Film Review: "Rumspringa - An Amish in Berlin" (2022).

From Germany and Netflix comes Rumspringa - An Amish in Berlin. This German comedy drama film directed by Mira Thiel, and written by Thiel, Nika Heinrich, and Oskar Minkler. A young Amish man travels to Berlin on a rite of passage to connect with his roots, explore other ways of life, fall in love — and face a big decision.

The film stars Timur Bartels, Matthias Bundschuh, João Kreth d'Orey, Gizem Emre, Jonas Holdenrieder, Nicole Johannhanwahr, Enno Kalisch, Tijan Marei, Adél Onodi, Alice Skok, Rachel Slotky, Rauand Taleb, Leon Ullrich, and Jonathan Wirtz. Showcases a fine performance from Holdenrieder but one that gets lost while attempting to transcend a higher purpose. Holdenrieder is a likeable actor but rarely a subtle one. Jacob is another cutesy emotional heart-tugger in the Forrest Gump mould, all galumphing slapstick. Holdenrieder's overdone slapstick antics and awful accent keep this featherweight farce from taking flight. Holdenrieder cashes in every last chip of his audience lovability and still doesn't save the movie. Annoying out of the gates, then cute, at times Hollywood romantic, with Emre acting as Meg Ryan. Product placement bogs.

Although it is way too idealistic, the film works because the characters’ idiosyncrasies are still relevant today. The script conveys that universal bond immigrants form between each other, given their social status in a foreign country. An impossibly romantic portrait of an immigration nightmare that becomes an irresistible fantasy thanks to the grace and compassion of Thiel's direction. The film may not be the top of the line for Thiel but the film still makes for compelling material when viewing. Thiel's visual translation of the script is exposed as a soulless set of scenes without personality that, frankly, could have been shot by any filmmaker with the same result. There are story threads that play out enjoyably, and other threads end up going nowhere. Enjoy the film from scene to scene, since there are definite pleasures along the way. The film loses its hushed sense of 'lost-in-a-new-world' hopelessness and becomes a silly, 'let's all put on a show!' feel-gooder that misses more often not. Something of a disappointment, despite solid work from Holdenrieder and Bartels -- it's as if Thiel assembled all the ingredients for a good film and then decided to experiment and threw away the recipe. It's an odd fable: Jacob is one of the comical visitor who shows us what the life is all about-in the movie's terms, compassion for others -- without ever forgetting his heritage. It's a shame that it gradually stops being an interesting character study and turns into a typically Hollywood drama. What will this studio think of next? A remake of The Red Balloon set in Tikrit? How about Sunday in the Park with George relocated to Guantnamo? The film isn't a belly laugh or a knee-slapper; rather it enthralls viewers with gentle humor and warmth and holds your attention with Jacob's journey. A sweet, little contemporary allegory that celebrates the immigrant spirit and the triumph of the little man over heartless traditionalism.

Simon says Rumspringa - An Amish in Berlin receives:

Series Review: "The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin" (2021-22).

"We are all made in her image". This is The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin. This documentary television miniseries directed by Marina Zenovich. After rising to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program that preached slenderness as next to godliness, Gwen Shamblin Lara founded the Tennessee-based church. Despite a carefully curated image, Lara and the church soon fielded accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for their alleged cult-like practices. Encompassing years of investigation and extensive interviews with former members and others personally impacted.

On February 18, 1955, American author, founder of the Christian diet program The Weigh Down Workshop and founder of the Remnant Fellowship, Gwen Shamblin Lara was born. In 1980, Lara began a weight control consulting practice. She counseled that genetics, metabolism and behavior modification did not explain why some people were thin while others were overweight. In 1986, Lara founded the Weigh Down Workshop, a weight loss program with no food restrictions, exercise regimens or weigh-ins, or calorie counting. The program was offered in about six-hundred churches in thirty-five U.S. states by 1994. The program was in more than one-thousand churches in forty-nine states, Great Britain and Canada by January 1995. The program had grown to about five-thousand churches, with about 10% located in Lara's home state of Tennessee, by July 1996. About eight churches in Britain were hosting workshops in December 1996. In 1996, Weigh Down Workshop had a staff of forty and built a headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and Lara began hosting an annual summer convention, Desert Oasis, in the Nashville area. Weigh Down Workshop hosted more than twenty one thousand classes with more than two hunderd and fifty thousand participants worldwide by August 1998. Classes were hosted in every U.S. state and in Canada and Europe. In 1999, Lara founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in Franklin, Tennessee in 1999. The church's building was completed in 2004 on forty acres Lara purchased in Brentwood, Tennessee. On May 29, 2021, Lara and six church leaders, including her husband Joe and son-in-law Brandon Hannah, were killed when her 1982 Cessna Citation 501 private jet, bound for Palm Beach, Florida, crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna, Tennessee, shortly after takeoff.

