November Movies Part 2: The Running Man, Die My Love, Wicked: For Good

There are a lot of movies to watch this month so let's dive right into two blockbusters and some arthouse cinema!

The Running Man: This film was directed by Edgar Wright, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall (adapting Stephen King's 1982 novel, which already had a film adaptation in 1982, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which I have not seen, so this review will not help you with any comparisons). This is classic dystopian fiction about a man who is forced into a brutal game for the entertainment of the masses while he is just trying to win a fortune so his family can live a healthy and comfortable life. In this case, the man is Ben Richards (played by the charming as ever Glen Powell), a troublemaker who is always chafing against the restrictions placed by his capitalist corporate overlords, and who is therefore blacklisted from various jobs and struggling to make ends meet. In desperation, he applies to be on The Running Man, a TV show where contestants must try to hide and evade public capture for 30 days, winning money for every single day they are successful. But of course, no one has ever made it all the way to 30 days. Will Ben be the first to succeed?!

There are a lot of parallels to The Hunger Games, with Josh Brolin playing the evil executive who runs the TV network and is all about manipulating this show to garner huge audience ratings, i.e. President Snow; while Colman Domingo is having a whale of a time as the host of the show, giving it his best Caesar Flickerman energy. But overall, this movie is a bit of a disappointment. Yes, there are some good action sequences and fun chases, and the production design by Marcus Rowland is grand, but it certainly starts to overstay its welcome and has a very weird tone throughout. It's occasionally trying to be a comedy, but then the subject matter is quite dark and earnest, and I don't think Powell quite figures out how to make his performance work. He does get quite unclothed in one scene though, so I guess the studio executives figured that would be enough to satisfy audiences. This is not a great movie, but if you enjoy dystopian action, this is certainly not the worst way to spend your afternoon.

Die My Love: Directed by Lynne Ramsay, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Edna Walsh and Alice Birch, this is a wild movie about a couple, Jackson and Grace (Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence), who move from New York to a rural home in Montana and have a baby. And then Grace absolutely loses her shit, presumably in post-partum psychosis, but also maybe just from living a life of seclusion with only Jackson's family for company.

I have just read the Wikipedia plot summary of this film in preparation for this review and now have a better handle on what it was I actually watched for two hours. If it's not clear yet, I did NOT like this movie. It is supremely vibey, with the vibes being, having a baby and an absent partner and living in the middle of Montana makes life hard, which...duh. Lawrence spends the entirety of this film either being horny, angry, naked, or inflicting grave bodily injury upon herself, which is not a particularly fun experience after the first hour. Lakeith Stanfield is also in this movie, very briefly, and I honestly cannot tell you what the point of his character was. This is definitely a gorgeous movie that is shot beautifully and has very interesting and unsettling set pieces. But was I interested in the story at any point? Nope. 

Wicked: For Good: Director Jon M. Chu is back with the long-awaited sequel of last year's Wicked: Part 1. And as expected, it's not as good as the first movie, as the musical's first act is famously much stronger than the second. So, if you go into it with those mediocre expectations, you should be in for a perfectly good time. Honestly, you could just read my review of the first movie and apply that here - I was still stunned by the production design, and those costumes continue to bewitch me body and soul. But boy is the music lacking in this installment. There's a reason it's subtitled "For Good" - that song is honestly the only one that sticks in my memory from the entire movie.

Of course, the acting continues to be top notch, and we get to see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo really sink their teeth into these characters and bring out all their complexities, particularly Galinda who is walking an insane tightrope of being complicit with the evil Wizard and Madame Morrible, and trying to justify all her actions despite the continual danger they bring to her best friend. Jonathan Bailey, newly crowned as People's Sexiest Man Alive, certainly lives up to the moniker in this installment, basically swanning around as Anthony Bridgerton and being perfectly swoon-worthy. Overall, this is a satisfying movie and a worthy kick-off to the onslaught of holiday blockbusters. It's the most wonderful time of the year!

November Movies Part 1: Dead of Winter, Bugonia, Frankenstein

Alright, the theaters and streaming services are filling up with new movies and I'm on a quest to watch them all. Ready to join me?!

Dead of Winter: Written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb and directed by Brian Kirk, this is an icy and compelling story about Barb, a widow in Minnesota (played by Emma Thompson, doing her best Marge Gunderson impression) who is travelling to a remote lake in the middle of a snowstorm. Along the way, she stumbles across a kidnapping and now must attempt to rescue the young woman who has been kidnapped. And of course, she has no cell service and there aren't any people around, so she's going to have to get creative.

