Film: The French Dispatch

GENRE: Comedy, Drama
RATING: R for graphic nudity, sexual references and language
                (for some reason Cineplex rates it  PG)
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, Sicario, The Usual Suspects)
Timothy Chalamet (Dune); Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die, Westworld)
DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest, Moonrise Kingdom)
WRITER: Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums, Isle of Dogs)
PLOT: A collection of stories set in a fictional French city.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love all things Wes Anderson.

STORY STUFF: While The Royal Tennenbaums tell their stories in chapters, The French Dispatch tell their stories in ‘standalone’ articles. There are whimsical stories of art & incarceration, love & protest, kidnapping & cuisine. Those three stories take up most of the film and they are very entertaining and well-written. My favourites though would be the initial introduction of the magazine by Angelica Huston and the description of the city of Ennui from Owen Wilson’s biking reporter.

ACTING STUFF: Anderson employs his roster of favourites including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Frances McDormand, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton and more. Chalamet reminded me of Jason Schwartzman’s Max from Rushmore; great company to be in. Del Toro is mostly silent but fantastic as a tortured artist. I wish Christoph Waltz had more to do. The cast is great and you can tell that everyone is having a great time being in this production.

ARTISTIC STUFF: This is the most Wes Anderson-y of Wes Anderson films. It has everything you expect to find in his film: narration, whimsy, symmetry, narrator’s head in the bottom left of the screen, French music, ennui, dollhouse-style sets, object shots, stage plays, slow tracking shots, shots of letters and documents, awesome names but less family issues and robbery. This time, Anderson includes 2-D animation, fun live tableaux, and black & white cinematography (mixed with some colourful moments). The one thing I didn’t like about his stylistic stuff this time around was the intentional blurriness during some of the black and white sequences – it took me out of the story. Other than that, full of Wes Anderson goodness that I love.

VERDICT: Five stars out of five (I’m pretty biased though)
SEE IT IF: You like Wes Anderson and a quirky filming style
UPCOMING REVIEW: Eternals

Film: Dune

 

GENRE: Drama, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and some suggestive material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 35 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Timothy Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Little Women)
Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible 5&6); Jason Momoa (Aquaman)
DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicaro, Blade Runner 2049)
WRITERS: Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), Denis Villeneuve (newcomer)
Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
PLOT: The son of a noble family is entrusted with one of the most vital elements in the galaxy.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I haven’t read the book.

STORY STUFF: This was way better than the 1984 version. It was less confusing than I thought it would be. There are still some motivations that aren’t clear to me but I think I got most of the plot. The pacing is okay but keep in mind this is only Part One. I think one of the things that keep a film like this out of the Star Wars realm is its lack of humour. They take themselves way too seriously. Sure, the film deals with attempted genocide but I still wish there were some more lighter moments. Give me a breather.   

ACTING STUFF: Lots of serious acting. The cast brings it. I particularly enjoyed the repartee between Chalamet’s Paul and Momoa’s Duncan but that’s also shown in the trailer. I wish there was more. Zendaya (Greatest Showman, Spider-man) doesn’t have much to do in this part. I’m assuming she has more in Part Two.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The set design and cinematography is phenomenal. They’ll definitely be getting a bunch of Oscar nominations. The impressively large sets juxtaposed with the actors is awesome as well as the great use of light in a tight corridor. Villeneuve knows how to set a scene. It definitely deserves the big screen treatment. I enjoyed the style of the protective shields but found them quite ineffectual at times. I also really liked the design of the dragonfly ships, not sure if they were practical though. 

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like sand and serious acting and action
UPCOMING REVIEW: The French Dispatch

Film: No Time To Die

 

GENRE: Action, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and suggestive stuff
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 43 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale, Knives Out)
Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody); Lea Seydoux (Spectre, The Lobster)
DIRECTOR: Cari Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation)
WRITERS: Fukunaga (It), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (last six Bond films, Johnny English)
PLOT: Bond is roped into service again, this time to track down a villain with a dangerous new poison.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Been anticipating this Bond for a while.

STORY STUFF: The story is good but not great. While it’s nice to see Bond grow as a person and be willing to settle down, I really come to watch awesome action sequences with neat gadgets, sexy villainesses, and cheesy one-liners. Bond’s first action sequence is well done but most of it is also in the trailer. There’s a good line here and there. There are not too many gadgets to play with this time around. I did enjoy the Q at home scene though. I also enjoyed Ana de Armas (Knives Out) as she kicked butt in a Cuban fight scene. I wish there was more of that.

ACTING STUFF: Craig brings it as usual. While I still like Connery the best, Craig is inches from number one. The cast brings their ‘A’ game. Malek makes an okay villain. He has the tone of voice but I wish he had a little more excitement and unpredictability.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The locations are beautiful. Love Bond’s retirement locale and the Italian town (wish they would pick a lane when driving though). The action pieces are well done. Armas’ dress is nice. Not much else to say. I didn’t find the cinematography that mesmerizing this time which is odd considering the stellar camera work in Fukunaga’s True Detective. Oh well.   

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Craig’s Bond (and saw Spectre)
UPCOMING REVIEW: Dune, The French Dispatch

Film: The Many Saints of Newark

 

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for strong language, violence and some nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Alessandro Nivola (American Hustle, Face/Off)
Ray Liotta (Goodfellas); Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Bates Motel)
DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor (Terminator Genisys, The Sopranos)
WRITERS: David Chase (The Sopranos, Rockford Files)
Lawrence Konner (Planet of the Apes (2001), Mona Lisa Smile)
PLOT: A backstory about young Tony Soprano and the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s dad).

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved Sopranos but went in with low expectations

STORY STUFF: This film only works if you’ve seen The Sopranos; it’s not for newbies. It was neat seeing some of the backstory as to why the characters are the way they are. There were also some fun references to the TV show. Overall though, the story was just okay. It was like an extended episode with more budget. Despite some good moments, it doesn’t hold a candle to such Sopranos classics like ‘Pine Barrens’ or ‘Long Term Parking’. I wish the story went into how Tony became a boss and Paulie and Silvio worked for him. Also, Big Pussy is not given much to do. Maybe they’ll make another one.

ACTING STUFF: The casting is incredible. The characters are the reason to watch this film. Nivola is engaging as Dickie. Farmiga channels Tony’s mom beautifully. There’s a scene between her and teenage Tony in the kitchen that was perfectly done. I could picture this same conversation with their older counterparts. Corey Stoll (Billions) nails Uncle Junior in cadence and tone. Billy Magnussen (Games Night) does Paulie Walnuts proud with his attention to nails and suits. John Magaro (The Big Short) has the perfect Silvio look and mannerism. I think the head tilt goes a little far though and borders on caricature. Ray Liotta chews up the scenery as Hollywood Dick then gives a steady performance. Michael Gandolfini (Ocean’s 8) is most like his dad in the kitchen scene and after getting hung up on the telephone. I loved the casting of William Ludwig (newcomer) as younger Tony as he looked just like AJ. Kudos to casting by Douglas Aibel and the performances from these awesome actors.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The look is very Sopranos like. The music matches what I would expect from an episode. There’s not much to say here.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen The Sopranos and are curious for more.=
UPCOMING REVIEW: No Time to Die