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The Best Hollywood Screenwriters of All-Time January 5, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen Happy National Screenwriters Day! Observed annually on January 5th, this day honors the often unnoticed and under-appreciated task force behind all those thrilling, adventurous, romantic TV or movie masterpieces. To show my appreciation for the people that build movies from nothing and make them into something special, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best screenwriters in cinematic history. This list will only look at writers who are not directors, so people like Paul Thomas Anderson, Woody Allen, or Spike Lee will not be featured. Some of the writers listed have directed films, but for the most part, they are not known for it, and mainly stick to writing scripts. And before you type in the comments about the omission of Charlie Kaufman or Aaron Sorkin, I have not included them because they have shown their intention to direct their own scripts for the foreseeable future. Plus, they’re probably featured on numerous other lists, so I’d like to give spots to other people that are less known. I will also not list anyone who is a frequent writing partner with a director, such as I.A.L Diamond or Charles Brackett, as the majority of their work was with Billy Wilder. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this list featuring some of the biggest wordsmiths of the cinematic art form. Robert Towne Widely regarded as the greatest script doctor in Hollywood history, Robert Towne’s fingerprints are on several of the best films of all time, whether you know it or not. Francis Ford Coppola thanked Towne during his Oscar acceptance speech for his uncredited assistance on The Godfather , and he kicked off the New Hollywood movement with his (also uncredited) work on Bonnie and Clyde . Towne did receive formal recognition in the form of an Oscar nomination for The Last Detail , and a win for Chinatown the following year. He would direct a few of his screenplays to vary success, with Tequila Sunrise and Without Limits being warmly regarded. And he would become Tom Cruise’s go-to writer for a few years, lending his pen to Days of Thunder, The Firm , and the first two installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Eric Roth As the recipient of six Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, including a win for Forrest Gump , Eric Roth towers over all in modern Hollywood when turning preexisting material into cinematic classics. He’s often been trusted by top directors to bring their biggest projects into the light: Michael Mann ( The Insider, Ali ), Steven Spielberg ( Munich ), David Fincher ( The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ), Bradley Cooper ( A Star Is Born ), Denis Villeneuve ( Dune ). He’s adding Martin Scorsese to that venerable list with the upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon , so a second Oscar may be on the horizon. Paddy Chayefsky At three wins from four nominations, Chayefsky is tied with Woody Allen and Billy Wilder as the most-winning screenwriter in Oscar history. His winning percentage is even more impressive when you factor in that it took Allen 16 nominations and Wilder 12 nominations to reach that win total. Chayefsky initially started in television in the 1950s with director Sidney Lumet, a partnership that would reach its apex with the scathing satire in 1976’s Network . Director Delbert Mann was another figure that Chayefsky frequently worked with during his television days, and they each picked up Oscars for their work in 1955’s Marty , which would also be awarded the prize for Best Motion Picture. Leigh Brackett Brackett was a trailblazer in Hollywood, repeatedly destroying the misconception that women could only write “feminine” dramas. She had no problem working across several genres, from 1940s noir ( The Big Sleep ), westerns ( Rio Bravo ), to 1970s new crime ( The Long Goodbye ). Even for all her genre-hopping, she always called science fiction her home. She would mentor Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury, and be personally hired by George Lucas to write the script for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back . Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to see her work on that film come to fruition, as she passed away in 1978 just after she handed in her script. But her work still lives on and remains an inspiration for anyone that wants to push boundaries. Steven Zaillian Along with Eric Roth, Zaillian is usually the first person studios call when they need someone to adapt existing material. He received an Oscar nomination for his second screenplay, 1990’s Awakenings . That was only the first of many large dominoes, as he won the Oscar for Schindler’s List , and would be nominated again for Gangs of New York, Moneyball , and The Irishman . Like Robert Towne, he’s also a go-to script doctor for many top directors. He’s done uncredited rewrites and polishes on films such as Crimson Tide, Patriot Games, Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down , and Road to Perdition . William Goldman As the author behind several best-selling books on the art of screenplay writing, it’s easy to see why Goldman is seen as one of the greatest writers ever. His critics would claim that he wrote for the director’s vision, and not for his own original ideas. But that would always be his biggest strength, as he could adapt to any genre between westerns ( Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ), political thrillers ( All the President’s Men ), and nerve-wracking crime dramas ( Marathon Man ). He would eventually become the most sought-after adapter of Stephen King’s work, with Misery, Hearts in Atlantis , and Dreamcatcher . And to top it all off, he even adapted his own novel, The Princess Bride , for the screen. John Logan Don’t let Logan’s directorial debut failure with They/Them last year fool you into thinking he isn’t one of the most lauded screenwriters working today. Whether he’s working with Martin Scorsese ( The Aviator, Hugo ), Ridley Scott ( Gladiator, Alien: Covenant ), or Sam Mendes ( Skyfall, Spectre ), Logan loves to work in pairs with leading auteurs. He’s also dabbled in animation ( Rango ), musicals ( Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ), Shakespeare ( Coriolanus ), and even television ( Penny Dreadful ). Robert Bolt Between his works with David Lean on Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago , and Ryan’s Daughter, there probably isn’t anyone who writes bigger than Robert Bolt. His first notice would come before all that when he wrote the play A Man for All Seasons in 1954. He would adapt it for the screen himself, winning another Oscar just one year after he won for Doctor Zhivago . 1986’s The Mission , starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, would be his next, and final, brush with awards success, with the film winning the Palme d’Or at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival along with several Oscar nominations. Ernest Lehman The only thing consistent about Ernest Lehman’s output is the excellence of its quality. One of his first scripts would be the 1954 romantic-comedy Sabrina for Billy Wilder. He would jump over to mystery thrillers with Northwest by Northwest for Alfred Hitchcock. Then came a brief settlement into musicals, as he adapted both the Best Picture-winning West Side Story and The Sound of Music from the stage to the screen. Another slight pivot came in the form of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and finally ending with a return to Hitchcock for 1979’s Family Plot . Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Saltburn' Review November 17, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen Writer/director Emerald Fennell has wasted no time cashing in her blank check to make Saltburn , a feature-length Calvin Klein ad that slots nicely in the recent "eat the rich" movie trend (see Triangle of Sadness , Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , and The Menu just last year). Fennell somehow molds all three of those features into one product, creating something that loves to push your buttons and make you squirm just as much as it wants you to laugh out loud. Sometimes you don’t whether to laugh or look away, making this one of the most outlandishly memorable films of the year, both for good and bad reasons. Fennell shifts her sophomore feature away from the American setting of Promising Young Woman to her native England, specifically the most British place there is: Oxford University. The freshman class of 2006 has descended upon the campus and the class divides have already been set. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself on the lonely side of the have-nots, while people like Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and Farleigh Start (Archie Madekwe) sit atop their ivory towers. The silver spoon kids aren’t necessarily assholes, but there is an aura of “you and I are not equals” that permeates from them. Oliver desperately wants to be part of that clique, and, luckily for him, he gets a foot in the door through Felix, who seemingly takes him under his wing out of pity. Elordi and Keoghan look as if they’re ready to remake the Schwarzenegger/DeVito starring Twins in these opening sections. Keoghan is only a little more sociable than his homicidal character in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer , but he’s just as carnivorous as he lusts after Felix’s body and lifestyle. It’s hard to blame him when someone like Elordi is standing right in front of you, a golden child who knows he can turn the whole room when he walks in. It’s no wonder why Sofia Coppola cast him as Elvis Presley in this year’s Priscilla . Felix’s ultimate gesture of kindness is inviting Oliver to his family’s sprawling estate, Saltburn, for the summer. There he meets the rest of the Catton aristocracy: aloof father James (Ricard E. Grant), caustic mother Elspeth (Rosamund Pike), and uncontrollable sister Venetia (Alison Oliver). Everything about the house is so sumptuous as it seemingly exists in a plane outside of mortal existence. “Time to Pretend” and “Mr. Brightside” rock the soundtrack as Oliver and the group play tennis in suits/dresses, swim in the private lake, and host parties where the minimum guest list is 200 names. For Oliver, it’s going to be impossible to go back to a regular life once he’s had a taste of the next level. Both he and Fennell ask: Do these nobles deserve the life they have, especially if all they had to do to earn it was be born? The comparisons to The Talented Mr. Ripley are aplenty, but I doubt even the misanthropic callousness of Patricia Highsmith would dare to try and reach the levels of provocation that Fennell instills within her answers. Most of it feels like substance, but some of it feels like it's here just for shock value. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as there are deeds done that you must see to believe. Let’s just say vampirism, bathtubs, and grave plots will have a whole new context when you walk out. Fennell also gets dangerously close to overplaying her hand the further down the rabbit hole she takes us. Things do get a little too outlandish for believability, undermining much of the intricately layered suspense built up over the last few hours. Keoghan, along with Linus Sandgren’s gorgeous 1.33:1 cinematography, paves over many of those faults. Their work in the final sequence makes it one of the best of the year as the knife gets twisted one final time for good measure. Saltburn ’s brain might not always equal its bite, but there’s so much self-assured showmanship that I was glad to get lost in this maze. Between being an Academy Award winner and displaying a strong disinterest in subtly, it’s hard to pin down exactly where Fennell will be pointing her darkly sharp pen and camera next. That’s just the way I want it to stay, as there’s always room for someone to push boundaries by going for broke with each step up to the plate. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Dune' Review October 25, 2021 By: Hunter Friesen Like humanity’s search for the missing link or the cure for cancer, movie studios have unsuccessfully tried and failed to adapt Frank Herbert’s daunting 1965 science fiction novel, which laid the framework for several subsequent entries in the genre such as Star Wars and Blade Runner . Cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky tried in the early 1970s, but financial troubles stopped him from getting past pre-production, a story which has now become immortalized in the critically acclaimed 2013 documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune . Over a decade later, David Lynch, armed with the mega millions of super-producer Dino De Laurentis, was utterly crushed by the weight of the material, which was forcibly squeezed into a two-hour runtime. Years went on as names such as Ridley Scott and Peter Berg were attached to the project, but nothing ever came to fruition. Now in 2021, it’s time for Denis Villeneuve – director of Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 – to attempt what has been thought to be impossible. To prevent the mistake of Lynch’s adaptation, the 412-page novel has been split into two parts. Despite not bearing that moniker in the official title, the phrase “part one” does flash underneath the main title in the opening sequence. This comes as a warning to those expecting a complete narrative. Like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 , Dune is here to establish the major events that will come in the sequel, which has yet to be officially confirmed. But rather than faring like those two examples, Dune falls more in line with The Divergent Series: Allegiant , which shuddered the series before the conclusion could be filmed. Now, that’s not to say that Dune shares all the same qualities as that cinematic failure. Villeneuve is one of the most financially efficient directors working today, as he gets maximum value out of every dollar within his budget. With $165 million at his disposal, Villeneuve has crafted a universe of mythological proportions. From desert landscapes crawling with sandworms to interstellar cruisers, the scale that Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser work with is something to behold. Seeing this in IMAX brings a reward worth far more than the ticket price. But for all its grandiosity on a technical level, what’s at the heart and soul of Dune is shockingly small. Taking place in the year 10191, the story centers on Paul Atreides, prince of the great house who rules over Caladan. Soon, the family is ordered by the unseen Emperor to govern Arrakis, which overflows with the precious mineral known as “spice.” The natives of the planet called the Fremen, resent their colonial oppressors, a feeling that Paul slowly begins to understand. After the imperial betrayal, Paul’s loyalty and place within the universe begin to be tested as he is led down an unfamiliar path. That plot description may be admittedly light, but a proper one would require much more precious margin space. Villeneuve (his first writing credit since coming to Hollywood) along with veteran Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts seem to have punted all the interesting material for the latter edition. What’s left is a shallow plot with dangling thoughts on colonialism, the chosen one, and religious allegories. Ironically, the groundbreaking material within the novel has been mined so many times by other properties that this film adaptation feels like a carbon copy of others. That feeling of emptiness stretches into the cast as well, despite it being filled with a roster of immense international talent. Boiling down to being described as space Jesus, the character of Paul Atreides is one of awkwardness and enlightenment. Timothée Chalamet is fitting in the role, working his gawky frame and soft voice past the limitations of the script. Through no fault of their own, the rest of the cast aren’t able to shine as much as they should, with interesting actors such as Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skargård, Jason Momoa, and Charlotte Rampling being brushed aside for umpteen amounts of landscape shots. At some point, those beautiful vistas begin to feel empty, as the human element has been restricted to a minimum. Dune is an odd case of style over substance, in that the substance is there but was intentionally left out for another time. It’s a gamble that may pay off once Part 2 is released, but until then it leaves this first part as a desert-sized disappointment. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' Review December 4, 2022 By: Hunter Friesen Like humanity’s search for the missing link or the cure for cancer, filmmakers have endlessly pursued to adapt Italian author Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio . Of course, Disney practically cornered the market with their 1940 animated musical version, which still haunts children to this day thanks to the Pleasure Island sequence. Decades would pass, with Robert Benigni - hot off the immense international success of Life is Beautiful - writing, directing, and starring in a 2002 live-action adaptation. The film would be a colossal critical and financial failure, practically locking Benigni in filmmaker jail for the rest of his career. But it didn’t stop him from appearing in another version later in 2019, this time solely in the role of Geppetto for writer/director Matteo Garrone’s version (which received two surprise Oscar nominations for its costumes and makeup). We also can’t forget the adjacent stories such as Stanley Kubrick/Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence , or the projects that never got off the ground such as ones from Sam Mendes and Paul Thomas Anderson/Robert Downey Jr. Now in 2022, we have two more adaptations, with Robert Zemeckis’ live-action Disney+ version following the same disastrous fate as Begnini’s, and Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated Netflix sticking closer to the original text. All this is to say: After so many Pinocchio adaptations, how much can del Toro’s version reinvent the wheel and stick out from the crowd? Well, for starters, this version of Pinocchio might look appealing to children on the outside, but inside it harbors themes of loss, regret, fascism (a del Toro specialty), and mortality. Of course, it still carries a PG rating, so things never cross the line where you have to shield the eyes of the younger ones. But everybody has at least one or two memories of an animated film scaring the hell out of them, so why not let this be one of those times for today’s children? We are first introduced to Geppetto at the foot of his son Carlo’s grave. Through some flashbacks, we understand why he loved his son so much, and how he feels betrayed by God for taking him away. In a drunken stupor, he makes a wooden puppet, which is then granted life by the Wood Sprite, a terrifying version of the Blue Fairy. Pinocchio has a never-ending thirst for knowledge, which leads him to often disobey his papa’s commands. He soon gets conned into joining the circus by an evil carny and his pet monkey (with Cate Blanchett providing the primate noises), and also is recruited into the Italian army by a Nazi leader after it's discovered he’s incapable of dying. Already experienced at guiding live-action directors into the world of animation after doing so with Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr. Fox , co-director Mark Gustafson aids del Toro in blending the macabre with the cheerful. The attention to detail is immaculate, with the painstakingly crafted sets and character movements given their time to shine. Also crammed into this slightly overstretched 120-minute version is a handful of songs, which often beg the question of whether or not this is a musical. None of the musical moments deserve to be remembered, even though they are delivered capably by the talented voice cast. Del Toro’s love for the material is always present, and so are the influences he has taken throughout his filmography, particularly Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water . That adoration can sometimes be infectious, even if this is well-worn material that probably didn’t need another retelling. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'The Batman' Review March 7, 2022 By: Hunter Friesen It can be quite difficult these days to parse through the DC Cinematic Universe. While Marvel has been steady as she goes for nearly a decade and a half, DC has puttered along, shooting misfire after misfire. Man of Steel was certainly not the way things should have started, and neither was Justice League the way things should have come together. And then there’s the whole debacle around Zack Snyder’s Justice League (is it canon, or just a director’s cut?) and The Suicide Squad , which is somehow both a reboot and a sequel. Somewhere during their productions, Warner Brothers decided they should differentiate their slate from Marvel by producing smaller-scale, filmmaker-focused films (no disrespect to Marvel, but there isn’t a single film in their universe with a clear authorial voice). First came Todd Phillips' Joker , which, for better and for worse, made quite the statement. The next is Matt Reeves’ The Batman , which steps outside of the current cinematic universe hellscape and exists on its terms as an ultra-dark and ultra-noir-inspired thriller. Batman has been fighting crime for close to two years now, with not much to show for it. The streets are still filled with garbage, both in the form of flesh and debris. The criminals may fear Batman, but not enough to stop committing crimes altogether. So, the endless cycle of carnage continues. That is until a new face appears on the block in the form of The Riddler, who’s brutally murdering Gotham’s top officials, and also murders their reputations by exposing their scandals to the public. As his name would suggest, the culprit leaves behind riddles addressed “To the Batman,” made to mock The Caped Crusader as he pieces together this intricately pieced puzzle. Just like Phillips took (a little too much) inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy when crafting his character study of the mentally insane for Joker , writer/director Matt Reeves borrows heavily from the work of David Fincher, particularly Se7en and Zodiac . The Riddler may as well be the Zodiac killer, as Paul Dano’s performance channels the character’s brilliance and insanity. The tension he builds is unparalleled and makes you feel that you're witnessing someone who’s truly gone off the deep end. And with a runtime just five minutes shy of three hours, The Batman has plenty of time to unravel its grand mystery. It’s a thickly layered plot tracing corruption back to the days of Thomas Wayne. The best compliment that I can give any comic book movie is that even if you replace the superheroes with regular people, you still have an interesting story to tell. It’s something that Christopher Nolan was able to accomplish with his Dark Knight trilogy, as well as Sam Raimi with his Spider-Man films. Things may get lost in the shuffle from time to time here, and the ending may leave a