Executive Producer Nile Cappello began researching Lara and The Remnant Fellowship, spending months getting to know former members. Cappello brought the project to Campfire, who agreed to produce the series, and hired Zenovich to direct. The producers had reached out to Lara and The Remnant Fellowship for an interview, but all declined. However, during the final stages of post-production on the series, Lara died in a plane crash. Afterward, people who had been unwilling to speak about their experiences with Lara and The Remnant Fellowship reached out to Zenovich.

By the time you finish watching the series, you may still come away from it hating the woman, but you will most likely come away from it thinking that she and her legacy are far more complex that you might have thought going in.

Simon says The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin receives:

Also, see my review for What Happens in Hollywood.

Film Review: "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes" (2022).

"The brighter the star, the darker the truth." This is The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes. This documentary film directed by Emma Cooper. Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe's tragic death spawned conspiracies and rumors for decades, often overshadowing her talent and shrewdness. By piecing together her final weeks, days, and hours through previously unheard recordings of those who knew her best, the film illuminates more of her glamorous, complicated life, and offers a new perspective on that fateful night.

On June 1, 1926, American actress and model, Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was born. Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage in Los Angeles. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to short-lived film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. In late 1950, after a series of minor film roles, she signed a new contract with Fox. Over the next two years, she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including As Young as You Feel (1951) and Monkey Business (1952), and in the dramas Clash by Night (1952) and Don't Bother to Knock (1952). She faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to becoming a star, but the story did not damage her career and instead resulted in increased interest in her films. By 1953, Monroe was one of the most marketable Hollywood stars; she had leading roles in the film noir Niagara (1953), and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). The same year, her nude images were used as the centerfold and on the cover of the first issue of Playboy. She played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image throughout her career, but she was disappointed when she was typecast and underpaid by the studio. She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project but returned to star in The Seven Year Itch (1955). When the studio was still reluctant to change Monroe's contract, she founded her own film production company in 1954. She dedicated 1955 to building the company and began studying method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Later that year, Fox awarded her a new contract, which gave her more control and a larger salary. Her subsequent roles included Bus Stop (1956) and The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits (1961). Monroe's troubled private life received much attention. She struggled with addiction and mood disorders, as well as highly publicized marriages that both ended in divorce. On August 4, 1962, she died at age thirty-six from an overdose of barbiturates at her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled a probable suicide.

The film is an insightful look at the rise and the fall of one of the biggest icons in history.

Simon says The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes receives:

Film Review: "Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts" (2022).

From the director of Notting Hill and Tea With the Dames comes Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts. This documentary film directed by Roger Michell. A documentary on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-lived, longest reigning British monarch and longest serving female head of state in history.

On 21 April 1926, the Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (or Elizabeth II) was born in Mayfair London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted seventy-three years until Philip's death in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. In February 1952, when her father died, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, as well as Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms has varied over time as territories have gained independence, and as some realms have become republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 and visits to or from five popes. Significant events have included the Queen's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022 respectively. Elizabeth is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the longest-serving female head of state in history, the oldest living and longest-reigning current monarch, and the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiment and press criticism of the royal family, particularly after the breakdown of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death in 1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom has been and remains consistently high, as does her personal popularity.

The film is strictly lightweight, an opportunity to hang out with the Queen of British Empire rather than any serious appreciation of her remarkable contributions. It's a PBS Pledge Week kinda tribute, pleasing but weightless. We're treated to the illusion of intimacy and some witty rapport, but one leaves the theatre thinking the movie only scratched the surface. It's not going to be a blockbuster and won't engage the majority of moviegoers, but for those it does, it's priceless.

Simon says Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts receives:

Also, see my review for The Duke.

Film Review: "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" (2022).

"Nicolas Cage is Nick Cage" in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. This action comedy film directed by Tom Gormican, and written by Gormican and Kevin Etten. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones.

By early October 2020, Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, and Neil Patrick Harris were cast in an action comedy film to be directed by Gormican and written by Gormican and Etten. The screenplay was featured in the 2019 Blacklist and considered to be one of the best unproduced screenplays. Cage plays a fictionalised version of himself who he said bore little resemblance to his real offscreen personality. He originally turned down the role "three or four times" but changed his mind after Gormican wrote him a personal letter. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Budapest, Hungary; and Los Angeles, California.

The film stars Cage, Pascal, Horgan, Haddish, Barinholtz, and Harris. We get self-absorbed characters seeking personal happiness, no matter how it may affect others, especially Cage.

