Film Review: "Hold the Dark" (2018).

From Netflix and the director of Green Room comes Hold the Dark. This thriller film directed by Jeremy Saulnier, adapted by Macon Blair, and based on the novel of the same name by William Giraldi. Retired naturalist and wolf expert Russell Core journeys to the edge of civilization in northern Alaska at the pleading of Medora Slone, a young mother whose son was killed by a pack of wolves. As Core attempts to help Medora track down the wolves who took her son, a strange and dangerous relationship develops between the two lonely souls. But when Medora's husband Vernon returns home from the Iraq War, the news of his child's death ignites a violent chain of events. As local cop Donald Marium races to stop Vernon's vengeful rampage, Core is forced on a perilous odyssey into the heart of darkness.

In September 2015, it was announced that Saulnier would direct a cinematic adaptation of Giraldi's novel penned by Blair. In January 2017, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film. By late February, Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough, and Peter McRobbie. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late April. Filming took place throughout Alberta, Canada.

The film stars Wright, Skarsgård, Dale, Keough, and McRobbie. Wright is flat-out awesome in the role of the wolf-obsessed writer, and will undoubtedly be the selling point of the film. Skarsgård is splendidly sinister as Medora's American soldier husband, while writer-director Jeremy Saulnier certainly knows what he's doing.

Smart, rough, brutal, gnarly, utterly unpredictable from one nail-biting moment to the next and completely unforgettable, this movie is unlike anything you've ever seen before, or are likely to see again. The film is savage genre filmmaking, but behind the maulings and murder is intelligence and quiet morality. This film proves again that Saulnier is one of the most dynamic and interesting filmmakers working today. The film makes the most of its isolated settings, choosing to make a more visual impact using gruesome violence rather than witty lines and flashy stunts. The story conceptualization is strong and beyond believable, and thanks to a gritty no holds barred authenticity, is resonant, frightening and fun. It is a film that deserves to be rewatched. It's really hard to articulate how well-made this movie is. I've watched it at least five times and still want to come back for more. The film is a survival thriller that understands the importance of constantly establishing the stakes, raising them higher, and letting people enjoy watching characters try to get out of the increasingly small corner they've put themselves in. It is an uncompromising survival film which, aside from that easy descriptor, defies expectation at every turn and feels like something audiences have truly never seen before. The film is a ruthless tale of savagery that will excite and shock audiences. What takes this film to the next level is that it has all these traits while also having substance.

Simon says Hold the Dark receives:

Also, see my review for Green Room.

Film Review: "The House with a Clock on Its Walls" (2018).

"This house knows what makes you tick." This is The House with a Clock in its Walls. This family fantasy film directed by Eli Roth, adapted by Eric Kripke, based on the 1973 juvenile fiction novel of the same name by John Bellairs. Ten-year-old Lewis goes to live with his oddball uncle in a creaky old house that contains a mysterious `tick tock' noise. He soon learns that Uncle Jonathan and his feisty neighbour, Mrs Zimmerman, are powerful practitioners of the magic arts. When Lewis accidentally awakens the dead, the town's sleepy facade suddenly springs to life, revealing a secret and dangerous world of witches, warlocks and deadly curses.

Though it is the first theatrical adaptation of the novel, it is not the first adaptation. The story was first adapted as a television episode of CBS Library (1979). Screenwriter Eric Kripke was a fan of the book. He has even stated that the novel was the original inspiration of the long running CW television show, Supernatural (2005), which he created. He has also said that he wrote in a few Supernatural "Easter Eggs" as a way of paying tribute. The film marks as the first literary adaptation, the first Gothic family film, as well as the first movie not to be rated R for director Eli Roth. Which he was hired to helm the director's chair after the disastrous development of The Meg, Roth left the project after citing creative differences with Warner Bros. Principal photography on the film began in early October 2017.

