So, since it looks like a couple of CGI kids' films are not going to kill theatrical exhibition as we know it, I suppose I should still put down a few thoughts on the films themselves. And no, I didn't pay the $20 for the PVOD releases.
First, the trolls of "Trolls" are back for a new adventure, this time ditching the Bergens and exploring the different tribes of trolls throughout the world, each related to a different style of music. Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) turn out to be Pop trolls, and they learn that there are also Classical, Country, Techno, Funk, and Rock trolls, with a bunch of subgroups and outliers running around too. The Rock trolls have been causing trouble because their leader, Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), has decided to take over and assimilate all the other groups. So, of course, Poppy and Branch set out to save the day.
The original "Trolls" movie was a fun surprise because it was so bizarre and unexpected, full of strange design and story choices. "World Tour" dials this way down, opting instead for a very straightforward parable about learning to appreciate everybody's differences. The worldbuilding is very shallow and relies on a lot of stereotyping and basic gags. This is also very much a jukebox musical like "Sing," built on lots of little snippets of Top 40 favorites. I don't think there are any original songs this time out, or even any songs that are sung in full. However, it's all executed with good energy and plenty of colorful animation. It's nothing fancy, but it's well-made, with enough fun details to keep adults amused and children engaged. However, the wild creativity of the first film often feels a little short in supply.
Still, this is more than I can say for "Scoob!" which is Warners' attempt to relaunch the "Scooby-Doo" franchise. The first thirty minutes or so are fine, showing how Scooby (Frank Welker) and Shaggy (Frank Welker) first met as kids, and formed Mystery Inc. with their pals Fred (Zac Efron), Daphne (Amanda Seyfried), and Velma (Gina Rodriguez). However, things take a turn for the worse when it turns out that "Scoob!" is a surprise crossover with at least three other Hanna Barbera franchises from the '70s. First, there's the superhero team of Dynomutt (Ken Jeong) and the Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), then you've got appearances from Captain Caveman (Tracy Morgan) and Dee Dee Sykes (Kiersey Clemons), and finally the big villain turns out to be none other than Dick Dastardly (Jason Isaacs) from "Wacky Races," sadly without his canine conspirator Muttley (Billy West).
This is the weirdest, and mostly unlikely reboot I've seen in recent years, because it's so uneven and doesn't seem to have a good grasp on who it's aimed at. The early parts of "Scoob!" focusing on the Mystery Inc. gang are fine, and make for a perfectly good introduction to this universe for kids. As someone who was never really a fan of the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons, I appreciated getting a solid little origin story in the opening act. However, the rest of the movie is far too concerned with pop culture references, snarky meta humor, and action-adventure set pieces to the point where it doesn't feel much like a "Scooby-Doo" mystery at all. For most of the adventure, Scooby and Shaggy are hanging out with Dynomutt and Blue Falcon, while the rest of Mystery Inc. is doing the actual mystery solving. I've also gotta question the film leaning so heavily on references to the older characters who have largely exited mainstream culture - though Dick Dastardly is by far the best thing about this movie.
I'll give the creators points for adding all the little references and callbacks to the "Scooby-Doo" and other Hanna Barbera cartoons where appropriate. The old sound effects and catchphrases get trotted out, and there's even an "eyes in the dark" sequence. The Mystery Inc. characters redesigned for CGI look just fine, even if the animation is on the cheaper side, and I like the updates to their characters. Velma's in charge, Daphne's not useless, and Fred has been demoted to being the muscle, but he's so much more loveable as the muscle. As for Shaggy and Scooby, well, their goofy charms still elude me, but seem more or less intact. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing these versions of the characters again - but maybe next time in a proper Scooby-Doo movie.
---
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
And What Didn't Make My Top Ten Films of 2019
As a companion piece to my Top Ten list, every year I write a post to discuss some of the other major films that got a lot of attention, in order to give some context to my own choices. I find that writing this type of analysis piece helpful when working out how I feel about my list and the year in film as a whole. It's also usually a lot of fun. Please note that I will not be writing about films listed among my honorable mentions, like "1917" or "Portrait of a Lady on Fire."
Let's start with the major award contenders. "The Irishman" was very high up on my list at one point, but the longer I thought about it, the less I realized I liked it, and I'd been giving it so much consideration mostly out of obligation. Still, I wish Joe Pesci had won that Oscar. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" just wasn't for me, and stands out as one of my bigger disappointments of last year, especially since I'd spent so much time watching films from the late '60s fairly recently. Quentin Tarantino has a very specific fantasy of Hollywood in that era that I just wasn't all that interested in. "Joker" got way more attention than it deserved, and I liked it fine as a Scorsese homage. However, it was pretty awful as a Batman flick.
"Knives Out" is an interesting movie, one that was both a critical and popular hit. I liked it fine, and I think it may be Rian Johnson's most consistent, well-executed movie to date. And that's about the extent of my interest in it. I was really rooting for "Rocketman" at one point, and thought Taron Edgerton was fantastic. All the usual biopic cliches that the movie indulged in kept it off my final list, but I still thought it was stronger than more typical programmers like "Ford v. Ferrari," "The Two Popes," and "Bombshell." I think I was much more enthusiastic about "Harriet" than most, but the movie's shortcomings were pretty glaring. And then there's "Ad Astra," which amassed a lot of ardent supporters. I'm glad the movie got made and found an audience, but I just couldn't get past the Malick-style internal monologue choices or the puzzling ending.
There was a good batch of foreign films from 2019, but some of the favorites eluded me. "Pain and Glory" was Almodovar being self-reflective and nostalgic, and I loved parts of it, but found the central character difficult to connect to. France's "Les Misérables" and "Synonyms" were bold, incendiary stuff that left me impressed at their daring but unmoved. I suspect that cultural barriers were why "Atlantics," "Monos," and "The Souvenir" all went a bit over my head. "Transit" had an unnecessarily confusing set of conceits that I felt undercut the film a bit. After "High Life," I think I'm just going to have to admit that Claire Denis and I are just never going to see eye to eye. And while I couldn't justify putting in on the list, I'm so glad for "Varda by Agnes."