Though the film was deliciously original and delivers an underrated performance by Cage, the ending was a bit disappointing. Playing by its own rules every step of the way, the film is clearly the sort of movie that needs to be made more often. This outrageous comic action adventure may not sustain its brilliance throughout its one hundred and five minutes, but it keeps cooking for so much of that time that I don't have many complaints. A triumph. Featuring a bizarrely original storyline, the screenplay by Gormican and Etten is brought to the screen by Gormican in what may turn out to be one of the funniest films of the year. The film is somewhat dense with ideas and non sequitur surprises, a viewer-friendly fun house of a film that asks only that we enjoy the ride. It is smart without seeming challenging. Wonderfully inventive, wickedly funny, and thoughtful enough to keep your mind on full alert, it's a square peg in the round world of genre films. A hilarious and beguiling comedy-adventure-action hybrid. And it's not just the jaw-dropping oddity of the thing that makes it work; the film has a wonderfully involving -- and even moving -- storyline. You just have to marvel at how well Gormican and Etten keep the whole thing from strangling on its own eccentricity. Simply the most original, brilliant film of the year! Marvellously entertaining and overflowing with surprises, the inventive, intelligent script never falters; there are new ideas and twists when you least expect them. An audacious comedy that starts strange, keeps getting stranger, then hits an idea so weird that it takes the rest of the film to explore only some of the many ramifications.

Simon says The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent receives:

Also, see my review for That Awkward Moment.

Series Review: "Captive Audience" (2022).

"When Steven Stayner returned home, the real story begun." This is Captive Audience. This documentary series directed by Jessica Dimmock. In 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner mysteriously vanished on his way home from school. Nearly a decade later, his dramatic return to his family sparked ’80s-era “stranger danger” warnings, legal reforms, and one iconic Made-For-TV-Movie in which the family’s ordeal was transformed into a prime-time miniseries watched by 70 million Americans. When the credits rolled and the movie ended, it closed one tragic chapter of the family’s life, but opened another. This limited documentary series explores the evolution of true crime storytelling through the lens of one family’s 50-year journey and two brothers; one a hero, the other a villain. It’s about how truth becomes story and story becomes truth - on TV, in the justice system, and in our minds.

On April 18, 1965, Steven Gregory Stayner was born. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. He was held by his abductor 38 miles (61 km) away in Mariposa County, California, and later in Mendocino County, California, until he was aged fourteen, when he managed to escape with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. After returning to his family, Stayner had trouble adjusting to a more structured household as he had been allowed to smoke, drink and do as he pleased when he lived with Parnell. Stayner underwent brief counseling but never sought additional treatment. In 1985, Stayner married seventeen-year-old Jody Edmondson, with whom he had two children: a daughter Ashley and a son Steven Jr. He also worked with child abduction groups, spoke to children about personal safety, and gave interviews about his kidnapping. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just before his death. At the time of his death, Stayner was living in Merced and working at a pizza shop. On September 16, 1989, Stayner died after he sustained fatal head injuries while on his way home from work when his motorcycle collided with a car in a hit-and-run accident. The alleged driver of the car was later identified by witnesses. Five hundred people attended his funeral, at which fourteen-year-old Timmy White was a pallbearer.

More than anything it's Dimmock's storytelling acumen that impresses - the movie unfolds like a psychological thriller, and in the second half affects a chilling twist on its own inherent implausibility. Credit director Jessica Dimmock for taking a subject that appears barely capable of propping up hour-long, true-crime cable programming and turning it into compelling, documentary series. Few series in the past year have matched the narrative cunning of Jessica Dimmock's captivating true-crime documentary series. With her third documentary effort, Dimmock proves herself not only adept at seeking out such true-life tales, but also telling them with the flair of a naturally gifted storyteller. This is edge-of-your-seat stuff and the difficulty is in the telling of the tale. To give any of this film away is a crime. You simply have to see it for yourself.

Simon says Captive Audience receives:

Also, see my review for Flint Town.

Series Review: "Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes" (2022).

From the director of Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes comes Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes. This crime documentary series directed by Joe Berlinger. Never-before-heard audio from the interrogation of serial killer John Wayne Gacy threads through this chilling look at his 1970s murder spree, as new interviews with investigators and survivors bring the horror of his crimes into full focus.

