's thoughts on coming to a new country to meet the father she doesn't know, and the final section focuses on Esther and the value shift she has gone through since Walter left Angola.

Image Source

Living in America for 17 years is sure to change a person. Walter has moved on and had embraced much of the typical American lifestyle. He enjoys having a drink and dancing at clubs. Right up until his family arrived in America, he was even living with a nurse name Linda (Nana Mensah), whom he clearly loved dearly. For all intents and purposes, Walter had his own separate life without his family. Considering that Walter left Angola when Sylvia was just a baby, we think she has it the hardest of any of the characters in this story. Sylvia is a character in-limbo. She has been taken from everything she has ever known, only to be thrust into a new country to live with her father, who is a complete stranger to her. Her one passion and solace in life is dancing, though her ambitions to dance are thwarted by her mother at every turn. It is through dancing that Sylvia forges a new friendship with DJ (Marcus Scribner) and learns to connect to her father. Finally, the film shifts once more to focus on Esther, who spent her years engrossing herself in the church back at home and has become a religiously devout woman. Though it is never explicitly said, Esther's devoutness has become a point of contention between all three family members. She's critical about many things, including drinking and dancing, and she's even disapproving of Sylvia's friends from Angola. Esther also gives large sums of money to the church, money that could be used for getting necessities for the family, considering they live in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City. This clearly bothers Walter as he's barely saving enough as it is. Despite Walter's good intentions, Esther has been lost in the fray and must now make sense of the busy, different new world all around her.

Image Source

My thoughts differ from BigJ's when it comes to "Farewell Amor" (2020). I found it to be a compelling immigrant character study, as well as an intriguing look at what it means to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to stick together as a family unit. It looks at the concept of American individualism versus maintaining a tight-knit community, as well as valuing doing what you love versus doing what is expected of you by your family. The acting is excellent from everyone involved, particularly Jayme Lawson, who gives a terrific first-time performance as Sylvia. BigJ felt that, because of its narrative structure, it lacked the spark he was looking for for it to be successful. He thought that, while there is definitely enough depth to make a feature film out of any one of the characters, by breaking it up, he only got a surface-level understanding of each of them rather than an in-depth understanding of one of them. We both agree that, because it is broken up into three smaller portions, we were left wanting a little more time to explore some of the aspects of Walter, Esther, and Sylvia's lives as individuals and as a cohesive unit. We do appreciate that the story explores the same time period from three different perspectives, but they didn't vary so much that this type of storytelling felt necessary. Still, this film left us excited to see what Ekwa Msangi will have to offer us in the future.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.6/10
RT Rating: ~100%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Shithouse" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "Shithouse"
Director: Cooper Raiff
Year: 2020
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

"Shithouse" (2020) is the second film we saw as part of the 2020 San Diego International Film Festival with a misleading-ish title. It isn't quite what you'd expect it to be based on its name alone. The name "Shithouse" conjures up images of raucous party flicks, "Van Wilder" (2002), "PCU" (1994), or "Porky's" (1981) types of pictures loaded with drunk people trying to get laid. This particular film does involve drunk college students trying to get laid, but tonally, it's more in line with Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" (1995) with a sprinkling of "Everybody Wants Some!" (2016). Written by, directed by, and starring Cooper Raiff, "Shithouse" (2020) follows a young college freshman named Alex (Raiff) who is struggling to adapt to college dorm life. Alex has no friends, he and his roommate Sam (Logan Miller) don't get along, and he spends most of his free time either talking to his stuffed dog or calling his family back home. Hoping to break out of his shell and with a little urging from his plush pooch, Alex decides to go to a frat party at a place known as 'Shithouse.' The party doesn't go well at all. When Alex and Sam return to their dorm room, Sam craps his pants, forcing Alex to seek refuge from the smell in the common room. There, he strikes up a conversation with the dorm's RA, a sophomore named Maggie (Dylan Gelula). The two instantly hit it off and talk into the night, but when morning comes, Maggie suddenly changes her tune, and the chemistry they had a few short hours ago seems gone.