Among the more popular releases, "Booksmart" was a lot of fun, but raunchy teen dramas are just never going to be my thing. I felt "Midsommar" wasted its excellent cast, though the movie looked spectacular. And though "Hustlers" did a lot of things right, I also felt that it was making far too many excuses for its leading ladies. Finally, "Avengers: Endgame" was pretty much everything I wanted it to be, and I won't begrudge it an iota of its success. The rest of the global box office being dominated by a parade of sad Disney sequels and remakes, however, makes me queasy. Well, I'll also make an exception for "Toy Story 4." That franchise can go on for as long as it likes.
Movies that just missed the honorable mentions include "Wild Rose," "Honeyland," and "The Art of Self Defense."
And that's my 2019 in movies.
---
Let's start with the major award contenders. "The Irishman" was very high up on my list at one point, but the longer I thought about it, the less I realized I liked it, and I'd been giving it so much consideration mostly out of obligation. Still, I wish Joe Pesci had won that Oscar. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" just wasn't for me, and stands out as one of my bigger disappointments of last year, especially since I'd spent so much time watching films from the late '60s fairly recently. Quentin Tarantino has a very specific fantasy of Hollywood in that era that I just wasn't all that interested in. "Joker" got way more attention than it deserved, and I liked it fine as a Scorsese homage. However, it was pretty awful as a Batman flick.
"Knives Out" is an interesting movie, one that was both a critical and popular hit. I liked it fine, and I think it may be Rian Johnson's most consistent, well-executed movie to date. And that's about the extent of my interest in it. I was really rooting for "Rocketman" at one point, and thought Taron Edgerton was fantastic. All the usual biopic cliches that the movie indulged in kept it off my final list, but I still thought it was stronger than more typical programmers like "Ford v. Ferrari," "The Two Popes," and "Bombshell." I think I was much more enthusiastic about "Harriet" than most, but the movie's shortcomings were pretty glaring. And then there's "Ad Astra," which amassed a lot of ardent supporters. I'm glad the movie got made and found an audience, but I just couldn't get past the Malick-style internal monologue choices or the puzzling ending.
There was a good batch of foreign films from 2019, but some of the favorites eluded me. "Pain and Glory" was Almodovar being self-reflective and nostalgic, and I loved parts of it, but found the central character difficult to connect to. France's "Les Misérables" and "Synonyms" were bold, incendiary stuff that left me impressed at their daring but unmoved. I suspect that cultural barriers were why "Atlantics," "Monos," and "The Souvenir" all went a bit over my head. "Transit" had an unnecessarily confusing set of conceits that I felt undercut the film a bit. After "High Life," I think I'm just going to have to admit that Claire Denis and I are just never going to see eye to eye. And while I couldn't justify putting in on the list, I'm so glad for "Varda by Agnes."
Among the more popular releases, "Booksmart" was a lot of fun, but raunchy teen dramas are just never going to be my thing. I felt "Midsommar" wasted its excellent cast, though the movie looked spectacular. And though "Hustlers" did a lot of things right, I also felt that it was making far too many excuses for its leading ladies. Finally, "Avengers: Endgame" was pretty much everything I wanted it to be, and I won't begrudge it an iota of its success. The rest of the global box office being dominated by a parade of sad Disney sequels and remakes, however, makes me queasy. Well, I'll also make an exception for "Toy Story 4." That franchise can go on for as long as it likes.
Movies that just missed the honorable mentions include "Wild Rose," "Honeyland," and "The Art of Self Defense."
And that's my 2019 in movies.
---
Sunday, August 9, 2020
My Top Ten Films of 2019
Boy oh boy, its been a long road to get here. I saw a lot of films for 2019, and almost everything I wanted to see was available via online rentals eventually - though wrangling multiple sources and subscriptions could be challenging. At this point, the only roadblock is a familiar one - waiting for those last few foreign films every summer, like Ladj Ly's "Les Miserables."
My criteria for eligibility require that a film must have been released in its own home country during 2019, so film festivals and other special screenings don't count. Picks are unranked and listed in no particular order, previously posted reviews are linked where available, and the "Plus One" spot is reserved for the best film of the previous year that I didn't manage to see in time for the last list. And here we go.
Little Women - I don't think this is the definitive film version of the story, but it's the right one for 2019. Greta Gerwig is able to highlight so many resonant themes, and show the classic characters in a modern light, while retaining everything that's made them so endearing to so many readers. The assembled cast is so passionate, and the 19th century New England setting so lovingly recreated, I find it impossible not to keep falling in love with this film.
Parasite - Bong Joon-ho's allegorical tale of a poor family conning their way into a rich household is full of wild twists, morbid humor, biting satire, and wonderfully imperfect characters. It's not just that the filmmaking is so fearless, and the storytelling so sharp, but that "Parasite" manages to cross multiple genres in a way that makes it totally unpredictable and consistently engrossing. Even among director Bong's other films, this one is in a class by itself.
Marriage Story - It's good to see Noah Baumbach getting more forgiving with age. The most tragic part of "Marriage Story" is that the protagonists still love each other, and neither one is wrong for wanting what they want. It's painful to watch Charlie and Nicole resort to more and more extreme hostilities, but along the way there are so many laughs, so many touching human moments, and both characters manage to come out a bit better in the end.
Us - "Us" is a film that you can take apart, almost frame by frame, finding meaning in all the little details from the character names to the sinister hip-hop song that serves as the main theme. It's not as well-conceived as "Parasite," but Jordan Peel's genre take on the American class divide is just as potent and impactful in its own way. The horror imagery is deeply resonant and disturbing, and Lupita Nyong'o's performance is the stuff of nightmares.
Bacurau - A Brazilian genre film that is all about subverting expectations and sticking it to the man - well, the man in this case being the forces of Western decadence and government corruption. It takes a while for premise to be established, but once everything is revealed and starts paying off, "Bacurau" becomes one of the most satisfying watches of the year. The filmmaking is a little rough around the edges, but that's completely thematically appropriate.