The film stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic, and Lorenza Izzo. The cast gave terrific performances, in particular Black and Blanchett. Both of them fire up a stampede of comic terrors ready made for the film. Sure it's exhausting. But, knowing the film's audience, they let it rip.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls boasts more than enough kid-friendly charm from its spooky source material to make up for some slightly scattershot humour and a hurried pace. Nothing about the film is revolutionary, but it's a never-boring trip to a world, where stories and imagination are powerful tools, that just might inspire kids to do the scariest thing of all: pick up a book. The film isn't detached or ironic, nor does it pretend to be something it's not. It's a bonus for fans who pored over the books and it celebrates the fun side of things going bump in the night. It respects the novel you love while having fun with the characters and doing some interesting things with John Bellairs. Can you really ask for anything more than a wonderful celebration of John Bellairs' imagination? The film is not a faithful adaptation of the books, but it is a fun introduction to horror for kids. The film finds that balance, managing to capture not only the charm of Stine's work, but the scares as well, without straying too far in either direction.

Simon says The House with a Clock in Its Walls receives:

Also, see my review for Death Wish (2018).

Film Review: "Fahrenheit 11/9" (2018).

"Tyrant. Liar. Racist. A Hole in One." This is Fahrenheit 11/9. This political documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore. Moore predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th president of the United States. Traveling across the country, Moore interviews American citizens to get a sense of the social, economic and political impact of Trump's victory. Moore also takes an in-depth look at the media, the Electoral College, the government agenda and his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

In May 2017, Moore and producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein partnered to produce and distribute the film. The Weinsteins planned to fund $2 million out of $6 million in a documentary deal. However, after the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations emerged in the following October, the Weinsteins did not provide the funding. As a result, Moore laid off the crew and shut down development of the documentary. Before resuming production on the film, Moore focused on putting on a Broadway show, The Terms of My Surrender, which ran for 12 weeks. Production of the documentary eventually resumed with between $4 million and $5 million in private funding. As part of filming, Moore made a clandestine visit to the Florida resort Mar-a-Lago owned by President Trump and mingled at the resort for 15 minutes before being escorted out by security. The film's title refers to November 9, when Trump's 2016 presidential win was announced. The title simultaneously serves as a callback to Moore's 2004 political documentary Fahrenheit 9/11.

Fahrenheit 11/9 is less an exposé of Donald Trump than a dramatization of what Moore sees as a failed and dangerous presidency. Extremely one-sided in its indictment of the Trump administration, but worth watching for the humour and the debates it’ll stir. Little of this information is new, but Moore packages what’s already known about Trump and his presidency into a piece of rhetoric so persuasive that the Trump re-election campaign could spend the next three years trying to refute it. Moore’s fierce and funny film is not so much a documentary as a mythology, reducing geopolitical complexities to a neat, tawdry narrative. This is Moore’s least powerful film – the smallest in scope, the least resource and skilful in means – and the best things in it have little to do with his usual ideological take on American power and Donald Trump. However, Moore brings an interesting impact to familiar material by the way he marshals his images. This is the most comprehensive diatribe ever filmed against Trump and his cronies (even though, by necessity, its is focused primarily on Michigan). Sometimes slipshod in its making and, of course, it has no interest in overall fairness to Trump. But it vents an anger about this presidency that, as the film’s ardent reception shows, seethes in many of us. Much more than a scathing indictment of Bush-era complicity, Moore’s exposé lays bare the devastating heartbreak now central to America’s reality. People say Moore is Un-American for creating a documentary against the president, let alone two documentaries, well, it’s Un-American not to explore other’s views.

Simon says Fahrenheit 11/9 receives:

Also, see my review for Where to Invade Next.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 53.

I started the day with work, of course. I made my way home, washed up and cooled down. I then made my back down for my first NHL game! My first order of business is to grab some food before the game. I needed to recharge my batteries from an early and long shift at work. Of course, it was hell. But this time round would be "the same old shit, different day", and it might as well be.

The main problem was the usual deal of dealing with shitty tourists treating my co-workers and I like trash. This time, it was particularly shitty. I was drained by the time my shift was over, and was glad when I made my way out. The rest of the day was just enjoying the rest of the day.

