Everyone's favorite acapella group is back in Pitch Perfect 2, the follow-up to the 2012 sleeper hit that follows the adventures of an eccentric group of female acapella singers. After being humiliated during a performance in front of the President of the United States, the Bellas have found themselves banned from the Aca-Circuit. In an effort to clear their name, the group enters into the International Acapella competition, one in which an American team has never won. Like the first film, the Bella's deal with a lot of adversity among their own ranks, which forces them to strengthen their bonds of friendship in order to succeed against a German acapella team who has never lost in International competition. While not possessing the same quality narrative as the first film, Pitch Perfect 2 is a funny, enjoyable sequel that relies more heavily on crude and offensive humor for its laughs. I was a little taken back by just how offensive some of the humor in Pitch Perfect 2 is, a film that shows no shame in poking fun at aggressive racial stereotypes for the sake of a laugh. Political correctness means very little to me personaly, but I'm sure that Pitch Perfect 2 is a film that is bound to upset some of the more sensitive viewers. Pitch Perfect 2 is funny and entertaining because of its host of characters, From Fat Amy to Beca, but it's ne comers Keegan-Michael Key as a music producer, and David Cross as the #1 Acapella fan, who really steal the film. While i'm sure it didn't bother most viewers, I found the direction of Pitch Perfect 2 to be incredibly distracting, most specifically during the performance numbers. Banks' direction is tight and disorienting, never seemingly letting the performance numbers breath properly to let the viewer soak in the spectacle. While not nearly on the same level as the first effort, Elizabth Banks' Pitch Perfect 2 is a funny follow-up that knows its audience and delivers enough laughs.
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Cedric Jimenez's The Connection tells the story of the real-life Marseilles magistrate Pierre Michel, a man who in the 1970s was relentless and dedicated to dismanteling the most notorious drug smuggling operation seen in histroy. Gatean "Tany" Zampa is who Michel is after, a man the police have absolutely nothing on, even though he is responisble for smuggling thousands of kilos of herion into the United States. Jimenez's The Connection is a slick and stylish crime drama that does an affective job at telling a story of two men who are pitted against each other. The Connection is a cat and mouse game but it does what all good films of this ilk must, having two dualing narratives, as both Zampa and Michel are given a lot of screentime away from one and other. Michel is tenacious in approach, being a constant thorn in the poweful Zampa's side, with things escalating as Michel scraps away at Zampa's empire. From picking up low level members of Zampa's crew to spouting intimindation in the papers, Michel relentlessly chases Zampa over a story that span several years. As Zampa weakens, his rivals begin to try and move in on his turf, with Michel indirectly making it all happen. While the narrative of The Connection is solid, it isn't anything you haven't seen before. What does make The Connection worth watching? The film's ability to empathize with the antagonist of the story to some degree, presenting a full portrait of a drug lord who does show signs of empathy. Don't get me wrong, Zampa is a ruthless criminal in this film but his emotional fragility is shown through a well shot sequence that juxtaposes both men spending time with their familes, as well as a sequence in which Zampa is dealing with the death of two of his close associates/friends. Another interesting aspect is the violence, with the violence orcestrated by Zampa's crew being shot in mostly wide lenses and with quickness, giving it a insignifant coldless that captures the commonplace nature of these crimes. Michel's struggle becomes between his obsession to beat Zampa and the importance of his families safety, but I honestly found this to be one of the more formulaic aspects of the film. Michael arrives in Berlin to visit his ex-girlfriend Gabi, with hopes of getting her back. Just after his arrival a terrible virus begins infecting everyone, slowly throwing the world into chaos. Marvin Kren's Rammbock: Berlin Undead is a low budget apocalyptic zombie film that uses the Zombie Apocalypse as a parable for the character, being really more about a character's obsessive desire to get back to his girlfriend even though he really just needs to learn to move on. Part of the zombie sub-genre, Rammbock brings some unique ideas to the table and it's all executed well with a good amount of gore, but it's the emotional core of this character Michael that sets it apart from so many other zombie films. In the end, as much as the film is about the end of the world, its more so about this character's loss. It was ironic to see this film right after seeing Markus Schleinzer' Michael, considering in a majority of this film he's alone in an apartment with a young kid. Michael Fuith nails the main protagonist, capturing this meager, pathetic character perfectly. I have read some people mentioning that this film has a political allegory, but I sure didn't see it. At a brisk 68 minutes, Marvin Kren's Rammbock: Berlin Undead is well paced, but where it excel is in its characterizations, having more going on then most 90+ minute movies of the genre. Nira, a kindergarten teacher, lives a modest life with her Husband, an engineer, and two children. Nina has a passion for poetry, something that her husband doesn't share, which leaves Nina feeling neglected due to his lack of enthusiam. One day in class, Nina discovers that one of her students, Yoav, has prodigy-type talent for poetry. Inspired by the potential of this five year-old boy, Nina takes him under her wing, eventually going to extreme measures to protect his talent from the world around him. Nadav Lapid's The Kindergarten Teacher is a quietly unsettling character study thats strongest aspect is the oblique nature of its thematic and dramatic elements. For those not familiar with Nadav Lapid, he is a minimalist filmmaker in terms of drama who forces the audience to pay