Alex (Cooper Raiff) is homesick while attending college in the 2020 IFC Film "Shithouse" (2020). (Image Source)

The first half of "Shithouse" (2020) mostly consists of Alex and Maggie walking around campus as they carry on conversations about their lives, how they were raised, and their philosophies on college and what they hope to get out of it. Cooper Raiff and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Dylan Gelula have terrific chemistry with one another, so it's not hard to get lost in their conversations. They share many humorous moments as Alex tries to escape his natural awkwardness, but there is also a lot of tenderness as they discuss past traumas and future ambitions. These intimate early conversations are the most compelling parts of the film.

After their transcendent night together, Alex and Maggie wake up the next morning, and her attitude has inexplicably changed. She has an almost hostile tone towards him and apparently wants nothing to do with him. At this point, the audience might be just as confused as Alex as to her sudden switch. Alex might throw some seriously nasty farts in his sleep...who the hell knows? It's as good an explanation as any since we're sort of left guessing. We get not wanting to create a relationship from a one night stand. We can even understand that Maggie's attitude change might reflect how much room she has left to grow as a person with a lot of traumatic emotional baggage, but her "ghosting" Alex with no explanation didn't sit right with us. There's not even a simple "this isn't what I want" or "we had a nice night together, but this isn't going to work out," just a cold shoulder he's left to work out as he wallows in his aloneness once more. From that moment on, the events of the next day unfold more awkwardly than watching Alex have a full-on conversation with his stuffed animal. We start to see Maggie become increasingly crueler as Alex gets even more desperate, which isn't an impression you want for your two romantic leads. If this series of events play out in the name of realism, well, it's nothing we've ever experienced first-or-even-secondhand, but maybe things have changed in the 15 years we've been together. In that same amount of time, however, our society has also made leaps and bounds when it comes to calling out bad behavior and toxic situations. For a time, we found ourselves actively rooting against Maggie and Alex's partnership because of its underlying toxicity, especially after they have their big blow-out and say some impressively shitty things to one another. Their massive fight gave us serious "you can actually pinpoint the second when his heart rips in half" vibes.

The narrative is also pretty uneven as it is almost entirely front-heavy, which makes for a sluggish second half despite the tension and bickering. The script rushes things at the end in search of a satisfying conclusion, which we thought was a little too convenient. It would have been nice to have had a few more minutes with the characters to catch up on whether or not they learned to be better people from the time they spent together. That being said, Dylan Gelula and Cooper Raiff both put on great performances.

Dylan Gelula and Cooper Raiff star in the film "Shithouse" (2020). (Image Source)

Regardless of how you feel about the title, "Shithouse" (2020) boasts quite a bit of charm early on despite some structural messiness. Anyone who has gone away to college or moved away from home will be able to relate to having feelings of homesickness while trying to find your place in a sea of strangers and new situations. One thing's for sure, we're going to be keeping an eye on Cooper Raiff and Dylan Gelula's careers because we see nothing but good things for them in the future.

My Rating: 6.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.3/10
RT Rating: ~96%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Drunk Bus" (2020)

(Image Source)

Movie: "Drunk Bus"
Director: John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke
Year: 2020
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

The title "Drunk Bus" (2020) conjures up images of a film with raucous frat parties and eccentric characters doing zany things, a potential new-age "Animal House" (1978), "Old School" (2003), or "Revenge of the Nerds" (1987). This indie comedy is based on the experiences of writer Chris Molinaro and directors John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke and is pretty far removed from the "wild college party" genre, though it does still have a few tricks up its sleeve. The main focus of the story is on a bus driver named Michael (Charlie Tahan), who rides "the loop" that transports drunk college kids from bars back to Ohio's Kent Institute of Technology campus day in and day out. Michael has been out of his long-term relationship for nine months but still pines for his ex-girlfriend. He has given up most of his future aspirations and is stuck living a repetitive, mundane life. That all changes when he meets Pineapple (Pineapple Tangaroa), a large, tatted-up, punk rock Samoan that the bus company has hired to be Michael's bodyguard after he was assaulted by a drunk frat guy. Pineapple teaches Michael to adopt a more "devil may care" attitude and to stop stressing himself out so much over shit that doesn't matter. Pineapple is occasionally a bad influence on Michael since his advice often leads straight to trouble and toxic behaviors, all in the name of being more carefree and more independent.

