Cinephile No. 802 “Ad Astra”

Recommendation: 5/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.” -IMDB

Review: “Ad Astra” begins on a tower, miles above the earth. As the camera moves, we get a true sense of the vastness of space and what it means to be standing on the precipice of all that is beyond the safety of our atmosphere and this blue marble we call home. In an instant, this celestial scene is torn apart and given to chaos as debris begins raining down from above. As we watch Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) fall back to Earth, we are offered our first glimpse into how little the universe cares for us.

Waking in a hospital bed, Roy thanks his lucky stars to be alive, but a new mystery is born. What happened? Debriefing with military brass, Roy discovers his father is believed to be alive after missing for 30-years and may be the reason for the attack on the tower. This launches a search for his father that will have Roy journeying across the universe for profound and heart wrenching answers.

“Ad Astra” displays beauty in the chaos. Bouncing from the Moon, to Mars, and then some of the farthest reaches of our universe, we find beauty in man’s accomplishments, the loneliness in space, and the sheer black backdrop of our heavens. Standing on Mars, Roy reaches out to his father and by doing so reveals man’s need to reach out and a son’s wish to be appreciated by his father. When the call returns, a search and destroy mission is launched and a new burden is born.

Beyond the beauty of this film, there is silence broken only by Roy contemplating his place in the universe and a search for reason. It is only when confronted with death and being truly alone do we understand the importance of this film. In these moments, no definitive answers are given. Instead, we are asked to leave the theater to continually wrestle with this story and how it has impacted us. For a person who sees a lot of movies, this may be my favorite feeling in the cinematic world.

 Cinephile No. 803 “Joker”

Recommendation: 5/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: The Joker.” -IMDB

Review: As an audience member or reader, a Gotham City on the brink is all we have ever known. Given the right spark, the whole thing always seems capable of implosion. On top of this powder keg and between the cavernous skyscrapers, live people who enjoy a life of abundance and those standing on the edge of society. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is the latter. Deeply broken by society, he struggles to make ends meet and be noticed by anyone. From the opening scenes, we are meant to empathize with his struggle and take pity upon him; thanks to a masterful performance from Phoenix, this isn’t hard to do.

Throughout the story, Arthur has a hard time distinguishing fiction from fact and often tries to bend the truth to his will. Failure and disappointment with where he finds himself in life pushed him deeper into madness. Eventually, Fleck is pushed beyond a point of no return. He will be powerful, confident, and seen. To do so, he is compelled to take on an alternate ego giving birth to a cinematic reveal decades in the making. Born again, he sets his sights on those in power and those with whom have made his life miserable. This introduces an anti-rich rhetoric anyone living in the middle and poor classes can relate.

In Fleck’s mind, the epicenter of all that seems to be plaguing Gotham is Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen). Of course, we can’t forget Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), whose humiliation of Fleck was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Confronting both men, a truth is revealed and the slow crawl to an alternate ego is born. By becoming The Joker, Fleck is finally cemented as the unhinged, Clown Prince of Crime. With him, the powder keg below Gotham explodes. For us, as audience members, the rest is written, but we are also asked to consider mental health, poverty, violence, and those without a voice. Without a doubt, this is more than a typical comic book movie.

Cinephile No. 805 “Zombieland: Double Tap”

Recommendation: 3/5 STARS, STREAM

Plot: “Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.” -IMDB

Review: “Zombieland” didn’t need a sequel. The first edition was aware of itself and the position zombies hold in the cultural zeitgeist. The second iteration holds the same awareness, but the jokes that once landed flawlessly, feel forced and contrived here. All in all, it was still a decent comedic effort, just not something I can recommend with much passion because almost everything it attempts feels forgettable including its plot.

Given its title, it is safe to assume the script is going to attempt to ramp everything up to 11 by doubling it. This means new and annoying characters that bury themselves into the family we came to love in the original. Naturally, this gives way to divisions among the ranks and a journey to reconnect with lost loved ones. As separation splits the family apart, we are asked to swallow a great deal in the name of advancing the plot; none of which goes down easily.

