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 Ellie (Jessica Rothe) suffers from condition that resets her memory after a car crash and begins to question whether Bruce (Joseph Cross) and Alice (Julianna Layne) are actually her husband and daughter in Affection. Writer/director BT Meza has made an initially suspenseful and intriguing, but ultimately clunky and underbaked sci-fi thriller. The screenplay throws the audience right into the meat of the story as Ellie crawls while injured on the road after her car accident before she suddenly wakes up in bed with Bruce in the middle of the night. She, much like the audience, knows that something isn't right. A pretty obvious red flag is a mysterious hole in her back. Soon enough, she begins to question her own reality. Once the big twist arrives, that's around the time that Affection takes a nosedive. It becomes less of a taut psychological thriller and more of an unimaginative and shallow sci-fi thriller with brief body horror.
The visual effects are impressive, though, especially given the low budget, and the editing and cinematography are decent, but everything else including the screenplay and performances come up short while leaving the audience wishing for more boldness, emotional depth and imagination. At a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, Affection opens in select theaters nationwide via Brainstorm Media. For a more intelligent psychological thriller involving memory loss, see The Double Hour or if for a bonkers and mindlessly entertaining thriller, see The Long Kiss Goodnight.  
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), by co-directors James Cameron and Billie Eilish, is part concert film, part behind-the-scenes glimpses and candid interviews with Eilish as she reflects on her career and what the fans mean to her. It's well-shot, often exhilarating and illuminating, so even if you're not a fan of the famous musician, you'll learn enough about her to get a sense of what she's like as a human being behind the curtain. She comes across as empathetic, emotionally mature and intelligent. To be fair, it would've added more depth were Cameron to ask her more about how she deals with the physical pain that she has experienced, e.g. by spraining her ankle, and to talk more about her emotional pain which has fueled her music. There are also too many cuts to the audience's reactions instead of just focusing on Eilish's performance. That said, the 3D makes for a very immersive and cinematic experience that's ideal for the big screen with a great sound system---and it's cheaper than a concert ticket. At a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) opens nationwide via Paramount Pictures.   In Blue Film, Aaron (Kieron Moore), a camboy, spends the night with Hank (Reed Birney), one of his clients, who turns out to be someone significant from his traumatic past. Writer/director Elliot Tuttle has made a provocative, unflinching and emotionally devastating drama that's unafraid to look at tough, dark topics head-on. One of those major topics, which won't be spoiled here, could be very triggering for some audience members, so keep that in mind. What follows is an emotionally mature film that's profound and honest. Hank displays signs of introspection which makes him an interesting character. The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better because Aaron isn't aware of who Hank actually is when he first meets him and neither does the audience. Bravo to Tuttle for showing empathy toward Aaron and Hank by humanzing them, warts and all.
Yes, Blue Film can be considered a chamber piece because it has pretty much one setting with just two characters, but it never feels too theatrical or stuffy. That's, partially, thanks to the very natural, emotionally convincing performances. Kieran Moore gives a breakthrough performance here, and Reed Birney gives one of the best performances of his career. He's just a great as he is in Mass, another powerful film that also deals with a heavy topic in a mature way while treating the audience and the characters as complex human beings. At a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, Blue Film opens at IFC Center via Obscured Releasing   In Cold War 1994, M.B. Lee (Terrance Lau), the Chief Superintendent of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, investigates the kidnapping-for-ransom of K.F. Wong (Carlos Chan), the brother-in-law of William Poon (Tse Kwan-ho), the Poon family's patriarch. Daniel Wu plays Peter Cho, the police's Deputy Commissioner, Chow Yun Fat plays Oswald Kan, the senior council, and Samuel Pang portrays Tiger Fong, the man who kidnapped K.F. Wong. Writer/director Longman Leung has made a taut, gritty and consistently intriguing crime thriller with a terrific ensemble cast. It serves as a prequel to Cold War and Cold War 2. As the plot becomes increasingly complex, it also gets filled with surprises and twists as M.B. learns that there's more to the kidnapping than meets the eye and that certain people connected to investigation can't be trusted. He knows early on that Tiger Fong is the one responsible for the kidnapping, but the questions of who's working with Tiger Fong and what the motives of the kidnapping are beyond the ransom still remain a mystery. A lot goes on, so Leung trusts the audience's intelligence to keep up with all of the characters and the subplot, but the film never becomes confusing or too convoluted.