Charlie Tahan and Pineapple Tangaroa star in the upcoming 2020 comedy film "Drunk Bus." (Image Source)

From minute one, we found ourselves interested in Michael's journey during "Drunk Bus" (2020), but once Pineapple entered the picture, we were really all aboard. It's Pineapple Tangaroa's charm and endearing nature that makes this movie as entertaining as it is. Tangaroa sure knows how to light up the screen. His look is intriguing, his laugh is infectious, and his chemistry with star Charlie Tahan makes this the perfect college non-road-trip-buddy-comedy. Tahan is excellent in his own right. Michael is an extremely relatable character. We all know what it's like to struggle with dull, repetitious days that bleed into one another, especially during this pandemic. Tahan does a great job portraying a guy who has been caught up in the monotony of life for so long that he has no choice but to try things Pineapple's way. After all, what's he got to lose (besides a coveted safety award and the chance at a promotion)? As Michael breaks out of his daily routine and starts forging his own path in life, some humorous happenings occur along the way, including some light theft, yards of yarn, fireworks, lots of DEVO, night terrors, and some artwork that will leave you in absolute stitches. Of course, many of Michael's actions would get him immediately fired (if not arrested), but sometimes, leaving a terrible job can be a blessing in disguise, so if you're going to go down anyway, why not go down in a blaze of glory? Finally, SNL veteran Will Forte plays a cameo role as Michael's boss Fred. Fred frequently chimes in over the bus radio to provide a host of silly shenanigans, as well as to give Michael a sobering glimpse into what his future might be like if he sticks with the company long-term. The performances are solid all around, and they make the film as successful as it is.

Still, "Drunk Bus" (2020) is not without its flaws. It does come off a little formulaic from time to time, and it does fall into some of the typical indie movie tropes. Some of the screenplay's more dramatic elements feel conveniently timed and a little too inorganic, which is odd considering this film is "based on some true shit." This didn't detract from our overall viewing experience, but it was something we both noticed.

Michael (Charlie Tahan) aimlessly drives a college bus in "Drunk Bus" (2020).  (Image Source)

"Drunk Bus" (2020) is a fun slice-of-life/coming-of-age indie comedy with some enjoyable performances, some spectacular chemistry, and one of the weirdest looking paintings we've ever seen. Just don't think too hard about its familiarity and occasional plot conveniences and hop on for the ride.

My Rating: 7.5/10

BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: ---/10
RT Rating: ~100%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "before/during/after" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "before/during/after"
Director: Stephen Kunken and Jack Lewars
Year: 2020
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

We all have our own ways of dealing with the difficult circumstances life throws at us. Many people turn to professional help from counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists to discover different coping techniques, from simply reflecting on the good times you've had in life, up to and including role-playing your way through your problems. When you're an actor, however, you get a unique opportunity to really take 'role-playing through your problems' to the next level. "before/during/after" (2020) feels like writer/producer/star Finnerty Steeves's therapy through her art. Without even knowing the details of her personal life, we could tell right away that this project hit close to home for her. A quick Google search will tell you this film is very much a reflection of how her real-life 15-year marriage came to an end. In an interview with W42ST.com, Steeves discusses what went wrong in her actual relationship, much of which is shown on-screen, verbatim, in "before/during/after" (2020). Though this movie is directed by Stephen Kunken and Jack Lewars, we have a hunch they didn't take much artistic license beyond the initial script because it feels like they let it remain mostly (if not entirely) Steeves' story.

Photo: Finnerty Steeves and Jeremy Davidson look at greeting cards in the 2020 indie movie "before/during/after." (Image provided by the San Diego International Film Festival)

"before/during/after" (2020) is billed as a dramedy, though it leans into the drama more than the comedy. It's not the kind of movie that's full of the grandiose, over-the-top blowouts full of screaming and namecalling, you know, the one we've become accustomed to seeing in "soured relationship" movies (looking at you, "Marriage Story"). It's more of a "stoic reflection" type of drama as we watch actress Jennie (Finnerty Steeves) and her husband David (Jeremy Davidson) try to salvage what's left of their broken kinship. There are a couple of big, gut-punching emotional scenes, but where this film thrives is in its quietly pointed moments of absolute devastation as Jennie and David desperately try to save what has been shattered by infidelity, unaddressed needs, and a long-term lack of communication. While they reminisce about their happiest memories together, discuss "the other woman," and attend a revolving door of counseling sessions that would be enough to make the strongest couples fold, they come to the realization that they have always wanted very different things and had very different expectations for their marriage.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. There are several hilarious scenes in "before/during/after" (2020). But, even with the wacky couples therapists, a raunchy night out for Jennie and her girlfriends, and a trip to a pleasure palace for a vibrator "for her friend's bachelorette party," the story never feel phony or unrealistic. It's not a complex narrative full of crazy twists and turns. There are no grand romantic gestures or artificial Hollywood resolutions. It's merely a raw, relatable slice of one woman's life as she comes to terms with ending the relationship she's been in for nearly half of her existence. Finnerty Steeves acts the pants off of her part, but now that we know it's based on her real-life relationship, we're not surprised she nailed it.