On March 17, 1942, American serial killer and pederast, John Wayne Gacy, was born. He raped, tortured, and murdered at least thirty-three young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", personas he had devised. He became known as the Killer Clown due to his public services as a clown prior to the discovery of his crimes. Gacy committed all of his murders inside his ranch house near Norridge, a village in Norwood Park Township, metropolitan Chicago, Illinois. Typically, he would lure a victim to his home and dupe him into donning handcuffs on the pretext of demonstrating a magic trick. He would then rape and torture his captive before killing him by either asphyxiation or strangulation with a garrote. Twenty-six victims were buried in the crawl space of his home, and three others were buried elsewhere on his property; four were discarded in the Des Plaines River. In 1968, Gacy was convicted of the sodomy of a teenage boy in Waterloo, Iowa, and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, but served eighteen months. In 1972, he murdered his first victim and had murdered twice more by the end of 1975, and murdered at least thirty subsequent victims after his divorce from his second wife in 1976. The investigation into the disappearance of Des Plaines teenager Robert Piest led to Gacy's arrest on December 21, 1978. His conviction for thirty-three murders (by one individual) then covered the most homicides in United States legal history. On March 13, 1980, Gacy was sentenced to death. On death row at Menard Correctional Center, he spent much of his time painting. On May 10, 1994, he was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center.

The John Wayne Macy Tapes draws its strength precisely from what many have misunderstood as an error that serial killers are perfectly capable of integrating as the neighbor next door. The experience of watching the series is characterized by prurience, self-obsession, and, ultimately, a failure to hold to account the men who should have investigated these crimes properly. Berlinger handles the material with the significance it deserved. His use of archival footage, images, and interviews paint a full and complete picture of the events. Berlinger brings new facts to light here including new details, expert witness interviews with people speaking out for the first time and over one hundred hours of Gacy's audio tape interviews. The series though, is far from a passionate crusade against capital punishment; featuring hours of Gacy's unimaginable crimes.

Simon says Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes receives:

Also, see my reviews for Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

Series Review: "Pacific Rim: The Black" (2021-22).

From Netflix comes Pacific Rim: The Black. This science fiction-action animated series developed and co-written by Greg Johnson and Craig Kyle and based on the Pacific Rim franchise created by Guillermo del Toro and Travis Beacham. There was a time when Kaiju rose from the Pacific Rim only to encounter gigantic robots, Jaegers, built to fight them back. That time has passed. Now, Australia has been overrun by Kaiju, forcing the evacuation of an entire continent. Left behind, teenage siblings Taylor and Hayley embark on a desperate search for their missing parents, teaching themselves to pilot a battered, long-abandoned Jaeger to help in their quest and give them even the slightest hope of surviving.

In November 2018, Netflix announced that an anime series adaptation based on the films was in the works, originally set for a 2020 release date. Several creators pitched ideas to Legendary, and it was ultimately the concept by showrunners Johnson and Kyle that ended up moving forward to be pitched to Netflix. Before production on the series itself began, Johnson and Kyle had thought about making the series in either 2D or 3D animation, but hadn't decided which to go with. The more they thought about the cost of the 2D animation, and the limits 2D animation would have on certain aspects of the series, such as how the camera would move in a highly-detailed 2D environment, the more they leaned towards using 3D animation. Ultimately, it was decided that they would produce the series in 3D animation, but they wanted to keep the 2D aesthetics, which led them to Polygon Pictures, because they were the "masters at this approach." Polygon Pictures representative director Shūzō John Shiota and producer Jack Liang expressed excitement over the idea of producing a work within the Pacific Rim universe, and decided to take on the job. Polygon Pictures staff handled a majority of the series' design work, with some assistance by the western team's supervising director Jae-hong Kim, and both teams convened in Tokyo to discuss these designs. In October 2020, during their virtual "Anime Festival" livestream event, its title Pacific Rim: The Black and a 2021 release date was revealed.

The series stars the voice talents of Gideon Adlon, Calum Worthy, Erica Lindbeck, Ben Diskin, Leonardo Nam, Vincent Piazza, Ron Yuan, Max Martini and Rhys Darby. The characters are deeply drawn and their place in the post-apocalyptic Australian outback is well defined, and in terms of story lines no character is left behind.

Johnson and Kyle's new Pacific Rim series proved that the franchise can soar when in the hands of a creative team that truly gets it -- and loves it. The best thing about the series, so far, is that it expands on the already vast Pacific Rim universe and introduces fans to people, places and things that they haven't seen before. These installments amount to a tense, absorbing four hundred and twenty-minute science fiction-action-adventure, one that uses the animated medium to liberate the possibilities of the Pacific Rim franchise by recognizing all of its strengths at once.

Simon says Pacific Rim: The Black receives:

Also, see my review for Pacific Rim: Uprising.

Film Review: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022).