One Child Nation - Everyone knows about China's "One Child Policy" in theory, but it's another thing to see the mechanisms and the consequences of the policy up close. Nanfu Wang explores the topic through her own family's experiences, revealing the far reaching impact and damage that was wrought on both individuals and Chinese society at large. Wang's interview with an elderly midwife who helped to enforce the policy is especially illuminating.
Jojo Rabbit - Maintaining a delicate balance to avoid falling into the traps of being too cloying, too silly, or too serious, Taika Waititi tackles the eyebrow-raising story of a ten year-old Nazi with plenty of charm, humor, and intelligence. It's helpful to think of the film in terms of the audience it's trying to reach - the impressionable youngsters who, once again, mistakenly think that the Fascists were cool. And it kills me that Waititi decided to play Hitler himself.
I Lost My Body - I've never seen an animated film quite like this one, that manages to seamlessly blend the fantastical with the mundane, telling an impossible story in fairly realistic terms. The story of Naofel and his lost hand is a sad, deeply personal narrative, and yet the filmmakers manage to work in action, humor, and a beautiful, life-affirming ending. This was a great surprise, and along with "Klaus," a great example of 2019's gains in indie feature animation.
The Lighthouse - Sometimes it takes a maniac to get a certain kind of movie made. And for a movie that is so utterly, uncompromisingly an original auteurist vision, steeped in centuries-old influences, and yet has a sense of humor and yen for the ghastly that is unmistakably modern, you need a director like Robert Eggers. And Willem Dafoe at his most elemental certainly helps. "The Lighthouse" is too obscure, too niche, and too goddamn weird to exist otherwise.
Dolemite is My Name - I'm generally wary of showbiz biopics, but the return of Eddie Murphy is such a breath of fresh air, and the life of Rudy Ray Moore makes for such a perfect underdog story. The themes and messages may be a little blunt, but they're in the context of such a feel-good, celebratory paean to filmmaking that I couldn't resist. I don't enjoy the original "Dolemite," not being its intended audience, but the tale of its making looks like a classic to me.
Honorable Mentions:
A Hidden Life
1917
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Nightingale
Sorry We Missed You
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Farewell
Aniara
Doctor Sleep
Uncut Gems
Plus One
Shadow (Ying)
---
My criteria for eligibility require that a film must have been released in its own home country during 2019, so film festivals and other special screenings don't count. Picks are unranked and listed in no particular order, previously posted reviews are linked where available, and the "Plus One" spot is reserved for the best film of the previous year that I didn't manage to see in time for the last list. And here we go.
Little Women - I don't think this is the definitive film version of the story, but it's the right one for 2019. Greta Gerwig is able to highlight so many resonant themes, and show the classic characters in a modern light, while retaining everything that's made them so endearing to so many readers. The assembled cast is so passionate, and the 19th century New England setting so lovingly recreated, I find it impossible not to keep falling in love with this film.
Parasite - Bong Joon-ho's allegorical tale of a poor family conning their way into a rich household is full of wild twists, morbid humor, biting satire, and wonderfully imperfect characters. It's not just that the filmmaking is so fearless, and the storytelling so sharp, but that "Parasite" manages to cross multiple genres in a way that makes it totally unpredictable and consistently engrossing. Even among director Bong's other films, this one is in a class by itself.
Marriage Story - It's good to see Noah Baumbach getting more forgiving with age. The most tragic part of "Marriage Story" is that the protagonists still love each other, and neither one is wrong for wanting what they want. It's painful to watch Charlie and Nicole resort to more and more extreme hostilities, but along the way there are so many laughs, so many touching human moments, and both characters manage to come out a bit better in the end.
Us - "Us" is a film that you can take apart, almost frame by frame, finding meaning in all the little details from the character names to the sinister hip-hop song that serves as the main theme. It's not as well-conceived as "Parasite," but Jordan Peel's genre take on the American class divide is just as potent and impactful in its own way. The horror imagery is deeply resonant and disturbing, and Lupita Nyong'o's performance is the stuff of nightmares.
Bacurau - A Brazilian genre film that is all about subverting expectations and sticking it to the man - well, the man in this case being the forces of Western decadence and government corruption. It takes a while for premise to be established, but once everything is revealed and starts paying off, "Bacurau" becomes one of the most satisfying watches of the year. The filmmaking is a little rough around the edges, but that's completely thematically appropriate.
One Child Nation - Everyone knows about China's "One Child Policy" in theory, but it's another thing to see the mechanisms and the consequences of the policy up close. Nanfu Wang explores the topic through her own family's experiences, revealing the far reaching impact and damage that was wrought on both individuals and Chinese society at large. Wang's interview with an elderly midwife who helped to enforce the policy is especially illuminating.
Jojo Rabbit - Maintaining a delicate balance to avoid falling into the traps of being too cloying, too silly, or too serious, Taika Waititi tackles the eyebrow-raising story of a ten year-old Nazi with plenty of charm, humor, and intelligence. It's helpful to think of the film in terms of the audience it's trying to reach - the impressionable youngsters who, once again, mistakenly think that the Fascists were cool. And it kills me that Waititi decided to play Hitler himself.
I Lost My Body - I've never seen an animated film quite like this one, that manages to seamlessly blend the fantastical with the mundane, telling an impossible story in fairly realistic terms. The story of Naofel and his lost hand is a sad, deeply personal narrative, and yet the filmmakers manage to work in action, humor, and a beautiful, life-affirming ending. This was a great surprise, and along with "Klaus," a great example of 2019's gains in indie feature animation.
The Lighthouse - Sometimes it takes a maniac to get a certain kind of movie made. And for a movie that is so utterly, uncompromisingly an original auteurist vision, steeped in centuries-old influences, and yet has a sense of humor and yen for the ghastly that is unmistakably modern, you need a director like Robert Eggers. And Willem Dafoe at his most elemental certainly helps. "The Lighthouse" is too obscure, too niche, and too goddamn weird to exist otherwise.