On a technical note, we will admit the first portion of the film does aimlessly wander here and there. This is likely because the first few acts are told through a series of flashbacks as we watch Jennie relive the memories of her relationship during an audition for a part that's a little on the nose. Some viewers won't like that it's occasionally choppy, and while it didn't bother us too much, it did slow down the pacing just a skosh.

Photo: Jeremy Davidson, Finnerty Steeves, and Richard Masur star in "before/during/after" (2020). (Image provided by the San Diego International Film Festival)

"before/during/after" (2020) might not be the best film to watch if you're in a bad place in your marriage, but it's definitely worth checking out. We both liked this movie and thought it was engaging, though I liked it a bit more than BigJ did. He felt like it was missing an emotional spark. On the other hand, I was either consistently laughing or silently crying throughout its runtime.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: ~9.4/10
RT Rating: ---%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Spenser Confidential" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "Spenser Confidential"

Director: Peter Berg
Year: 2020
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

At least one thing is guaranteed in this crazy world of ours: Mark Wahlberg will always have a thriving career as a leading man so long as Peter Berg is directing movies. Many of the earlier collaborations between Berg and Wahlberg include films based on true stories, like Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor, and Patriots Day. We liked all of these titles despite them being a bit gung-ho and jingoistic, titles that were made to motivate audiences to collectively chant USA! USA!, but they are entertaining nonetheless. Lately, Berg and Wahlberg have been making fictional action flicks with the same undertones, but with much less success. Their latest collaboration is the Netflix original "Spenser Confidential" (2020), which we had no idea was based on a book series (shout-out to my grandma who used to read them and told us about this!). Wahlberg plays Spenser, which may sound like the name of a CPA or a software programmer, but really, he's just your typical tough guy Boston cop, ya know, the type of character he usually plays. Spenser has a strict moral code. He goes to prison for trying to weed out corruption from within the Boston police department after confronting his captain, which led to a rather public beatdown. The same day Spenser gets out of prison after serving five years, his crooked captain, Boylan (Michael Gaston), winds up dead in a bus yard. When the Boston P.D. tries to pin the crime on a cop that Spenser knows to be an honest, hardworking, straight-laced man, Spenser takes it upon himself to solve the murder and get to the bottom of this corruption in the B.P.D. He enlists the help of his old friend and trainer Henry (Alan Arkin) and his aspiring MMA fighter roommate Hawk (Winston Duke) to assist with the investigation.

Photo: In Netflix's original film "Spenser Confidential (2020), Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) and Hawk (Winston Duke) meet up with journalist Wayne Cosgrove (Marc Maron) to look at the evidence about Wonderland.

"Spencer Confidential" (2020) desperately wants to be a primo action buddy comedy, but the action is both generic and lacking, and the comedy is mediocre at best. We weren't wowed by anything that happens action-wise, and the comedy is the same deadpan sarcasm we've seen Mark Wahlberg do for the last decade. There are a couple of solid jokes that got us laughing, but overall, the script is full of wisecracks where "old man yells at cloud" after getting out of prison because he doesn't understand non-dairy alternatives or "the cloud." The only moments of humor that really work come from Alan Arkin and Winston Duke, and maybe one zinger from a brief appearance by Post Malone. Iliza Shlesinger also stars as Spenser's on-again-off-again girlfriend Cissy, who plays up the bombastic Boston stereotype for 110 minutes. It's a shtick that's meant to be funny (and might be accurate according to Bostonians), but we thought it was supremely annoying.