As the crew makes their way to Memphis, what was lost is found again and a new home in the form of a modern-day Babylon becomes a real possibility. Yet, this is a zombie movie and those bastards never seem to quit. Thanks to some advances in evolution this new edition is stronger than ever before. This means an epic battle with a predictable outcome. As the credits roll, you will be left with a nagging feeling of not getting everything you wanted. Don’t worry though. This best part of this movie is saved for the cut scenes. Trust me. Stick around until the very end.

Cinephile No. 806 “Western Stars”

Recommendation: 4/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Live concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from his album Western Stars.” -IMDB

Review: The American west is a character built from part fiction and part fact. It is alluring and mystifying at the same time. It demands deep exploration and has called many artists to spend time among its diverse and varied landscapes. Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars” begins with a meditation on this character and ends with an amazing sound meant to capture the essence of one man’s well-thought-out exploration of what it means to make your home in an unforgiving place.

Like almost everything created by The Boss, this album and the accompanying film are character-driven. Along the way, we meet people trying to piece back together their broken lives, understand their place in the world, or people coming to terms with the independence that has so often defined this part of the world. In these characters, we see versions of ourselves. In the connection, we find empathy, understanding, and, if you’re lucky, an epiphany. These aims are the highest ideals of art and Bruce reaches them more than any other artist I can name.

More stories than songs, each verse reveals truth. In so many ways, this is the work of an American poet and I find myself begging for more of this kind of art. In an age, when it seems the only goal of music is to sell music, this album and film implore you to pause and reflect. I don’t know a single person in the world who couldn’t use more of that in their lives.

Cinephile No. 808 “Queen & Slim”

Recommendation: 4/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “A couple's first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over.” -IMDB

Review: For my first film of the 2019 AFI Fest, I landed in a theater with a film about a normal date gone horribly wrong. Over the next two hours, I watched as “Queen & Slim” escaped the clutches of law enforcement and the community at large. As they run and make a series of mistakes, I was treated to a film much bigger than a racist cop dead in the snow. I was invited to further examine what it means to be black in America.

Even though Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) appear to be from different worlds at the outset of this film, thanks to the chemistry between the actors we are made to feel they are destined to travel this road together. As they seek shelter with family and find safety with strangers like a modern-day underground railroad, we watch them grow closer and stronger. Before we enter the last third of the movie, you will find yourself rooting for them to find a way out of this mess and into the forever arms of each other.

As they make one harrowing escape after another while traveling further south, public protests and wrath grows around them. Mirroring real life, communities find themselves divided along racial lines. Here, this powerful social commentary calls into question who actually controls the narrative in these situations. As we arrive at the final moments of the film, the impact of this narrative becomes more robust and this becomes a movie demanding your attention.

Cinephile No. 809 “Antigone”

Recommendation: 4/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “A modern adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy which falls within a social realism. To the law of men, the young Antigone opposes her own sets of values.” -IMDB

Review: For my 2nd film of the 2019 AFI Film Fest, I had to wrestle with a noble idea; there is no greater love than to lay down your life for someone else. With Canada as the backdrop for a family of immigrants, I was treated to my second film in a row where cops are the bad guys and communities of color pay the ultimate price after a fatal shooting. What evolves from this heart-wrenching turn, is a powerful analysis of family dynamics and what it means to see justice in a system built for someone else.

As the dust settles and Antigone struggles to hold her family together, the reality of the situation becomes apparent. For the actions of one quick to the trigger police officer, deportation is now on the table and justice seems out of reach. For Antigone, young love offers relief but doesn’t keep her from pursuing her goal. She is bound and determined to find a sense of fairness in the chaos and chooses to take a stand.

Visiting her brother in prison with her family, Antigone successfully trades places with her brother so that he might escape and flee. By doing so, her selflessness launches a series of protests igniting and galvanizing her entire community. What comes next is unpredictable, complex, and awe-inspiring. When the screen blackened and the credits began to roll, I was left with thoughts that will stay with me for some time to come.

Cinephile No. 810 “Knives and Skin”

Recommendation: 1/5 STARS, SKIP

Plot: “A mystical teen noir that follows a young girl's disappearance in the rural Midwest and its effect on teens and parents.” -IMDB

Review: For my 3rd film of the 2019 AFI Fest, I sat down to watch a story about a missing high school girl. Within moments, I was intensely aware that I was watching a movie, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Now, don’t get me wrong! When a film creatively breaks the fourth wall to give us a look under the hood, I applaud the effort, but when I can see the inner workings of your B-movie attempt, I get pretty frustrated. This, without a shadow of a doubt, was the case for this peculiar and oddly paced film.