Dolemite is My Name - I'm generally wary of showbiz biopics, but the return of Eddie Murphy is such a breath of fresh air, and the life of Rudy Ray Moore makes for such a perfect underdog story. The themes and messages may be a little blunt, but they're in the context of such a feel-good, celebratory paean to filmmaking that I couldn't resist. I don't enjoy the original "Dolemite," not being its intended audience, but the tale of its making looks like a classic to me.
Honorable Mentions:
A Hidden Life
1917
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Nightingale
Sorry We Missed You
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Farewell
Aniara
Doctor Sleep
Uncut Gems
Plus One
Shadow (Ying)
---
Friday, August 7, 2020
"Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always," and "The Assistant"
We've seen a good uptick in films addressing the social challenges faced by young women recently, and it's been encouraging to see that many of these projects are being directed and written by women. Two recent examples are "Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always," and "The Assistant," which look at abortion access and the concerns of the #Metoo movement.
"Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always," written and directed by Eliza Hittman, follows a Pennsylvania teenager named Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) in her efforts to secure an abortion. She has several hurdles to get past - parental permission requirements in her state, a shady family planning outfit that gives her bad information, and no money to pay for a procedure or transportation. However, Autumn does have her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) on her side, who accompanies her on a secret trip to an abortion clinic in New York.
What strikes me as so effective about the film is that it completely sidesteps all the usual moral and political arguments about abortion rights and simply focuses on the experiences of one teenager in a difficult situation. The ordeal is often nerve wracking, from the girls staying up all night in the city because they can't afford a hotel room, to Autumn struggling to get through a series of questions on a clinic intake form. Autumn is quiet and doesn't offer much information about herself until asked directly. Even then, we never get the whole picture about her circumstances. I like that the film allows her to keep that measure of privacy, and treats her reasons for pursuing the abortion as ultimately nobody else's business.
The filmmaking here is very low budget and no-frills, to the point where certain clips could be mistaken for "Frontline" documentary footage. However, it does a good job of highlighting the performances of the talented cast. Sidney Flanigan is excellent as Autumn, often conveying a lot about her emotional state with hardly a word. And while the film takes pains to be true to life, it's also very effective at delivering plenty of dramatic tension and unexpected pathos. There's no doubt that "Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always" is an issue film through and through, but it never feels manipulative or insincere because it also works remarkably well as a character study too. I'd put this one right in the same class as Ken Loach's and the Dardennes brothers' films about the working poor.
"The Assistant," written and directed by Kitty Green, also features a quiet, mild-mannered female lead. This is Jane (Julia Garner), a recent graduate who works as an assistant to a powerful film executive. You never see her boss directly, just a quickly passing figure or an angry voice on the phone. However, his presence hangs heavy over the film, as Jane and her fellow assistants (Noah Robbins, Jon Orsini) are constantly dealing with the fallout of his behavior. There are the frequent calls from an irate wife, and the evidence of multiple affairs and casual encounters. When a new assistant, Sienna (Kristine Froseth), arrives under suspicious circumstances, Jane finally decides to bring her concerns to HR (Matthew MacFayden).
Not knowing much about "The Assistant" going in, I was expecting a thriller or a more typical potboiler melodrama. I watched the opening scenes of Jane going into the office, and going about a typical, humdrum day, waiting for the pace to pick up and the action to start. This never really happened. Instead, I watched Jane go about her business as an overworked, underappreciated personal assistant, completing one dull task after another while trying to ignore - and occasionally apologize for - her boss's horrible behavior. Sexual harassment and misconduct are major elements of the plot, but kept offscreen and Jane is never directly involved. There's no background music and very subdued production design, adding to the mundanity, but the tension keeps building and building until it becomes unbearable.
"The Assistant" proved to be a great surprise, a very effective examination of Jane's dehumanized existence on the bottom rung of the ladder, and all the ways in which her boss's indiscretions are swept under the rug. Julia Garner continues to prove she's a strong talent, carrying the entire film full of long silences, worried glances, and simmering anxiety. She makes Jane's visit to HR one of the miserable highlights of the year. It may take a while to get into the rhythms of the filmmaking, but I appreciate that a film exploring these issues exists, avoids sensationalism, and is executed so well.
---
"Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always," written and directed by Eliza Hittman, follows a Pennsylvania teenager named Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) in her efforts to secure an abortion. She has several hurdles to get past - parental permission requirements in her state, a shady family planning outfit that gives her bad information, and no money to pay for a procedure or transportation. However, Autumn does have her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) on her side, who accompanies her on a secret trip to an abortion clinic in New York.
What strikes me as so effective about the film is that it completely sidesteps all the usual moral and political arguments about abortion rights and simply focuses on the experiences of one teenager in a difficult situation. The ordeal is often nerve wracking, from the girls staying up all night in the city because they can't afford a hotel room, to Autumn struggling to get through a series of questions on a clinic intake form. Autumn is quiet and doesn't offer much information about herself until asked directly. Even then, we never get the whole picture about her circumstances. I like that the film allows her to keep that measure of privacy, and treats her reasons for pursuing the abortion as ultimately nobody else's business.
The filmmaking here is very low budget and no-frills, to the point where certain clips could be mistaken for "Frontline" documentary footage. However, it does a good job of highlighting the performances of the talented cast. Sidney Flanigan is excellent as Autumn, often conveying a lot about her emotional state with hardly a word. And while the film takes pains to be true to life, it's also very effective at delivering plenty of dramatic tension and unexpected pathos. There's no doubt that "Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always" is an issue film through and through, but it never feels manipulative or insincere because it also works remarkably well as a character study too. I'd put this one right in the same class as Ken Loach's and the Dardennes brothers' films about the working poor.
"The Assistant," written and directed by Kitty Green, also features a quiet, mild-mannered female lead. This is Jane (Julia Garner), a recent graduate who works as an assistant to a powerful film executive. You never see her boss directly, just a quickly passing figure or an angry voice on the phone. However, his presence hangs heavy over the film, as Jane and her fellow assistants (Noah Robbins, Jon Orsini) are constantly dealing with the fallout of his behavior. There are the frequent calls from an irate wife, and the evidence of multiple affairs and casual encounters. When a new assistant, Sienna (Kristine Froseth), arrives under suspicious circumstances, Jane finally decides to bring her concerns to HR (Matthew MacFayden).