Where "Spenser Confidential" (2020) truly disappoints is in its writing. Berg and writers Sean O'Keefe and Brian Helgeland fail to develop a meaningful connection and chemistry between Hawk and Spenser, the backbone of the film. In fact, it is so sloppily put together that Hawk has no real motives or purpose. That's our biggest complaint about this project: Winston Duke deserved so much better than the limited screentime he has here. Also, Spenser and Hawk's investigation is meant to be a mystery, but we know who the bad guy is as soon as they come into frame. C'mon, at least try to make it a bit less obvious. It's a throwback to the 80s where most cops in cinema were corrupt, and those who aren't corrupt have their hands tied by regulations and rules, which makes them inept. The only people who can do anything about the crimes afoot are renegades who have to bend or break the rules to get the job done. It's so cliche, and it might have been fine if the movie had done anything remotely distinctive, compelling, or outrageously entertaining to set itself apart from the hundreds of others titles just like it. It doesn't. Instead, it winds up being a rather boring, play-it-safe Netflix film with virtually no originality.

Photo: Mark Wahlberg and Post Malone star in Netflix's "Spenser Confidential." (Image provided by Netflix)

Netflix's "Spenser Confidential" (2020) aspires to be a gritty action drama, but it's too poorly constructed and pulls too many shenanigans to be taken seriously. It also wants to be a buddy cop comedy, but its lazy writing and lack of a strong connection between Hawk and Spencer will almost assuredly make audiences not care about what happens to them. The best thing we can say about "Spenser Confidential" (2020) is that it's an entirely watchable, not completely miserable way to kill two hours if you are bored at home with nothing to do....which makes it pandemic perfect!

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.2/10
RT Rating: 41%
Do we recommend this movie: Meh.

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Pain and Glory" (2019)

Image Source

Movie: "Pain and Glory"

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Year: 2019
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Tinseltown writers and directors frequently churn out semi-autobiographical projects. Hollywood loves fictitious characters in fictional stories inspired by factual events that are sprung from the lives of filmmakers. Some examples are Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous," John Boorman's "Hope and Glory," Alfonso Cuarón's "Roma," and Noah Baumbach's "The Squid and the Whale" and "Marriage Story." "Pain and Glory" can now be added to that list as Pedro Almodóvar's stab at a semi-autobiographical work. The story revolves around a director named Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) who, as you may have guessed, is a stand-in for Almodóvar himself. Salvador no está bien. His career has been in a slump. He has many health problems that leave him living with a great deal of pain, and he also suffers from depression. When one of Salvador's films, Sabor, is selected to be remastered and re-released at a festival, he is forced to face his past and make amends to the people with whom he had a falling out. Salvador also reflects back on his childhood and the significant moments that led him to where he presently is in his life. He begins experimenting with hard drugs as he debates allowing his very personal semi-autobiographical script titled Addiction to be performed for the first time. It's all very, very meta.

Photo: Asier Flores, Penélope Cruz, and Raúl Arévalo play the Mallo family star in the movie "Pain and Glory." (Image Source)

Pedro Almodóvar really wanted to put his stamp on the "tortured artist" moniker, and we think he was rather successful at his attempt. In "Pain and Glory," he examines his first experience with homosexual attraction, his greatest lost love, and his struggles with aging and pain, forgetting and forgiveness, and addiction and inspiration through the character Salvador Mallo. Antonio Banderas does a masterful job breathing life into the distressed genius that is Salvador Mallo. His performance is nuanced, subtle, complex, and powerful. We think it's a career-best performance for Banderas. It's no wonder he received a best actor nomination at this year's Oscars! If only Joaquin Phoenix hadn't been so good. Another excellent performance comes from Asier Etxeandia as a struggling, drug-addicted actor named Alberto Crespo, who has had a long-standing feud with Mallo for decades after he was caught using drugs while filming Sabor. Etxeandia and Banderas have a magnificent rapport and chemistry with one another. They share some of the film's best, most entertaining scenes and moments as they reconnect and "chase the dragon" (do heroin) while discussing the past, present, and future of their careers and lives. We're not familiar with Etxeandia apart from this project, but we are going to seek him out in the future because he is just fantastic here. Leonardo Sbaraglia also gives a stellar (albeit brief) performance as Federico, Salvador's long lost love who shows up seeking connection and closure. Their compassionate reunion is short and bittersweet. It's enough to make anyone who has ever been in love wince with both happiness and pain as they close the book on their relationship. Another aspect of "Pain and Glory" that we loved is its use of unique visual and auditory elements to aid in its storytelling. José Luis Alcaine's stunning cinematography perfectly captures Mallo's/Almodóvar's childhood growing up and living in a cave in a tiny Spanish village. This is juxtaposed with his more prosperous life as an iconic director in Barcelona. Finally, Alberto Iglesias's score feels deliberately broken up into three distinct parts as Mallo flashes back to his past, lives distinctly in his present, and ponders about what is left to come in his pain-riddled life.

