Babylon

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Babylon follows a number of characters who rise and fall during the tumultous and extravagant early days of Hollywood. The first couple of acts in this film are skillfully handled, weaving an exuberant age of cinema riddled with behind the scenes debauchery. Every ounce of fame, high or lust is craved and chased after by our main characters; even as the telltale signs of their fantastical world begin to change around them. As the age of hollywood shifts we see our leads begin to be consumed by the very flame that they were chasing; losing their reputation or becoming addicted to something that destroys them. The theme of the feature is starkly obvious but it is painted well, at different points of Babylon we revel in the highs of cinema while also being sharply reminded of the lows by Chazelle. 

The thing that really makes Babylon stand out for the crowd is the thing that has always made Damien Chazelle stand out as a director: his incredible attention to all technical details of production. The way in which this film is shot is really masterfully handled, it moves and wheels through scenes but can also hold tremendously powerful stalwart close ups at a moments notice. The cinematography has such variety and tribute to well established styles or shots that you will honestly find a visual treat to behold. The editing for the feature sets a very fine pace, moving at regular beats and really lending each scene a great tempo. Justin Hurwitz's score for the feature is a real jazz love letter to the 20s, the music Hurwitz has done for Babylon is without a doubt my favourite aspect of the feature.

 

 Jean Smart, who played Elinor St. John, delivers some absolutely wry witty dialogue here; yet what I really loved about Smart's performance is her final monologue to Pitt in which she really strips back his ego and shakes up his whole character. Margot Robbie, who played Nellie LaRoy, is a real explosive amount of energy in this; watching Robbie basically playing an actress burning herself out in her efforts to gain and cling to fame was fascinating. Brad Pitt, who played Jack Conrad, really gets to portray someone authetically in love with both their idea of Hollywood and the debauchery they get to drown themselves in; I like that Pitt portrayed a figure who clung to honesty and honour right through his character arc. Li Jun Li, who played Lady Fay Zhu, is entirely enchanting in this and plays someone you believe could seduce anyone in a room; her chemistry with Robbie was entirely unmatched and I only wish we got more of them together. Olivia Hamilton, who played Ruth Adler, is one of the strongest characters in the feature; I loved the leadership you felt from Hamilton in her scenes and the constriction she played to when she had to start directing sound pictures. Tobey Maguire, who played James McKay, is the one shining light in the last hour; Maguire wild and unpredictable crime lord is a figure who really radiates darkness and captivates you while he is onscreen.

However, the best performance came from Jovan Adepo, who played Sidney Palmer. I thought Adepo had far less screen time than he deserved but in a lot of ways his subplot is the essence of Babylon. Any time I want to see someone ready to gain the heights of their aspiration, while also deserving that level of acclaim, only to be met with the uglier underbelly of Hollywood I look to the story here. When we first encounter Adepo he is a freewheeling musical talent, part of a trio. He clearly has a very unchecked ego to go with his massive talent and plays off against his fellow musicians very well. You get to see Adepo's confident exterior push him further and further into the limelight, which contrasts nicely with the scenes of discomfort he has at feeling like a prop for the rich white bureaucrats of Hollywood in later scenes. One of the most harrowing and hard to watch scenes of Babylon is when Adepo's character is asked to wear make-up to darken his skin so that he matches the skin colour of the band he is accompanying. It feels like the most authentic, horrific critique of Hollywood in the feature and the raw quiet rage Adepo brings is powerful. Getting to see him reconcile and play in comfort by the final act of the film makes this storyline easily the most well rounded of all the stories in the film.

 

The problem I really had with Babylon boiled down to two things: the theme was a little well worn and that final hour was egregious and felt like it veered way off track. Damien Chazelle has done a couple of films that examine ambition now and this particular examination of ambition in Hollywood has been done a lot by now. I think as an audience we deserved a story with a little more thought than just 'Hollywood is much darker and corrupt once you peel back the extravagance'. Yet ironically, if the film had just doubled down on this message I think things would have been better than the last hour we received. Babylon has been a highly stylized, fictional portrayal of hollywood up until now but around the final act it really turns into an absurdist fantasy. Our main characters meet crime lords who take them to devillish night clubs, they proceed to go on the run from said crime lord, promise to marry one another on a whim, the main character survives a shoot out by begging. The whole thing feels very contrived and desperate, it still wants to thrill and horrify you but it has become more linear and character focused than it was previously. The story it wants to tell now is something more resembling a crime thriller and the whole plot is beginning to clash with itself. By the time we finally cut to the future time jump and see Manny sobbing by himself in a movie theatre over all he lost but all that will be immortalized through film you can't help but feel the scene reeks of pretention that isn't earned. Damien Chazelle is a fantastic filmmaker but the storyline here staggers off the beaten path at a point and really loses its way. 