Not knowing much about "The Assistant" going in, I was expecting a thriller or a more typical potboiler melodrama. I watched the opening scenes of Jane going into the office, and going about a typical, humdrum day, waiting for the pace to pick up and the action to start. This never really happened. Instead, I watched Jane go about her business as an overworked, underappreciated personal assistant, completing one dull task after another while trying to ignore - and occasionally apologize for - her boss's horrible behavior. Sexual harassment and misconduct are major elements of the plot, but kept offscreen and Jane is never directly involved. There's no background music and very subdued production design, adding to the mundanity, but the tension keeps building and building until it becomes unbearable.
"The Assistant" proved to be a great surprise, a very effective examination of Jane's dehumanized existence on the bottom rung of the ladder, and all the ways in which her boss's indiscretions are swept under the rug. Julia Garner continues to prove she's a strong talent, carrying the entire film full of long silences, worried glances, and simmering anxiety. She makes Jane's visit to HR one of the miserable highlights of the year. It may take a while to get into the rhythms of the filmmaking, but I appreciate that a film exploring these issues exists, avoids sensationalism, and is executed so well.
---
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
My Top Ten Episodes of "Mr. Robot"
Well, this is one of the more unusual Top Tens I've written in a while. I don't think I've ever seen another television series improve so much over the course of its run. Below, find my ten favorite episodes of "Mr. Robot," unranked and ordered by airdate. I include the caveat that it's been a very long time since I watched the first season.
All the spoilers ahead for the entire show.
"Eps1.0_hellofriend.mov" - The premiere episode of Mr. Robot is essentially a feature film, introducing us to the life of Elliot Alderson, his sinister new hacker friend, Mr. Robot, and the deeply unjust world that they inhabit, which is almost identical to our own. I love the fourth wall breaking, which gives Elliot's angry monologues some real bite, and the early signs that we're watching a deeply unreliable narrator at work. I wish the rest of the season had figured out how to follow its lead a bit better.
"Eps1.9_zer0-day.avi" - The first season's reveals were spoiled for me, so I was cooler on the big climax, and prefer the denouement. Seeing fsociety's hack actually being pulled off is very satisfying, but it quickly turns into a nightmare. There's an intensity and horror to the live broadcast that is highly unusual, even for a prestige drama, and I appreciate the use of Angela's POV in particular. The season's final, dreamlike encounter between Elliot and Mr. Robot also sticks out as a wonderful piece of fantasy.
"Eps3.4_runtime-error.r00" - And this is the episode where it became apparent to me that "Mr. Robot" was really getting ambitious. The episode features long, long tracking shots, stitched together to look like one take, following Elliot and Angela in the middle of the attack on E Corp's offices. And it still manages to find ways to incorporate its famous off-center framing and moments of absurd humor. Watching Elliot fight with Mr. Robot for control while trying to stop the Stage 2 attacks is phenomenal.
"Eps3.6_fredrick+tanya.chk" - Fsociety members Mobley and Trenton grew on me over time, and it was very difficult seeing them being set up as convenient scapegoats by the Dark Army. The bulk of the hour was a lot of fun, watching the two of them and Leon get into hijinks in the desert. However, matters quickly take a turn for the tragic, and bring about an emotional low point of the series, with Dom and Tyrell forced to concede defeat. Oh, and bonus points for great use of the "Knight Rider" theme.
"Eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko" - One of the most offbeat and touching episodes of the series puts Elliot on a voyage of discovery that involves Trenton's little brother Mohammed and a "Back to the Future" retrospective. I love that it's so culturally and location specific, especially the rare scene that takes place in a mosque. I love the encounter with the Yiddish ice cream truck driver, and all the little touches that encourage Elliot not to give up on humanity. The final monologue with Angela at the door is terrific.
"shutdown -r" - Bobby Cannavale! With an axe! At a barn! Irving, along with Leon and Whiterose, are among the most absurd characters in the "Mr. Robot" universe, but they're so much fun to watch that I can't bring myself to care. So even as Irving is busy killing off Santiago and traumatizing Dom, you can still find him weirdly genial and charming - and terrifying too, of course. I did not expect this season to end up here, but "Mr. Robot" never runs short of twists - and the execution's to die for.
"405 Method Not Allowed" - I don't find this hack as compelling as the ones from the previous seasons, because the stakes don't feel as high, but watching Elliot evade the police on a frantic Christmas Day foot chase through Central Park is as impressive as anything. I was so engrossed with the situation that I didn't even notice that the episode is almost totally dialogue free. I also liked seeing Darlene get in on the action this time out, and the whole season's wildly incongruous holiday themes and trappings.
"407 Proxy Authentication Required" - Possibly the show's most emotionally volatile episode is also one of its most formally audacious. The whole thing takes place in Krista's apartment, is structured as a five-act play, and was originally aired with no commercial breaks. I don't much like the character of Vera, but he definitely moved the story along here. And though I'm not crazy about the episode's big reveal, the actors certainly sold it. Rami Malek's performance, in particular, is a heartbreaker.
"410 Gone" - While the big hack of the Deus Group was exciting, I prefer the depiction of the aftermath through Darlene and Dom's eyes. Their relationship is such an impulsive, unlikely thing, and this is the only episode that really deals with their feelings in a genuine, thoughtful way. Still, it does put in the time and care when it counts. I also enjoy Darlene getting to finally fulfill the mission of fsociety and Dom's late encounter with a familiar face. And the ending, infuriating as it is, is just about perfect.
"Hello, Elliot" - And the final reveal actually works. I wasn't a fan of the dream dimension conceit, but finding out what it was actually setting up and leading towards was epic. The last episode of "Mr. Robot" was such a great payoff, not just to this final run of episodes, but the entire series. I've never seen anything quite like it, and it was definitely worth the trip.