attention to every intricate detail. The Kindergarten Teacher is a woman who feels overlooked and undervalued, viewing Yoav as her potential salvation. His natural gift for poetry is something she does not possess, which makes her dedicated to helping him reach his true potential. Everyone around the young boy simply doesn't understand the talent he possesses, which leaves Nina becoming more and more desperate to protect his artistic talent. From Yoav's nanny stealing his words for her own poetry assignment, to Yoav's father shunning the idea of his son wasting his time on poetry, Nina grows increasingly frustrated and desperate to protect this talent. As the film progresses, Lapid masterfully unravels the darker aspects of this character, using unmotivated camera movements at times, as if to symbolize Nira's fragile psyche. The use of depth of field in this film is stunning, with my favortie aspect being the point-of-view shots from NIna's perspective, capturing the innocence she sees in this child. While the film's denoucement is sure to frustrate some filmgoers, I'd argue it works beautifully due to Lapid's oblique storytelling. While every character in the film opposes Nira's viewpoint, the film does make it clear that Yoav is an incredibly talented artist for his age, which makes the film work both as a dark character study and a parable for the death of art in the modern age. The final shot further illustrated the parable theory, which sees a young Yoav sitting down, soaking in loud pop music which blasts in the background. Nadav Lapid's The Kindergarten Teacher is another stellar effort from the Israli filmmaker which manages to challenge and satisfy. Anh Dung Tran's The Scent of Green Papaya is about the beauty of life and how one's kind demeanor in everything they do will ultimately prove fruitful in the scope of nature and our universe. It's the story of Mui's life, a young peasant girl whose life takes a turn for the better for no other reason other than these forces of the universe at work. Everything about this film is done completely from Mui's perspective, from the visuals to the sound design, with Tran creating a unique perspective on the overstuffed coming of age story sub-genre. Mui sees the beauty in everything and lives life completely in the present, often observing the smallest details of life, not taking anything for granted in showing a young girl who is wise beyond her years. The cinematography is very observant, often peering through windows, or over ledges, watching various characters actions, really capturing for the viewer how Mui seems to view the world. Tran also uses extreme closeups of insects and plant life to show the beauty in the minuscule and often overlooked things which Mui treasures. Anh Dung Tran's The Scent of Green Papaya may feel a little fluffy, at least compared to his other films, but it's unfair to mistake its simplicity for fluff, as the film presents a observational study of optimism and the beauty all around us. Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, Thomas Vinterberg's Far From The Madding Crowd tells the story of Bathsheba Everdene, a beautiful and fiercely independent woman, who attracts the eye of three very different men: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a handsome sergeant whose foolhardy; and William Boldwood, a wealthy property owner who owns the property directly adjacent to Everdene. While many literary adaptions feel hopelessly dated, the first thing that jumps out about Vinterberg's Far From the Madding Crowd is how fresh and vibrant it is, thanks in part to wonderful cinematography. Between the sun-drenched pastoral landscapes, and Vinterberg's well-chosen compositions that seem to know exactly when to focus in on a character's emotions, Far From The Madding Crowd is a vibrant film that feels relevant and alive. Thanks to wonderful performances from Carey Mulligan, Mattias Schoenaerts, and Martin Sheen, is emotionally affecting, with Thomas Vinterberg's adaption seemingly far more focused on the complexities of love than English class distinction, exploring these three distinct character's emotions and desires. Mulligan portrays Everdene as a woman who is strong-willed and confident, but like any individual shows moments of weakness, as she falls victim to the chivalry of Frank Troy. Far From The Madding Crowd captures how woman were almost simply possessions in the 1800s, with the idea of a woman not needing the help of a man being an incredibly foreign concept. I found it fascinating that the first man Everdene becomes romantically involved with is Frank Troy, who also happens to be the only man who doesn't ask her to marry him right out of the gate - not showing the same possessive quality that was the norm fro the time. Conversely, Gabriel Oak is only able to finally win the affection of Everdene when he decides to stop protecting her, acknowledging that she can fight her own battles. While I've never read the book, it's clear that Far From the Madding Crowd is a beautifully realized romance, with full-fleshed out characters, all of which are caught in the intermingled web of love and desire. Ngozi Onwurah's Welcome II The Terrordome is an angry evocation on race relations in America, that uses a bleak, and uncompromising dystopian future landscape to comment on a host of issues related to race. Set in the Terrordome, a huge and impoverished ghetto where nearly all American Americans are forced to live, the story follows Spike and his sister Anjela two individuals attempting to make the best of their terrible situation. Much to the dismay of many, Spike is dating Jodie, a white woman, who is pregnant with his baby. Given the institutionalized racism that exists, Jodie's old boyfriend, a white man, doesn't take to kindly to her being with a black man, setting up a trap that sets off a volatile race war in the Terrordome. Ngozi Onwurah has created a powerful film about the state of the African American in contemporary society, arguing that the ghettos of America are simply the new form of segregation and slavery in society. Drawing from centuries of oppression, Ngozi Onwurah's Welcome to the Terrordome is a provocative piece of cinema from a director who is clearly sick and tired of the death and oppression of her people. Police