There's just enough exposition for audiences who aren't familiar with the Cold War films. Moreover, the pace moves along at the right speed without any scenes that overstay their welcome, and the cinematography, lighting and set designs provide some visual style. There's some violence, but nothing that involves gratuitous gore or anything shocking or disturbing. Cold War 1994 maintains its suspense from beginning to end which is no easy feat and a testament to the intelligent screenplay and the solid direction. Most importantly, it'll make you eager to watch the upcoming Cold War 1995. At a running time of 1 hour and 57 minutes, Cold War 1994 opens at AMC Empire 25, Regal Tangram, AMC Jersey Gardens and other select theaters via CMC Pictures.   In Influenced, Dzanielle (Jill Kargman), a divorced woman, feels unfulfilled with her job as an influencer while living on the Upper East Side. Her children Dakota (Ellie Biron) and Jared (Judd Goodstein) befriends Gary (David Krumholtz), a homeless (or "unhoused", as he prefers to be called), who she gradually warms up to after initially being rude to him. Director Rachel Israel and her co-writers, Jill Kargman, Carol Hartsell, and Sean Crespo, have made an outrageously funny comedy that's unafraid to be bold, raunchy, satirical and irreverent. The plot feels as chaotic and madcap as a Howard Hawks screwball comedy like Bringing Up Baby or as Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles or the Farrelly brothers' There's Something About Mary with characters who are just as zany and over-the-top and with humor that also tries to push the envelope. There are more than a few jokes that will raise some eyebrows, so if you're prude and easily offended, this isn't the comedy for you.
Dzaneille comes across as mean and shallow at first, but there's more to her than meets the eye as she gets to know Gary who also has more to him than meets the eye. Like Shirley from Shirley Valentine, she just wants to feel intrinsically happy and emotionally fulfilled which she deserves to feel like everyone else does. Achieving those feats are tasks that are easier said than done for her, especially with her lavish, shallow lifestyle and her materialistic friends, but her children help her to open her eyes and to awaken her soul when they show kindness toward Gary. It's interesting that Dzanielle's children happen to be good-natured people despite having parents that aren't very good role models. What happens when Danielle gets to know Gary? Will they end up having an affair? The answers to those questions won't be spoiled here, but it's worth mentioning that Influenced does have some unpredictable small surprises from start to finish that provide the film with either some more zaniness or some much-needed emotional depth beneath the surface. Like with most comedies, suspension of disbelief is a requirement to fully enjoy it, so just sit back, relax and laugh at the crude, rude and lewd humor. At a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes, Influenced opens at Quad Cinema via Menemsha Films and Brainstorm Media.   In Louder Than Guns is a timely, but toothless, unfocused, repetitive and oversimplified documentary about bridging the gap between the different sides of the issue of gun safety and control in America through conversations. Director Doug Pray follows Ketch Secor, a country music singer/songwriter and frontman of the band Old Crow Medicine Show, who sings about gun violence including the song "Louder Than Guns." Secor encourages people to come together to discuss the issue in a safe space. There's some footage of people who have lost loved ones to gun violence speak their mind and share their feelings with each other. Louder Than Guns makes its points about finding common ground and the power music and words early on, but then repeats its points without much depth. It also lacks scope and doesn't stop to look at the bigger picture or to ask provocative questions.
Talking is an okay starting point, but what about taking action and protesting in ways that could lead to actual change, not just in the minds of the people? What about people who have apathy or who lack empathy or don't use critical thinking? What about inspiring teenagers, not just adults, to discuss the issue of gun violence and safety, especially in schools? Wouldn't Fred Ross Sr., the pioneer of activism and community organizing, want everyone to do more than sit around and talk? Also, how can people easily find common ground in a country with very few safe spaces for people to be open and honest with each other without the risk of being cancelled for having a different opinion? Louder Than Guns feels incomplete and a squandered opportunity to be inspiring, moving and powerful given its important and complex subject matter. At a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, Louder Than Guns opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema via Abramorama.  
In Misconceived, Tyler (voice of John Magary), a failed filmmaker, accepts a job as a carpenter working on a vacation house that belongs to his childhood friend, Toby (Jesse Wakeman). Writer/director James N. Kienitz Wilkins and Robin Schavoir have made an occasionally provocative, but often dry, lethargic and monotonous film that combines #d animation and motion capture. Unfortunately, it's not visually stunning, and the cinematography with lots of shaky cam feels nauseating. There are some interesting observations about the film industry and references to companies like Miramax, but they're under-explored and feel tacked-on. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Misconceived opens at Anthology Film Archives via Monument Releasing.  
In Mortal Kombat II, Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), a former action star, joins joins Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), and Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) to try to defeat their nemesis, Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), which would also save the world. Director Simon McQuoid and screenwriter Jeremy Slater has made a tedious, vapid and exhausting martial arts sci-fi movie with well-choreographed fight scenes and visually stylish production design. There's one awesome kill that's very gory, but the rest of the kills are ho hum. The plot is bland, dumb and suffers from an uneven tone that's campy at times and unintentionally funny at other times when it's trying to be serious. The performances range from awful to wooden as though you were watching a satire of a martial arts movie like Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Only watch Mortal Kombat II if you don't mind watching an overlong, mind-numbing video game masquerading as a movie. At a running time of 1 hour and 56 minutes, Mortal Kombat II opens nationwide via Warner Bros. Pictures.  
