Reviews for August 2nd, 2024
In Chuck Chuck Baby, Helen (Louise Brealey) works in a chicken factory and lives with her ex-husband, Gary (Celyn Jones), his girlfriend, Amy (Emily Fairn), and his mother, Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). When Joanne (Annabel Scholey), her former neighbor who she used to have a crush on during her school days, suddenly returns, they rekindle their romantic feelings toward each other. If The Umbrellas of Cherbourg had a baby with a Ken Loach film, it would look something like Chuck Chuck Baby. The screenplay by writer/director Janis Pugh is a poignant, audacious and exuberant amalgam of romance, comedy and musical. Helen has been stuck in a rut for many years, but with Joanna back, something inside of her reawakens. She's lucky to have a great role model, Gwen, who's like a surrogate mother for her as well as her guiding light. Every scene with them together feels genuinely heartwarming. Pugh wisely avoids resorting to flashbacks and over-explaining to tell the story, so she trusts the audience's emotions and imagination without veering into maudlin territory.
The lively musical numbers are well-integrated within the narrative in a way that doesn't feel clunky or awkward, and there are even a few songs are that add emotional depth. Louise Brealey shines in a raw and convincingly moving performance. She and Annabel Scholey have palpable chemistry. Moreover, the cinematography is superb while making the film both cinematic and poetic, i.e. when Helen and Joanne blow a dandelion or when Helen and her co-workers lay in a circle on the grass. Poetry often represents a form of protest, so, in this case, Chuck Chuck Baby is a protest for love and against hate. At a running time of 1 hours and 41 minutes, Chuck Chuck Baby opens at Cinema Village via Dark Star Pictures.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
In Four Souls of Coyote, a Native American grandfather (voice of Lorne Cardinal), tells his grandchildren the Native American version of the Creation Story while other Native Americans protest the construction of a pipeland on their ancestral land. The story involves an Old Man (voice of Lorne Cardinal) who creates the animals out of clay; the titular Coyote (voice of
Diontae Black) with four lives creates the flawed humans. The screenplay by writer/director Áron Gauder and co-writer Géza Bereményi could've done without the wrap-around story involving the pipeline protest because it's somewhat preachy, heavy-handed and not nearly as engaging nor immersive as the Creation Story. So, the first and last 5 minutes don't quite hook the audience right away until the grandfather starts telling the story. That's when the film suddenly gets an invigorating burst of creativity, a compelling narrative and a stunning blend of 2D and 3D animation. Four Souls of Coyote isn't really for kids who'll probably be bored. It's more for older, mature teenagers and adults because it gets into increasingly dark and complex territory without much in terms of comic relief or cute moments. This isn't Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, after all, nor does it try to be, but it'd be an intesting double feature. If you're in the mood for an exhilarating, thought-provoking and spellbinding animated film, you'll enjoy Four Souls of Coyote. At 1 hour and 43 minutes, it opens at Quad Cinema via Juno Films.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
In Harold and the Purple Crayon, Harold (Zachary Levi) lives in an animated world with Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds). He uses his magical purple crayon to create a portal into the real world in search of his "old man", his creator. Moose and Porcupine also go through the portal. When they get there, Terry (Zooey Deschanel), a widow with a son, Mel (Benjamin Bottani), accidentally bumps into Harold and Moose with her car and agrees to not only give them a ride, but let them stay at her place temporarily. Harold's only nemesis is the power-hungry Gary (Jemaine Clement), a librarian who's writing a science fiction novel. He also happens to be Terry's ex. Based on the children's book by Crockett Johnson, the screenplay by co-writers David Guion and Michael Handelman bland, witless and clunky with a tone that's all over the place. Harold and the Purple Crayon tries to be funny, zany, sweet, thrilling and whimsical, but doesn't quite stick the landing. The slapstick humor gets tiresome very quickly. The same can be said about Zachary Levi who looks like a young Tom Hanks here. His goofy performance feels like nails on a chalkboard, though. Jemaine Clement gives an over-the-top performance that also fails to generate any laughs. The inclusion of flying bee spiders is creepy and will probably scare kids with arachnophobia. Although it's great to see Zooey Deschanel back on the big screen, it's too bad that she's undermined by the lazy screenplay. The CGI effects are decent, but nothing exceptional. The editing suffers from choppiness with some very awkward cuts and transitions. On a positive note, the pace moves briskly and the running time is just right for a children's movie. If it were longer, it'd be a chore to sit through. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Harold and the Purple Crayon, directed by Carlos Saldanha, opens nationwide via Columbia Pictures. It's just as dull and disappointing as IF.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
At 1 hour and 41 minutes, The Instigators, directed by Carlos Saldanha, opens at Regal Union Square via Apple TV+ before streaming on Apple TV+ on August 9th, 2024.
