Review by Camden Ferrell Coming hot off of an Oscar nomination for his short film, Ninety-Five Senses, Jared Hess has teamed up with co-director Lynn Wang on his first ever animated feature, Thelma the Unicorn. This is Hess’ first narrative feature since 2016’s Masterminds. Unfortunately, this film fails on almost every possible level, delivering a predictable and cheaply made story that squanders the talents and idiosyncrasies of its writer/direct and well-known cast. Thelma is a pony with big aspirations to become a musical sensation with her friends. Despite their best efforts, they can’t seem to catch a break with people constantly dismissing them and never giving them a shot. After a fateful encounter with some paint and sparkles, Thelma finds herself looking exactly like a unicorn. This sparks a chain of events that pushes Thelma into the global spotlight and finding the fame she so desperately craved. However, she soon learns this is more than she bargained for. It’s a very basic story of pitfalls of fame that you’ve likely seen a million times before, and this movie doesn’t tread any new ground in that regard. This movie was written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, but one would have a difficult time deducing that based on the final product. For better or worse, they’re a very idiosyncratic and quirky duo, but their signature style and charm are entirely absent from their most recent effort. It feels like another lazy children’s movie that could have been AI generated as opposed to an eccentric yet original script that they’re known for. This is the same duo that made one of the most iconically original movies of the early 2000’s, and it’s a shame that this is the quality of output they’re putting out now. This is even more disappointing considering they both wrote and directed such a brilliant short film just last year. From an acting perspective, there’s not much to talk about. Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes fame) leads the film as Thelma. Her singing is obviously phenomenal, but everything else is so ordinary that it’s hard to say it’s particularly good or bad as a voice performance. The film is supported by names like Will Forte, Jon Heder, and Jemaine Clement, and while they’re all hugely entertaining and talented people in their own rights, I felt nothing hearing their recognizable voices. Not to say that they phoned it in, but the movie lacks the personality you’d expect from the cast it acquired.
Even as far as children’s entertainment goes, this movie feels like a nothing burger at best. At worst, it’s another overstimulating, eerily animated, and completely forgettable movie for all ages. Every single scene follows the same beats we’ve been seeing forever, and it doesn’t do anything interesting with its premise, so the entire experience is disappointing and unpleasant. It might be something to mindlessly throw on for the youngest of children if necessary, but it doesn’t have much else to offer. Thelma the Unicorn may have a talented singer in the lead role. It may have a well-known director and writing duo who always put out some original and quirky films regardless of quality. Unfortunately, this is not enough to make this movie sing the way it wants to. It’s a bland and formulaic story that is at times miserable to watch. It has absolutely nothing original to say and even at its most barebones level, it’s not entertaining. Thelma the Unicorn is on Netflix May 17. Rating: 1/5
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Review by Joseph Fayed Amy Winehouse lived quite the life for someone who died at only 27 years old. The media would act like she was plagued by fame and drugs and that's how she met her untimely demise. Back to Black, a Winehouse estate-approved biopic, puts the blame on sex, drugs, and jazz for the troubled starlet's demise. It is a very safe approach to the dangers of addiction at the expense of a joyful life and a story that beats around the bush about how Amy may have been failed. The film begins with 18-year-old Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela) sharing her love for singing with her father, Mitch, and her grandmother, Cynthia. Soon after, a friend introduces her to her first manager at Island Records who immediately sees her talent. She releases her first album, "Frank," to rave reviews. Her fame grows, and despite warnings from her label to change her act, Amy remains defiant in being who she is. She meets Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell) and quickly falls in love. Blake's demons, along with Amy's, begin to clash. The world admires her soulful voice, but concerns grow for Amy's lifestyle. Amy insists that nothing is wrong, but several occurrences of alarming behavior scare those around her as she prepares to record her second and most acclaimed album yet. The biopic comes across as a new iteration of A Star Is Born but the main difference here is combing key characteristics of the male and female leads of those film into one person: Amy. Amy's troubles appear to be the direct result of the environment in which she was engulfed. Fame is troubling, and no one craves it — any celebrity of a certain status will tell you that. That lesson bears no repeating as many times as it does in this film. One thing the film does insist on is that Amy's family relationships didn't seem to suffer as a direct result of her fame, but rather because of her relationship with Blake. This is where, narratively, Amy's story becomes a bit confusing. It leaves the viewer asking whether fame kills. Or is it a bad boy who will cause you to self-destruct? Ultimately, it is a mix of both, but the message gets lost in translation. While Amy's rise to fame is heavily explored, her artistry goes on the back burner. While the events that loosely influenced some of her hit songs are retold, it is more of a clunky cumulation than Amy reflecting upon her life. It works when it retells how her breakups inspired several songs but goes off track when it comes to her addiction and self-control. Such a personalized experience is presented as a nightmare by the press and, to a lesser extent, her parents. If the lyrics to "Rehab" are true, are we supposed to believe Amy thought her struggles with addiction were just projected onto her by select people she knew?