I would watch anything Thompson is in, and she unsurprisingly delivers a powerhouse performance as this innovative and courageous woman. Throughout the film we also get flashbacks of her younger self falling in love with her husband and the two of them building their life together, which makes for a very bittersweet narrative. I won't go into much more detail about the kidnapping, but let's just say that this film also stars Judy Greer in a particularly villainous turn, which is finally an appropriate use of Judy Greer as a proper co-star in a movie, and not just playing a supportive best friend or weepy mom. This is a taut, spare, and thrilling movie, with many compelling twists and turns, and it's the perfect treat if you're looking for more women-centered pictures that pack a bit of a punch.

Bugonia: Written by Will Tracy (who based it on a Korean movie by Jang Joon-hwan named Save the Green Planet!) and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this is a wonderfully weird and creepy movie about a man named Teddy (Jesse Plemons), who convinces his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to help him kidnap Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the wealthy CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Why is he kidnapping her? Because he is certain that she is actually an Andromedan, an alien masquerading as a human who is manipulating the entire human race to do the bidding of her alien race and consequently ruining human existence.

The premise may be absurd, but oh boy, none of the sentiment will feel out of the ordinary to you. This movie hits deep about how people get radicalized on the Internet, delving deep into conspiracy theories, and then attack the powerful in a bid to right socioeconomic wrongs. Stone delivers a brilliant performance here, initially thoroughly confused by these wild accusations, then attempting to placate this troubled man, and finally calling the shots and masterfully manipulating him in a desperate bid to escape. The movie mostly consists of Plemons and Stone talking at each other and it's an acting masterclass that crawls under your skin and leaves you wanting more. Of course, this is still a movie directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, so if this is your first time watching his work, please expect it to take some...unexpected turns. This movie further confirms that I prefer his work when he's a director but not the writer, because as weird as this movie might be, it's not as weird as it would be if Lanthimos were penning the script himself. And that's really saying something.

Frankenstein: Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, this is a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, with Oscar Isaac playing the titular doctor, and an unrecognizable Jacob Elordi playing his creation. Many years ago, I watched the National Theater's production of Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating the roles of Frankenstein and the Creature on different nights, and this movie felt very similar to that stage play. Except, of course, it is so much more epic in its vast scope and cinematography. Production designer Tamara Deverell and costume designer Kate Hawley had better be getting nominations on Oscar night, if not outright taking the statuettes home, because this is one of the most stunning movies I have seen in a long time. The gothic vibe reminded me a great deal of Crimson Peak, another drop-dead gorgeous del Toro movie, starring a different woman named Mia (in this movie, Mia Goth plays Elizabeth, the unfortunate woman who is going to get tangled up in Frankenstein's machinations).

This movie is two and half hours long and your mileage may vary if you are expecting something innovative story-wise. Del Toro is not interested in any reinterpretations or twists here - this is a classic story and he's going to tell it classically. I, for one, was completely on board from start to finish. Elordi delivers an incredible physical performance as the Creature initially stumbles into life and then has to contend with the fact that he might never die. Isaac is perfect as the crazed doctor, obsessed with proving his brilliance but lacking any ounce of empathy to actually do any good once he brings his Creature to life. And Mia Goth is a classic gothic heroine, virginal but intelligent and fascinated by the Creature, and bringing a little lust into the proceedings. But the British accents by all these non-British actors are a little iffy, so be warned if that's a pet peeve. Otherwise, no notes. I think Mary Shelley would be proud.

November Binges: Chad Powers & The Lowdown

As the weather gets chilly and the cozy couch beckons to you, are you in need of a binge? Well, here are two suggestions.

Chad Powers: Created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, based off an ESPN program where Eli Manning went undercover at a football practice as a rookie named Chad Powers, this is a very silly but twisty story about a man named Russ Holliday (Powell), who was a star college quarterback, but then made some mistakes that turned him into one of the most reviled men in America. Eight years later, he is trying to make a comeback, but he is foiled. Through a series of events, he hits upon the idea of covering his face in prostheses (his father is a Hollywood make-up artist, conveniently) and embracing the alter ego of Chad Powers, a deeply weird man who goes to the open tryouts at the fictional University of Southern Georgia and wows the coaching staff with his incredible throwing arm. He gets a spot on the team, but now has to figure out how he will keep the ruse going, creating ever more insane lies in the mythology of Chad Powers.

The first season lasts all of six episodes so it's a quick and dirty binge that packs a lot of laughs and Powell doing the silliest Southern voice on the planet every time he becomes Chad Powers. The finale does veer into a tone that was not in keeping with the rest of the show and got decidedly dark, so I'm not sure how they're going to dig themselves out of the plot hole they've dug themselves into. But I can heartily recommend this show if you want something extremely fun and diverting to while away an afternoon. 