Honorable Mentions: "eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt," "eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme," "eps3.5_kill-process.inc," "401 Unauthorized," "406 Not Acceptable," "408 Request Timeout," and "409 Conflict."
---
All the spoilers ahead for the entire show.
"Eps1.0_hellofriend.mov" - The premiere episode of Mr. Robot is essentially a feature film, introducing us to the life of Elliot Alderson, his sinister new hacker friend, Mr. Robot, and the deeply unjust world that they inhabit, which is almost identical to our own. I love the fourth wall breaking, which gives Elliot's angry monologues some real bite, and the early signs that we're watching a deeply unreliable narrator at work. I wish the rest of the season had figured out how to follow its lead a bit better.
"Eps1.9_zer0-day.avi" - The first season's reveals were spoiled for me, so I was cooler on the big climax, and prefer the denouement. Seeing fsociety's hack actually being pulled off is very satisfying, but it quickly turns into a nightmare. There's an intensity and horror to the live broadcast that is highly unusual, even for a prestige drama, and I appreciate the use of Angela's POV in particular. The season's final, dreamlike encounter between Elliot and Mr. Robot also sticks out as a wonderful piece of fantasy.
"Eps3.4_runtime-error.r00" - And this is the episode where it became apparent to me that "Mr. Robot" was really getting ambitious. The episode features long, long tracking shots, stitched together to look like one take, following Elliot and Angela in the middle of the attack on E Corp's offices. And it still manages to find ways to incorporate its famous off-center framing and moments of absurd humor. Watching Elliot fight with Mr. Robot for control while trying to stop the Stage 2 attacks is phenomenal.
"Eps3.6_fredrick+tanya.chk" - Fsociety members Mobley and Trenton grew on me over time, and it was very difficult seeing them being set up as convenient scapegoats by the Dark Army. The bulk of the hour was a lot of fun, watching the two of them and Leon get into hijinks in the desert. However, matters quickly take a turn for the tragic, and bring about an emotional low point of the series, with Dom and Tyrell forced to concede defeat. Oh, and bonus points for great use of the "Knight Rider" theme.
"Eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko" - One of the most offbeat and touching episodes of the series puts Elliot on a voyage of discovery that involves Trenton's little brother Mohammed and a "Back to the Future" retrospective. I love that it's so culturally and location specific, especially the rare scene that takes place in a mosque. I love the encounter with the Yiddish ice cream truck driver, and all the little touches that encourage Elliot not to give up on humanity. The final monologue with Angela at the door is terrific.
"shutdown -r" - Bobby Cannavale! With an axe! At a barn! Irving, along with Leon and Whiterose, are among the most absurd characters in the "Mr. Robot" universe, but they're so much fun to watch that I can't bring myself to care. So even as Irving is busy killing off Santiago and traumatizing Dom, you can still find him weirdly genial and charming - and terrifying too, of course. I did not expect this season to end up here, but "Mr. Robot" never runs short of twists - and the execution's to die for.
"405 Method Not Allowed" - I don't find this hack as compelling as the ones from the previous seasons, because the stakes don't feel as high, but watching Elliot evade the police on a frantic Christmas Day foot chase through Central Park is as impressive as anything. I was so engrossed with the situation that I didn't even notice that the episode is almost totally dialogue free. I also liked seeing Darlene get in on the action this time out, and the whole season's wildly incongruous holiday themes and trappings.
"407 Proxy Authentication Required" - Possibly the show's most emotionally volatile episode is also one of its most formally audacious. The whole thing takes place in Krista's apartment, is structured as a five-act play, and was originally aired with no commercial breaks. I don't much like the character of Vera, but he definitely moved the story along here. And though I'm not crazy about the episode's big reveal, the actors certainly sold it. Rami Malek's performance, in particular, is a heartbreaker.
"410 Gone" - While the big hack of the Deus Group was exciting, I prefer the depiction of the aftermath through Darlene and Dom's eyes. Their relationship is such an impulsive, unlikely thing, and this is the only episode that really deals with their feelings in a genuine, thoughtful way. Still, it does put in the time and care when it counts. I also enjoy Darlene getting to finally fulfill the mission of fsociety and Dom's late encounter with a familiar face. And the ending, infuriating as it is, is just about perfect.
"Hello, Elliot" - And the final reveal actually works. I wasn't a fan of the dream dimension conceit, but finding out what it was actually setting up and leading towards was epic. The last episode of "Mr. Robot" was such a great payoff, not just to this final run of episodes, but the entire series. I've never seen anything quite like it, and it was definitely worth the trip.
Honorable Mentions: "eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt," "eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme," "eps3.5_kill-process.inc," "401 Unauthorized," "406 Not Acceptable," "408 Request Timeout," and "409 Conflict."
---
Monday, August 3, 2020
"GLOW," Year Two
"GLOW" continues to be the most consistently entertaining comedy that I've seen in a long while. The second season follows the characters' ups and downs as they struggle to stay on the air. Meanwhile, the rift between Ruth and Debbie continues to deepen as Debbie struggles with her divorce and Ruth finds a new love interest. Ruth and Sam are also on the outs, as Ruth gets more ambitious and Sam more resentful. And then there are fans, and network politics, and family drama, and many new complications. Still, the GLOW team sticks together, and keeps working to make the best female wrestling and variety show that they can.
The second season delivers more on the wrestling antics than the first season, staging more matches and showing us the full-fledged "GLOW" program in action. One of the highlights is an installment designed to play out like an actual episode of the show-within-a-show, complete with spoof commercials and PSAs. The stunts and hijinks get crazier, and the soap opera plot twists of their storylines get wilder. Even though there are more fights, there's less emphasis on the athleticism, and more on the women's other talents - comedy, dance, acting, and general creativity. The behind-the-scenes drama follows suit, though in a much more grounded way. There are parenting troubles, injuries, sexual harassment, and all sorts of romantic entanglements. The show also doubles down on its commitment to diverse stories, devoting one of the strongest episodes to the travails of Tamme Dawson (Kia Stevens), who plays the offensive Welfare Queen. There's also a new lesbian character, Yolanda (Shakira Barrera), and an unexpected brush with the AIDS crisis.