Photo: In the semi-autobiographical, Academy Award-nominated film "Pain and Glory," Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) reunites with his long lost love, Federico Delgado (Leonardo Sbaraglia). (Image Source)

It's clear to us that "Pain and Glory" is a deeply intimate project/self-portrait for Pedro Almodóvar. It feels like it's his way of working through his personal demons and past regrets. His passion comes through in each and every frame. That being said, it does feel a bit long and, much like Almodóvar's life, unfinished (which is clearly on purpose since he's obviously still alive). As the film's credits abruptly began rolling, it felt like we had been watching it for a long time. On the other hand, we felt like we wanted to see more because Almodóvar has such a commanding way of telling his stories that we yearned for a conclusion from the narrative threads that were left dangling in uncertainty. Still, "Pain and Glory" is a superbly-crafted, touching feature anchored by several splendid performances and a couple of intensely personal, intimate moments we won't soon forget.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.6/10
RT Rating: 97%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Angst" (1983)

Image Source

Movie: "Angst"

Director: Gerald Kargl
Year: 1983
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes

Austrian director Gerald Kargl explores the mind of a psychopathic, sadistic killer in his one and only film "Angst" (1983). We guess if you're only going to make one movie, it's a good idea to make it as controversial as possible so it will live in infamy as a cult classic (special thanks to Gaspar Noé, who named it a favorite of his). This film is partially based on the exploits of Austrian mass murderer Werner Kniesek, who killed a family of three while on parole. Most of the talking in the film comes in the form of a voice-over monologue as the killer (Erwin Leder) explains what he thinks and how he feels as he is committing his crimes. This voice-over is meant to be an interview conducted with a psychiatrist who is determining if the murderer is mentally competent to stand trial. Much of the dialogue that is said is taken from actual quotes from the confessions of killers like the previously mentioned Kniesek, as well as notorious serial killer Peter Kurten, known as 'The Vampire of Dusseldorf.'

Photo: Erwin Leder stars as K., the Psychopath in the 1983 dramatic horror movie "Angst." (Image Source)

"Angst" (1983) is very frantic and grossly voyeuristic, anchored by an equally crazy, unsettling performance from Erwin Leder as the unnamed killer "K." We hear his inner thoughts and the meticulous planning of the murders only for nothing to work out as he imagined. K drips gobs of sweat, eats in a repellant manner, and we feel anxiety and general revulsion watching him go about his horrid business. The camera follows K around and is frequently fixed on him so he stays steady while the background frenetically shakes and moves behind him, putting us closer to the killer than we ever want to be. It almost makes us feel like we're taking part in his horrific crimes. The murders themselves are meant to look as realistic and as gritty as possible and are all the more disturbing as K fails to perform them as he imagined and is often forced to improvise poorly. K also receives some sort of sexual gratification from hurting and torturing others, making him particularly vile. This part of the film might be a hard line for some people, though Kargl does do a good job making K as disgusting as humanly possible and never absolves him of the awful things he does.

Photo: Edith Rosset's character Mother clings to her last breath in "Angst" (1983), a cult classic directed by Gerard Kargl. (Image Source)

"Angst" (1983) isn't a movie we would call an enjoyable experience, and it sure isn't fun to watch, but it does manage to give a compellingly gross, repelling-but-artful look into the psyche of a killer. If Kargl set out to make one of the most unsettling dramatic murder thrillers, he kind of nailed it.

