Soul

Depending upon who you are, and how you feel about your life, some of this story may hit a little too close to home. In a more general view, a lot of this movie may be difficult for viewers to get traction with, as a sizable part of the concept here involves characters who are abstractions, and abstraction is notoriously difficult for many people to relate to. Or perhaps that’s just this viewer trying to grasp at reasons why this film stayed somewhat at arm’s length from him, despite there being plenty of relatable emotional content herein. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I personally have never really appreciated jazz that this flick fails to completely crack my exterior. What also doesn’t help is the ending—it reeks of falsity; it seems like a decision was made to tack on a final note that was added on in order to make the ending “happier,” even though the honest ending would not have been all that sad, and is even hinted at in the earlier dialogue. I don’t know; there’s a lot of plus and minus here, all mixed up—but I’m conscious enough of my own personal failings here that I will give this work a pass, count it as a guarded MEOW, and leave it at that. Other than that, you’ll have to find this work's purpose for yourself.

Hostiles

Show this flick in a double feature with The Revenant and everyone in the theater would kill themselves before the second movie ended. That's not a casual, throwaway pairing; this film is a spiritual sibling to the other. Both are exceptionally grim western dramas that will be, for the majority of moviegoers, tough films to watch. But this work has many virtues. It's well shot; every frame looks beautiful. The performances are strong; Christian Bale is good at this sort of brooding, complicated character (much like his work in 3:10 to Yuma some years back), and even the supporting players acquit themselves quite well. Mostly, this piece earns its rating for its ambition. In a cinematic world of shits-and-giggles lightweight fare, this movie sticks out like a sore thumb for being so challenging. Not everyone will want to watch this picture; many will find it slow, depressing, and downright off putting. But grown-ups who are willing to contemplate life's rougher edges will find something interesting and meaningful here.