bad taste in your mouth, but there’s a lot to love on the page. But with Robert Pattinson as Batman, it’s hard to imagine him not in this movie, as he delivers yet another undeniable performance. Nearly every actor cast as Batman has had their fair share of naysayers, from Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck. With this role, Pattinson is finally able to show the general public his true talent, with most casual moviegoers remembering him only as the sparkly vampire from the T wilight series. Pattinson has always excelled at playing uncomfortable characters, with his work on Good Time and The Lighthouse being prime examples. There’s a restless edge to his version of Batman, something that's been eating away the character’s soul after years of sleepless nights. And in those nights, DP Greig Fraser, hot off his Oscar nomination for his work on Dune , crafts some immaculate imagery. Silhouettes and shadows haunt the dark city streets, with the neon lights drenched in rain providing stark contrast. This is not just one of the best-looking comic-book movies, it’s one of the best-looking movies ever. Fraser does get help from Production Designer James Chinlund, who seamlessly merges New York and Chicago architecture to make Gotham the cesspool that it is. At its core, The Batman is not much of a Batman movie, and that’s what makes it so great. Reeves has taken all the familiar trappings and given them a fresh new look. It may only be March, but the bar for the rest of the films this year just got raised a bit higher. And unlike every other DC film to come out in the past couple of years, I’m excited to see where this story goes next. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Captain Marvel' Review March 14, 2019 By: Hunter Friesen Marking the twenty-first chapter in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel has finally bowed out in theatres after a mountain of hype had built up for close to a year. Much like Black Panther was the first MCU film to feature a predominantly black cast, Captain Marvel is the first film to feature a female as the lead character. But unlike the huge critical success and cultural movement that the former was, Captain Marvel disappoints on both the levels of filmmaking and fan service. What should be an enjoyable and inspirational tale ends up being a tepid blockbuster that sorely lacks in the areas that have made the Marvel brand so entertainingly great. Captain Marvel is directed by partners Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have previously worked on smaller indie films, most notably Half Nelson . Now with a budget of $152 million, the lack of experience that the pair have with tentpole films glaringly shows. Many of the action scenes are by the numbers as they devolve into a series of quick camera cuts and choppy editing. Not helping the action is the computer and practical effects. Apart from the de-aging of Samuel L. Jackson, which looks incredible, the visuals look a bit outdated, almost like the film was made ten years ago. To recreate the feel of the 1990s setting, Boden and Fleck rely heavily on nostalgic product placements and callbacks. Blockbuster Video, internet cafes, pagers, and an endless line of fashionable toys are paraded throughout the film to try and get a response from the audience. It reminded me of the same shallow technique that was used to death in Ready Player One where inessential references are repeatedly made instead of constructive jokes. Probably the biggest problem with Captain Marvel is the incoherent and bland story that offers the audience little to care about. Right away the film introduces the conflict between the Kree and the Skrull, two factions who have been at war for eternity. Basic facts are given such as a roster of important characters, but other relevant information such as the war’s importance and purpose is left out. Even as the conflict gradually becomes the main part of the narrative, these necessary explanations are never touched on. This lack of information strips the film of any real stakes within the MCU. Not that low stakes is an outright bad thing. Ant-Man has next to no overall effect on the other films within the universe. But the franchise still works anyway as it makes you care about its great characters. That central quality is also missing from Captain Marvel , which is surprising considering both Boden and Fleck have built their careers off of their prowess for layered human drama. Despite being her origin story, the character of Captain Marvel turns out to be the least interesting person in the film. Her storyline is quite straightforward and consists of a lot of on-the-nose messaging that feels shoehorned in. Tonally this film falls in line with the rest of the MCU. Comedy is mixed in with drama, but not as seamless as you would expect. Many of the jokes don’t land or feel too forced into awkward positions. A disappointing feeling repeatedly panged me every time a pivotal scene was undercut by a joke that really didn’t work. Brie Larson does a thoroughly average job as the titular hero. Her performance contains seldom amounts of energy, which can partly be blamed on the lackluster script she had to work with. Fortunately, Larson does show a ton of confidence and a knack for comedic timing in her limited number of quality scenes Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury, who at the moment is only an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He brings his usual boisterous flair to the role and is able to make up for the downbeat energy exuded by the rest of the cast. Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, and Annette Bening fill out the rest of the supporting cast. Each one of them does a fine job, but these roles are hardly anything compared to the other work they have done. Is Captain Marvel a good movie? No. Is it a bad movie? Also no. This is an average film that comes and goes while doing everything you expect and nothing more. In the grand scheme of things, this film is just a quick jolt of superhero energy to keep audiences satisfied until Avengers: Endgame. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Mean Girls' Review January 11, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen “This isn’t your mother’s Mean Girls ” is one of the taglines Paramount Pictures has used to promote their newest version of the Tina Fey-penned high school comedy. It’s a mantra that’s used beyond just the trailers and posters, as the film opens with a TikTok video. But then a character quips that “we’re Cloverfield -ing!,” alluding to a franchise that any TikToker would struggle to identify. That clash of old and new within the first thirty seconds carries over throughout the next two hours, almost as a constant question of why this 2024 version exists and who it was primarily made for. The former question isn’t a hard one to answer. 