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Reviews for November 8th, 2024

 

      Qi Quan (Andi On) battles Shen An (Jacky Heung), the son of a dying master of a martial arts academy in 100 Yards. The winner will become the new master of the academy. Writer/director Haofeng Xu and co-director Junfeng Xu take a simple premise and stretch it too thinly. Each character remains underdeveloped which means that the audience has a tough time figuring out who to root for during the action sequences or even if they choose one, it's hard to care about him. Everything just seems to be going through the motions with little to no thrills or excitement. Even the Kung Fu scenes are underwhelming, forgettable and uninspired. If you can imagine a shallow, tedious and lackluster B-movie, it would look something like this. At 1 hour and 49 minutes, 100 Yards opens in select theaters nationwide via Well Go USA.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3





 

       In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Grace (Judy Greer) volunteers to direct the town's annual Christmas pageant which becomes a challenge when a group of six delinquent siblings called the Herdmans join the pageant. Beth and her husband's (Pete Bradley) two children, Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and Charlie (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez), also participate in it. Writer/director Dallas Jenkins and his co-writers, Platte F. Clark, Darin McDaniel and Ryan Swanson have woven a heartwarming, funny and family-friendly story based on the novel by Barbara Robinson. The film takes its time to fully establish its somewhat offbeat tone, but once it does around the time the Herdman siblings join the pageant and go to the library to read the bible, that's when it finds its footing. Each of the kid actors is superb, especially Beatrice Schneider who plays Imogene, the leader of the Herdman siblings. Admittedly, some scenes are a bit schmaltzy, pat and preachy, but those are forgivable flaws in a film that celebrates the spirit of Christmas with a fine balance of heart and humor.  At a running time 1 hour and 39 minutes The Best Christmas Pageant Ever opens nationwide via Lionsgate.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3





 

      The Balsano family get together on Long Island for Christmas Eve in Christmas Eve in Miller's Point. They include Emily (Matilda Fleming) and her cousin, Michelle (Francesca Scorsese), Emily’s mother, Kathleen (Maria Dizzia), Ray (Tony Savino), Isabelle (JoJo Cincinnati), Ronald (Steve Alleva) and  Bruce (Chris Lazzaro). Michael Cera has a supporting role as Officer Gibson  who's partnered with Sergeant Brooks (Gregg Turkington). The screenplay by writer/director Tyler Thomas Taormina and co-writer Eric Berger is dull, meandering, overstuffed, undercooked and, worst of all, emotionally hollow. There are too many characters and none of them are memorable or compelling in any way. Without a main character, the film just goes from one vignette to the next with little to no dramatic tension, wit or comic relief. Is it too much to ask for the filmmakers to allow the audience to go beyond the surface by getting to know some of the characters? Why keep such a cold distance between them and the audience? The visually stylish cinematography is the only aspect that invigorates the film ever so slightly, i.e. when a fire truck with Santa Claus passes by in dream-like blur. At 1 hour and 46 minutes, which feels like 2.5 hours, Christmas Eve in Miller's Point opens in select theaters nationwide via IFC Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3







      In Elevation, Will (Anthony Mackie) embarks on a dangerous journey to bring more oxygen machines for his young son, Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr.). Katie (Maddie Hasson) and Nina (Morena Baccarin) join him as they battle vicious creatures along the way. Will shows animosity toward Nina for a reason that gradually becomes clear. Set in the post-apocalypse, the screenplay by John Glenn, Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan begins after mysterious creatures have taken over the country and, perhaps, the world. For some reason, the creatures won't go above 8,000 feet which explains why Will and the remaining survivors seek refuge above that elevation. The town that Will, Katie and Nina are headed for happens to be below 8,000 feet. What ensues is a mildly engaging, but often bland amalgam of sci-fi, horror and drama with clunky exposition. It's just as unimaginative as its title. Elevation's systemic flaws are that it doesn't take its concept far enough, so it's undercooked while low on thrills, suspense and world-building. The performances are decent and the same can be said about the visual effects whenever the creatures briefly show up. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, Elevation, directed by George Nolfi, opens in select theaters nationwide via Vertical. In a double feature with Love and Monsters, it would be the inferior B-movie.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

       Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey is an captivating, insightful and profoundly moving documentary about U.S. combat chaplains who provide spiritual, psychological and emotional guidance to soldiers.  Co-directors Richard Hull and Justin Roberts do an effective job of shedding light on the history of combat chaplains and how they help soldiers during wartime and afterward, too. Roberts, who's a chaplain himself, attends the funeral of another combat chaplain, Father Emil Kapaun. While learning about Father Kapaun's experiences during the Korean War, he reflects on his own experiences as a combat chaplain. He and the other combat chaplains in the film come across as not only brave, but also compassionate, empathetic, wise and emotionally mature. Those are important virtues for anyone to have, so they're very inspirational. Kudos to Justin Roberts and co-director Richard Hull for making a documentary about a lesser known occupation that deserves to be better known and appreciated for the intrinsic value of their work. Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey will ultimately nourish your heart, mind and soul. At 1 hour and 15 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Falling Forward Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1







      Two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), visit the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) to convert him to Mormonism, but they get more than they bargain for in Heretic. A house isolated in the middle of nowhere? Check! A seemingly charming man who gradually becomes creepy? Check! Cell phones that have no service when needed? Check! A villain with a basement which contains dark secrets? Check! The screenplay by co-writers/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods checks many of the boxes of cliches found in horror films, but there's nothing inherently wrong with using cliches as long as they're used effectively. For the most part, Heretic accomplishes that goal because it relies on psychological horror and provoking the audience intellectually as Mr. Reed and the missionaries have conversations about theology. Mr. Reed comes across as very intelligent and cunning, but also calculated and deeply disturbed. There's not much of a backstory for him, though, so if you're looking for easy answers as to how he ended up going crazy or what kind of traumas he suffers from, you'll be disappointed. However, his character still remains intriguing because he's so mysterious.

      Once the more visceral elements of horror and supernatural kick full throttle during the last 30 minutes, that's when Heretic takes a slight nosedive. A cut to a Mormon elder (Topher Grace) desperately searching for Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton after he realizes they're missing, is an undercooked subplot that doesn't generate enough tension. There are a few twists that won't be spoiled here, but the filmmakers spoon-feed the audience with flashbacks that over-explain the twists without leaving much room for interpretation. The use of symbolism, i.e. a butterfly that becomes a more significant detail later on, is interesting. Sophie Thatcher gives a solid performance as does Chloe East whose role seems like an extension of her role in The Fabelmans where she also plays someone very religious. Hugh Grant gives one of the best performances of his career as Mr. Reed while capturing the nuances of the role. It's also worth mentioning the terrific production design, lighting, camera angles and editing which provides visual style while making the film much more cinematic simultaneously. At a running time 1 hour and 50 minutes, Heretic, is a taut, atmospheric and provocative slice of psychological horror. It opens nationwide via A24.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

      19-year-old Hippo (Kimball Farley) lives with his widowed mother, Mom (Eliza Roberts), and spends most of his time playing video games in Hippo. His stepsister, Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger), a Hungarian immigrant, wants him to get her pregnant. The screenplay by writer/director Mark H. Rapaport and co-writer Kimball Farley is a wickedly funny, bold and refreshingly unconventional portrait of a dysfunctional family. If you feel uncomfortable while watching it, that's part of the point. There are shades of John Waters, Yorgos Lanthimos and a dash of Todd Solondz. This isn't your typical coming-of-age film at all. For instance, Hippo hasn't learned sex ed, so his mother tries to teach him how girls get pregnant and what cum is---he asks if it's acidic, but she mishears "acidic" as "hasidic." Shot in black-and-white, Hippo isn't afraid to veer into dark territory in its third act which won't be spoiled here. Its main flaw, though, is the overuse of narration by Eric Roberts which feels distracting.  At 1 hour and 40 minutes, Hippo opens at Quad Cinema via Kinematics.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