From the directors of Swiss Army Man comes Everything Everywhere All at Once. This absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by the Daniels. A Chinese immigrant gets unwillingly embroiled in an epic adventure where she must connect different versions of herself in the parallel universe to stop someone who intends to harm the multiverse.

In 2010, Kwan and Scheinert began researching the concept of the multiverse after being exposed to the concept of modal realism in the 1986 film Sherman's March. By January 2020, Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenny Slate, and Harry Shum Jr. were cast. During pre-production, Jackie Chan was considered for the starring role; the script was originally written for him, before Kwan and Scheinert changed their minds and re-conceived the lead role as a woman, feeling that it would make the husband–wife dynamic in the story more relatable. Ultimately, Quan was was cast, which marked Quan's first major role in twenty years, from which he had retired in 2002 due to a lack of casting opportunities. Awkwafina was originally cast, but she exited the project due to scheduling conflicts. She was ultimately replaced with Hsu. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early March. Filming took place in Los Angeles, San Fernando, and Simi Valley, California.

The film stars Yeoh, Hsu, Quan, Hong, Curtis, Slate, and Shum Jr. The main reason to screen this film is for the performance of Yeoh as she struggles over the immense loss of her sense of self and family which had led her to a life of regret and missed opportunities. She's stupendous!

It manages to be more than the easy cash-grab it could have been by supplying audiences with something uncommon, both within the genre and in the medium of cinema. You may not think that you need to give your time to yet another multiverse movie, but you would be wrong. The film expands its characters into fantastic different directions and could be the start of something completely new. A resoundingly successful experiment that will open countless doors to the weird, wonderful world of cinema. It's an absolutely delightful watch and one of the finest examples of the excitement and joy of which cinema is capable. An audaciously, almost unbelievably alive piece of pop art made by people who really respect and understand the hope at the core of the superhero mythos. Universal in its approach by leaving a beaming smile across your face, the film beautifully reminds you why you love cinema in the first place. There's a perfect balance between humor and pathos, a regular stream of jokes occasionally intersected with moments of real heart. Combined with the fast-paced action sequences and an energetic soundtrack, the film is a heady cocktail of entertainment. The film is immediately immersive, a colorful and adventurous cinematic experience that invites viewers along for the ride.

Simon says Everything Everywhere All at Once receives:

Also, see my review for Swiss Army Man.

Film Review: "Ambulance" (2022).

"It was supposed to be a simple heist." This is Ambulance. This action thriller film directed by Michael Bay, adapted by Chris Fedak and based on the 2005 Danish film of the same name by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen. Decorated veteran Will Sharp is desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills and asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t—his adoptive brother Danny. A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million. With his wife’s survival on the line, Will can’t say no. But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and ace EMT Cam Thompson onboard. In a high-speed pursuit that never stops, Will and Danny must evade a massive, city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try not to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape L.A. has ever seen.

In late August 2015, an American adaptation of the 2005 Danish film of the same name was announced with Fedak penning the adaptation and Phillip Noyce attached to direct. However, Noyce was replaced by directing duo Navot Papushado and Aharon Keshales, but they departed the project as well and the project entered development hell. In 2020, after the release of 6 Underground (2019) and the cancellation of his next project, Black Five, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, Bay pitched an idea to Donna Langley, the Chairwoman of Universal Pictures, and said he wanted to direct a "small" film focusing on the tension between characters trapped in a claustrophobic setting. Bay was presented with Ambulance and told that the film could be shot on a relatively low-budget in a short period of time. In early November 2020, Bay was announced as the new director, and the film was referred to as a "character-driven project" that would move away from Bay's normality of "standard explosion-heavy fare" while using elements from Speed (1994) and Bad Boys (1995). Bay did not watch or read the screenplay of the original Danish film because he wanted to make the film his own. By early January 2021, Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza González and Garret Dillahunt were cast. To prepare for the role, González spent three months "working intimately with firefighters, EMTs, surgeons, [and] everyone around the medical care system." She also rented an ambulance and had a friend drive her around to improve her balance. At the same time, with a budget of $40 million, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late March. Filming took place in Los Angeles, California.

The film stars Gyllenhaal, Mateen II, González and Dillahunt. I already gave up along before this monstrosity ended, 10 minutes in to be exact. I may be a Jake Gyllenhaal fan, but even I have my limits.

Bay's clumsy but visually impressive movie should partly sate anyone waiting for the superior thrills and spills of the next Fast & Furious outing.

Simon says Ambulance receives:

Also, see my review for 6 Underground.

Series Review: "The Dropout" (2022).

"She has the world at the tip of her finger." This is The Dropout. This drama miniseries created by Elizabeth Meriwether and based on the podcast The Dropout hosted by Rebecca Jarvis. It is the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye?