2024’s Mean Girls was developed for that sweet, sweet cash; specifically in the form of brand recognition of Paramount+, which was where this film was supposed to debut before the strategy was changed in September of last year. It was the right decision to make, as the popping musical numbers and one-liners play infinitely better in the theater than they would/will at home. You also have to factor in the fact that Paramount+ is known for CBS procedurals, Yellowstone , and Top Gun: Maverick , none of whom overlap in terms of this property's audience. The latter question is a bit harder to pin down. I guess you could claim this Mean Girls as a sort of soft remake, a version that provides easy nostalgia to Millenials and an introduction to this overall narrative to Gen-Z. But it’s not like the 2004 version is some ancient relic that needed to be translated for modern audiences. It’s a timeless member of its subgenre, with several quotes living on forever within pop culture. It doesn’t really matter how good a cover version is, as no one would (or, at the very least, “should”) choose to listen to that instead of the undeniable original. But for what this Mean Girls lacks in originality, it makes up for in energy. An interesting long take from a TikTok video, to Africa, and then to high school sets up the basic plot of Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) moving from Kenya to North Shore High. She’s an outsider almost immediately, just a little too much of everything to properly fit in with any of the cliques. Two of the other “weirdos” - Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) - agree to take Cady under their wing. But “queen bee” Regina George (Reneé Rapp) has other ideas, inviting Cady to sit with “The Plastics,” comprised of Regina, Gretchen (Bebe Woods), and Karen (Avantika). Cady is now caught in the crosshairs of a good old-fashioned high school feud, playing both sides as she tries to find her place in all of this. While it would be daunting to replace such likable performers as Lindsey Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried, the cast assembled here does enough to prevent this from being a total downgrade. Rice brings an overall level of likeability, which sometimes makes her “bad girl” heel-turn later on unconvincing. Reprising her role from Broadway, Rapp is the lioness that everyone gets out of the way for in the hallway. Most of our star names come from the adult cast members: Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Jon Hamm, and Ashley Park. Apart from a few lines from Fey and Meadows, there’s not much there to warrant discussion. First-time directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. provide several splashy moments of zippy musical interludes. The camera bobs and weaves around the hallways, with the aspect ratio and lighting matching a high-end poppy music video anytime someone breaks out into song. You’d be hard-pressed to remember the lyrics to the majority of the songs, but at least you’re eyes will be dazzled. 2024’s Mean Girls is a different flavor from 2004’s Mean Girls , although it’s about as drastic a change as shifting from Vanilla Bean to French Vanilla. It’s harmless, fun, and will probably be forgotten within due time… kind of like a piece of plastic. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

2024 Golden Globe Nomination Predictions December 9, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The 2024 Golden Globes are meant to be a moment of rebirth for the once-disgraced awards body. The annual awards have fallen into relative obscurity these past few years. The 2022 ceremony was not televised, and last year’s NBC broadcast was watched by so few people that it might as well have been the embodiment of the “if a tree falls in the forest…” argument. Now the HFPA is no more, with many of the more troublesome members expelled and replaced with a bevy of fresh faces. The show also has a new broadcasting partner in CBS, which lends some credibility and a stable viewership floor. Nothing about this is pretty, or even good, but it’s not as bad as it could have been. We should still expect some Globes-like nominations come Monday morning. But I doubt we’ll get anything as wild as we’ve gotten in the past like The Tourist or Sia’s Music . More members bring the consensus closer to the middle, favoring movies with already established Oscar chances. There’s also the fact that there will be more nominees as the amount of nominations per category has been raised from five to six. Best Motion Picture - Drama Oppenheimer Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Anatomy of a Fall Past Lives All of Us Strangers There’s nothing too surprising about the top three picks, with things getting a little trickier the further down you go. Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives seem safe on account of their popularity and acclaim. The last slot is between Saltburn and All of Us Strangers . Emerald Fennell’s film is more flashy but less acclaimed (although that’s never been a big hurdle with this group), making Andrew Haigh’s quiet drama a nice candidate for a surprise nomination. Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Poor Things The Holdovers American Fiction Barbie The Color Purple May December This might be one of the best editions of this category over the past decade, with most years featuring at least one nominee who got in due to low competition. All of these movies could be eventual Best Picture nominees, with Air being the biggest alternate. The Color Purple is looking vulnerable after its absence at both NBR and AFI this week, and May December is an odd-feeling nominee. Best Director Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) Alexander Payne (The Holdovers) Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) Greta Gerwig (Barbie) The Globes tend to be more populist with their picks here than the Oscars, with last year's crop including both Baz Luhrmann ( Elvis ) and James Cameron ( Avatar: The Way of Water ). The only foreign language directors to be nominated over the past decade are Bong Joon-ho ( Parasite ) and Alfonso Cuarón ( Roma ), with the latter not being a surprise considering he won this category in 2013. That makes it harder to predict arthouse/international contenders like Jonathan Glazer ( The Zone of Interest ) and Justine Triet ( Anatomy of a Fall ). Subbing in for them are big studio contenders Bradley Cooper and Greta Gerwig. Best Screenplay Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan Poor Things (Tony McNamara) The Holdovers (David Hemingson) American Fiction (Cord Jefferson) Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese & Eric Roth) Past Lives (Celine Song) This is by far the hardest category to predict as both original and adapted screenplays are competing in the same category. This combination means some really strong contenders are going to be snubbed. There are no hard stats or evidence to support which films will get in or be snubbed. I could just as likely see Killers of the Flower Moon being left off and Barbie or May December taking its place. I’d happily take ⅚ correct and then stress later about predicting an eventual winner. Best Lead Actor - Drama Bradley Cooper (Maestro) Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) Colman Domingo (Rustin) Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) This category is made all the more easier as the outsiders in Joaquin Phoenix ( Napoleon ) and Adam Driver ( Ferrari ) feel quite quite distant. They’re both large performances from actors who have been nominated before, but their movies don’t offer the same support as the other contenders. The most interesting thing here is who will take the trophy between Cooper and Murphy. Best Lead Actress - Drama Carey Mulligan (Maestro) Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) Annette Bening (Nyad) Greta Lee (Past Lives) Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) The Golden Globes feels like the ideal spot for Annette Bening to finally start her campaign. Greta Lee fits the overall theme of Past Lives in that every nomination is a victory for that film. Cailee Spaeny ( Priscilla ) seems solid enough but could be overtaken by Globes legend Helen Mirren (16 nominations since 1997!) for Golda , or maybe Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor for Origin . The Globes have been the most receptive to Ava DuVernay over the years, so it’s not outside of the realm of possibilities for her film to get at least one nomination. Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) Timothee Chalamet (Wonka) Matt Damon (Air) Gael García Bernal (Cassandro) Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario) Let’s be honest here, it’s Giamatti and Wright and a bunch of also-rans. Gael García Bernal is well-liked by this group, who gave him a rather surprise win for Mozart in the Jungle a few years ago. There is also the fact that, while Bernal and Nicolas Cage are big stars, their films are quite small. But then you look down the list of possible alternates and it’s pretty thin, with maybe Jamie Foxx ( The Burial ) being the upset pick. Best Lead Actress - Musical or Comedy Emma Stone (Poor Things) Margot Robbie (Barbie) Fantasia Barrino (The Color Purple) Natalie Portman (May December) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (You Hurt My Feelings) Jennifer Lawrence (No Hard Feelings) There’s nothing too shocking here. I wouldn’t recommend predicting it, but keep an eye out for Emily Blunt in Pain Hustlers . Her supporting performance in Oppenheimer might not be enough for this group, who have nominated her six times. Just as heavily nominated over the years are Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jennifer Lawrence, who actually appeared in movies that made a dent in the cinematic culture this year. Best Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) Ryan Gosling (Barbie) Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon) Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) Charles Melton (May December) Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) There’s been no indication as of yet to stray from the six contenders most in line for the Oscar. We could get a surprise nomination like Dominic Sessa ( The Holdovers ) or Glenn Howerton ( BlackBerry ), which would be quite the treat. Or maybe even Sterling K. Brown ( American Fiction ) or Peter Sarsgaard ( Memory )? Best Supporting Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) Jodie Foster (Nyad) Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) Julianne Moore (May December) Viola Davis (Air) Things are a little crazier in this supporting acting category, with me going a little more out on a limb with Viola Davis ( Air ). It’s not a totally far-fetched prediction considering this group’s love for her. That’s actually the biggest reason I’m picking her over other contenders like America Ferrera ( Barbie ) and Taraji P. Henson ( The Color Purple ). We shouldn’t have to worry about any of the top five predicted nominees. Best Foreign Language Film Anatomy of a Fall (France) The Zone of Interest (UK) The Taste of Things (France) Society of the Snow (Spain) Perfect Days (Japan) Fallen Leaves (Finland) Because there are no restrictions on the number of submissions per country, this will be one of the few places we’ll likely see both France’s Anatomy of a Fall and The Taste of Things (the latter was selected by the country to compete for the Oscar). We could also see multiple Japanese films between Perfect Days, Monster , and The Boy and the Heron . Best Animated Feature Film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse The Boy and the Heron Elemental Chicken-Run: Dawn of the Nugget Nimona Robot Dreams The more popular (and well-acclaimed, of course) movies will be surefire nominees. What this group has excelled at doing over the years is nominating lesser-known international titles. Past examples include Inu-Oh, Loving Vincent , and My Life as a Zucchini . Neon’s Robot Dreams is the perfect candidate to fill that potential spot this year. There’s also The Peasants as well. Best Original Score Oppenheimer ( Ludwig Göransson) Killers of the Flower Moon (Robbie Robertson) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Daniel Pemberton) Poor Things (Jerskin Fendrix) The Boy and the Heron (Joe Hisaishi) The Zone of Interest (Mica Levi) Daniel Pemberton is in the same club as Emily Blunt where they’ve received numerous Globe nominations and little to no Oscar love. It’ll be no surprise here to see Pemberton get in for his Across the Spider-Verse score. The rest of the nominees will be potential first-timers, which opens the door for 27-time nominee John Williams ( Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ) to crash the party. Best Original Song What Was I Made For? (Barbie) Keep It Movin’ (The Color Purple) I’m Just Ken (Barbie) This Wish (Wish) Road to Freedom (Rustin) Peaches (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) There are three things this group loves: (1) Songs from musicals, (2) songs from animated movies, and (3) songs from biopics. We’ve got all of those bases covered here, with the added bonus of a threatening Diane Warren song from 80 for Brady . I’m snubbing her at my own peril. Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Oppenheimer Barbie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour John Wick: Chapter 4 The Super Mario Bros. Movie We might as well call this the ‘Barbenheimer’ Award this year. And with it being a new category, there are no past nominees/winners to off of. You might as well go down the box office chart this year and predict each film that also received mostly good or better reviews. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Creed III' Review February 24, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen With Creed III , the reins (or should I say gloves?) of the Rocky franchise have been fully passed down from Sylvester Stallone's The Italian Stallion to Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed. And in typical Rocky fashion, Jordan plants himself further into this universe by stepping into the director's chair, taking over after Ryan Coogler successfully revived this tired franchise in 2015 and Steven Caple Jr. adeptly continued that ascending trajectory in 2018. Fortunately for Jordan, he displays a higher quality of skill both in front and behind the camera than Stallone did with his sequels, which have the added benefit of decades worth of nostalgia to make it palatable. For the first time in this now nine-film franchise, the character of Rocky Balboa is totally absent from the story, with no mention of how he's doing in Vancouver with his estranged son and grandson. Adonis now sits somewhere in between his shoes from the first two films, and that of Rocky's, as he decides to hang up the gloves after a successful career. But while he deals with his new post-retirement future, a figure from the past shows up unannounced. It's Damian Anderson, Adonis' older brother figure from when he was moving between group homes and running from the law. An incident from their youth caused Damian to spend the next eighteen years in prison, stripping him of his "rightful" opportunity to become the best boxer in the world after making a name for himself on the amateur circuit. Adonis tries to make up for lost time by extending an olive branch to Damian in the form of taking him under his wing and preparing him for a title shot. Quickly things get out of control as Damian's pent-up rage and resentment take over, threatening to destroy Adonis' legacy as a boxer and the future he hopes to build as a leader. So, in the spirit of brotherly love, Adonis must protect what's his through the only means he knows how to: with his fists. It may come as a shock to you, especially after that plot description, to know that Creed III spends just as much time debating the morals of fighting vs using your words as it does delivering those bone-crunching blows to the head. But while Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin's script may take its time talking about why fighting doesn't solve everything, the overall narrative and kinetic work delivered by Jordan as a director say otherwise. A small subplot appears in the form of Amara dealing with bullies at school, an on-the-nose metaphor for Adonis and his situation, one that is quickly abandoned as soon as it could really mark a