My Rating: 6.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
RT Rating: 100%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "The Turning" (2020)

Image Source

Movie: "The Turning"

Director: Floria Sigismondi
Year: 2020
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Waaaay back in 1898, author Henry James wrote the horror novella "The Turn of the Screw." Over the next 120 years, it would be adapted numerous times into stage plays and films. First and most notably was the 1961 adaptation by director Jack Clayton called "The Innocents." Five more works based on James's novella would be released over the years in 1972, 1985, 1992, 1999, and 2006, and that isn't even counting made-for-TV adaptations. Now, in 2020, "The Conjuring" writers Chad and Carey Hayes offer yet another version of the story with "The Turning," helmed by director Floria Sigismondi. The story centers on Kate Mandell (Mackenzie Davis), a teacher who takes a job as a governess to Flora Fairchild (Brooklynn Prince) after her previous tutor disappears. Kate gets more than she bargained for when Flora's older brother, Miles (Finn Wolfhard), returns home unexpectedly from boarding school. His return coincides with some unusual phenomenon, which makes Kate believe the Fairchild estate might be haunted.

Photo: Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, and Mackenzie Davis star in the 2020 horror film "The Turning." (Image Source)

Maybe "The Turning" (2020) was doomed to begin with. The film first went into development back in 2016 as a passion project for none other than Steven Spielberg, though it had a different title, a separate director, and another cast at that time. Due to some rewrites Spielberg didn't agree with, he eventually pulled the plug, only for it to be restarted with a new director, a fresh cast, and the original script sand rewrites, resulting in "The Turning" (2020). It finished shooting in early 2018 and sat on the shelf until today. We now see why this was the case because it's an absolute mess. This project had all of the elements necessary to be a sleek, modern horror mystery. It has a talented cast, great writers, and an experienced director, but somehow, it doesn't come together at all. Director Floria Sigismondi tries her best to create an eerie atmosphere at a gigantic, isolated New England gothic estate. She attempts to build tension and develop an unsettling aura but fails entirely because instead of being a slow-burning mystery, it winds up being a boring snoozefest without any substance. It also relies on cliche, ineffective, ill-timed jump scares for its primary source of horror. The most infuriating thing about "The Turning" (2020) is that the "boo! gotcha!" moments in the script come from dream sequences, which we think is the ultimate horror movie cop-out. Using one, maybe two dreams might have been okay to plant a seed of doubt about specific characters. However, Sigismondi thought it would be a good idea to use dreams every 10-15 minutes for its whole runtime! Anything scary or supernatural that happens happens in la-la land/nightmare alley/an imagined sequence that never actually takes place. Sigismondi clearly wants the audience to question Kate's sanity, but there are many other visual cues and sections of dialogue uttered by other characters that contradict this hypothesis. This leaves gaping, glaring plot holes in place of an actual cohesive story. In spite of the best efforts of its talented cast, the narrative doesn't come together and left us wanting to go off into our own little dream-world where we could forget we had to sit through this insipid drudgery.

Photo: In the movie "The Turning," Barbara Marten shakes Mackenzie Davis's face and warns her about the Fairchild estate. (Image Source)

"The Turning" (2020) may have escaped with a slightly higher score if it weren't for the ending, which feels like everyone behind the scenes was waving a big middle finger in our faces instead of actually writing a proper conclusion. We can get behind an ambiguous ending under the right circumstances. In the proper hands, an open-ended finale can leave audiences discussing and debating details for years to come (see: "Annihilation," "Inception," hell, some people even think "Taxi Driver" is left open to interpretation). When done poorly, however, as is the case here, we left the entirely-empty-except-for-us theater showing yelling "fuck you!" at the screen. Any points this would have gotten immediately melted away when the filmmakers decided it was better to let us paint our own adventure instead of, you know, completing their goddamn movie on their own. It's not confusing, it's just literally NOT FINISHED. If you want to see a prime example of how not to end a film ambiguously, look no further than "The Turning" (2020).

My Rating: 1/10
BigJ's Rating: 1/10
IMDB's Rating: 3.7/10
RT Rating: 13%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "Throne of Blood" (1957)

Image Source

Movie: "Throne of Blood"

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Year: 1957
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa offers up his adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" with "Throne of Blood" (1957). Much like its source material, "Throne of Blood" (1957) explores the destructive nature of the pursuit of power for the sake of power. It shows how the desire to hold on to one's position of authority and all the comforts it provides makes a person paranoid and leads them to commit atrocious acts of violence against their enemies and even their friends. Taketoki Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) begins the story as a kindhearted man and a fierce warrior who is loyal to his Lordship. When he and his friend Miki (Akira Kubo) get lost in the forest one day, they run into a spirit (Chieko Naniwa), who predicts that Washizu will become lord of the North Castle and will eventually usurp his master to become Lord of the Forest Castle. Furthermore, the spirit claims that Miki will be promoted to defender of the First Fort and that one day, his son will replace Washizu as Lord of the Forest Castle. It is this prophecy that turns Washizu from a once-just person into a power-hungry monster...well, that, and the fact that his wife Lady Asaji (Isuzu Yamada) is always planting seeds of doubt in his mind.