What I love about this season of "GLOW" in particular is that so many of the characters are so wonderfully complex. Sam starts out the season as even more of an asshole than usual under all the increased pressure, and does some heinous things that put him in the antagonist position for a good chunk of the season. Debbie is an outright menace at points, self-destructing in harmful ways and engaging in some really awful behavior. But at the same time they're so relatable and often so funny in their awfulness. Debbie's frustrations manifest in her totally over-the-top performances as Liberty Belle, and Sam's sulky pettiness only makes his later redemption all the more meaningful. Ruth, who was often super-idealistic to the point of irritating in the first season, has been toned down a bit here, but is still kind of a mess. She gets to do more Zoya the Destroya schtick, which I love, but the show's creators wisely limit these appearances so that she's not overexposed.
It's clear that "GLOW" is well and truly more of a soap opera than a comedy at this point, but it's a very impressive one. It manages to juggle all these characters and subplots, spring some real surprises from episode to episode, and keep the audience guessing. With an ensemble this big, it would be easy for some characters to slip through the cracks - and I was certainly rooting for more screen time for some of my favorites - but the balance is just about right. There's just enough Sheila. There's just enough Cherry and Carmen. Even the most minor comic-relief types still get some little running gag or feud going on in the background throughout the season. Zoya's still my favorite, but Melrose (Jackie Tohn) sure got a boost this year for being a consistently funny presence.
And for those of you who love "GLOW" for the '80s nostalgia, it's back in full force. "GLOW" throws an '80s prom, an '80s wedding, visits strip joints and gay clubs, and has a great time recreating '80s television quirks. I especially enjoy the continuing tour of insane women's fashions of the era, and the incredible "GLOW" music videos. The soundtrack continues to impress, this time featuring old favorites from Madonna, Genesis, and Run DMC, because Ruth learns to pop and lock.
With only ten episodes a season, this is an awfully easy series to binge, and I'm a little upset I have only two seasons left to watch, one of which I'm going to have to wait a while for. Still, I'm plowing right ahead with Season Three. It's really too hard to resist this show's charms.
---
The second season delivers more on the wrestling antics than the first season, staging more matches and showing us the full-fledged "GLOW" program in action. One of the highlights is an installment designed to play out like an actual episode of the show-within-a-show, complete with spoof commercials and PSAs. The stunts and hijinks get crazier, and the soap opera plot twists of their storylines get wilder. Even though there are more fights, there's less emphasis on the athleticism, and more on the women's other talents - comedy, dance, acting, and general creativity. The behind-the-scenes drama follows suit, though in a much more grounded way. There are parenting troubles, injuries, sexual harassment, and all sorts of romantic entanglements. The show also doubles down on its commitment to diverse stories, devoting one of the strongest episodes to the travails of Tamme Dawson (Kia Stevens), who plays the offensive Welfare Queen. There's also a new lesbian character, Yolanda (Shakira Barrera), and an unexpected brush with the AIDS crisis.
What I love about this season of "GLOW" in particular is that so many of the characters are so wonderfully complex. Sam starts out the season as even more of an asshole than usual under all the increased pressure, and does some heinous things that put him in the antagonist position for a good chunk of the season. Debbie is an outright menace at points, self-destructing in harmful ways and engaging in some really awful behavior. But at the same time they're so relatable and often so funny in their awfulness. Debbie's frustrations manifest in her totally over-the-top performances as Liberty Belle, and Sam's sulky pettiness only makes his later redemption all the more meaningful. Ruth, who was often super-idealistic to the point of irritating in the first season, has been toned down a bit here, but is still kind of a mess. She gets to do more Zoya the Destroya schtick, which I love, but the show's creators wisely limit these appearances so that she's not overexposed.
It's clear that "GLOW" is well and truly more of a soap opera than a comedy at this point, but it's a very impressive one. It manages to juggle all these characters and subplots, spring some real surprises from episode to episode, and keep the audience guessing. With an ensemble this big, it would be easy for some characters to slip through the cracks - and I was certainly rooting for more screen time for some of my favorites - but the balance is just about right. There's just enough Sheila. There's just enough Cherry and Carmen. Even the most minor comic-relief types still get some little running gag or feud going on in the background throughout the season. Zoya's still my favorite, but Melrose (Jackie Tohn) sure got a boost this year for being a consistently funny presence.
And for those of you who love "GLOW" for the '80s nostalgia, it's back in full force. "GLOW" throws an '80s prom, an '80s wedding, visits strip joints and gay clubs, and has a great time recreating '80s television quirks. I especially enjoy the continuing tour of insane women's fashions of the era, and the incredible "GLOW" music videos. The soundtrack continues to impress, this time featuring old favorites from Madonna, Genesis, and Run DMC, because Ruth learns to pop and lock.
With only ten episodes a season, this is an awfully easy series to binge, and I'm a little upset I have only two seasons left to watch, one of which I'm going to have to wait a while for. Still, I'm plowing right ahead with Season Three. It's really too hard to resist this show's charms.
---
Saturday, August 1, 2020
And I Finished "Mr. Robot"
Spoilers for the first two seasons ahead.
It's been a little over four years since I posted my review of the first season of "Mr. Robot," where I concluded the show was not for me and that I'd be moving on. However, the critical reception of the show's later seasons kept getting better, and after the series finale last year, it got me curious enough to take a second look. And, sure enough, the second season did a good job of smoothing out some rough edges and correcting the biggest issues I had with the first season. And then the third season raised the stakes, taking more risks and turning the show into a full-throated action thriller for several episodes. And finally, the fourth season delivered one of the most satisfying finales I've seen for any television drama ever made.