In early April 2019, Deadline Hollywood reported that Hulu had given the production a series order for six to ten episodes. The series would be executive produced by Kate McKinnon, Jarvis, Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson; the host and producers of the ABC podcast. McKinnon was also cast to star as Holmes. In late February 2021, McKinnon dropped out of the project due to a scheduling conflict. In late March, Amanda Seyfried was cast to replace McKinnon. Upon the casting of Seyfried, she also joined the miniseries as a producer while Meriwether, Liz Heldens, Liz Hannah, Katherine Pope, Michael Showalter and Jordana Mollick joined Dunn and Thompson as executive producers. Showalter was also expected to direct several episodes. Naveen Andrews, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michel Gill, Bill Irwin, William H. Macy, Elizabeth Marvel, Laurie Metcalf, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kate Burton, Stephen Fry, Michael Ironside, Bashir Salahuddin, Dylan Minnette, Alan Ruck, Hart Bochner, Sam Waterston, Kurtwood Smith, Anne Archer, LisaGay Hamilton, Michaela Watkins, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Kevin Sussman, Amir Arison and Rich Sommer rounded out the series' cast. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles and Stanford, California.

The series stars Seyfried, Andrews, Ambudkar, Gill, Irwin, Macy, Marvel, Metcalf, Rajskub, Burton, Fry, Ironside, Salahuddin, Minnette, Ruck, Bochner, Waterston, Smith, Archer, Hamilton, Watkins, Moss-Bachrach, Sussman, Arison and Sommer. The series is perfect cast. As for Seyfried, her performance is less of a revelation than a confirmation of her talents. The revelation of Seyfried's turn is that she's just allowed to be, without apology, without schmaltz. If you love Seyfried as a comedienne, you're still going to love her here. I'd pay to watch Seyfried stare at a wall. She'd make that a performance. Her ability to create emotional momentum out of thin air is second to none.

A gripping miniseries about one of the most blatant cases of corporate fraud to ever make billions disappear in dodgy circumstances. A pretty solid example of how to direct a miniseries regarding a case whose controversy speaks for itself. Scene by scene, the miniseries spotlights Holmes' unnerving behaviors, shaky voice, and mesmerizing, beautiful eyes to build up the scare factor associated with her power and intelligence. Meriwether delivers a sporadically interesting yet mostly underwhelming miniseries that feels like it's missing huge chunks of the story. It is also a stunning emblem of our delusional, self-aggrandizing, fake-it-till-you-make-it times, a cautionary tale of the tech era and the insidious culture it has created of would-be legends and short-lived genius. The Inventor was a devastating warning of where these unchecked messianic tendencies lead and the lives they can destroy along the way.

Simon says The Dropout receives:

Film Review: "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" (2022).

"Return to the magic" with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. This fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. It is the sequel to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and the eleventh overall in the Wizarding World franchise. Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

By early February 2019, the third installment was announced and it was revealed the film will be set in the 1930s, with the story leading up to the Wizarding World's involvement in World War II and exploring the magical communities in Bhutan, Germany and China in addition to previously established locations including the United States and United Kingdom. In November, Warner Bros. put out a press release announcing the film's location of Brazil, a spring 2020 start of production, and that Kloves was hired to co-pen the script. In March 2020, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, William Nadylam, Victoria Yeates and Poppy Corby-Tuech were confirmed to reprise their roles, with Oliver Masucci and Valerie Pachner rounding out the cast as newcomers. In November 2020, it was announced that Johnny Depp would not reprise his role as Grindelwald after being asked by Warner Bros. to resign due to negative publicity resulting from the libel case Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd. In late November, Warner Bros. announced that Mads Mikkelsen would replace Depp. In late September, principal photography commenced, with safety precautions in place to keep the cast and crew safe from COVID-19, and took place in Berlin, Germany; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and at Leavesden Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England. Filming was originally scheduled to begin in mid March 2020 but was postponed on that very day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early February 2021, filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the UK was halted after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. The film was initially scheduled for a 12 November 2021 release date, but following Depp's departure and recasting, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. shifted the release to 15 July 2022. In September 2021, the film's release was pushed forward to 15 April 2022.

Despite the film's issues, the film's strength lies in the characters and their dynamics. It's the quieter moments where the characters does his thing that makes the film more than just another set-up movie.

Although the third installment might not be the strongest entry in this franchise, it promises exciting things for the future of the Fantastic Beasts canon.

Simon says Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore receives:

Also, see my review for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Film Review: "Benedetta" (2021).