Marisa Abela gives it her best as Amy. She really looks and acts like Amy during the scenes when she is performing on stage. Her lip-syncing and mannerisms are the most impressive. Her speaking voice is a bit quieter than the real Amy's was, and with her styling, it sounds a bit like a British woman dressed in a costume like Amy. That observation aside, it is Abela who brings depth and sincerity to her role. Jack O'Connell has good chemistry with Abela and is surprisingly convincing as the enabler of Amy's pain. Blake is misunderstood by everyone except Amy, and his own sufferings are paired perfectly on screen by O'Connell and Abela. Back to Black is the first attempt by Hollywood at an Amy Winehouse biopic, and while it has a good run, it tends to fall into its own cliches. Amy repeatedly says she doesn't sing to be famous, but this film mostly observes how famous people suffer in the public eye, emphasizing them and their struggles being so well known. It seems the Winehouse estate feared judgment for how Amy was treated; the best comparison would be putting a Band-Aid on an old wound. Sam Taylor-Johnson's direction and Matt Greenhalgh's script make fame out to be the biggest monster in Amy's life. She clearly had her own inner demons and so did those who knew her the best. Perhaps fame and drugs are more of a correlation, not causation, with troubled singers, but if that's not what sells albums and movie tickets, then maybe Hollywood won't consider a different approach to its art. Back to Black hits theaters on May 19. Rating: 3/5 Review by Daniel Lima How much one gets out of In Our Day may depend as much on their relationship with the director’s body of work as their response to this film. Hong Sang-soo has been making films for the past three decades, and by all accounts, they have tackled many of the same themes in many of the same forms. As someone with only a cursory familiarity with his oeuvre, it’s not hard to see the appeal, but there’s only so much to be gleaned from what is presented here. Like most of his other works, the film follows artists: an older poet experiencing a late-career resurgence and a middle-aged actress who recently returned to Seoul after becoming disenchanted with her craft. The two narratives — though that is perhaps too lofty a phrase to describe them — never actually intersect, though there are common elements reflected in both. Through conversations with friends and admirers, the two reflect on art, life, and loss. Also, there is a cat. Formally, this is as bare bones and rudimentary as you can get. Shooting on what appears to be consumer-grade cameras, two locations for each story (one of which is just outside the door of each artist’s home), each scene just a single, continuous, locked-down shot, and heavily improvised dialogue. With no prior knowledge of the director, it’d be easy to mistake this for a student production; even having only seen his 2011 film The Day He Arrives, I was a bit taken aback by just how pared down this movie is. While the conversations are meandering, with lots of repetitive small talk about the food they’re eating and games of Rock Paper Scissors, they both hit familiar beats. The poet has found some measure of success that had eluded him for so long, but he finds himself more preoccupied with everyday concerns. When pressed to offer some sage wisdom, he implores his audience to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Similarly, while she struggles to offer a young fan any advice on breaking into the industry, the actress has a clear understanding of what convinced her to leave it behind, explaining the exact moment that she felt her art lost its luster. Both harbor regrets over misspent youths and pleasures that are now closed off to them, but they have an appreciation for the life they lead now.
