We Need to Talk About Kevin

Well maybe I need to talk about, "We Need to Talk About Kevin." I have just got around to watching this film from 2011. I knew the subject matter was disturbing. Perhaps this is why I avoided it for so long? I can't really say. Some things just keep going to the bottom of the pile. Perhaps I was too busy raising my own kids to stop and watch a film which is about the struggles of Eva (Tilda Swinton - who gives a knockout performance). Eva is dealing with a child, Kevin, who is a sociopath. Kevin as a baby won't stop crying. There is a scene where Eva, with her baby stroller, stands beside a man with a jackhammer who is chipping away at the concrete road. The deafening noise drowns out Kevin's cries and for a moment, Eva has some peace - it rang true and heartbreaking. As Kevin grows into the monster played by Ezra Miller, we feel Eva's pain and frustration in every frame, especially when her goofy husband (the brilliant John C. Reilly) seems rather oblivious to Kevin's cruel nature. The film is a portrait of a monster who starts as a monster and the powerlessness of a mother unable to change the course of evil. I found it gripping, harrowing, and sad. It's an excellent film. Catch it on streaming services or go rent it from your local video store. In Ottawa, that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Le Trou (The Hole)

Recommend by Peter Thompson from Movies 'N' Stuff, Ottawa's #1 video store! This was his first Criterion closet pick (His Video here). I confess, I had never watched it until just recently based on his recommendation - when Peter says a movie is good, you should listen! So, what's it all about? It's a French film from 1960 and four men are planning an escape and a fifth man joins their crowded cell. "The Great Escape" is one of my favourite films of all time. I'm a sucker for prison escape films. "The Shawshank Redemption," and "Escape from Alcatraz" float high in my film list. Stallone's "Lock Up" is far underrated if you ask me. As is Ray Liotta's "No Escape." Like I said, I love these films. Add "Le Trou" to the pile. It holds your attention because you get to witness the gritty details of digging, like you were there with these men - it feels real. Considering this came out in 1960, the realism depicted feels like it was ahead of it's time and still feels fresh 54 years later. Catch of one the best prison escape films streaming on the Criterion channel or go rent it from Movie 'N' Stuff here in Ottawa.  

Movies "N" Stuff Criterion Closet Video - Peter’s Picks

 

Movies "N" Stuff Criterion Closet Video - Christian McPherson's picks

 

Challengers

This was not what I was expecting. I thought I was going to be served (let the tennis puns begin) a dumb teen romance movie that was cutesy and by the numbers, LOVE-15. It was not. What was fired over the net was more akin to "Saltburn" than "10 Things I Hate About You." This was sexy, arty, but without the pretention. With a pounding electronic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and dazzling visuals, this movie will get your pulse up. What's it all about? A love triangle between double players Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) who become rivals over tennis star Tashi (Zendaya). The story is told back and forth, switching from present to past; this editing choice seems intentional. Everything here is a rally, a back and forth, a fight. The tension is as taut as the net strung across the court, both sexual and for the outcome of the match at hand. This is the "Tombstone" of tennis. There hasn't been a lot of good films to watch in the theatres recently. This is a match to catch. It's an ace down the center line.  

Monkey Man

Dev Patel ("Chappie," "Lion," "The Green Knight"). I like him. He's extremely likeable. Somehow he imbues an underdog quality and you want to root for him in every role he's in. "Monkey Man" is Dev Patel's action love letter to India. It's grimy and dirty and it has a turbo charged tuk-tuk! It's a revenge story. I love a good revenge story. A bad man killed his mom and wiped out his village. Dev's nameless character is going to kill that man. Simple. Well not so simple. Dev has been getting into fighting shape by Thai boxing in a monkey mask in the grimy underground fight world of India. He infiltrates his wealthy nemesis's fortress-of-opulence by becoming kitchen staff and making friends with a stray dog. Patel punches with his fists and with his camera - he wrote and directed this. With nods to "Rocky" and "John Wick" Patel's action sequences hit like a spicy curry rolling across your tongue. This is one of the best action movies you will see this year. Get hit in theaters now. 

Baby Reindeer

This series streaming on Netflix, based on the experiences of Richard Gadd, is a warts-and-all, can't-look-away-car-crash of epic proportions. Richard Gadd stars as Donny Dunn, a man living in London, who is working at a pub while he tries to get his comedy career off the ground. A woman walks into a pub - sounds like the beginning of joke. It's no joke. Her name is Martha. If you recall Kathy Bates in "Misery" then you are pretty close to Martha. Donny becomes her obsession. Just when you think this show is all about stalking, it takes an even darker turn. This is traumatizing stuff. It's also darkly funny and extremely honest, intelligent, and well made. Richard Gadd is exceptional in this. His performance is worthy of all the awards, whatever they may be. The human condition is laid out here, exposed, and it's a raw messy thing, not logical or rational most of the time. We do things, fucked up things, and we don't understand why; this is the great honesty on display here; it's what makes the show great and compelling. Catch one of the year's best shows now streaming on Netflix.