"The Rental" Is A Film That Should Have Been Better

 

*Minor Spoilers Ahead*

The "house/hotel that isn't quite what it seems" film has been done a million times, and it's successful because it works.  You take a person or persons and put them in a perfect seeming room or a house or a hotel room and mysterious, and often bad, things start happening to them.  When they're done correctly, they're usually very memorable.  It worked for Hitchcock in Psycho.  It worked for Kubrick in The Shining.  Hell, it even worked in a comedic way in Hot Tub Time Machine.  And it worked for 3/4ths of the new film, The Rental.  Two couples escape to an AirBnB for a weekend away from their jobs and lives, only to find out that the online description isn't exactly accurate.  They're being watched and tensions begin to mount, which leads to a finale that ultimately falls flat.  Critics were hailing this as a well-directed (it was) entry into the horror/suspense category.  For the most part, I agreed with them.  What left me feeling so empty about this is the lack of a concise ending.  Instead of letting the story play out to a satisfying conclusion, The Rental goes the route of turning it into a potential franchise, and leaving the film rather open-ended.

I can get behind open endings if done right.  If done well, an open ended film will leave you talking and guessing for years.  I loved Annihilation because it concluded the film just enough, while also leaving room for interpretation.  Great films leave you something to remember it by.  But they do offer something of a closing to the film's story.  I can't say that for The Rental.  It seems like Franco was more concerned with setting his villain up for future installments and that the characters in this film were only there to introduce us to the mysterious AirBnB killer.  They're essentially one long preview for the next film in the franchise.  Their stories never really mattered.  I think I'm upset because this film wasn't billed that way.  Maybe it's my fault for expecting something different.  For the most part it's acted well (Alison Brie, in particular), directed well and shot well.  These types of films work in the case of Jason or Freddy, because those characters are the main attraction.  The Rental seemed like a character driven story, where they got caught up in a bad situation, only to be swerved at the last moment.  I just can't get this bad taste out of my mouth.  Maybe you'll be able to.  

Wonder Woman 1984 Is A Fever Dream Of Neon & Spandex That Never Figures Itself Out

 

The original Wonder Woman was a triumph of a motion picture.  It was the first superhero movie to feature a woman in the lead and it felt special.  It was the antithesis to the slate of DC Universe films that had come out.  Whereas Man Of Steel and Batman V. Superman were dark and dreary, Wonder Woman was filled with life and wonderment.  Gal Gadot shined as the titular character in a bit of a fish out of water story set during the first World War.  Chris Pine was fantastic as her love interest.  The film didn't cut any corners in terms of storytelling for the sake of special effects.  It's for these reasons that I was so excited for the follow-up, now set in the 1980s (because when in doubt, set it in the 80s).  After setting through the 150-minute retro trip and having the evening to think it over, I can say that I'm mostly disappointed.  With few exceptions WW84 doesn't capture any of the original film's magic.  It seems to exist only because the first film made eleventy-billion dollars and a sequel was necessary.  That's not to say that it's an outright terrible movie.  I actually enjoyed the wacky nature of the film.  But overall, it was a letdown.

Through the first half of the film, I kept asking myself why they bothered to call it "Wonder Woman 1984" since it's relatively Wonder Woman free.  It was an odd choice, for sure.  Gadot's character is apparently miserable living on her own, having lost Pine's character in World War I.  She works for the Smithsonian Institution (NOT Institute like it was listed in the credits... My sister works for them and wanted me to point this out) as an investigator of supernatural relics from the past.  Kristin Wiig, who appears as a dorky assistant who everyone looks over, comes across a mysterious stone that appears to grant wishes.  Not soon after this discovery does she not so surprisingly turn into an 80s vixen.  Her transformation seems a little disappointing as she basically loses her glasses and starts wearing high heels.  This transformation feels like it was written by a man, so it's a little disappointing to realize that the director, Patty Jenkins, had a hand in crafting this story.  She also gets a bit of Wonder Woman's strength, which confusingly leads her down a path towards becoming the "Cheetah," one of the villains in the film.  She was wasted in this role.  Her comedic talents weren't used enough and her heel turn wasn't strong enough to live on its own.  She seemed to be going through the motions too much in this one. The other villain in this film is played in sweaty glory by The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal, complete with Donald Trump haircut.  He's a wannabe oil tycoon who uses the stone to take grant wishes and gain power (confused?  Yeah, me too).  What results from this is a somewhat disjointed story around the globe as Wonder Woman (though mostly in her civilian clothes) is trying to chase down the stone to overturn its powers.    It's a 2 and a half hour story that probably could have been 90 minutes and one villain less.

That's not to say that the movie was a complete wash.  I rather enjoyed the inarguable chemistry between Gadot and Chris Pine (who is inexplicably brought back from the dead for this one).  There's a couple fun scenes where Pine is getting used to being in the 80s (though Marvel did it better with Captain America), and an almost too long montage of him trying on 80s clothing.  There's also a beautiful scene where they fly through fireworks in an invisible plane.  There's also a couple excellent action sequences, but those are too few and far between.

I'm not quite sure why this film was set in the 1980s other than to cash in on the Stranger Things nostalgia train.  We've already seen Wonder Woman in the present day with the other DC Universe films and I found her more convincing in those.  If they were using this to give her more back story then I guess it worked.  Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 seemed far too close to the other DC Universe films instead of a positive follow-up to the stellar original film.  It wasn't zany enough for it to work that way (Aquaman did WTF better than this one) and it wasn't serious enough to work that way either.  It was a well-intentioned swing and miss.

On The Rocks Doesn't Know What It Wants To Be

 

Last night I had the opportunity to view the latest straight to streaming movie of 2020, On The Rocks, directed by Sofia Coppola.  On its face, it had a lot going for it.  A talented director.  A stellar cast (featuring the first collaboration between Bill Murray and Coppola since Lost In Translation).  And, a decently interesting trailer.  Going in my hopes were high with this one. Not only was I getting to watch a new movie in a time where we every movie is socially distancing itself into 2021 or later, but it was a movie from a director I highly admire.  Say what you will about Coppola, but she has a certain style that I enjoy, and her movies are always interesting because of it.  However, I have to admit that On The Rocks doesn't live up to its billing.  It's a rather lifeless wannabe rom-com devoid of style or substance.  It's filled with things and scenes I feel like I've seen a million times before.

On The Rocks stars Rashida Jones and Marlon Waynes as a couple in a rut.  They've been married for awhile, have a couple (very cute) daughters, and like any couple of that status, can't seem to keep the romantic spark alive.  Jones' character is troubled by her husband's growing distance as his business is expanding, forcing him to travel a lot with his attractive coworker.  She is worried he might be cheating on her, and so she calls in her (quirky) father for analysis, played by Bill Murray.

Like most Murray performances, he's both cool and funny... and not really a great father.  He comes up with countless zany situations to track his son-in-law.  Before you know it, the film is entering cliched rom-com territory.  I feel like I've seen this a hundred times before with a Kate Hudson or Sarah Jessica Parker.  Jones is secretly trailing her husband, hoping to catch him in the act.  She's running off to Mexico to spy on her husband at a work retreat.  Murray is along for the ride egging her on.  The problem I have with this movie is that there's nothing new or anything with style in it.  Murray isn't doing anything new.  Coppola isn't applying any of her signature style.  And, worst of all, the film doesn't know if it wants to be an all-out rom-com or a more serious dramedy.  It toes the line of each genre without ever committing to either.  Lost In Translation was so refreshing because it presented Murray in a light that we had never really seen him in before.  It was new and exciting for him to go against type.  The chemistry between him and Scarlett Johansen was off the chart in that film.  In On The Rocks, he's still charming, but in a "been there, done that" kind of way.  Coppola doesn't really allow Jones and Waynes' characters to develop much on screen chemistry either.  Most of the time is devoted to the father/daughter dynamic.