So, when we last left "Mr. Robot," fsociety had pulled off their hack of E Corp and global financial systems, throwing the world into chaos. However, E Corp isn't down for the count. E Corp CEO Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer) and the leader of the Dark Army hacker collective, Whiterose (B.D. Wong), emerge as the new major antagonists, each with their own sinister agendas. Another complication is the introduction of FBI agent Dom DiPirro (Grace Gummer), who is investigating the hack, and the disappearance of chief suspect Tyrell Wellick. Elliot is still trying to navigate his confusing relationship with Mr. Robot, and decide how to move forward, but gets drawn back into the power struggles he inadvertently helped to create.
Elliot, with his fractured mind and fourth wall breaking internal monologues, is still the star of "Mr. Robot," but he often takes a backseat to other storylines where Angela, Darlene, or Dom take the lead. The show's biggest improvement is that it's less dependent on Rami Malek, who remains a stellar performer throughout, and manages to develop its other characters to be more compelling. Dom's a great addition, and Darlene proves to be a badass with it counts. The series also knows when certain storylines have been played out, and doesn't hesitate to put characters who aren't working in the background, or just drop them completely. The Wellicks, for instance, are still important in the later seasons but get much less emphasis and screen time.
I also like that the show becomes more formally inventive and character focused, which is appropriate when you have a hero who is never quite sure of his own reality. The most obvious example is the second season episode where Elliot ends up in a sitcom version of his life, complete with a laugh track and cameo from ALF. Even better is the fourth season episode that is essentially a stage play taking place in two rooms. Or there's the episode where Elliot hits a spiritual low, and ends up babysitting a friend's younger brother for most of the hour. No doubt, the action-oriented episodes are the most exciting and technically impressive, often involving long takes, complicated environments, and great effects and choreography. The spectacle, however, isn't as impressive as the underlying drama.
A critical part of the show's success is that "Mr. Robot" never gets too outlandish. There are elements that are pure science-fiction, and the style is outre as anything, but the depiction of the world in financial meltdown is fairly plausible and restrained. The hacking, the mental health issues, and even the transgender character are all handled with care and consideration. The show also remains fully committed to its cyberpunk premise and aesthetics. The targets get bigger and the hacks get more dangerous and morally fraught, but it's always thematically consistent. The central mystery of Elliot and Mr. Robot's existence is also handled remarkably well. There are a lot of wild twists and turns throughout, but the execution is good enough that nearly all of them are effective - even the big finale revelation works, which is rare.
I don't think I've ever seen another cyberpunk show this successful on this scale before. It's such an emotionally satisfying series, and it stops exactly when it should at 45 episodes. It's incredibly timely in 2020, as the world is going through a major crisis, and yet ends up telling a very personal story with great compassion and candidness. I'm so glad I went back and gave it another shot,
Also, I know I complained about the title cards, but the "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" variant for the finale may be the greatest moment of the entire show.
---
It's been a little over four years since I posted my review of the first season of "Mr. Robot," where I concluded the show was not for me and that I'd be moving on. However, the critical reception of the show's later seasons kept getting better, and after the series finale last year, it got me curious enough to take a second look. And, sure enough, the second season did a good job of smoothing out some rough edges and correcting the biggest issues I had with the first season. And then the third season raised the stakes, taking more risks and turning the show into a full-throated action thriller for several episodes. And finally, the fourth season delivered one of the most satisfying finales I've seen for any television drama ever made.
So, when we last left "Mr. Robot," fsociety had pulled off their hack of E Corp and global financial systems, throwing the world into chaos. However, E Corp isn't down for the count. E Corp CEO Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer) and the leader of the Dark Army hacker collective, Whiterose (B.D. Wong), emerge as the new major antagonists, each with their own sinister agendas. Another complication is the introduction of FBI agent Dom DiPirro (Grace Gummer), who is investigating the hack, and the disappearance of chief suspect Tyrell Wellick. Elliot is still trying to navigate his confusing relationship with Mr. Robot, and decide how to move forward, but gets drawn back into the power struggles he inadvertently helped to create.
Elliot, with his fractured mind and fourth wall breaking internal monologues, is still the star of "Mr. Robot," but he often takes a backseat to other storylines where Angela, Darlene, or Dom take the lead. The show's biggest improvement is that it's less dependent on Rami Malek, who remains a stellar performer throughout, and manages to develop its other characters to be more compelling. Dom's a great addition, and Darlene proves to be a badass with it counts. The series also knows when certain storylines have been played out, and doesn't hesitate to put characters who aren't working in the background, or just drop them completely. The Wellicks, for instance, are still important in the later seasons but get much less emphasis and screen time.
I also like that the show becomes more formally inventive and character focused, which is appropriate when you have a hero who is never quite sure of his own reality. The most obvious example is the second season episode where Elliot ends up in a sitcom version of his life, complete with a laugh track and cameo from ALF. Even better is the fourth season episode that is essentially a stage play taking place in two rooms. Or there's the episode where Elliot hits a spiritual low, and ends up babysitting a friend's younger brother for most of the hour. No doubt, the action-oriented episodes are the most exciting and technically impressive, often involving long takes, complicated environments, and great effects and choreography. The spectacle, however, isn't as impressive as the underlying drama.
A critical part of the show's success is that "Mr. Robot" never gets too outlandish. There are elements that are pure science-fiction, and the style is outre as anything, but the depiction of the world in financial meltdown is fairly plausible and restrained. The hacking, the mental health issues, and even the transgender character are all handled with care and consideration. The show also remains fully committed to its cyberpunk premise and aesthetics. The targets get bigger and the hacks get more dangerous and morally fraught, but it's always thematically consistent. The central mystery of Elliot and Mr. Robot's existence is also handled remarkably well. There are a lot of wild twists and turns throughout, but the execution is good enough that nearly all of them are effective - even the big finale revelation works, which is rare.
I don't think I've ever seen another cyberpunk show this successful on this scale before. It's such an emotionally satisfying series, and it stops exactly when it should at 45 episodes. It's incredibly timely in 2020, as the world is going through a major crisis, and yet ends up telling a very personal story with great compassion and candidness. I'm so glad I went back and gave it another shot,
Also, I know I complained about the title cards, but the "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" variant for the finale may be the greatest moment of the entire show.
---
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