Shrinking

I have no idea why I didn't watch it sooner. I loved Jason Segel's last series, "Dispatches from Elsewhere." And Harrison Ford, my childhood movie action hero was who has starred in some of my favourite films. Why did I wait so long to watch this? I think it's because I didn't want to be disappointed. Perhaps mediocre "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" squeals played into my subconscious. Maybe that and Apple+ has made a bunch of things, only which "Ted Lasso," "Shining Girls," and "Servant" I have enjoyed. And I gave up Ted in the 3rd season. Well I'm happy to report, "Shrinking" is a fabulous new series; smart, witty, and pretty dark. It's about grief and trauma and despite the heavy themes, it remains feeling light - I believe it's the charming and slightly goofy soundtrack they laid over it like a Band-Aid. Harrison Ford plays a lovable curmudgeon and Jason Segel is a man in mourning trying to sort out his relationship with his daughter. The writing in this show is excellent; earnest, witty, cutting, and bloody clever. Catch one of best things Apple+ has put out. "Shrinking" - streaming on, you guessed it, Apple+.

Talk to Me

"It Follows," "Split," "Don't Breathe," "Heredity," "Get Out," and "Us" for me, rank as the best horror films of the last decade. "Talk to Me," is now too on this list of exceptional films. "I see dead people," the famous line uttered by Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense." There is a lot of seeing dead people in "Talk to Me." It's kind of the point of the film. What's it all about? Well there is this hand (more like hand and forearm) that looks like a store window mannequin hand that has been scratched up. Teenagers carry it around in duffle bag and pull it out for a good time of let's-talk-to-the-dead. When one of these kids shakes hands a kind of portal to an undead netherworld opens and they get to see the underbelly of hell. When this happens, the kid gripping the hand experiences a zombie like DMT trip while all the kids in the room film it on their cell phones. Everyone takes a turn except for young Riley. His sister thinks he is too young. Well when she leaves, Riley has a turn. It doesn't go so well. I don't want to tell you any more about this movie. Go see it! It's original, smart, and Australian! Oh, and it's scary as shit! In theatres now.   

Shortcomings

I recently watched "Joy Ride" (2023) which I had heard great things about - a feature film with Asian leads being touted as the next "Bridesmaids." It was raunchy and pretty much unfunny. Quite frankly, it was dumb and disappointing. However it did explore interesting material - what it's like to be Asian growing up in a white society. If you want to see one of the best films of the year about this, please watch "Riceboy Sleeps." So what does all this have to do with "Shortcomings?" Well it has three Asian leads and it's about living, working, and dating within a white culture; oh, and this film, well it's brilliant and funny. This little indie picture stars, Justin H. Min as Ben, a late twenties/early thirties Asian man who has fading dreams of being a film maker while he continues to toil away working at an independent movie theatre as the manager. The film starts off with Ben attending an Asian film festival with his girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki) watching what would be the equivalent of "Joy Ride" - a dumb mainstream movie to appeal to the masses. Ben's high-art snobbery is a problem for Miko (that and Ben's "thing" for white girls) and it marks the beginning of the end of their relationship. "Shortcomings" is honest, clever, and well made. If you are looking for a dramady, then please catch Randall Park's smart film at your local rep theatre or on streaming services when it becomes available. 

Sympathy for the Devil

It was when I watched the first and second season of AMC's "The Killing" that I developed my man-crush on Swedish born actor, Joel Kinnaman. I thought to myself, this guy is an amazing actor. Kinnaman is one half of "Sympathy for the Devil." The other half is Nicolas Cage. Everyone knows Cage. He's known for his over the top, crazy performances. So you might chalk up this performance as just that, just another wackadoodle one. I would argue it's not. Cage looks like he has lost weight for this role (hopefully intentionally). It gives him a mean look. I think his boyish face, besides from granting him the appearance of youth, had never giving him the gravitas I think catapults other actors into the spotlight. So I think the leanness of Cage's face (not to mention the flamboyant hair!), but also the leanness of the manic energy Cage expels, a kind of powder-keg waiting to blow, makes this performance one of his best since "Pig."  What's this movie all about? Two guys in a car with a possible case of mistaken identity. I don't want to say any more. It's a violent thriller and I loved it. You may have seen this story before but this version, it's a killer. Catch a ride with "Sympathy for the Devil" in theatres or soon on streaming services.   