The amateur quality of this film is impossible to ignore, particularly coming from a filmmaker who regularly shows up at big international film festivals and has been making movies since the 1990s. Though his work clearly resonates with many, and these themes are certainly self-reflective as he ages into his twilight years, there is something to be said about how much should be expected from an artist of his caliber. Considering how low rent this is, how vaguely these ideas are actually explored, and how often he explores them in this way, should it be judged more harshly? Should someone with his stature be expected to show more growth, to take more care, to offer… more? There is something to be said for that. However personal this film might be, when you’re three minutes into just watching people eat dinner, repeating that they like the food in every possible permutation the improving actors can think of, staying within that moment can be difficult. A sharp, focused script could have lent this a more hand-crafted quality, a sense of intention that would make spending time with these characters more resonant and meaningful, even if they’re still just eating and enjoying each other’s company. Yet, I can’t say that In Our Day is an unpleasant time. As tossed off as it may feel to some, there is something admirable about an experienced filmmaker who so commits to such an unobtrusive style, stripping away the craft to only the bare essentials and then going further still. It makes for a calming, serene experience, albeit one with a definite ceiling for how much it can actually achieve. Also, there is a cat. In Our Day hits theaters on May 17. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal’s feature debut, Nightwatch, was the beginning of not only his own career but also that of now-Emmy-nominated actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones). If it’s not obvious, Bornedal needs the thirty-years-later sequel Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever much more than his star, and this air of desperation drags the film down despite competent execution.
The movie picks up decades after the original and follows the daughter of Martin (Coster-Waldau) as she takes a night watch job, only to stir up trouble when she visits her father’s tormentor, Wörmer, in prison. Where the first film was a lean, effective crime thriller a la Silence of the Lambs, this sequel attempts to bite off much more — thematically and narratively — and falters as a result. The other aspect of Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever that holds it back is its dialogue. The script gets strangely political, but not in a way that offers legitimate commentary on anything. Characters say things like, “Am I a boomer if I say men are more fit for this job?” or “Do I have your consent to have sex? It’s only our second time.” The intention behind these lines feels so mean-spirited and conservative — like the movie is insulting modern-day society for caring about things like gender equality and enthusiastic consent — that it’s impossible to overlook. The film also frustratingly wastes most of its cast. The returners, namely Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Kim Bodnia, are not given much to do. Of course, this blame lies mostly with the script and not with the actors, who do the best they can with the material, but even these talented actors can only do so much. Still, much as Nightwatch served as a launching pad for Coster-Waldau, this sequel could prove to be an auspicious breakout for Fanny Leander Bornedal, who gives a very compelling turn in the lead.
The actress Bornedal indeed deserves a lot of praise because her character’s motivations — much like everyone else’s in the movie — don’t make much sense. Not enough time is spent exploring her relationship with her father to justify some of her absurd actions in the first act. As for the villains, the attempts at mystery and red herrings feel incredibly anticlimactic and unearned.
Demons Are Forever does live up to its predecessor in one key way, though: as a work of image-making and atmosphere. Even through all the ridiculous (yet predictable) twists and turns, it’s satisfyingly chilling. Bornedal has an uncanny sense of how to create claustrophobia through emptiness, and the result is a film that feels incredibly unsettling. However, like so many legacy sequels, Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever is unable to escape the trappings of formula. Viewers who have seen the original movie recently will find themselves plagued by an overwhelming feeling of familiarity. You will know that any hint of supernatural horror is merely misdirection and likely have a good idea of who the “real bad guy” is. Even the film’s attempts to shock audiences and catch them off-guard fall closely in line with a precedent established by other horror franchises. Because of this, among other reasons, Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever doesn’t feel like a necessary continuation of the original’s story. Instead, it comes off as a desperate attempt by a director who peaked thirty years ago to cash in on his prime. Oh well — if nothing else, its release serves as an excuse for Shudder to rerelease the excellent 1994 film. Take this opportunity to watch that much better thriller if you haven’t seen it before. Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever streams on Shudder beginning May 17. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Creating a documentary that feels like you're watching a spy thriller is no easy feat. With Taking Venice, director Amei Wallach manages to tell this true story in a way that makes it feel less like a documentary through innovative visuals and a propulsive score. Historical docs often find their audience simply because the subject matter is engrossing, but this film shows you can sometimes have your cake and eat it too. Taking Venice tells the story of the first time an American artist entered the Venice Biennale at the height of the Cold War. Determined to fight Communism with culture, Alice Denny, a Washington insider, Alan Solomon, an art curator, and Leo Castelli, a powerful art dealer, look to make artist Rauschenberg the winner of the Grand Prize. Wallach moves back and forth, developing the scheme while simultaneously informing the audience of the art movement of the time as well as Rauschenberg’s contemporaries. It doesn't take long for Wallach to demonstrate that this isn't the average archival footage and still picture documentary. While those are present, the film blends them together with modern footage in ways that showcase the art. A still photo in a sepia tone will merge with full-color moving video to create a unique visual style. There are moments when newspapers in France or Italy are displayed, and then the language morphs into English to reveal the content for the likely American audience. These visual embellishments add a distinct style that makes it stand out from other historical documentaries. The score by Chee Wei Tay is the next element that makes this film pop. It's so energetic and feels like one you'd hear in a spy or crime thriller. It makes each element of the story feel a little more dangerous than it really is. While a “conspiracy” or “scheme” is happening, it doesn't seem like the stakes were all that high. Yet, the film sets out to make it feel like they were, and the score does much of the heavy lifting with regard to this. The final piece that really makes everything click into place is the presentation of the importance of art. Present is a combination of elements that discuss the impact of the various fights for equality in the '50s and '60s, and how the art of the time reflected that. The cultural impact of the various artists of the time essentially becomes weaponized to combat Communism, but the artists themselves have their own agenda. The power of art is no mystery to cinephiles, but the movie and the subject matter do a great job selling it.
The film fills its audience with a feeling of discovery and anticipation. Unless you’re already intimately familiar with the subject matter, you will likely learn something new at multiple points. The framing of a conspiracy being uncovered only helps to hook the audience and bring them along on the journey. Taking Venice is a very well-made documentary that tells a story about which any art lover should know. There were so many elements that I knew nothing about prior to watching, and I was captivated the entire time. The art that is displayed in both the archival footage and the modern day exhibits holds historical significance. Again, this could have easily just been a PBS documentary with talking heads and photographs Ken Burns-ing their way across the screen. Instead, it's something much, much more. Taking Venice will be in theaters on May 17. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Since Coma’s debut at the 2022 Berlinale, French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello has already shot, premiered, and released his next film, The Beast. However, Coma is just now getting its release in the United States, and although it does feel a bit dated, there’s still plenty to respect about the picture as a work of avant-garde cinema.
The movie follows a teenage girl who, amid the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, becomes infatuated with the teachings and persona of a mysterious vlogger, causing her to begin to lose her grip on reality. Ultimately, Coma is the type of film whose narrative is more a vehicle to deliver commentary than a satisfying experience in and of itself, so how much the film works for viewers will depend heavily on how much they can connect with Bonello’s message. Like much of Bonello’s work, Coma is incredibly dense and demands close attention and analysis. Even though the runtime clocks in under 80 minutes before credits, its highly experimental nature means that it will test the patience of all but the most studious cinephiles. Even so, it’s not a particularly enjoyable or entertaining movie, with Bonello opting for a more evocative approach. Still, one can’t help but admire some of the ambitious swings Bonello takes with the cinematic form here. The most interesting gimmick in the film is the inclusion of sequences shot with dolls as the characters, but there are plenty of visually compelling sequences, including animated scenes, dreamlike iconography, and bookends with no audio and only subtitles telling the story.
And as far as movies shot during the COVID pandemic go, Coma is arguably one of the most effective. Not only does it do an excellent job of capturing the unique feeling of collective anxiety we felt at the time, but it also doesn’t feel overly limited by its isolationism. Bonello fills the frame in interesting ways, giving it a sense of kineticism that many of these films lacked.
