Uncut Gems.

Review #1316: Uncut Gems.

Cast:
Adam Sandler (Howard Ratner), Julia Fox (Julia), Idina Menzel (Dinah Ratner), Lakeith Stanfield (Demany), Kevin Garnett (Himself), Eric Bogosian (Arno), Keith Williams Richards (Phil), Judd Hirsch (Gooey), Mike Francesa (Gary), Noa Fisher (Marcel Ratner), Jonathan Aranbayev (Eddie Ratner), Jacob Igielski (Beni Ratner), and Wayne Diamond (Wayne) Directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie.

Review:
What is so alluring about the big risk? What makes us want to take a huge gamble and roll with what could be a huge win - or a huge loss? It probably is the same reason one can persist on with trying to find the next best gem - or in movie terms, one always wants to see if there's an ever better movie out there to view next. Uncut Gems will certainly be one of those films that inspires plenty of interest, where pangs of apprehension and anxiety (if one gets anxiety from films, I guess) the chase of seeing a tremendous lead performance that make up a pretty good time. One needs a good character-driven film like this from time to time, a grimy yet occasionally amusing film that works for a certain kind of thrill and achieves those ends without really seeming to lose sight of delivering on its risks from beginning to end. I must admit, I was initially a bit skeptical about Sandler for the lead role. He has had his moments where he can command the screen for laughs and had done a few films that weren't primarily comedies, such as Punch-Drunk Love (2002) and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017, directed by the Safdies, who had developed the first draft of this film's script in 2009), but it was more the buzz that developed around this film prior to its release that helped seal the deal. When it comes to late December/January releases, sometimes you want to see something a bit different get a release to shine (for which I emphasize wide release, not streaming release) - and this is especially appropriate. Sandler does a tremendous job with this role, a high-wire force with plenty of manic energy - he is the kind of person that could annoy everyone from his family to his customers and still have a chance at getting the big push, where one finds themselves watching him play himself and everyone else out on an ever-expanding board of bets and deals. In short, he may very well earn himself serious consideration for an Academy Award (boy that's a sentence to start a decade off with). With that in mind, the cast around him is just as well-picked to the surroundings, such as Fox and her captivating presence (with this being her screen debut), or Garnett and his magnetic force as himself that works every time without seeming like a overgrown cameo (if none of that sounds surprising, there's also talk-radio host Francesa as a bookie), or others like Stanfield and Bogosian when it comes to how they just interact with Sandler and his antics (namely exasperation). One wonders what the best sequence is to highlight, but I think the one that really sets it is right in the beginning, involving Sandler, fish with a rock inside and a rambling employee. He sees a magnificent black opal (for which we see in colorful detail more than once) and we just the pleasure he gets from having it in his possession, the hypnotic nature of wanting the big win (or rock) no matter the risk - which the film sells for itself quite well for. It shines in most aspects for 135 minutes in part because of the risks in wants to take with its direction, its actors, style and music (Darius Khondji and Daniel Lopatin, respectively), and it all works out the way it has to go to stand tall. Whether one finds themselves enthralled or anxious, this proves to be well-deserved gem to view, that much is for sure.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Knives Out.

Review #1306: Knives Out.

Cast: 
Daniel Craig (Benoit Blanc), Chris Evans (Hugh Ransom Drysdale), Ana de Armas (Marta Cabrera), Jamie Lee Curtis (Linda Drysdale), Michael Shannon (Walt Thrombey), Don Johnson (Richard Drysdale), Toni Collette (Joni Thrombey), Lakeith Stanfield (Detective Lieutenant Elliot), Katherine Langford (Meg Thrombey), Jaeden Martell (Jacob Thrombey), Christopher Plummer (Harlan Thrombey), Noah Segan (Trooper Wagner), Edi Patterson (Fran), Riki Lindhome (Donna Thrombey), K Callan (Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey), Frank Oz (Alan Stevens), and M. Emmet Walsh (Mr. Proofroc) Written and Directed by Rian Johnson (#1027 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Review: 
To have a good murder mystery is to have something worth looking at once enough to want to see it again. Entertainment is one thing, having something that compels you into its little game is another, as is the intent behind Knives Out, which has certainly gained a bit of buzz leading up to its release. It sure is amazing to see something as wonderfully average as this proves to be, as if someone wanted to make the dumbest smart mystery movie. It does prove a bit irritating to wonder how much one can really say about a movie mystery like this without seeming like a spoiler hound waiting to bite. Whatever you may say about "subverted expectations" when it comes to movies, it also proves irritating to manage to make a farce as opposed to a real intriguing mystery on a consistent level. The fact that it does just okay with its ensemble cast should inspire annoyance rather than rapture, really. You could've made this with average marquee-sounding actors and nobody would shout to the balcony about how it was exceptional in its execution. But hey, what are deftly built murder mysteries for when you can have snide humor and creaky foundations? You too can hit for the low hanging fruit for humor and mystery if you have the PR push (edgy political commentary for current year flavor? Ooh, tell me more before I stick a fork in my brain and call it art), where using buzzwords for certain moments makes for okay satire.