The Lowdown: Created by Sterlin Harjo, of Reservation Dogs fame, this is another Oklahoma-based show starring Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a journalist who calls himself a "truth-storian." When a local author who was from a rich family dies by apparent suicide, Lee starts digging into the suspicious circumstances. What follows is a very elaborate plot that involves many conspiracies, greedy white people, exploited Native Americans, and a general romp that is going to involve a lot of bloodshed and violence. While still maintaining a comic tone throughout.

The show is pretty vibey and watching it week to week meant I kept forgetting large swathes of plot. Most episodes end in a cliffhanger so you'll get sucked right in, but this is the type of show that probably works best as a binge when you can just mainline it in one go and enjoy Hawke's performance, alongside the excellent work Keith David is offering up as a private investigator who also gets caught up in these shenanigans. It's a perfectly adequate murder mystery, elevated by the setting, but I think it would have been better if we were spending more time with the Native American characters, rather than just having them be supporting characters in this whole enterprise. I suppose I was craving more Reservation Dogs and ended up with more Killers of the Flower Moon. Alas.

October Movies Part 3: Good Fortune & Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Do you want to go out for a light comedy? Or wallow in an intense drama? The world is your oyster!

Good Fortune: Written and directed by Aziz Ansari, who also stars, this is a story about Arj (Ansari), a struggling down-on-his-luck documentary filmmaker in Los Angeles who is relying on the gig economy to stay afloat. He is living out of his car and driving around LA to make food deliveries and run errands for anyone who will pay him, and one day he crosses paths with Jeff (Seth Rogen), a super-rich tech investor who lives in a swanky mansion in the hills and appears to be living his best life. Oh and also, Arj has a guardian angel, Gabriel (Keanu Reeves, in an excellent piece of casting). 

Now, Gabriel has a very specific remit as a guardian angel - he is in charge of preventing accidents from texting and driving. That's it, he's not meant to get more involved than that. But, when he sees how Arj is struggling, and begins to worry that he might be a suicidal "lost soul," he decides to take matters into his own hands. Which leads to Arj swapping lives with Jeff, which doesn't quite have the restorative, life-affirming effect that Gabriel was expecting.

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you've pretty much experienced the entire film. The movie is still charming AF though, and Ansari, Rogen, and Reeves are an excellent trio, playing off of each other in funny and unexpected ways. The always charismatic Keke Palmer also puts in an appearance as Elena, a co-worker and love interest of Arj's who is the voice of reason as he seeks to live out his bougiest fantasies. The movie does end with a bit of a whimper, and Ansari can't quite write himself out of the predicament his script has placed him in a way that feels particularly honest. Nonetheless, it's a diverting and sweet movie about why we all need to be socialists. Eat the rich!

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere: Written and directed by Scott Cooper, based off the book by Warren Zanes, this is the story of Bruce Springsteen (played with customary angst and stoicism by Jeremy Allen White) during the creation of his 1982 album, Nebraska. Springsteen is just coming off a highly successful concert tour, and he has rented a home back in New Jersey to slow down and take stock of what he wants to do next professionally. His manager, Jon Landau (played by the equally stoic Jeremy Strong), is looking out for him, but is also keen to discuss his next album. He's excited when Bruce starts preparing a demo in his house, unaccompanied and using a four-track recorder. But that demo contains a dramatic shift in Springsteen's usual rock n' roll, and what follows is a challenging process of deciding how to record this album and market it to the executives who are not going to be happy about this change in musical style.

Personally, Springsteen is going through a deep depression, reflecting on his childhood, his abusive father (played with complicated menace by Stephen Graham), and his blue-collar roots, all of which influence the deeply dark and personal songs on this new album. He meets a new woman named Faye (Odessa Young, in a somewhat thankless role as an amalgamation of all the women Bruce dated during this period in his life when he was a lost soul), and while like all tortured artists he tries to distract himself with their relationship, he finds that he simply cannot outrun his demons.

This movie is a bit of a slog. If you love Bruce's music, and particularly this album, it might be a real treat, but as someone who barely knows any Springsteen music, and certainly nothing from this album, the entire film just feels like a very somber treatise on depression and the artistic process. It's perhaps telling that the only time I got excited is when we see him record Born in the USA halfway through the film, before things settle back into melancholy. There isn't much plot here, and while White and Strong are delivering great performances and showcase a beautiful friendship between these two men, it felt like this movie was stuck in one gear throughout and grinded through. There's a scene at the very end when Bruce's mask finally breaks, and that was probably the most powerful moment of the film for me, but at that point I had already sat through two hours of rather humdrum storytelling. Ultimately, this movie might be worth it if you're a fan of the Boss, but otherwise, this is not going to be worth your while.