That said, Bonello arguably bites off more than he can chew in a thematic sense. The movie’s core is about online culture and our consumption of online content. However, framing that through the lens of the pandemic — a time when we were all consuming unprecedented levels of online content — introduces another theme. Some of the content the protagonist watches online also adds more thematic depth, such as an exploration of our society’s obsession with death and serial killers. Coma is full of interesting ideas, but not all are investigated sufficiently. It also doesn’t help that the film’s characters feel so underdeveloped. Louise Labèque and Julia Faure both give fittingly alluring and mysterious performances, but their characters feel like they exist for little more purpose than reaction and exposition, respectively. Although viewers will identify with the protagonist’s disillusionment, the distance from the COVID-19 pandemic undeniably hurts the movie a bit. Although Coma may have been released a couple of years too late, it’s still possible to admire Bertrand Bonello’s pandemic-era psychological thriller from afar. Bonello has done some incredible things with form, especially considering his limitations while making the film, and those intrigued by his heavily experimental approach to filmmaking will find plenty to respect here. Coma hits theaters on May 17. Rating: 4/5 Review by Daniel Lima The hazy, loose Los Angeles-set neo-noir has become its own distinct subgenre. Seminal films such as The Long Goodbye, The Big Lebowski, and Inherent Vice follow detectives who end up way over their heads, caught in a web of conspiracies and subterfuge that they unravel only by happenstance. Poolman, the directorial debut of actor Chris Pine, has the charm, the disconnected narrative, the performances, and the look of these films down pat. Paradoxically, however, it lacks the focus that makes the best of them so potent. Pine stars as — wouldn’t you know it — a poolman who lives and works at a roadside motel. After a routine visit to city hall, heckling local officials for not meeting the needs of their constituents, he is approached by a mysterious woman who asks for his help in uncovering a criminal plot involving some of the most powerful men in LA. Together with his closest friends, he attempts to expose the seedy underbelly of the highest echelon of the city… regardless of how utterly lost he actually is. To give the film some credit, it is clear this is a labor of love. Pine is as charming as he has ever been, and it’s clear he has great empathy for the now-familiar archetype of the principled yet underachieving lout, committed to the cause of righteousness even if he is neither the most competent nor exemplary model of a do-gooder. The rest of the ensemble relishes their role, with DaWanda Wise and Stephen Toblowsky especially being the clear standouts. Fostering a sense of community goes a long way in grounding a film like this, and the distinct characters that populate this world certainly help with that. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t have the amateurish, slapdash feel that many an actor’s vanity project has either. Produced by filmmaker Patty Jenkins and the experienced Stacey Sher, shot on celluloid by Jenkins’ frequent cinematographer, and having intricate sets and costumes that are varied and revealing, the care that went into creating this world is right on the screen. In Poolman, Los Angeles is exactly the vibrant, offbeat, singular place that its title character would take such interest in defending. It is unfortunate, then, that the movie makes absolutely no sense. An ephemeral and esoteric narrative, or at least a prohibitively convoluted one, is part and parcel of this brand of sun-soaked noir. That said, they still have to maintain a perspective, impart some kind of artistic thesis, or, at the very least, establish stakes. At some point, there needs to be a sense of exactly how out of their depth the protagonist is, how far-reaching the power of their foes is, and how integral their nefarious schemes are to the society they corrupt.