      An alien contacts Elsa (Megan Northam) telepathically to inform her that her older Franck (Sebastien Pouderoux), who went missing during a space mission, can return home as long as she helps it and four other aliens to reach planet Earth by sacrificing the lives of five people in  Meanwhile on Earth. Writer/director Jérémy Clapin deftly blends sci-fi, psychological horror and suspense with a story that remains captivating and poignant. At its core, it's about a sister who's grieving the death of her brother and desperately wants him back. Will she cross moral boundaries to accomplish that by killing 5 people for the aliens to reach Earth? Meanwhile on Earth doesn't judge Elsa for her decisions nor does it ask the audience to judge her either. Thanks to the sensitively written screenplay and to Megan Northam's heartfelt performances, the audience can grasp Elsa's heart, mind and soul which humanizes her. There's little exposition when it comes to the aliens, though, so it doesn't go very far with its sci-fi concept in terms of imagination. That said, the intense third act takes risks that pay off and lead to an ending that's surprisingly moving and understated. At 1 hour and 32 minutes, Meanwhile on Earth opens at Metrograph via Metrograph Pictures. It would be an interesting double feature with Contact

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

      In Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom, Ainz Ooal Gown (Satoshi Hino) joins forces with the Sacred Kingdom and Sorcerer Kingdom to battle the evil emperor Jaldabaoth (Masayuki Katô) a.k.a Demiurge. Based on the manga series, the screenplay by writer/director Naoyuki Itô is a convoluted and tedious blend of sci-fi and action with very little intrigue or imagination. The minimal exposition feels clunky while the action sequences are initially exciting, but come with diminishing returns. If you're unfamiliar with the manga series, this movie version probably won't give you enough of a hook to be engaged or to start reading the manga. It's also exhausting and overstays its welcome by the time the end credits roll.  At an overlong 2 hours and 15 minutes, Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom< opens in select theaters nationwide via Crunchyroll.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4





 

      Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy), a coal merchant, discovers a dark secret about a local convent after he meets Sarah (Zara Devlin), a young woman, being sent to an religious institution in  Small Things Like These. Sister Mary (Emily Watson), bribes him and his wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh), with money, but Bill considers whether or not to rescue the young woman and to expose the convent's crimes. Based on the novel by Claire Keegan, the screenplay by Enda Walsh is quietly moving, but not unflinching or profound enough to pack an emotional wallop. The film's poignancy comes more from the performances by Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson and, especially, Eileen Walsh, than from the shallow screenplay. Bill experiences flashbacks to his traumatic childhood every now and then which still haunt him. Unsurprisingly, those memories affect his decision to rescue Sarah. The cinematography and lighting enhance the film's grittiness. There are pacing issues, though, because the first hour moves at a slow to medium burn and the rest of the film picks up the pace before an ending that feels too abrupt and somewhat anticlimactic. At 1 hour and 38 minutes, Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants, opens in select theaters nationwide via Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      Starring Jerry as Himself is a wildly entertaining, provocative and gripping documentary/fiction hybrid that turns into frustrating mindfuck. Director Law Chen sheds light on how Jerry Su, an elderly widow who lives alone in Florida, was scammed into giving money to criminals who convinced him that they're the Chinese police and they're recruiting him to be an undercover agent to solve a money-laundering investigation. It takes Hsu too long to realize that A) he's been scammed and B) his money's gone for good. Starring Jerry as Himself mostly includes reenactments of Jerry's ordeal with Jerry portraying himself and his family members also portraying themselves. What's real? What's fiction? Chen lets the audience decide that on their own. Jerry had always wanted to play a hero, so now's his chance. Even if most of what's unfolding might not be exactly how it happened, this documentary ultimately serves as a cautionary tale. At 1 hour and 15 minutes, Starring Jerry as Himself opens at IFC Center via Greenwich Entertainment. It would be a great double feature with Thelma.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