From the opening scenes next to the lake, you get the sense this film is weirdly written. In an era where lots of things from Hollywood share the same source material, this can be refreshing if executed properly. This isn’t one of those instances. Instead, we are treated to scenes that linger too long and cave under their own weight. This frustrated me beyond belief and left me searching for an escape far from this train wreck in the form of digital projection.

For me, every film must possess a thesis. “Knives and Skin” left me searching for the point. I am not sure what the filmmakers wanted me to leave the theater feeling or knowing. Instead, I left dumbstruck and second-guessing my own taste in film. Did I not understand noir? Was I supposed to be uncomfortable? Was the wink at an attempt to make a movie the point? I am not sure and don’t think I will ever know.

Cinephile No. 812 “Citizen K”

Recommendation: 4/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “The strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia, who rocketed to prosperity and prominence in the 1990s, served a decade in prison and became an unlikely martyr for the Anti-Putin movement.

Review: For my fifth film of the 2019 AFI Fest, I set out to get a better understanding of life in current-day Russia via the documentary, “Citizen K.” When we first meet Mikhail Khodorkovsky, he is living abroad after fleeing Russia. While the film begins here, for it to be properly told, our attention needs to begin with the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. To fully understand this story, we need a firm grasp on the country’s turn toward capitalism and the men like Mikhail who filled the void. Luckily for us, the writer and director, Alex Gibney chooses to do exactly that.

In this new form of Russia, Mikhail finds himself with immense power. Along with other titans of industry, they become the oligarchs of this new world where greed trumps democracy. In a vacuum of power, they find themselves with more pull than the government possesses. In a country where communism used to be king, this seems unthinkable and, for some, unforgivable. One of those men is Vladimir Putin who also sees his rise to power during this tumultuous time.

As Putin goes to war with the oligarchs, Mikhail finds himself in a society lurching back to state control. Questioning his role in this society, he begins to speak out against the government and Putin. This launches a war of egos and the true danger of Putin is revealed when Mikhail is jailed on bogus charges. As you watch this drama play out, especially as a citizen of a western democracy, so much of what troubles our current world is revealed and a better understanding is discovered. For this reason alone, I cannot recommend this film enough.

Cinephile No. 813 “The Friend”

Recommendation: 5/5 STARS, SHOWTIME

Plot: “After receiving life-altering news, a couple finds unexpected support from their best friend, who puts his own life on hold and moves into their family home, bringing an impact much greater and more profound than anyone could have imagined.” -IMDB

Review: For my 6th film of the 2019 AFI Fest, I was emotionally rocked in an unexpected manner. Throughout “The Friend,” starring Dakota Johnson as Nicole Teague, Casey Affleck as Matt Teague, and Jason Segal as Dane Faucheux, I was reminded of one of my favorite Death Cab for Cutie songs, “What Sarah Said.” In that song, there is the following beautifully profound and heartbreaking lyric, “love is watching someone die.” To watch this film is to watch a wife, mother, and friend die. From the beginning, we know the end. What we don’t realize from the outset, is the ride we will be taken on to arrive at that point or the special friendship that will grow from such tragedy.

More than almost any other film I saw last year, every scene in “The Friend” feels important. Dakota Johnson as Nicole fighting with all her might to remain present fills each scene with weight even in the smallest, most mundane moments. Matt putting his life on hold and silencing his ambition to be there for his wife and children comes across as authentic thanks to a masterful performance from Casey Affleck. Jason Segal as Dane delivers a performance that is both balanced and nuanced as he works with all his might to be friends to both of them.

As we draw toward the final third of the film, we know the end is near. There is a bucket list, final goodbyes, and not a dry eye in the house to be found. More than death, this film reveals itself in a magical way. Life without Nicole reveals something beautiful, a friendship without comparison. Through grief, pain, and triumph, a lesson for each person who dares to see this film is understood. Our time is short, and we will watch people we love die, but each of us is presented an opportunity to be in service of others. If given the chance, we should. The impact that is possible isn’t easily known.

 Be good to each other,

Nathan 

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