Then I made my way to Scotiabank Arena after I had my early dinner. The arena, outside and inside, was teaming with people and was jam-packed. One at a time, the people in line, including myself, was passing through security. I got through with no hassle. Last time I was at a sports game was the NZIHL Preseason game between Botany Swarms and the West Auckland Admirals, back in May 2017. Huh… in this case, it’s rather fitting to mention. The inside of the arena was impressive. And I mean it. But I couldn’t exactly take photos the way I wanted due to being packed with people. It was time to make my way to my seat.

I waited in eager anticipation for the game to start, and then I watched the entire time as the game unfolded. To make things even better, the Maple Leafs won! I’m not the biggest sports fan, but at that moment, I couldn’t have been happier to be there and witness a victory for the home team. No, it was nothing like I’ve ever been to. It’s just something so amazing to be a part of. It’ll be something I want to be a part of for the rest of my time here.

Also, see Chapters 52 and 54.

Film Review: "Quincy" (2018).

"A life beyond measure." This is Quincy. This documentary film co-written and co-directed by Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones. This documentary profiles music and culture icon Quincy Jones, offering unprecedented access to his private life and stories from his unparalleled career.

Since his birth on March 14, 1933, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. has since gone on to become one of the world's most well known record producers, multi-instrumentalists, singers, composers, arrangers, and film and television producers, with a career spanning over six decades in the entertainment industry. He has recorded over two-thousand, nine-hundred songs, over three-hundred albums, fifty-one film and television scores, and over a thousand original compositions. Which has garnered seventy-nine Grammy nominations, twenty-seven Grammy awards, as well as being one of eighteen E.G.O.T winners (Emmy Grammy, Oscar and Tony), especially for Thriller, the best selling album of all time, and We Are the World, the best selling single of all time. He is also known for his philanthropic work, raising $63 million for famine relief in Africa. 

Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor, before moving on to work in pop music and film scores. In 1969 Jones and his songwriting partner Bob Russell became the first African-Americans to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for The Eyes of Love from the film Banning (1967). Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on In Cold Blood (1967), making him the first African-American to be nominated twice in the same year. In 1971 he became the first African-American to be the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards ceremony. In 1995 he was the first African-American to receive the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He has tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the second most Oscar-nominated African-American, with seven nominations each. Jones was the producer, with Michael Jackson, of Jackson's albums Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987), as well as the producer and conductor of We Are the World (1985). In 2013, Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the winner, alongside Lou Adler, of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. He was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine. In early August 2018, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the documentary.

An intimate and ultimately fascinating peek inside the world of Quincy Jones, Quincy will inspire and engage audiences in equal measure. If you were in the dark about the man behind musicians like Michael Jackson, this documentary may prove educational. For everyone else, it's a necessary, and salutary, study. Indeed a comprehensive documentary on the iconic musical figure. The fact that it accomplishes so much in just over two hours is a testament to the love and respect Jones' own daughter Rashida imbues. It rightfully weaves the music around its narrative, which by the way, is some of the greatest American music ever made.

Simon says Quincy receives:

Series Review: "Maniac" (2018).

"Once you begin to appreciate the, structure of the mind, there's no reason anything about us can't be changed. Pain can be destroyed. The mind can be solved." This is Maniac. This psychological dark comedy-drama web miniseries created by Patrick Somerville, directed by Fukunaga, and based on the Norwegian television series of the same name by Espen PA Lervaag, Håakon Bast Mossige, Kjetil Indregard, and Ole Marius Araldsen. It follows two strangers who are drawn to a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that will, they're assured, with no complications or side-effects whatsoever, solve all of their problems, permanently. Things do not go as planned.

In late March 2016, it was announced that Paramount Television and Anonymous Content were producing a television series with Fukunaga at the helm. Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Emma Stone and Jonah Hill would executive produce and star in the series. The series was then being shopped to various networks and was searching for a writer. Less than a week later, it was announced that Netflix was finalizing a deal for a straight-to-series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. In late October 2016, it was announced that Patrick Somerville would write the series. By mid August 2017, Justin Theroux, Sonoya Mizuno, Gabriel Byrne, and Sally Field rounded out the cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late November. Filming took place in New York City. In late July 2018, it was announced during the annual Television Critics Association's summer press tour that the series would premiere on September 21, 2018.