Overall, On The Rocks is not a terrible movie.  Because of its pedigree, I was expecting more.  It's the one "straight to streaming" movie that I've seen this year where I didn't feel like it needed the cinematic experience. 

Can Tenet Save The Film Industry?

 

I know I'm not going out on a limb when I say that 2020 has been unlike anything the world has ever seen.  The pandemic has wreaked havoc on every fabric of our daily lives.  The film industry is no different.  Theaters across the nation have been shuttered since March, and almost every major release has been rescheduled to 2021... with one exception.  Christopher Nolan's Tenet has been the lone holdout.  Yes, it has been pushed back a few times, but it was hellbent on being released in 2020.  Major (and minor) movie chains across the country have had Tenet as the one glimmer of hope to hold on to in a year that will forever change how we view movies.  From Onward and Hamilton to last week's release of Bill & Ted Face The Music, movies have chosen to go direct to streaming and Video-On-Demand instead of delaying their releases for a year or more.  Netflix has continued to gobble up would-be theatrical films (like Spike Lee's masterpiece Da 5 Bloods).  So will we ever have a traditional film industry again?  Christopher Nolan seems to think so.  It is doing really well in foreign markets where they are lucky enough to have leadership that has been able to handle the pandemic, unlike the United States.  It's only open in about 65% of the movie markets in this country.  Luckily, I had the unbelievable fortune of going to a movie theater again for the first time since January to see his latest event film.  Tenet, while not quite up to the high watermark of his career (Dunkirk), is a mind-melding treat, and a must-see theatrical experience.

I have been very fortunate during the pandemic and I am fully aware of my privilege when I say that losing the theatrical movie experience was one of the hardest aspects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for me.  It's the one thing (outside of my family) that I truly love in life, and it's been hard losing that experience.  I am very privileged to work for a great company and to be able to work through this horrible event.  Needless to say I was downright giddy walking into the theater to watch this film.  It was like reacquainting myself with a long lost friend.  

As far as the film goes, I don't want to spoil much in this review as much of the plot is shrouded in mystery.  I will say this, Tenet starts at a fever pace and doesn't really let up for two and a half hours.  It's like a James Bond film with time travel.  All the calling cards of a Christopher Nolan film are here.  Gorgeous imagery, a pulse-pounding Hans Zimmer score, and spectacular practical effects.  John David Washington continues his ascendancy to the top of the Hollywood A-List as a secret agent who is drawn into a world of mystery and intrigue.  Without spoiling anything, he's tasked with preventing villains from the future hellbent on destroying the past.  If that sounds confusing, I have to say that it's not as hard to follow as some reviews have said.  Sure, a lot of the dialogue is needlessly stuffy, but on the surface, it's really no different than an international espionage thriller.  I think that if you try to think about it as you're watching it, you'll get more lost than if you just sit back and enjoy it.  Like Inception, it's not as confusing as you think it is.  Washington isn't the only star in this one.  Robert Pattinson continues his recent hot streak in a supporting role and Kenneth Branagh chews up scenery left and right as a Russian arms dealer.  They are all pieces that add up to a genuine thrill ride of a film.

Back to the special effects for a minute.  Christopher Nolan has outdone himself once again.  There are scenes that happen in real-time and reverse simultaneously.  The action in this film is eye-opening, and hard to explain.  I'll just say that it's some of the best effect work that I've seen in a film.  I can't wait to watch the making of this movie to find out how Nolan did it.

If you're lucky enough to get to a theater, you must-see Tenet.  It's well-worth the wait, and a bright spot in the dark cloud that is 2020.  Hopefully it's the film that reboots the film industry.