      In The Trophy Bride, Tu Lac (Uyen An) and her family hatch a plan to turn her into a trophy bride so that Bao (Samuel An), who comes from a wealthy family, will marry her. Will they be able to successfully fool Bao's mother, Phuong (Trang Thu)? Director Ngoc Dang Vu has made a funny, clever and heartfelt romantic comedy with plenty of surprises. The interesting premise never runs out of steam as Tu Lac's family come up with hilarious schemes to con Bao and his mother. There's some slapstick humor and also some wit. Beneath all of the comedy, though, The Trophy Bride has a warm, beating heart and likable characters who seem true-to-life. The most unlikable character, though, is Phuong because she's an overbearing, shallow, selfish, narcissistic and controlling mother to Bao. She also looks down on the poor and cares more about making money than helping them. So, there's some catharsis and fun in watching Tu Lac and her family con her. Uyen An and Samuel An have palpable chemistry together while the entire supporting cast, especially Hong Van, who plays Tu Lac's mother, have great comedic timing. The ending, which won't be spoiled here, is refreshingly un-Hollywood. If you can imagine Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Heartbreakers crossed with Anora, it would look something like The Trophy Bride. At 1 hour and 55 minutes, The Trophy Bride opens in select theaters nationwide via 3388 Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

      John (Luke Evans), a DEA agent, spends a weekend in Taipei where he tries to take down Kwang (Sung Kang), a drug kingpin, who's married to his ex-lover, Joey (Lun-Mei Gwen) in Weekend in Taipei. Little does Joey's young son, Raymond (Wyatt Yang), know that John is actually his father. Of course, there's a MacGuffin: a ledger that incriminates Raymond. Writer/director George Huang and co-writer Luc Besson have made a wildly entertaining, slick and exhilarating action thriller. Sure, the villain is cartoonish and underwritten while the plot has very little plausibility and barely any surprises. Those are systematic flaws; not systemic flaws. Who goes to an action thriller expecting logic, anyway? As Hitchcock once observed, logic is dull.

      Fortunately, the action sequences are fun to watch because they're well-choreographed and that's when the film embraces its dark humor and zaniness. Case in point: an action set piece takes place inside a restaurant's kitchen that's almost as hilarious as the iconic kitchen fight scene in Jean-Claude Van Damme's Sudden Death. If only it were to go full throttle with those comedic elements. Expositional scenes are handled quite well without any clunkiness, i.e. when John, Joey and Randolph sit and eat together while John and Joey recall their own memories of how they met. Note to other filmmakers: the best way to incorporate exposition is to have the characters do something else during the expository dialogue. The aforementioned scene is a great example of that. The pace moves briskly enough, the violence is bloody without being gratuitous, and brief running time helps the audience to avoid becoming exhausted. This is the kind of film that Jean-Claude Van Damme would enjoy doing back in the 80s and 90s. At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 41 minutes Weekend in Taipei opens in theaters nationwide via Ketchup Entertainment.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      Youth (Homecoming) is, thankfully, the last part of the Youth trilogy about young textile workers in Zhili, a province in China. Director Wang Bing focuses on the workers' preparing to go on a break for the 2016 Chinese New Year. Two couples end up getting married while the audience is there to witness their joyous festivities. For the most part, Youth (Homecoming) is mildly engaging without being profound, provocative or very moving. Like the previous films, it tests the audience's patience because of the lengthy running time and the occasionally sluggish pace. There's also nothing exceptional about the cinematography, editing or anything else that would've added style and/or made the film more cinematic. At 2 hours and 32 minutes, Youth (Homecoming) opens at Metrograph via Icarus Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3