Detective Shaw (Josh Duhamel), who's just about to retire, learns that a serial killer (Dylan Sprouse) buried his son, Aaron (Corbin Pitts), alive in Neglected. He must save him before he runs out of air. Writer/director
David Lipper and co-writer Adam G. Levine have made a suspenseful, intense and exhilarating crime thriller. Just when you think the plot will be going in one direction, it takes a turn after Detective Shaw uncovers evidence that makes the investigation more complex while turning the film into a psychological thriller. It's less of a who-done-it than a why-done-it, but that's precisely what makes Neglected so compelling. Usually the plot of many crime thrillers get less and less interesting; in this case, it actually gets more interesting. Lipper and Levine ground the film in humanity by making Detective Shaw a flawed human being because he's divorced from his wife (Kristin Wollett) and hasn't been there enough for his son. Now's his chance to prove that he's capable of being both a great detective and a great father. Kudos to the filmmakers for not relying on gore or lots of action sequences as a means of entertaining the audience.
To be fair, there are some heavy-handed and clunky scenes, e.g. the flashbacks to the murders from the killer's perspective. There are also contrived scenes, particularly during the third act that require suspension of disbelief, but those are minor and forgivable flaws that aren't systemic. Dylan Sprouse gives an effectively creepy performance as the serial killer. Josh Duhamel gives one of the best performances of his career and anchors the film with a charismatic and emotionally convincing performance. It's great to see an actor other than Liam Neeson play the lead of a crime thriller for a change. After the inane and underwhelming Psycho Killer, Neglected is like a breath of fresh air. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Neglected opens in select theaters nationwide via Inaugural Entertainment.
In The Python Hunt is a well-shot and initially compelling documentary that's ultimately shallow and bites off more than it could chew. Director Xander Robin sheds light on an annual competition that takes place in the Everglades every year where people hunt for Burmese pythons, an invasive species. The contestants compete for the most number of Burmese pythons caught and the longest python caught as well. Robin is lucky to have found more than a few eccentric contestants who allow him to film them hunting for pythons because they're quirky personality enlivens the film. Unfortunately, The Python Hunt barely spends time getting to know the python hunters and also squanders the opportunity to generate suspense from the competition. To be fair, the search for Burmese pythons, as one of the hunters candidly admits, gets boring and repetitive after a while, so it's not as exciting as it looks. Believe it or not, the government actually sponsors the hunt in hope that it would get rid of the invasive species that's destroying the Everglades' environment. It doesn't seem very effective, though, because thousands of Burmese snakes remain there even after the hunt because they're so hard to find. Are they truly invasive, though? That turns out to be debatable, although the film merely mentions that possibility without delving into it which would've added much-needed insight.
The cinematography is pretty impressive which makes the film feel more cinematic, but it suffers from style over substance. A truly great documentary should find the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well and intellectually. The Python Hunt mostly masters the element of entertainment while not quite mastering the remaining two elements. At a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes,it opens at Angelika Film Center via Oscilloscope Laboratories.
In Remarkably Bright Creatures, Tova (Sally Field), a widow grieving the death of her son, works as a night shift janitor at an aquarium where she bonds with a octopus, Marcellus (voice of Alfred Molina), and befriends a new co-worker, Cameron (Lewis Pullman), who's searching for his father. A romance between him and Avery (Sofia Black-D'Elia) begins to blossom while Tova and Ethan (Colm Meaney), a local shopkeeper, ignite their own romance. Writer/director Olivia Newman and co-writer John Whittington have made a warm, wise and poignant movie about love, grief, friendship, compassion and empathy. Based on the novel by Shelby Van Pelt, the screenplay juggles many subplots, some of which feel underdeveloped, e.g. the romance between Tova and Ethan, and somewhat corny, but the main plot involving Tova's friendship with Cameron feels genuinely heartfelt. In a somewhat funny scene, she plays matchmaker by arranging a date for Cameron with Avery. She might seem blunt and controlling, but she means well and wants him to be happy. Another funny scene can be found when Tova's friends catch her laying on the sofa with Cameron and assume that they slept together in the biblical sense even though she didn't. So, kudos to the filmmakers for including just the right amount of comic relief. The occasional narration of Marcullus the octopus with his keen observations and how he tries to help Tova and Cameron in unexpected ways are quite sweet and charming.