Bill & Ted Face The Music Is A Fitting Albeit Imperfect Conclusion

 

I've been on record about the failings of comedy sequels.  They mostly repackage the jokes from the first film in a slightly different setting, and they're often times completely unnecessary.  Successful comedy is largely catching lightning in a bottle.  I could go on and on with a list of failed comedy sequel titles (don't get me started on Anchorman 2), but I'll focus on a couple since they're relevant to this post.  The first being Ghostbusters 2 and the second being Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.  Neither movie are terrible, but neither are great.  They both "expand" a story that didn't necessarily need to be expanded.  They have also (to this point) never had a third movie in the franchise.  Both Ghostbusters 3 and B&T 3 have been rumored upon with different directors/writers/producers attached at various points in their life cycles.  Ghostbusters tried to reboot the series with a largely ineffective and lifeless all-female version a couple years ago, and it's trying another reboot next year.  We'll never get an official Ghostbusters 3 with the original cast because of the untimely death of writer/star Harold Ramis.  And I'm OK with that.  The original Ghostbusters is my favorite movie of all-time.  It's perfect and endlessly rewatchable.  I have a love/hate relationship with the second movie.  It's not a bad movie, but it's not a great movie either.  It largely just exists.  I don't often choose to revisit it, and I'm OK with that.  The other comedy franchise to have a much-delayed third film is the Bill & Ted franchise.  Again, the first movie is perfect.  It's infinitely rewatchable and quotable.  Bogus Journey is just fine.  It expands a world that doesn't necessarily need to be expanded.  I don't often revisit it and I'm OK with that.  BUT, like any film nerd and Bill & Ted fan, I was timidly hopeful when they announced the third entry.  The initial trailer had some potential, and when the reviews started pouring in for Face The Music, I have to admit I began to be excited for it.  After watching it, I can admit that Bill & Ted Face The Music is a fitting send-off for our favorite San Dimas California boneheads.

Face The Music takes place 25 years after Bogus Journey.  The Wyld Stallyns haven't written the song that will unite the world.  In fact, after initial success as a band, they totally fell apart VH1 Behind The Music style.  Bill & Ted are still trying to write their destiny song, but their lives have pretty much fallen apart (playing bingo halls on $2 taco nights).  Just as things are about to hit rock bottom, their past (or is it their future) catches up with them.  Rufus' daughter tells them that "time as we know it" will end at exactly 7:17pm if they don't write their song.  Luckily for Bill & Ted, the time-traveling phone booth is always at the ready.  They embark on a trip through time to steal the song from their future "us-es."  Along the way, their daughters Billie and Theodora also jump through time to try to build a band out of history's greatest musicians.   Face The Music is a cute, heart worming journey to find their meaning.  I enjoyed it because I, too, am a 40-something struggling with not living up to my potential.

The film doesn't deliver a homerun by any means, but it's a solid double.  I wish that it could have seen a wide theatrical release (F-COVID), because this franchise deserves it.  I have to say that Alex Winter gives a better performance than Keanu Reeves, who seems a little wooden in his return to playing Ted Theodore Logan.  There's a couple other characters who steal the show.  Anthony Carrigan (of HBO's Barry fame) is hilarious as a time-traveling robot hellbent on killing Bill and Ted.  William Sadler's return to playing Death is also a highlight of the film.  If you're a fan of the series, it's definitely worth a view.  If not, I'd steer clear.

Greyhound - Tom Hanks Returns To The WWII Film Genre With Diminishing Returns

I make no qualms about this statement:  Saving Private Ryan is one of the best movies ever made.  It's definitely in my top 5 list, and might even be in my top 2-3 movies of all-time.  It's the best World War II movie ever made (in my humble opinion), and a high water mark in the legendary careers of both Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg.  Its loss to Shakespeare In Love for Best Picture is certainly one of the all-time upsets in Oscars history.  So my expectations for Greyhound were certainly high after viewing its first trailer.  Then... COVID hit and made this film a "straight to streaming" casualty.  Luckily, I have a free one-year trail to Apple TV+ and was able to watch it this weekend.  The results are a mixed bag.  It's filled with exciting action sequences, but lacks the depth of characters and storytelling I was expecting.