Number of times I checked my watch: 5
Set in 2019, Kneecap is a wickedly funny and captivating biopic about Kneecap, a Irish rap group that performs in their native Irish language. The members, each played by the real-life Kneecap members, include Liam, Naoise, and, eventually, JJ, a school teacher. They cause mayhem in Belfast with their destructive behavior while a detective (Josie Walker) investigates them. Michael Fassbender has a supporting role as the Kneecap's father figure. Writer/director Rich Peppiatt infuses the film with energy and offbeat humor reminiscent of Guy Ritchie's films like Snatch. It also has some shades of Ken Loach with its unflinching grittiness. Peppiatt doesn't judge Liam, Naoise or JJ nor does he ask the audience to. They're not very likable, but they're nonetheless very flawed young men who remain determined and passionate about rapping in their native Irish language despite the opposition. You don't have to be a fan of rap music or to be familiar with Kneecap to enjoy the film, but it would help. At 1 hour and 45 minutes, it opens in select theaters via Sony Pictures Classics.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
In Sebastian, Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a young man, works as a freelancer for a magazine and writes his first book about sex work in the digital age. He leads a double life as a sex worker to help with his research for the book. The screenplay by writer/director Mikko Mäkelä is a tender, provocative and honest character study. When he's doing sex work, Max uses a pseudonym, Sebastian, which is also the title of his secretly autobiographical book. Mäkelä does shy away from unflinching sex scenes which enhance the film's realism. Most importantly, though, Sebastian isn't really about sex just like Blue is the Warmest Color isn't about sex either. It's fundamentally about someone who's in the process of discovering themselves. Max comes across as insecure and emotionally distant at first, but that begins to change when he bonds with one of his clients, Nicholas (Jonathan Hyde), an elderly man, who becomes like a compassionate father figure to him. Their scenes together are among the film's most powerful, revealing and poignant moments.
Will Max be able to continue to hide his double life? What might happen if his secret gets exposed? Those questions add a little suspense to Sebastian, but the plot avoids going into the thriller route or veering into very dark territory. To be fair, the last 10 minutes drag a little and the ending feels a little rushed and contrived. Those are minor, systematic issues, though. The film remains engrossing thanks to the wonderful performances, especially by Ruaridh Mollica who manages to portray Max's strengths and vulnerabilities very convincingly. Kudos to writer/director Mikko Mäkelä for seeing and treating Max as a complex human being and also to Ruaridh Mollica for opening that window widely. At a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, Sebastian opens at IFC Center via Kino Lorber.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
War Game is slickly edited and timely, but incomplete documentary about the six-hour simulation of political leaders dealing with a 2025 coup against the U.S. government, four years after the U.S. Capitol attack. Co-directors Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss do a decent job with exposition as they introduce the key players like John Hotham, played by Steve Bullock, Montana's former governor, and the leaders of the extremist group, Order of Columbus, staging the coup which takes places around the country. Vet Voice Foundation serves as the host of the simulation. Unfortunately, War Game falls short of its potential to be a provocative and illuminating doc. Merely showing the discussions that take place during the simulation, the threat of Order of Columbus, and the mock news reports don't generate any major insights or revelations. Sure, the fast-paced editing along the pulse-pounding , overbearing musical score tries very hard to create some tension, but nothing beyond that. If the filmmakers were to step back and to critique as well as examine the simulation from many different perspectives, that would've made War Game feel more complete and, most likely, profound. Beyond the importance of getting along with one another, what else can be learned from the simulation? How do politicians from other countries feel about the simulation? More focus on and analysis of the Insurrection Act would've been helpful, too. At 1 hour and 34 minutes, War Game opens at Film Forum via Submarine Deluxe and Decal Releasing.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
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