Movie still from "Throne of Blood" featuring the Old Ghost Woman, played by Chieko Naniwa. (Image Source)

Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" (1957) is a visual near-masterpiece. Each and every visible second in this film adds to its moodiness, its intrigue, and its very successful storytelling. Kurosawa thrives when he plays with light and shadow, and here, he continues to make one hell of a spectacular scene after another. There are many different moments we could single out, but one in particular, when Lady Washizu walks into a dark closet to retrieve a canister of wine, is especially striking. The story is very compelling, albeit a bit slow-burning. We watched in anticipation to see if the spirit's prophecy would come true and shook our heads every single time Washizu gets manipulated into doing something that sealed his own demise. The ending is both intense and exciting. We were completely pulled into the story's climax, which kept us enthralled right down to the last arrow. The costumes are grand and incredibly intricate, and they look amazing when in the throes of the many battles that are fought. We absolutely loved the crescent moon on the helmet of the Great Lord of the Forest Castle. Kurosawa and his costume and set designers do a magnificent job of capturing the look of feudal Japan. The massive fortresses, the foggy forests, the towering temples, and the grand banquet halls look like they came out of a documentary rather than a feature film.

Toshirô Mifune and Akira Kubo charge into battle on horses in Akira Kurosawa's 1957 film "Throne of Blood." (Image Source)

We haven't seen many (if any) other versions of "Macbeth," but watching "Throne of Blood" (1957) makes us want to seek out other filmmakers' interpretation of the story to see if they managed to make them as compelling as Kurosawa's incarnation.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.1/10
RT Rating: 98%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter

Movie Review: "The Seventh Seal" (1957)

Image Source

Movie: "The Seventh Seal"

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Year: 1957
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Ingmar Bergman is a name that is highly celebrated among cinephiles and film scholars. Despite being self-proclaimed "viewers of everything," Bergman's movies have always been a cinematic blind spot for us. So, we made our first effort in correcting that egregious error by watching his 1957 classic "The Seventh Seal." The film follows a knight named Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) who, upon returning from the Crusades, is approached by Death (Bengt Ekerot) himself and is told that his life is coming to an end. Block challenges Death to a game of chess, hoping it will buy him enough time to reflect on his beliefs and to do one purely good deed. This task may be difficult as the world he has returned to is being ravaged by the Black Plague and religious zealots who have capitalized on fear and suffering to spread their puritanical ideas of faith.

Bengt Ekerot and Max von Sydow play chess in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal." (Image Source)

After only one viewing of just one film, we can see right away why Ingmar Bergman is such a heralded director. "The Seventh Seal" is brilliantly written, excellently acted, and spectacularly crafted. It deals with weighty philosophical subject matters in a daunting-but-insightful manner. The dialogue between characters is completely engaging, even poetic at times. They discuss subjects like life, death, faith, and nihilism in a world dealing with the rapid spread of the Black Plague. Some believe it is the end times, others believe God is punishing people for their sins, and some remain blind to the suffering of others and exploit it for their own personal gain. The story is very moving, not in a way that will necessarily make you cry, but more moving on a spiritual level that will make examine our purpose and existence on this great, big, hurling ball of rock and water in the middle of space. It's simultaneously the kind of movie you never want to experience again and the kind you want to rewatch immediately. There is a lot to unpack and a lot to take in here, and we're sure we will have to watch it several times to see what we may have missed. It is also filled to the brim with striking, symbolic, stunning imagery that drew an emotional reaction from us instantly. Each and every shot is meticulously crafted for maximum thought provokingness.

Death leads his followers in the Dance of Death in "The Seventh Seal" (1957). (Image Source)

"The Seventh Seal" is quite a film! We cannot wait to watch Bergman's other movies and hope they are as memorable as this one.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.2/10
RT Rating: 93%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Twitter