Put simply, Greyhound is essentially the third act of a war film.  It's only 90 minutes in length (actually about 1 hour 20 minutes when you take out the opening/closing credits).  It handles the backstory through a pre-movie credit sequence and gives us one scene with Tom Hanks character before throwing us directly into the mission.  Hanks plays a sea captain in charge of leading a battleship that is protecting allied ships as they cross the Atlantic Ocean on their way to re-supply the troops in Europe.  It's his first run as captain of a ship, and its his job to seek out and destroy German U-Boats as they try to down allied ships.

Like I said earlier, this movie is one long battle... and not much else.  We get a glimpse of the other sailors on the ships, and we hear voices from other ships in the armada, but we never get anything more than that.  Elizabeth Shue also appears in a brief scene to give Hanks' character a little bit of depth, but it's largely a forgettable scene.  I really wanted to like this one, but it was hard to care about anyone besides Hanks' character.  His charm and acting ability is one of the only saving graces of this film.  Hanks is credited as the screenwriter of this one (his fist screenplay credit, ever), and while he does a good job of keeping the pace moving forward, I just wish more was committed to building the backstory.  Imagine if Saving Private Ryan skipped straight to the final battle and only introduced us to characters and story via some titles at the beginning of the film.  That's what we get here.

I'm glad I had the free trial to Apple TV+, however I wouldn't go seeking out this movie if I had to pay for it.  It was a 90 minute movie that needed to be an hour longer.

Enough Said And The Quarantine Movie Lull

It's been months since I've posted on this blog.  A huge part of it is that I, like the rest of the world, have been feeling the quarantine blues.  I've really only done reviews and posts on movies that I see in the theaters.  However, COVID-19 has killed that experience for us, so I didn't really think of this blog or doing reviews.  I've watched some of the "direct to VOD" movies such as The King Of Staten Island (liked it), The Invisible Man (enjoyed it), and Da 5 Bloods (loved it!), but never got around to reviewing them.  As it's becoming more and more clear that movie theaters aren't re-opening anytime soon (Christopher Nolan's Tenet is holding out hope, but its release keeps getting pushed further back and back.), I'm starting to realize that home video will be our only way of consuming movies for the foreseeable future.  This brings me to my next point... we've essentially reached the finish line for new movie releases.  This has forced me to go through my Netflix DVD list (more on that in a moment) to movies I've always planned on watching, but would always put on hold as new movies were released.

Let me start this section with a little story.  Once upon a time, Netflix was a company where you rented DVDs by mail.  It still has this function, but the number of people who pay for this service goes down every year.  But like dial-up AOL, there are still some people who enjoy this service.  I, for one, am a proud member of this club.  It's really the only way to watch new movies on a cheap, consistent basis at home.  I will be a member of the Netflix DVD club until they board up shop on their last service center.  This brings me to Enough Said, a movie I've always wanted to watch, but one that I've skipped over for years.  With COVID killing off the new releases, I'm finally getting to these "I'll get to them eventually" films.  Last night, I had the pleasure of watching Enough Said, a warm and enjoyable romantic comedy, featuring dynamic performances by its two leads, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the late great James Gandolfini (In one of his final performances.).  I really wish that we got to see more performances like this from Gandolfini before he passed.  He's a natural leading man and is more than able to play characters with heart and flaws.  This film doesn't break any grounds in terms of storytelling, but it's a real treat because of their performances.

Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus are both divorced, single-parents getting back in the dating scene.  They're the quintessential "opposites attract" characters.  Like I said, we're not breaking the mold with this film.  These two characters are lived-in and both feel like they could be people you know in real life.  Gandolfini is very charming going against the Tony Soprano character that he was known for.  This film portrays their ups and downs as they form their new relationship.  What I like about this film is that there are plenty of moments that could derail this story and drive the film into slapstick territory, but it never goes that route.  I appreciated that, because it made the story more believable.  I'm not sure if Enough Said is available on streaming platforms, but it's worth a view if you haven't seen it yet.

I'm also not sure when, or if I'll revisit this blog, but I hope to do more posts going forward.