That moment of elucidation never arrives here. Multiple viewings of Pine’s appeals to the city council do nothing to help clear up what exactly has him so aggrieved in the first place. As he investigates further, the names of people and places are rattled off so quickly, with no faces to attach them to, that it becomes impossible to keep track of who is who and what is what. When these unseen figures do finally show up, they are shuffled into and out of the narrative so quickly that it’s hard to make sense of their significance. All this means that what is actually happening is unfathomable long before the mystery gets underway. This means that this film lives and dies on how much the audience can enjoy hanging out with these characters. The problem there is that, while the performances are solid and the character’s personalities are well-defined, they don’t have good material to work with. For all the absurd humor and outsized acting, nothing here is particularly funny. For all the technical craftsmanship on display, both the flow of the story and the rhythm of individual scenes feel off, with too much dead air in both. A sharper script would have benefitted all the best elements of the movie greatly; without that, there’s nothing to tie it together into a cohesive whole. Yet it’s hard to be too hard on Poolman. At a time when even smaller films feel like they are playing things safe, attempting to meet audience expectations rather than set them, it is nice to see someone use their star power to push something so shaggy and odd to the finish line. Poolman is now playing in theaters Rating: 3/5 H2: THE OCCUPATION LAB -- Informative, Effective Doc on Israeli Occupation Limits Ambitions5/9/2024 Review by Daniel Lima Documentary filmmaking may be the most dynamic and engaging way to succinctly impart information to an audience, but making that the primary artistic goal creates a ceiling that can be impossible to break through. H2: The Occupation Lab is a sterling example of this, as it seeks to educate viewers about the Palestinian city of Hebron, a portion of which is under the direct control of the Israeli government. Though it is undoubtedly an informative work, it lacks the perspective and drive that would make it stand out. An old city in the West Bank of significant religious importance to both Jews and Muslims, Hebron was forcibly occupied by Israel shortly after its creation. Tensions between the Palestinian residents and the Israeli settlers rose through the decades as the IDF exerted more and more direct control on behalf of the settlers. Today, H2 — the Israeli section of the city — is practically a ghost town, with the Muslim residents subject to raids, detainment, random acts of violence, and a lingering malevolent aura, a sense that they are not welcome in their own homes. The film is certainly effective in detailing how the situation deteriorated to its present state, offering a comprehensive overview of the city’s history. Beginning not with the establishment of the Israeli military government of Hebron but with the massacre of the Jewish population in 1927, the holistic portrait of conflict within the city manages to acknowledge sins committed by both factions without bothsiderist rhetoric that ignores power differentials. It is clear from how the movie is structured, bookending with images of empty streets and IDF soldiers harassing Palestinians, that the occupation is an evil for which there is no defense. It just doesn’t shy away from inconvenient truths. Most of the film is a chronological rundown of H2, with archival footage and talking head interviews with people present at major events. Surprisingly, not all the interviews are with Arabs; plenty of former Israeli officials and soldiers offer their own accounts, albeit most with a sympathetic or regretful perspective toward the people they worked to oppress. While these segments intend to impart the history of the city, the footage and testimonials are often emotionally stirring and disturbing. Jewish settlers mock Palestinians in their homes; IDF soldiers gleefully talk about gunning down taxis; Arab residents are executed on public streets. Perhaps most chilling is the cumulative substance of the footage, as lively streets full of Palestinians from decades ago give way to a barren, empty ghost town.
However, the movie falls a bit short in articulating a thesis beyond merely retelling and detailing how things got so bad. As implied by the title, it is stated early on that the practices that Israel instituted throughout the occupied territories were first tested within H2 — a perfect staging ground as an Israeli stronghold with a Muslim majority. Since most of the movie is spent on history, however, no time is spent drawing more than a casual link between what goes on in Hebron and Palestine as a whole. Naturally, anyone with a passing familiarity with what has been happening in Gaza can recognize the similarities, but establishing a timeline and a causal relationship between H2 and the world at large would have given these images even more potency and urgency. Ultimately, H2: The Occupation Lab is still interesting, harrowing, and informative enough to warrant a watch despite a relative lack of artistic ambition. Its primary purpose is simply to make its audience more knowledgeable about the situation in Hebron and the whole of Palestine, and it does an admirable job at that. It just would be nice if it attempted to go further than that. H2: The Occupation Lab is available on VOD May 10. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Has the thought of plants ever made you think of sex? If not, you're probably like most people in this world. But if you are anything like the characters in A Prince, you will see how the sheer solitude of botany can illicit some brow-raising desires. The film follows Pierre-Joseph, who, according to his dysfunctional family, is set to become one of two things: a plumber or a florist. He picks the latter. While a student, he observes his aging teachers and mentors and soon realizes he is attracted to one of them. Primarily told by an aged Pierre-Joseph as narrator, this tale shows how he planted the seeds (no pun intended) to sprout some lust in the gardens. This film relies on narration to voice the thoughts of most of the main characters. It is a strategy that works to expand Pierre-Joseph's mind and does no other favors. Pierre-Joseph's feelings and desires deserve to have a voice. But we rely too heavily on him because the film would be entirely bland without him. However, for a story about intimacy, we don't hear much from his partners or those with whom he has an established connection. Pierre-Joseph is not an unreliable narrator, so to have the film structured from his point of view and not be a distorted reality — but still lacking character development for all but one — is a step back. Sexuality is depicted as an awkward tease. This is certainly not the first time that has been done, but in French cinema, it seems bizarre. Pierre-Joseph's dirty thoughts are mostly just that. While confessing these to the viewer, some are tied into the story well. Most of the film is a tease, and we wait for the build-up between the main two love interests. When this finally happens without spoiling much, it is certainly memorable, but that happens and you feel like you are just itching for much more. Maybe it's an allegory for sex, but so much hype and an underwhelming result don't necessarily transfer well to the screen.