The series stars Stone, Hill, Theroux, Mizuno, Byrne, and Field. The journey is aided immeasurably by the casting of Hill and Stone. Their dark, sensitive eyes and a probity about them that wins you to their side. Stone is wonderful as a downer spirit that's surprisingly funny and human. She hasn't had such a meaty role in a while, and she plays it just right. Hill nails the part, winning audience sympathy from the opening moments. It's rarely a compliment when I refer to an actor as straitjacketed, but the straitjacketing of Hill and Stone is fiercely poignant. You see all that manic comic energy imprisoned in these ordinary yet messed up people, with the anarchism peeking out and trying to find a way to express itself.

Propelled by Somerville's smart, imaginative script and Fukunaga's equally daring directorial touch, Maniac is a twisty yet heartfelt look at love and the mind. It's amiable, and it does a surprisingly good job of sidestepping psych ward comedy clichés, but given its talented cast and directors, the series should be more than just mildly entertaining. This is a cerebral, formally and conceptually complicated, dense with literary allusions and as unabashedly romantic as any movie or series you'll ever see. The formidable Fukunaga/Somerville/Hill/Stone collaboration works marvel after marvel in expressing the bewildering beauty and existential horror of being trapped inside one's own addled mind, and in allegorising the self-preserving amnesia of a broken but hopeful heart.

Simon says Maniac receives:

Also, see my review for Beasts of No Nation.

Film Review: "Nappily Ever After" (2018).

"Let yourself grow." This is at the heart of Nappily Ever After. This romantic comedy film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, adapted by Adam Brooks and Cee Marcellus, and based on the novel of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. When a perfectionist ad exec experiences a romantic setback, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that begins with a dramatic hair makeover.

Since 2003, the project was in development at Universal Pictures with Patricia Cardoso to direct, Tina Gordon Chism to pen the script, which was later rewritten by Lisa Loomer, and Halle Berry on board to star. In mid August 2017, it was announced that the project was now in development at Netflix with al-Mansour to direct,  Brooks and Marcellus to pen a new script, and Sanaa Lathan was cast to play the lead role. By late August, Ernie Hudson, Lyriq Bent, Lynn Whitfield, Ricky Whittle, Camille Guaty, and Brittany S. Hall. Around the same time, principal photography commenced, and filming took place in Atlanta, Gerogia. Just like her character, Lathan actually shaved off her hair for the role prior to filming.

The film stars Lathan, Hudson, Bent, Whitfield, Whittle, Guaty, and Hall. The cast gave solid performances though they were performances that you would expect from films of this nature and genre. Although, Lathan as the protagonist gives a great performance. She's strong, funny, vulnerable and sweet depending on what the situation calls for. There's a sense of hope that resonates with a character as confident as Violet that can't be ignored. The character will no doubt serve to empower many young African-American women.

As with the best work of Sofia Coppola, Spike Lee, etc, al-Mansour's sweet-natured film offers both fun and thought provocation for younger and older audiences alike, belying its complexity with a universal tale that speaks to the many. This delightful film by Saudi filmmaker Al-Mansour uses a woman's shaved head as a metaphor for rebellion within a socially-strict circumference. A staggeringly assured cine-essay on female empowerment. The film isn't angry or sentimental. Rather it ends up being a heart-warming and positive story with some laughs and tears along the way. In presenting fine details and focusing on her characters rather than just solely on a social agenda, Al-Mansour has created a delightful little movie that just happens to be set against an imperfect and shallow society. Rather than making a grand social statement, the film excels in its quieter and more intimate moments. Al Mansour uses the simple story as our entry into a recognisably complex culture and a pointed perspective on how African-American women, and women in gerneral, are treated in American society. The film is a well-intentioned yet terminally uneven endeavor. It's simplistic but charming. On the most basic level, the film is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. It's a tale that's delightful and insightful and gently empowering, and Al-Mansour tells it with economy, lyricism and terrific warmth. Free from ranting or raving, this quiet celebration of female empowerment is one first step towards righting centuries of repressive wrong.

Simon says Nappily Ever After receives:

Also, see my review for Mary Shelley.