shift in the philosophy in this franchise. Maybe it was foolish of me to think that things could change even a little at this stage because we know that all the talk of not wanting to fight means nothing once the going gets tough. The going doesn't really need to get tough here either for Adonis to lay down the challenge, just a few inconveniences and shots at his ego, which is subtly examined by Damian as he mentions the privilege the Creed surname has afforded Adonis. Jordan has mentioned repeatedly the inspiration that the anime genre had on the filming of the boxing scenes, a statement that he capably backed up with the final product. Gone is Coogler's fluid camerawork and long takes (except for one modest sequence early on), replaced with a not-egregious-but-still-considerable amount of Zack Snyder slow motion. It's used sparingly, mainly to focus on the split-second decisions made in the ring that can win or lose a fight. The sound of blows landing does rumble throughout the theater, with the final moments having the same raw power as a fighting game character unleashing their combo meter. Majors fills out the role of the final boss with immense theatricality, displaying the unbelievable threat he is with his cagey movements and fighting style. Jordan is the more composed one of the pair, preaching how boxing is more about control and strategy than it is about violence. And the always-great Tessa Thompson is regretfully sidelined to merely being a support figure to Adonis rather than the richer character she was in the original. Creed III may be the weakest of its trilogy, but the fact that the seventh, eighth, and ninth entries are all the best of a franchise is an accomplishment by itself, even more so when you factor in the inherent limitations of the boxing genre. Jordan and Coogler (and Stallone to an extent) have found a way for this cycle of storytelling to remain relevant, even if it sometimes punches below its weight class. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Tenet' Review September 3, 2020 By: Hunter Friesen Spell it backward or forward, it spells the same. From Christopher Nolan - the virtuoso behind The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception , and Dunkirk - comes Tenet , an action blockbuster on a scale not seen before and that will never be replicated again. Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time. The plot summary I just gave you is the exact one supplied by the studio. I did this for fear of spoilers and because I cannot confidently give out any more information than what has already been covered. Tenet may be the most incomprehensible and mentally straining movie ever made. It feels like taking a whole semester of advanced physics in only one class period, all while being set in a warzone. I have no doubt there will be case studies and theses done about this movie. Nolan wastes no time throwing his audience over the deep end. He begins the film at a breakneck pace, moving from scene to scene in the blink of an eye. You struggle to grasp onto the high concept in real-time and are always playing catchup. This problem only exponentially gets worse as Nolan refuses to hold your hand as he goes further down the rabbit hole. Even one of the characters in the movie says, “Don’t try to understand it, feel it”. It’s almost as if Nolan inserted that quip just for the audience. The inability to follow the movie can be attributed to the out-of-the-box concept, but mostly it falls on Nolan’s embarrassingly weak script. The problems here are the same ones people have been saying about him for years now, that he overuses exposition and under-delivers on the emotional parts of his narrative. Tenet is nearly all exposition and no emotion. Many times the exposition gives more questions than answers and seems to be intentionally leading us astray. It’s also Nolan’s coldest film as any emotion is forced through cliche storylines that seem included to check off a box rather than tell a story. On a technical level, Tenet is both Nolan’s most and least impressive film to date. The action set pieces mix both practical and visual effects seamlessly, creating awe-inspiring showcases of movie magic. The use of time inversion in fight sequences, car chases, and an entire battle are just some of the moments that you have to see to believe. Hoyte Van Hoytema encapsulates all the gorgeous chaos in stunning widescreen cinematography and composer Ludwig Göransson overtakes your ears with a perfect hard-charging score. What’s a problem here, and has been for some time now for Nolan, is the astoundingly poor sound mixing. Without hesitation, I can say that Tenet is the loudest movie I have ever seen. Every gunshot felt like it went off next to my ear and every explosion shook my entire body. The ungodly loud sound effects made it near impossible to comprehend much of the dialogue, which was already poorly mixed, to begin with. If you thought it was hard to understand Bane in The Dark Knight Rises , just wait until you try to understand what the characters are saying here. Even with all my gripes, I was still enveloped in the world Nolan has created. There have been dozens of movies where I was lost after a few minutes and checked out for the remaining runtime. With Tenet , I was lost after minute one and completely invested for the remaining one hundred forty-nine. Part of that interest comes from the spectacle and part of that comes from the likable cast. In a star-making lead performance oozing with charisma, John David Washington plays our protagonist, who is literally called The Protagonist. He’s our vessel as he enters into this strange new world with no previous knowledge and must solve a deadly puzzle that goes against all logic. Robert Pattinson keeps his hot streak going with another charming performance as The Protagonist’s sidekick, Neil. Kenneth Branagh is intermittently good as our Russian villain, Andrei Sator. He’s exceptionally menacing in the quieter moments and cartoonishly over-the-top in his moments of outburst. Elizabeth Debicki plays the most emotionally resonant character as the helpless wife of our villain. Debicki is great in the role but is unfairly used more as an object for the story. Tenet is a full-on assault of the senses that contains unparalleled moments of spectacle and ambition. It’s nowhere near the top of Nolan’s filmography and will surely require multiple viewings to unravel. Make sure to pack some ibuprofen and prepare to have your mind twisted in ways you never thought possible. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'Renfield' Review April 12, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The last time we saw Count Dracula, he was given a dark and gritty reboot (I say that in a backhanded tone) in Dracula Untold . It was a vain and half-assed attempt by Universal to set up their “Dark Universe,” which also included the entirely forgotten The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. For all the talk about the MCU starting to falter in Phase 4, you still have to give Kevin Feige credit for keeping the ship afloat and thriving for so long, as everyone else can’t even seem to hoist the sails. But at least that curse put upon Universal came with a blessing for audiences, as it forced the studio to think a little more imaginatively with their famous monsters. Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man , starring Elisabeth Moss, took that ludicrous premise and turned it into a story about trauma (before it became an overused buzzword throughout the pandemic). And now we have Renfield , the story of Dracula and his servant in the modern-day, overflowing with buckets of blood, as well as a few laughs for good measure. Nicholas Hoult plays the titular character, who was coerced into becoming the “familiar” (a nicer term for “slave”) for the Prince of Darkness (Nicolas Cage) way back in the 1930s, when he visited Dracula’s castle in hopes to make a real estate sale. An excellently crafted 4:3 black-and-white recreation of the 1931 original movie, complete with Hoult and Cage in period-accurate makeup and acting styles (I wished the whole movie was like this), gives us an introduction to this power dynamic. But while the world has changed drastically in the 90 years since, the relationship between the two of them has stayed the same. After an ambush by vampire hunters (sorry, Van Helsing is not with them), the two of them have been forced to relocate to New Orleans, where Renfield must find more victims for his master to feed on so that he may regrow to full power. But decades of killing innocent people for an evil dark lord have started to wear Renfield down. He decides he wants to do some good, which he gets an opportunity to do when he finds himself in the middle of a war between an honorable cop (Awkwafina) and the son (Ben Schwartz) of the most violent crime family in the city. Director Chris McKay, who brought us The Lego Batman Movie (fun!) and The Tomorrow War (boring!), goes for an action-comedy tone here. Renfield acquires powers similar to Dracula when he eats bugs, allowing him to execute goons with superhuman levels of brutality. The humorous attempts at extreme gore make more sense once you realize the idea for this story comes from Robert Kirkman, creator of the other ultra-violent comics (and subsequent television series) The Walking Dead and Invincible . The action scenes are filmed with pulpy flair but are undercut by excessive use of CGI instead of practical makeup, which is made even more disappointing since it’s already being used to perfection on Cage as his mangled body slowly heals from its wounds. Ryan Ridley’s script also has issues finding a healthy middle ground, with the attempts at digging into toxic relationships being too shallow, and the comedy being too on-the-nose. Renfield’s narration mostly just repeats what we already learned visually, and characters repeatedly spell out the plot and their motivations in expository dialogue. But most of those missteps are forgiven thanks to the movie completely delivering on its simple promise of seeing Nicolas Cage playing Count Dracula. Whether it’s flesh or the scene itself, Cage is always chewing on something through his extremely committed performance. He’s having an infectious amount of fun in the role, letting out his trademarked hoots and hollers between moments of extreme violence. If this movie achieves nothing else, I hope it inspires Cage to become this generation's Christopher Lee for the character, reprising him again and again in some (hopefully creatively inspiring) future iterations. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

How 'The Godfather' Signaled Hollywood Change 50 Years Ago March 15, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The 1970s saw the birth of the film movement known as “New Hollywood” or the“American New Wave”. This movement emulated what had been going on in Europe for quite some time. The director (and sometimes writer) of the film was seen as the key authorial voice of a film, rather than the producing studio. For decades, moguls like David O. Selznick and Jack Warner loomed large over theindustry, deciding what made it to the screen. They often held the roles of judge, jury, and executioner, killing a career before it started. With these titans dying off near the beginning of the 1970s, new studio heads now had to rely on filmmakers to create products audiences craved. The world no longer begged for big musical productions or sappy romances. They wanted authentic stories that still offered gripping storytelling. A generation of filmmakers was up to this task. One of the most popular among this group was Francis Ford Coppola, a bright new talent fresh out of UCLA Film School. Like a rocket, his career took off with hits such as The Godfather , its sequel The Godfather Part II , and Apocalypse Now . Looking through the lens of “New Hollywood” and the argument of Old vs. New Sentimentality, we can see why and how Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather was a monumental work for film history. Adapted from the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, The Godfather tells the story of the Corleone crime family in 1945. Don Vito Corleone is getting up in years and must look to transfer control of his clan to one of his sons. His eldest son, Sonny, is the prime candidate to take over, but he is hot-headed and lacks the necessary nuance. The youngest son, Michael, is reluctant to work in the family business but is thrust into it after several deadly altercations. The Godfather does share many similar qualities with the films of Old Sentimentality. It’s a nearly three-hour epic adapted from a beloved novel that is filled with movie stars. Marlon Brando was one of the hottest actors on the planet, both in terms of looks and talent. Like many of the films in the studio era, the inclusion of Brando in the cast did a lot to sell the movie. But while the production values on the surface may connect The Godfather to the past, it’s what’s underneath that breaks it away from the usual crowd. The Production Code of the 40s and 50s restricted what could and could not be displayed on the screen. The good guys must win and the bad guys must lose was one of the prevailing rules. Fortunately, the code was stopped in 1968, allowing Coppola and Puzo to dig deeper into the criminal world. Coppola steeps his film into the rich Italian immigrant culture, one filled with hardships and that stresses the importance of family. Vito Corleone is a character that is given immense psychological development. Many of his actions are done to protect his family and strengthen his relationships with the other crime families. He still can be considered a villain, as he orders men to be killed and works in illegal enterprises. With Brando’s method acting, Vito Corleone was an unprecedented authentic depiction of Italian-Americans, distancing the image away from the Tommy Gun swinging depictions in earlier films such as The Public Enemy and Scarface . There could also be an argument made that Coppola’s new image became a harmful stereotype, as The Godfather became immensely influential in how Italian-Americans were portrayed in future films. What also makes The Godfather a part of the New Hollywood movement is itsunflinching violence. Around this time, auteurs were experimenting with the relationship both Hollywood and audiences had with violence, which, because of the Production Code, had been severely limited for decades. Bonnie and Clyde, The French Connection , and Straw Dogs broke into the mainstream, with their heavy use of screen violence being one of the central elements of their success. The violence within The Godfather does not sensationalize the crime lifestyle. Each death is stripped of stylization, often being shown in gruesome fashion. For example, the garrote scene has Luca Brasi’s eyes popping out of his head, and Sonny’s ambush leaves him in a bloody mess. The ending follows the massacre of several high-ranking mob bosses, including on being shot in the eye and another being gunned down in bed. None of this violence is played to be heroic or produce good consequences, similar to the films mentioned before. From the outside, The Godfather may seem to be a product of Old Sentimentality with its rich production values and starry leads. But underneath the surface, the film is a beacon of New Sentimentality with its radical new depiction of Italian-American life and its treatment of on-screen violence. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP