Month: July 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

The Web Head you know and love travels to Europe to team up with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, & Mysterio

After the absolutely phenomenal Avengers: Endgame was released to massive critical acclaim and commercial success, the question on everybody’s mind was: how do you top that? Well, Spider-Man: Far From Home chooses not to compete, instead sticking with the John Hughes-esque dynamic its’ predecessor used to make Spider-Man unique within the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Whether it’s introducing new characters or building on pre-existing characters, Far From Home does a fantastic job of remembering that character comes first when telling a story on a massive stage. Director Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Cop Car) and writers Erik Sommers & Chris McKenna (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ant-Man and the Wasp) both returned to give us both the next chapter of the MCU’s Spider-Man and the final film for the MCU’s Phase 3. A word of caution, if you read any further there will be massive spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Please, I hate spoilers as much as the next human, so do not continue reading if you have not seen Avengers: Endgame. 

Final chance… okay, so Far From Home deals with the aftermath of Endgame, specifically a major death, which I will refer to in a few sentences in case somebody who hasn’t seen it is still scanning the page. As Peter Parker/Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Impossible), deals with the loss of his mentor and friend, Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame, Sherlock Holmes series), and the enormous power vacuum left in his place. Peter struggles throughout the film with the enormous pressure of whether or not he should take Tony’s place as the world’s protector or not, and in his defense, he is the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. In addition to this pressure, Happy Hogan, played by Iron Man director Jon Favreau (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Swingers), informs Peter that Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson (Captain Marvel, Pulp Fiction), is trying to get in touch with him. At the same time Peter is off to Europe for a summer vacation with his friends/classmates. With subplots galore, including a burgeoning potential relationship with MJ, played by Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Greatest Showman), his best friend Ned’s, played by Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The True Don Quixote), girl problems, and a global threat involving the Elementals, Far From Home has plenty going on. All this going on while Happy may or may not be dating Peter’s Aunt May, played by Marissa Tomei (Spider-Man: Homecoming, My Cousin Vinny), which causes Peter unimaginable amounts of grief.

When an Elemental attacks Venice, where Peter and his friends are staying, a mysterious man, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners, Donnie Darko), appears out of nowhere to save the day. As he is dubbed Mysterio, Peter learns that he is from an alternate Earth, introducing the concept of a multi-verse, as well as working with Nick Fury and Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother, Avengers films). Mysterio AKA Quentin Beck acts as Peter’s unofficial mentor, with the absence of Tony, and Peter is able to commiserate his predicament of becoming a hero for good or enjoying life with his friends. In a film that challenges Peter in many ways that are familiar, yet so unique and interesting, Far From Home is an exciting, thrilling, and hilarious addition to the MCU.

First off, I think the way this film addressed The Snap was incredibly thought out and dealt with people’s criticisms about Peter’s friends all being the same age in a thought provoking way. Honestly, it only gets me even more excited for whatever comes next in the MCU, because Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios) and his team have proven they can literally do anything. I think one of the many reasons that the MCU is so successful is the consistent genre/tonal shifts they keep introducing to their films. Far From Home feels like a combination of a John Hughes film and a National Lampoons’ Vacation film, all while still maintaining its’ blockbuster superhero status. Hopefully Marvel and Sony can work together in the following years, because they have an absolute hit on their hands with both of these Spider-Man films.

The actors in this film all absolutely nailed their roles. Whether it is Peter’s “guy-in-the-chair” sidekick, Ned, or Zendaya’s sarcastic, dry humored turn as MJ, the films’ supporting cast does a tremendous job. Angourie Rice (Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, Spider-Man: Homecoming) got way more screen time this go-around, portraying Betty Brant, Peter’s co-worker at the Daily Bugle in the comics. Tony Revolori’s (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Grand Budapest Hotel) portrayal of Peter’s nemesis, Flash Thompson, is just as hilarious as it was in Homecoming. Remy Hii (Marco Polo, Better Man) puts in a fantastic turn as Pete’s rival/MJs’ other love interest in the film as Brad Davis. Martin Starr (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Freaks and Geeks) and J.B. Smoove (Mr. Deeds, Hall Pass) are absolutely hilarious together as the teachers/chaperones for Peter and his friends’ trip to Europe. Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei both crush their roles as Peter’s parental figures. Last but not least, Tom Holland proves himself, yet again, to be my absolute favorite iteration of the live-action web crawler. As Peter or Spider-Man he absolutely nails the quintessential teenager superhero role. Since Civil War he has injected a lot of fun and emotional story arcs into the MCU and I can’t wait to see whatever he does next.

Michael Giacchino (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Doctor Strange) is the brilliant composer behind the music in Far From Home. Giacchino, who got his start composing music for video games, proves to be the next John Williams, leaving an indelible mark on cinema as a whole. The Far From Home score is filled with trumpet fanfare, woodwinds, and flutes. To me, it sounds very much like his scores from The Incredibles I & II, as there is a theme of espionage within Far From Home, while also embracing some major MCU themes that have been created over the years by various composers. Giacchinos’ score effortlessly transitions between thrilling and bombastic to sweet and heartfelt throughout the entire film, embracing instruments throughout the films’ many different locales. 

Jon Watt, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers have crafted another brilliant addition to the MCU. Hopefully they get a chance to work with Marvel again, I suppose we all have to collectively cross our fingers that Sony doesn’t botch the deal in an effort to build their own Spider-Verse with Venom, Morbius, and future Into the Spider-Verse sequels. Unfortunately, there is no Stan Lee cameo in Far From Home, as Endgame appears to be his final cameo before his sad passing. Although there is no Stan Lee cameo be sure to stay behind after the credits as there are two mid/post-credits scenes that hint at what is to come in Phase 4 of the MCU. I am sure Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are proud of what Kevin Feige and the cast and crew have created. In my opinion, it is just as good as Homecoming, if not better.

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments
Running Time: 129 Minutes
Released by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures, and Sony

Midsommar Review

Ari Aster Proves He is Not a One-Hit Wonder With Midsommar

Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary may be one of the greatest folk-horror films of all time. It also is one of the most deeply unsettling and disturbing films I have ever watched. Aster’s sophomore effort shows an amazing amount of thought, innovation, and sheer talent. The film opens up with our main character, Dani, played by Florence Pugh (The Commuter, Lady Macbeth) making several phone calls, including one with her friend discussing her disintegrating relationship with her boyfriend, Christian, played by Jack Reynor (Free Fire, On the Basis of Sex). Meanwhile, Christian is similarly talking to his group of guys about their relationship, as well as a potential trip to Sweden. On the verge of an inevitable breakup, Dani suffers an unimaginable tragedy, in a scene that I can only describe as one of the most empathetic scenes I have ever seen in a movie, which forces the precarious relationship to persevere.

In an attempt to maintain the relationship, Christian invites Dani to the Sweden trip, against the wishes of Christian’s friends, Josh, played by William Jackson Harper (Patterson, The Good Place), and Mark, played by Will Poulter (We’re the Millers, Detroit). Christian, Josh, and Mark are all anthropology majors and the purpose of the trip to Sweden is to observe the commune their foreign classmate Pelle, played by Vilhelm Blomgren (The Days the Flowers Bloom, Min papa Marianne), grew up in. As soon as they arrive the group of friends quickly ingest psilocybin, aka hallucinogenic, mushrooms after meeting Pelle’s brother Ingemar, played by Hampus Hallberg (The Inspector and the Sea, Flykten till framtiden). From here on out the film is as if the audience ingested the same mushrooms as the protagonists. Concurrently their observations of the communes’ inhabitants, known as the Harga, become more and more unnerving. 

Just like his first film, Hereditary, the less you know, the better experience you will have with Midsommar. I will be very clear that this movie is not for the faint of heart. It may not have as many jump scares as your average horror film, but it makes up for that with an ever-constant feeling of dread which gets more and more intense as the film carries on. The imagery in this film still hasn’t quite left my mind, and while it is definitely visually creative and, dare I say, artistically beautiful, it is also some of the most grotesque imagery I have ever seen. 

The biggest draw to the film was the fact that Aster deliberately wanted to create a horror movie that exists in all-natural daylight. The film embraces the natural phenomenon called the midnight sun, which occurs during the summer solstice in polar regions. Due to this phenomenon, the sun is essentially always out, eliminating the common nighttime tropes in the majority of horror films. No, this film has all of its’ scares, and there are many, out in the beautiful, sun-filled countryside. The film also dives into the paganistic origins of the summer solstice, with the anthropological students digging deeper and deeper into the communes’ twisted set of beliefs, which are all the more terrifying because they originate from real life.