From the director of Elle comes Benedetta. This French biographical drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Verhoeven and David Birke and loosely based on the 1986 non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy by Judith C. Brown. In the late 17th century, with plague ravaging the land, Benedetta Carlini joins the convent in Pescia, Tuscany, as a novice. Capable from an early age of performing miracles, Benedetta’s impact on life in the community is immediate and momentous.

Following the critical and commercial success of Elle (2016), Verhoeven developed several projects, including one about Jesus based on his own book Jesus of Nazareth, another one about the French Resistance during World War II, and a third one about a medieval story set in a monastery. In late April 2017, producer Saïd Ben Saïd revealed that the third had been the one chosen as Verhoeven's next project, then titled Blessed Virgin. Gerard Soeteman was hired to adapt Brown's 1986 non-fiction book. Soeteman ultimately distanced himself from the project and had his name removed from the credits as he felt too much of the story was focused on sexuality. In late March 2018, Saïd announced that Verhoeven had penned the final draft with David Birke. In early May, it was announced that the film was retitled to Benedetta. By mid July, Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson and Daphne Patakia. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in September. Filming took place throughout Italy and France. Production was followed by a strong campaign of secrecy and no one, unless working on the film, was allowed on the set. Producer Saïd Ben Saïd admitted that the story was "subject to controversy" and feared reactions from fundamentalist Catholic associations. Although the film was initially set for a 2019 Cannes Film Festival premiere, Pathé announced in mid January 2019 that the release had been postponed until 2020, stating that post-production had been delayed as Verhoeven was recovering from hip surgery. However, the release was delayed again to 2021, following the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival where the film was set to premiere, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film stars Efira, Rampling, Wilson and Patakia. Efira is magnificent presenting a character who is sympathetic without being a traditionally likeable person. Its a charismatic and intoxicating mix, an emotional grey area we rarely see.

A unique and vital movie that executes its problematic narrative and character work with zero timidity. Only a master craftsman like Verhoeven could be this forceful while never being reckless. This is a film to discover, and feel insulted and astonished by, all on your own. It's the most daring thing you'll see on screen this year. It's so deftly and slyly done, you can't not enjoy it even though sexuality is not a light subject to joke about. Destined to be controversial and definitely a conversation starter, the film highlights two artists at the top of their game.

Simon says Benedetta receives:

Also, see my review for Elle.

Series Review: "Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story" (2022).

"A nation watched, but no one saw." This is Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story. This documentary series directed by Rowan Deacon. Jimmy Savile was one of the United Kingdom’s most beloved TV personalities. Shortly after his death in 2011, an investigation prompted more than four hundred and fifty horrific allegations of sexual assault and abuse, with victims as young as five. The documentary examines, through extensive archive footage, the evil within Jimmy and delves into how he managed to fool an entire nation for four decades.

On 31 October 1926, English DJ, television and radio personality, Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile was born. He began a career playing records in, and later managing, dance halls, and was said to have been the first disc jockey to use twin turntables to keep music in constant play. In his twenties, he was a professional wrestler, and he continued running marathons until his late seventies. His media career started as a disc jockey at Radio Luxembourg in 1958 and on Tyne Tees Television in 1960, and he developed a reputation for eccentricity and flamboyance. At the BBC, he presented the first edition of Top of the Pops in 1964 and broadcast on Radio 1 from 1968. From 1975 until 1994, he presented Jim'll Fix It. He raised an estimated £40 million for fund-raising and supporting charities and hospitals, in particular Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire; during his lifetime, Savile was widely praised for his personal qualities and as a fund-raiser. In 2009, he was described by The Guardian as a "prodigious philanthropist" and was honoured for his charity work. He was awarded the OBE in 1971 and was knighted in 1990. However, there had been allegations during his lifetime, but they were dismissed and accusers ignored or disbelieved. Savile took legal action against some accusers. On 29 October 2011, Savile died and his body was buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Scarborough. Ultimately, in October 2012, almost a year after his death, an ITV documentary examined claims of sexual abuse by Savile. This led to extensive media coverage and a substantial and rapidly growing body of witness statements and sexual abuse claims, including accusations against public bodies for covering up or failure of duty. Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation into allegations of child sex abuse by Savile spanning six decades, describing him as a "predatory sex offender", and later stated that they were pursuing more than four hundred lines of inquiry based on the testimony of three hundred potential victims via fourteen police forces across the UK. In June 2014, investigations into Savile's activities at twenty eight NHS hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, concluded that he had sexually assaulted staff and patients aged between five and seventy five over several decades.

Not only is the documentary series an eye-opening look into the continued brilliance and hard work of investigative journalists, but it’s also a grim reminder of the evil that often hides in plain sight.