There's a major twist in the third act which feels somewhat contrived and schmaltzy, but those are minor flaws. Sally Field gives one of her best performances since Places in the Heart. The entire ensemble cast including the supporting actresses, Kathy Baker, Joan Chen and Beth Grant, who play Tova's friends, get a chance to shine. At a running time of 1 hour and 51 minutes, Remarkably Bright Creatures opens at The Paris Theatre and streams on Netflix.
A flock of sheep use their detective skills to investigate the murder of their shepherd, George (Hugh Jackman) in The Sheep Detectives, based on the novel Three Bags Fulls by Leonie Swann. The flock includes Lily (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Wool-Eyes (voice of Rhys Darby), Sebastian (voice of Bryan Cranston), Sir Richfield voice of (Sir Patrick Stewart), Zora (voice of Bella Ramsey), Mopple (voice of Chris O’Dowd), and Ronnie (voice of Brett Goldstein). The suspects include a farmer (Tosin Cole), a butcher (Conleth Hill), a priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), an innkeeper, Beth (Hong Chau), an innkeeper, a cop, Tim (Nicholas Braun), George’s lawyer, Lydia (Emma Thompson), George's estranged daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), and a reporter, Elliot Matthew (Nicholas Galitzine). Director Kyle Balda and screenwriter Craig Mazin have made a funny, witty, sweet and delightful film for the whole family that deftly blends comedy, mystery, suspense and intrigue. The plot isn't afraid to be zany and silly at times without taking itself too seriously while other times it has some surprisingly moving and wise scenes. It also has a few twists and turns as the sheep discover important clues that won't be spoiled here. Zora, a lamb, initially believes that sheep turn into clouds when they die, but her mother teaches her the truth. Kudos to the filmmakers for approaching the topic of death in a gentle way for younger audiences much like Bambi does.
The entire ensemble cast is terrific and well-chosen including the voice actors. Moreover, the blend of CGI animation and live action looks seamless. Like the equally entertaining Hoppers, The Sheep Detectives knows how to find just the right balance between entertaining older and younger audiences without pandering to children or resorting to fart jokes to entertain them like Ne Zha 2 and Animal Farm do. At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, The Sheep Detectives opens nationwide via Amazon MGM Studios.
Three different stories from different time periods take place near the same Ginko tree in a garden adjacent to Marburg University in Silent Friend. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Tony Wong (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), does research to explore the consciousness of the Ginkgo tree. Dr. Alice Sauvage (Léa Seydoux), a botanist, advises him through a video call on his computer. In 1908, Grete (Luna Wedler), an aspiring botanist, struggles to become the first female science student at the university and goes up against the sexist faculty members. In 1972, Gundula (Marlene Burow) researches the impact of humans on plants while romancing Hannes (Enzo Brumm), her classmate. Writer/director Ildikó Enyedi has made a thought-provoking, quietly moving and poetic film with shades of Carlos Reygadas. The three stories only become interconnected thematically and with the same large and beautiful Ginkgo tree which becomes a character in itself. Interestingly, they each have different cinematography: the one set in 1908 is shot in black-and-white in 35mm, the one set in 1972 is shot in color in grainy 16mm, and the one set in 2020 is shot in digital.
Enyedi moves the pace slowly, so he trusts the audience's emotions and allows them to absorb the breathtaking sights of the tree both at night and during the daytime. Not all of the three narratives are as strong as the others, to be fair, and each one has a slightly different tone. The one that's less engaging is the one involving the romance between Gundula and Hannes because it falls flat. Fortunately, the other two stories feel captivating enough. Patient audience members will be rewarded with a very meditative experience that leaves a lot of room for interpretation about the power of nature and the symbiosis between man and nature. At a running time of 2 hours and 27 minutes, Silent Friend opens at Angelika Film Center via 1-2 Special. It would be an interesting double feature with the Carlos Reygadas film Silent Light and the much more ambitious, elliptical and sprawling The Tree of Life.
Guy Miller (Quavo), a street racer out on parole, rescues his niece, Deja (Brielle Rankins), and nephew, Omari (Danny Boyd, Jr.) from Gamal (Billy Zane), a thief who coerces him to help with his diamond heist in Takeover. Meanwhile, he also has to rescue h who Gamal has kidnapped. Director Greg Jonkajtys and his co-writers, Jeb Stuart and Brandon M. Easton, have made a thrilling, exhilarating and visually stunning rush of pure adrenaline. The filmmakers use innovative technology to combine live-action and graphic novel-style animation in a way that gives the film a neo-noir look. The plot itself is uninspired and doesn't offer much in terms of surprises, but it's nonetheless entertaining on a visceral level---even more than Fuze, Deep Water and the tedious Mortal Kombat II. So, if you're in the mood for a fast-paced, exciting B-movie filled with Spectacle, Takeover will keep you satisfied. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, it opens at AMC Empire 25 via Firestorm Entertainment. |