It certainly has the style to inspire charm, and there are no real bad apples in the acting bunch, so that does tend to help the film in its favor. If you happen to be in the mood for eccentric family drama, this probably seems right up your alley, unless one is more into the sleuth and his southern fried accent. In this case, Craig is easily the best part of the film, amusing in his mannerisms when it comes to working out the oddities that tend to arise, never overstaying his welcome in any sense. Armas makes for a fairly compelling lead to follow when faced with the mystery and the facts that surround her, handling things with a dash of grace and confidence. Evans is tasked with delivering oozy charisma (while doing it in a silly sweater) for the film's second half, and he proves just fine with that in mind, where brash confidence at being the entitled black sheep of the family just comes with the territory. When it comes to the other members of the family, I find myself gravitating towards Curtis and Shannon when it comes to how they interact with the others in their family, for better or worse. Honestly, I feel like the film could've just focused on them even more, since the film doesn't even have red herrings or anything that would lead the mystery solely back on these quirky caricatures besides flashbacks. Plummer is wry and easy to follow as the center of this whole film for when needed that fits the film's bill to a T.

Am I so jaded that I can't appreciate the idea of a mystery that is ever so clever in not really being that much of a mystery? Sure, it seems to want to have cryptic seriousness, before it deluges itself with self-awareness that seems as smug in trying to be clever as having a character vomiting when they lie. Gee, I wonder if this will be used over and over for laughs. By the time the film tries to deliver on its payoff, I was thankful moreso because it meant that the film actually meant something to make 130 minutes seem worth more than just hearing about grandstanding praise for a film that teeters on being dangerously hollow. The film does have a nice look to it, seeming fairly authentic when setting up its story trappings, complete with plenty of knives. It seems cruel to nitpick at a film like this, because my fair expectations were met with mild entertainment alongside confusion at its ultimate execution. Sometimes you can shoot the target and still hit for average in the final tally, but I do at least see myself wondering what could come next from Johnson at least. Curiosity can prove rewarding for this film, if it manages to hit all the right buttons for those who seek it.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Get Out.

Review #909: Get Out.

Cast:
Daniel Kaluuya (Chris Washington), Allison Williams (Rose Armitage), Bradley Whitford (Dean Armitage), Catherine Keener (Missy Armitage), Erika Alexander (Detective Latoya), Caleb Landry Jones (Jeremy Armitage), Lil Rel Howery (Rod Williams), Keith Stanfield (Andre "Logan" Hayworth), Stephen Root (Jim Hudson), Lakeith Stanfield (Andre Hayworth / Logan King), Erika Alexander (Detective Latoya), Marcus Henderson (Walter / Roman Armitage), and Betty Gabriel (Georgina / Marianne Armitage) Directed by Jordan Peele.

Review:
Get Out is certainly a movie that interested me when I first saw the trailers for it a few months ago, in part because of how strange and alluring it looked, without reminding me too much of the tropes that plague horror films (overuse of fading to black, premises that inspire laughter over fear, etc). In any case, I wanted to see this on opening weekend because I figured that it was the best chance I would get to see it, and I guess seeing it with a crowd helps. At the end of the day, Get Out excels at how it is crafted by writer-director Jordan Peele, who makes a movie that is thrilling along with being funny.

It never comes off as boring, with every scene having a purpose while also being crafted in terms of the acting and pacing. Kaluuya and Williams have fine chemistry together, having some charming lines together along with being good at adapting to the tension the movie builds over time. The characters are introduced neatly, with every character having a purpose and no sense of irritating factor to them (okay, maybe Jones' character, but it makes sense). Whitford and Keener are also pretty good as well, giving off the right kind of vibes that don't border on ridiculousness nor unbelievability. Howery is fun to watch, having good timing along with being more than just a comic relief, with an edge of casualness along with competence. Root doesn't get much time on screen, but he certainly helps in making an already tense mood a little bit weirder. The movie presents itself and its themes well, with everything crisply lit and crisply set up. There isn't a time when the movie is being unintentionally hilarious when dealing with horror nor un-entertaining when having humorous lines. I don't want to spoil the plot away. especially a climax that is rich in delivering a great payoff along with irony. The ideas the movie presents have a degree of familiarity and inspiration, but inside this movie is a careful sense of precision, where the plot does not bend to any sort of cliche (such as dream sequence fake-outs). However, I can definitely say that while it may have a bit of a reliance on jump scares, it certainly has a good enough of chills and thought-provoking ideas to make for a really entertaining film.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.