brutality and institutionalized racism are a major component of this film, and I particularly liked the heavy use of spotlights and overhead lighting to visually create a world of oppression. Drug abuse, racism, violence, and poverty reign supreme in the Terrordome, a symbolic representation of modern day segregation. It should be mentioned that this is not a film for the faint of heart, as Ngozi Onwurah seems to throw all her pent up anger about race relations on screen with some truly haunting scenes of violence. While somewhat repetitive and certainly uncompromising in its depiction of the African American male in 20th century America, Welcome II The Terrordome showcases how extreme racial tension undoubtedly creates violence, being a message about the importance of equality that is obviously very much still a problem twenty years later. A man arrives at home after a day of work to find his wife dead, lying on the bedroom floor. Without any type of hysteria or general acknowledgement of emotion, he meticulously puts his wife's body in a suitcase, packs it in the backseat of the car, and drives away. Flora Dias & Juruna Mallon's The Sung Against My Eyes is an evocation of love, life, and death, that is as challenging as it is spiritual rewarding for those patient enough to immerse themselves in the experience. Only 65 minutes in length, dialogue is sparce in The Sun Against My Eyes as it feels more like a silent film, being a sensitive and mediatative journey of one man's attempt to move on from the death of his loved one, finding some form of personal solace in the time he did have with his wife. This is a film that could be almost described as a road movie, as this man ventures few beautiful and various landscapes, having candid and spontaneous encounters with various characters along the way, many of which are living in loneliness and isolation of varying degress themselves. Using cinematography that is almost exclusively made up of static compositions, as well as an almost eery amount of silence, Flora Dias & Juruna Mallon have created a film in The Sun Against My Eyes that is both deeply personal and universal, using this character who is suffering from a quiet emotional breakdown to comment on the sense of longing and isolation that is a part of most people's lives. Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent spans the life of Yves Saint Laurent, focusing on the peak years of his career from 1967 to 1976, where Laurent was debateably the most famed fashion designer in the world. At 150 minutes in length, Saint Laurent is an overlong endeavor, but what it lacks in pacing, the film makes up in artistic vision, with Bertrand Bonello creating one of the more unique biopics in recent years. Coherency isn't the film's strong suit, but what Bonello has created with Saint Laurent is a film that provides an intricate and complex look into the life of one of the most important men in fashion history, exploring his fragility as a man whose become bigger than life in the eyes of his contemporaries. As a whole the film leaves the viewer with a lot of questions that are never answered, but I'd challenge anyone who criticizes the film's cohesiveness by simply asking if any person's true life is as cut-and-dry and most narratives present them. While I must admit the first hour of Saint Laurent can be a bit of a slog, the film becomes exponentially more interesting as it progresses, focusing more on the psychological perspective of Yves Saint Laurent, something in which Bonello as a director shines. At its core, the film is very much about the tortured soul of an artist, presenting a man in Yves Saint Laurent who is constantly questioning his own merits as an artist, wrestling with consumerism, and intimacy. Bonello's use of surrealism increases as Yves Saint Laurent's psyche spirals more and more out of control, offering a powerful and artistic perspective into the emotional state of this character. Bursting with lavish sets, costumes, and a vivid color pallete, Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent is a convoluted but fascinating examination of a tortured artist, that isn't afraid to break the rules of time to create its unique portrait. Known much more for his macabre-infused efforts such as Shivers, Rabid, and The Brood, David Cronenberg's Fast Company is a anomaly of the filmmakers' early career, being a b-movie centered around Lonnie Johnson, an aging drag racer, whose sponsor, FastCo Motor Treatment, is contemplating canning the legend for a younger, cheaper image. While Fast Company's narrative is a straight-forward good vs. evil drag racer story, Cronenberg's indictment of corporate sponsors is what stands out in Fast Company, showing the corruption it brings in the form of Phil Adamson, the shady manager/promotor of Johnson, who is only interested in what serves the monetary interests of the company. Cronenberg's affection for these men of the road couldn't be more evident throughout Fast Company, capturing the loner, do-it-yourself lifestyle this profession breeds, personifying the free-spirited lifestyles of Lonnie Johnson and his crew of gearheads, men who live their lives on the road, unwilling to conform to the constrictions of their sponsors or the conformist lifestyle. Machoism is also an interesting aspect to Fast Company, with Cronenberg never shying away from the womanizing qualities of this lifestyle, though somehow managing to make Lonnie Johnson endearing anyway, due to him living his life the way he chooses. Cronenberg injects the film with visceral energy, due to detailed cinematography and vivid audio cues, giving the film a very unique time and feel that personifies aspects of Americana, regardless of the fact that it takes place in Canada. The race sequences are particularly impressive, with sound design and unique compositions that put the viewer into the cockpit of these monstrous machines, evoking almost a fetish like perspective on the vibrating engines, oil, and mayhem that makes up drag racing. While it's far from David Cronenberg's best, Fast Company provides a fascinating early look at a legendary filmmaker, being his first commercial film ever made. |
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June 2023
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