Arnold

"Arnold" is a three part, three hour, Netflix documentary series on the life and times of Arnold Schwarzenegger. When I was a teenager, fifteen I believe, I remember watching "The Terminator" in the basement of my father's home with my stepbrother and cousins. The format was VHS and the year was 1985. I thought to myself, this movie is dumb, but it did pull me in. I also thought, this Arnold Schwarzenegger guy, what a meathead. It took a long time to change my mind about Mr. Schwarzenegger. I grew to like him more and more over the years, over many action films. I came to admire his environmental action when he was governor of California. When I finally watched "Pumping Iron" (about seven years ago) I had an all new appreciation of the man. Now this series. This is a warts-and-all portrait - although his infidelity and elevator groping are only dealt with in the last twenty minutes of the series. However, it lands as an ugly stain on the fabric of  Schwarzenegger's extraordinary life - hence, for me, it gave the series some emotional gravitas. I found the series to be fascinating and inspirational (although I don't think at this point in my life I need any inspiration to do the things I love). Catch this documentary series on one of the most influential people in the world of the last half century, now streaming on Netflix.

Barbie

It's not a film I expected to land on my blog. But here it is, in all it's pink plastic glory. "Barbie" is no dumb blonde. This movie is funny, smart, and self aware. Margot Robbie plays stereotypical Barbie and Ryan Gosling plays Ken. They are both really fabulous. What's it all about? Barbie must travel to the real world to find the girl who is playing with her who has thoughts of death before Barbie's feet go flat and she turns into a weird Barbie, like the one played by the hilarious, Kate McKinnon. Ken tags along for the ride and discovers The Patriarchy in the real world. Ken brings back such forward thinking to Barbieland and the next thing you know, all the PhD Barbies, and the Supreme Court Barbie Justices and the Nobel Prize winning Barbies are serving beers to all the Kens - chaos! The head of Mattel (Will Ferrell) and his board of directors need to set things straight. What a hoot. From the set pieces to the costumes, "Barbie" is a delight to behold. It looks amazing. Greta Gerwig (cowriter and director) has made a very special and funny film. Do yourself a favour and go beach yourself off by catching this one in theatres now. 

Oppenheimer

Almost 200,000 people died in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think Nolan makes the case Robert Oppenheimer felt the weight of his creation and allowed himself to be abused at his security review in 1954. "Oppenheimer" uses the template of "Amadeus." Lewis Strauss ( Robert Downey Jr) is Salieri and J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) is Mozart. "Oppenheimer" marks the 12th feature film Christopher Nolan has directed. I'm a Nolan fan, however the director has made a few turkeys, in my opinion; "Tenet" and "Dunkirk". "Oppenheimer" will rank up there as one of his best. It's a good film; solid enough to make a blog entry (as you know, only good stuff goes on the blog). Will it be good enough to make my top ten list of the year? Doubtful. Why? It lacks an emotional element - I felt like I should be feeling more at the end of the film. I didn't. There is a cold precision to Nolan's films which I both admire and detest at the same time (how can something be both a wave and a particle?). So what makes Nolan great is also his demise, fission and fusion. So let's talk about why "Oppenheimer" is great. This is a three hour film and I wasn't bored for a minute; it chugs along at a good clip for a film which is mostly a bunch of men standing around talking. The look of the film is gorgeous. The performances are all fantastic - Matt Damon always brings so much humanity to his roles. And the bomb sequence, well it's a masterpiece. For these reasons alone, "Oppenheimer" is must see cinema. Catch it in theatres now.