The biggest hope this film had going for it would have been embracing its campiness more. The sexual escapades of a botanist has camp written all over it. The supporting cast, who were the biggest letdown through no fault of their own, could have been such terrific misfits to watch. Pierre-Joseph's alcoholic mother, who works at a gun shop, is the most memorable example. Someone like that should be inserting themselves into their son's life more or be more horny herself. The jokes would write themselves, and underutilizing its deadpan humor potential to be something more serious backfired. A Prince finds itself in the wrong genre. It has trinkets of a dark comedy, but without knowing how to navigate the allure of sex, it falls flat. Camp icon and filmmaker John Waters ranked this as number two on his list of top ten films of 2023. There is one scene alone (which, again, no spoilers) I can think of that, given the impressive CGI, I would understand why this film got ranked so high by Waters. But it also makes me wish this film was in the hands of someone who is not afraid to be bolder and more brazen. Hot girl summer is around the corner, and we are off to a bad start. A Prince hits theaters on May 10. Rating: 1/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Mothers need love, too — especially if they've been so focused on taking care of their only daughter for the majority of the last twenty years. Though it's never easy to let your child grow up, it is eventually a necessity that you stop taking care of them so you may finally focus on yourself. That's essentially the point of Mother of the Bride. Lana (Brooke Shields) finally sees her daughter, Emma (Miranda Cosgrove), after she's been in London for an entire year. Emma drops the big news that she's engaged and getting married in a month in Thailand, which will be a part of her new business. While it's not easy to step back, Lana is surprised to find that her future son-in-law's father is the lost love of her life from college. Shields is definitely game for the comedy in the film. Several moments feel a bit cheesy, but she makes it work despite the material. Cosgrove and Shields have enough talent to mostly sell the mother-daughter relationship, but the dialogue does them no favors. Nearly every moment that contains conflict feels overly fabricated and far too melodramatic. The history between these two is filled in with clunky exposition that will make audiences roll their eyes or laugh with a hint of derision. If the actors didn't have the talent, the film would be quite unwatchable. Benjamin Bratt plays the father of the groom (Sean Teale), and it is always a treat to have him in a project. Bratt looks fantastic, and the history between his character and Shields's is by far the most compelling storyline in the film. His introduction leads to one of the aforementioned eye-rolling scenes, where they fall into the pool in one of the more cliche rom-com-type moments. While director Mark Waters has delivered some pretty beloved films, including Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, there is an undeniable Hallmark movie sheen in this one. The overall aesthetic is too bright, and everything feels a bit too polished. There is almost something uncinematic about the look of everything that makes it seem as if it belongs amongst the ever-growing library of those beloved TV network movies.
The film absolutely pulls from recent releases in what almost feels like a mash-up of Crazy Rich Asians and Ticket to Paradise. The "exotic" setting with the excessive wealth and the focus on the parents of the happy couple rather than the couple themselves seems to pull from those recent rom-com successes. In the opening scene, RJ proposes to Emma at a fancy restaurant that he's emptied out, minus the staff and far too many flowers. It's gorgeous and excessive, which is a solid metaphor for this movie. It feels like it wants to be the wedding sequence from Crazy Rich Asians but is not quite capable of selling it the same. Still, Mother of the Bride isn't doing anything wrong. While the dialogue could have used a little bit of touch-up, it's a perfectly enjoyable entry to the genre. Other than feeling a bit like a made-for-TV movie, the performances help elevate the overall product. Even though every moment of drama feels far too contrived, the comedic elements help to counter the melodrama. Mother of the Bride will be streaming on Netflix on May 9. Rating: 3/5 |
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