Mickey 17

Let me say right up front: the best thing about this production might be its visual design, including the promotional materials and packaging artwork. The poster alone, with the cloned Mickeys with Xed out eyes, is both clever in its own right and immediately conveys a crucial aspect of the story, before the movie even starts. So there was obviously a lot of terrific ideation and conceptualization going on here. Does that translate into a great movie? No, not great. Good, I think; "mostly interesting" is a judgment I’m comfortable making. But it takes its time getting to a point where the elements begin to come together and make for a compelling narrative. In fact, it is hard to know what to make of this story in the early part of the film—something about the tone seems hesitant, maybe even a touch indifferent. And there are certain distractions that take the viewers out of the story: the personality of one key character seems to contradict everything we are told about our hero’s (quite literal) process, plus the political satire is so over the top and obvious (even if spot-on) that it draws focus from the core plot. The villain is evil, for sure, but he is not really the author of Mickey’s predicament, so the characterization potshots feel like intrusions, to a certain extent. Finally, though, the big questions that the script has in mind push their way to the fore, and when they do the story becomes more effecting and ultimately satisfying. I don’t know if multiple viewings—pun intended—would help make this flick work better, but at least there’s something original—rather than recycled—on offer here. That’s more than you usually get from movies these days. 

Knives Out

So this is what qualifies as reinvention these days? That’s a bit harsh, because I don’t want to imply that this is anything but a solid, entertaining bit of cinema. It is that. I’m simply noting that this work is not the world-changing item that some of the hype says it is. The movie really doesn’t need that hard sell; it stands on its own merits well enough. A large quantity of the credit for that accomplishment rests with the two principal performers: a sly, quirky and ultimately deep performance by Daniel Craig, who continues to fashion a low-key argument that he’s among the best actors working today; and a surprisingly powerful and dominant performance from Ana de Armas, who is the true star of this show and carries a great deal of the film’s weight with her. The rest of the ensemble offers quality supporting work with rarely a misstep, but it’s the efforts of the primary two who make this a movie over and above the ordinary. As I’ve stated previously, I’ve never been a particular mystery fan, so the machinations of the whodunnit plot really meant little to this viewer (though it didn’t seem to me that the solution to the puzzle was really anything all that clever). Mostly, the main contribution to the flick's quality—on top of the leads’ efforts—comes from the director’s sense of style, so score one for Rian Johnson, too. You don’t need to effuse into the ridiculous in order to find this a satisfying piece of cinema—and that shouldn’t be a mystery to anyone.

Nightmare Alley

Just like a carny sideshow, this flick is filled with obvious humbug. The story takes its sweet time getting into the meat of the matter, mostly through creating a number of set ups that will have rather clear payoffs in scenes down the line. On the plus side, this film is visually fine to look at, both from a design standpoint and in terms of cinematography (both typical strengths of any Guillermo del Toro movie). Overall, there’s enough entertainment here to let you watch it without feeling like a total mark, but one has to suspect that this could have been a more dazzling show, without resorting to any sideshow tricks.

Little Miss Sunshine

I guess a curmudgeon might agree that this movie isn't all that, like it was claimed to be upon its theatrical release. But it is hard to resist its cute, sweet, funny charm. In an ocean of shit, such as comes out of Hollywood every year, it makes sense to applaud a movie that's this together. Again, it's nothing supreme, but well worth your time and your laughs.

Changing Lanes

It's a murky world out there, or so says this movie. I agree with it, but I'm not sure that's enough to recommend this movie. The story is good, the leads are good, the supporting cast is great, but overall it falls a little flat. The movie seems to be less than the sum of its parts. It's not a waste, but it's not must-see stuff, either.

The Hours

I'm not impressed; guess I get to go sit in the corner for a while. Everyone else loved this one, so maybe I'm the problem. To me, the story seemed both contrived and overly convoluted; better to tell one story clearly and lucidly than to lose yourself in three intertwined tales. The weakness is almost overcome by good performances from a great cast, but it's not enough for me.

The Sixth Sense

I see a very lively film career for writer/director M. Night Shyamalan. Not just clever, moody and emotionally true, but it stands out like a sore thumb for its deliberate, assured pace compared with the rest of today's frenetic films.