The films’ cinematography is astonishing, to say the least. Pawel Pogorzelski (Hereditary, Tragedy Girls) returned to collaborate with Aster once again, bringing his daylight horror film to life. Unlike most horror films, there is never any ominous weather, only beautiful, bright colors, provided by the beautiful landscape of Budapest, Hungary. The cinematography, combined with unique special effects, serves to create the visual equivalent of being on a hallucinogenic trip, as many of the characters are on. A very creative camera move early on in the film signifies the moment when the group of friends/lovers leave the proverbial Kansas and enter the horrific land of Oz. There were plenty of long takes which also help to create the sinister tension which broils beneath the surface through the entirety of the film. For critics of Pogorzelski’s work on Hereditarybeing too dark to see what’s going on, trust me when I say it is a non-issue in Midsommar.

Another artistic decision by Aster is the unique musical choices he and his composers create. For Midsommar Aster chose to work with Bobby Krlic, who also goes by the cryptic name, The Haxan Cloak. One of the first compositions early on in the film uses so many strings on multiple levels that combine with the imagery we are being shown to create the aforementioned empathetic scene. The amount of sorrow I felt with the main character was so intense I was fighting back sobs myself. This scene sets the tone for the entire film and to be honest I would go see it again purely for that scene. Luckily there are many other fantastic scenes filled with Krlic’s masterful score, which has immense depth. As in most folk horror films, there are ritualistic chants, which Aster and Krlic also created for the film. The oddly joyous, celebratory compositions can be heard at times when the most amount of horror is slowly unfolding on the screen. 

However, easily the strongest part of the film is Florence Pugh’s performance. Her character Dani essentially suffers an emotional breakdown throughout the entire film, and Pugh is so convincing that I cried with her at multiple times. Her mixed emotions are so well played as she wills her grief away while she is around others, often seeking out solitude to release her anguish, which is so utterly realistic and all-consuming. After two and a half hours of that (yes, it’s a bit of a long film) I was completely emotionally wiped out. As the film continues, so does her grief, and Christian is more concentrated on studying the Harga to be bothered with it. The film deals a lot with shared emotions/empathy, which in a unique twist is exactly what cinema is for the viewer. The other actors all do a wonderful job in their supporting roles. Harpers’ Josh is the intense scholar with a chip on his shoulder, who serves to help the viewer better understand the Harga. Poulter’s turn as Mark is definitely the comic relief throughout the film. He keeps the film moving after some of the more disturbing moments with his utter American-ness. This unique balance could only be concocted by Ari Aster, as he wrote and directed the film. Blomgren nailed the role of Pelle, our unofficial guide who essentially holds our hands as he takes us through the Harga’s many different rituals.

Aster proves he is a brilliant writer/director worth paying attention to. He completely redefines the genre and opens the door for all sorts of wonderful and nasty horrors. Both of his feature films, especially Midsommar, have been incredibly dense, worthy of multiple viewings. If you are a fan of horror films, it is a must-see. The only requirement is an open mind and a strong stomach. 

MPAA Rating: R for disturbing ritualistic violence and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Running Time: 147 Minutes
Released by B-Reel Films, Square Peg, & A24

Rocketman Review

Taron Egerton Portrays Captain Fantastic Himself, Elton John

Rocketman is 100% not Bohemian Rhapsody, so let’s just get that out of the way. Now, that’s not to say that Rocketman isn’t as good, it’s just a vastly different experience, which, in this writer’s opinion is a relief. After the ridiculous success of the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsody, I was nervous Rocketman would be a carbon copy, especially considering Dexter Fletcher (Eddie the Eagle, Sunshine on Leith) infamously stepped in to finish direct BR due to Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past, X2: X-Men United) getting fired mid-shoot. Fletcher, having worked with Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Sing) before on Eddie the Eagle, decided to go in a different direction with his biopic on the life of Elton John.