Simon says Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story receives:

Film Review: "The Bubble" (2022).

"Where Will You Be When Distaster Strikes?" This is The Bubble. This comedy film directed by Judd Apatow and written by Apatow and Pam Brady. Sneaking out. Hooking up. The cast and crew of blockbuster action franchise attempt to to shoot a sequel while quarantining at a posh hotel.

In November 2020, it was announced that Apatow had set his next film, penned by Apatow and Brady, at Netflix, with the film being about the production of a film during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was inspired by the production of Jurassic World Dominion (2022), which was filmed during the pandemic with its actors living together in a hotel during the shoot. By late February 2021, Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Leslie Mann, Fred Armisen, Keegan Michael Key, David Duchovny, Iris Apatow, Guz Khan, Kate McKinnon, Peter Serafinowicz, Maria Bakalova, Rob Delaney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Beck, John Lithgow, Daisy Ridley, John Cena and James McAvoy were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid April. Filming took place at Shepperton Studios in Shepperton; Hedsor House in Hedsor; and Cliveden House in Taplow, United Kingdom.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Gillan, Pascal, Mann, Armisen, Key, Duchovny, Apatow, Khan, McKinnon, Serafinowicz, Bakalova, Delaney, Cumberbatch, Beck, Lithgow, Ridley, Cena and McAvoy. The film turns out to be a very unfunny film with an immensely talented cast that will be the topic of any water cooler conversation. A big-budgeted bust that could prove to be an embarrassment to at least a few of the bigger-name actors in its cast.

Because of the lack of a strong theme or point of view, unwittingly perhaps, the film becomes a version of the phenomenon it set out to parody: an action film, even a semi-patriotic action film. The bulk of this movie, alas, comes down to weak sketches held together by ridiculous action, vast explosions and more or less everything else it should be parodying. Given the incoherence of its satirical aspirations (the film does end with a suggestion that everyone involved still loves this business we call show), and finally too scattershot to really make it as parody, the film is best appreciated as a goof. More exhausting than funny, though it is often both, Apatow's latest excoriation of ego wears you down with its smothering, pop-savvy cynicism. Comes down to exactly the same type of heroic finale they're supposed to be parodying in the first place. You bettah off renting Jurassic World, or even Jurassic Park III. The film is one humongous vanity project for Apatow, the film is the movie for you. Apatow co-wrote, produced, and directed this film. This comedy about movie-making that allows the cast to play knowingly with their careers and public personae. But the film feels only half as funny as it should be, falling back too often on big action sequences that are too ridiculous to work on any level. A bizarre little film that manages to be both an exercise in tasteless humor and a commentary on Hollywood's tastelessness.

Simon says The Bubble receives:

Also, see my review for The King of Staten Island.

Film Review: "The Duke" (2020).

"The priceless true story". This is The Duke. This British comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell and written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. The film is the true story of Kempton Bunton, a sixty-year old taxi driver, who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly - he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only fifty years later did the full story emerge - Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage - how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.

In October 2019, it was announced that a film about the 1961 theft was in development, with Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren to star with Michell set to direct. By November, Fionn Whitehead, Matthew Goode, Anna Maxwell Martin and Charlotte Spencer rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place at West London Film Studios in London as well as throughout West Yorkshire, England.

The film stars Broadbent, Mirren, Whitehead, Goode, Martin and Spencer. Broadbent and Mirren seem to light up the screen whenever they appear, and scenes such as one that takes place at their home are especially moving. One day we'll discover Broadbent is actually a long-forgotten screen idol from Britain's golden age of cinema who became unstuck from time, and all of this will make total sense.

If anything, this is a film of firm admiration a good-hearted salute to some of the wars unsung heroes who risked it all to help preserve a unifying culture in limbo. To adequately fill a ninety-six minute movie, greater creative liberties should have been employed to offer a tighter pace, heightened adventure, and more moving poignancy. It may not dig very deep, but it's an effortlessly entertaining homage to the Golden Age of British cinemas that packs a surprising emotional wallop. An engaging throwback to films of yesteryear with entertaining performances and a story that finally offers us a new spin on a tired genre. It's certainly enjoyable seeing this great group of actors get to work with each other, given time to build moments and reactions, albeit the film's insistent score sometimes overwhelms the action. The film is watchable, but you cannot help thinking if might have been better if Michell had opted to go light or darken things down. It's no great work of art itself but the film is a fun and fitting tribute to some unsung heroes with bags of old-fashioned charm. The movie is fine, but it should have been a powerful, moving and heroic film. It could have been a classic, instead it was a romp.

Simon says The Duke receives:

Also, see my review for Nothing Like a Dame.