Rocketman is a more traditional musical, which contains plenty of different Elton-inspired numbers with amazing choreography. While I do think the marketing was a little misleading, because it seemed as if we were in for the same musical biopic that Queen received last year, I quickly caught on and I ultimately didn’t mind the change in tone/style. My hope is, equipped with this knowledge, the next viewer won’t be as shocked and can better enjoy the already wonderful film. The film begins with Taron Egerton’s Elton John entering an AA meeting, and the audience immediately sees how dire things are for him. As he begins to tell his story of rejection, music, betrayal, and addiction we are quickly immersed in the tragic upbringing of John. With a pair of lousy parents, played by Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic Worldfilms, The Help) and Steven Mackintosh (Underworld: Evolution, Memphis Belle), Elton relies on his sweet/supportive grandmother Ivy, played by Gemma Jones (Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones’s Diary) to consistently champion his piano skills via insisting he get professional piano lessons. 

Once Elton meets Bernie Taupin, played magnificently by Jamie Bell (Jumper, Fantastic Four), the film really takes off, as the duo take on the record industry in England. After plenty of minor failures the two begin to succeed in their goal of getting their music heard. In my opinion, this relationship is probably the strongest dynamic in the film. Egerton and Bell have a certain chemistry which mirrors the incredible friendship of the two in real life. Their ability to work together on screen includes joint ventures into the excess of success, with only Bernie able to stay above the water, as John is taken on a journey of addiction and self-destructive behavior. Needless to say, the film is rougher around the edges considering its’ R rating and is not afraid to show the dark side of success and fame.

As a man who struggles with addiction himself, namely alcohol, this film really spoke to me in a number of different ways. I was instantly able to relate with parts of Elton John’s life story as told on the big screen. The screenplay, written by Lee Hall (Billie Elliot, War Horse), does a fantastic job of intercutting musical numbers with plot in interesting and unique ways. The film covers a lot of Elton’s bigger hits like “Your Song,” “Crocodile Rock,” the title song “Rocketman,” and an awesome cover of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard.” This is yet another example of a major Hollywood film advertising the return of pinball, which I completely endorse. While some of the sparks of creation in the film don’t completely match what happened in real life, the songs’ deeper meanings really help to enhance the plot of John’s struggle with acceptance and addiction.

Actor turned director Dexter Fletcher proves that he is a director worth watching, as Rocketman is an incredibly fun film that is guaranteed to have you singing along with the songs in your head (or out loud, which my girlfriend probably didn’t appreciate or enjoy). This is compounded with Taron Egerton’s incredible performance as Elton John. Honestly, it’s hard not to compare his performance with Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, which he won an Oscar for. Egerton’s Oscar-worthy performance completely embodies the appearance and mannerisms of Elton John. However, his performance couldn’t have been as good as it was if not for the costume and makeup/prosthetics teams. Julian Day (Rush, Robin Hood 2018), who was also the costume designer for Bohemian Rhapsody, recreates some of Elton’s most iconic outfits, as the singer is partly known for his choice of extremely flamboyant/fabulous outfits. I’d be surprised if his name isn’t in the running for an Oscar in nine months as well. 

The supporting actors do a terrific job as well, with newcomer Matthew Illesley portraying the youngest version of Elton John, back when his name was Reggie. He gets a chance to perform a few musical numbers and he does a fantastic job of encapsulating the younger version of Elton. Howard crushes it as the world’s worst mom… seriously, this woman is truly horrid. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Bodyguard) portrays Elton’s manager John Reid, who ironically was played by Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight Rises) in Bohemian Rhapsody. Madden’s performance is hauntingly sociopathic, as he successfully lures Elton into the familiar traps of fame and fortune. Last, but not least, Tate Donovan (Hercules, Swordfish) puts in a super groovy performance as Doug Weston, the owner of the Troubadour in L.A., where Elton becomes popular in the United States.

All in all, Rocketman is a fun and somewhat historically-accurate retelling of the music industry’s all-time best singer/songwriter duo. While its’ strengths clearly lie in the all-star casting, its’ marketing could have been better, in my opinion, if only to avoid the initial style/genre confusion I experienced. Having topped the charts for several decades, the film, produced by Elton himself, comes out during his Farewell Tour, as he intends to spend more time with his husband and kids. If you’re a fan of Elton John and/or musicals, I highly recommend this film, as it captures the spirit of the man, the myth, the legend: Elton John. 

MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.
Running Time: 121 Minutes
Released by Marv Films and Paramount Pictures