 

Diego Calva, who played Manny Torres, is a rather weak central protagonist for the film; he often seems more comfortable playing the unlikeable qualities of the character than he does playing what would make him more charismatic to the audience. Flea and Jeff Garlin, who played Bob Levine and Don Wallach respectively, don't give much more than you'd expect from stoic studio execs; watching them impassively bark orders didn't really blow me away as far as their performances went. Eric Roberts, who played Robert Roy, feels entirely miscast as Robbie's father; Roberts is so aloof and all over the show that you feel like he is playing way more over the top than is really necessary.Rory Scovel, who played The Count, is a pretty inane comedic performer who often feels like he showed up to the wrong set; Scovel's ridiculous character would be better suited to a Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler comedy than Babylon. P.J. Byrne, who played Max, was such an obnoxious attempt at adding comedy to scenes; Byrne's loud shouting barely passed as delivery and often undermined some great acting coming from Robbie and Hamilton. Samara Weaving, who played Constance Moore, is entirely wasted here; the film fails to even really establish a good or convincing rivalry between her and Robbie.

 

What could have been a beautiful examination of the glamour, depravity and hubris of Hollywood is often waylaid by its garish delivery and an inability to weave a theme cohesively. I would give Babylon a 6.5/10.

M3gan

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

M3gan follows Gemma, a toy designer who builds an android girl to help rehabilitate her recently orphaned niece. But things take a turn for the worse when the android starts thinking for itself. This film is categorically going to be compared ceaselessly to Chucky, in fact by design this film is like a more stylistic version of the 2019 Child's Play film. The strength of the film is really how ready it is to be a little aloof and camp. The premise is ridiculous and that really works when the film wholeheartedly embraces the fact. The dialogue for the M3gan android is hilarious and watching her parent Cady or perform an offbeat dance before murdering someone shows how much fun this film is. 

 

This film is a really stylish horror, very well led by Gerard Johnstone who clearly had great vision for this. The cinematography is gorgeous and surprisingly vibrant for a horror, I actually loved how sharply the camera caught contrast in lighting and set design throughout the feature. The special effects work done to make M3gan look as authentic as possible I highly commend, the fact it is so heavily rooted in practical effects before CGI gets involved is only a bonus. The score used throughout gets quite ominous but can also spin on its heel and give you something absurdly light; beyond this I greatly enjoyed the soundtrack for M3gan, it has some tracks in here that work super well and will really surprise you.

 

Ronny Chieng, who played David, really steals the show all throughout the film; Chieng really sells the jerk boss type but also manages some of the most brilliant comedic delivery of the film. Brian Jordan Alvarez, who played Cole, is a more supporting comedic role that really surprised me; I enjoyed watching Alvarez play the more cowardly scientist type as it brought a fun dynamic to the science team scenes.

However, the best performance came from Jenna Davis, who voiced M3gan. It's a very surprising pick in some ways that a voice actress eclipsed the rest of the cast, but once you hear her in the film it will come as no surprise. Davis crafts a voice that sounds authentically very young, making her character's connection to McGraw quite believable. But more than this she gets those small moments of inflection; times where she is frustrated, downright angry or sarcastic across extremely well. It is these small subtle moments of delivery that start depicting the shift of M3gan being a constructed android to a well-rounded character. Also the entire final act only goes off as crazily as it does because Davis really starts taking the brakes off and just goes for the wildest delivery. Unexpected, but brilliant.

The movie plays into the aspects of itself that people seem to really respond to with the marketing, which is to say the more irreverent and comedic aspects of the film. But M3gan does suffer from this a bit tonally, there are some horror elements but they're not very strong. This film sets out to surprise you but it really struggles to scare the audience effectively. By the time the final act descends into a robotic bludgeoning match a lot of the horror vibe has been abandoned for little more than an edgy sci-fi piece. I also felt the main character story around Gemma and her niece, Cady, trying to connect after the death of Cady's parents is really superficially handled. The scenes in which this pair have genuine bonding time is actually rare. The ultimate message that actually results from all this about Gemma being too invested in her job, Cady being too invested in her devices and therapy not really supporting really did not do wonders for me as a viewer either.

Allison Williams, who played Gemma, gives a very vanilla take on a horror protagonist here; Williams has done some great horror work in the past but here she is very straight edged or stoic in her delivery. Violet McGraw, who played Cady, is perhaps not seasoned enough as a performer to portray her role well; McGraw tends to deliver emotions in a very stereotypical manner and often gasped out dialogue when she was upset. Jen Van Epps, who played Tess, is the background figure in the science team cast; Van Epps could have stood out a little more if her friendship with Williams had been a little more defined. Stephane Garneau-Monten, who played Kurt, is another minor comedic figure who really didn't have the presence to stand out as strongly as the others; Garneau-Monten also portrayed a minor antagonist but it was a rather predictable and unnecessary subplot. Lori Dungey, who played Celia, hams it up quite a bit as the inconsiderate neighbour; I really couldn't click with Dungey as her character was quite a generic side role.

This is probably going to be the most camp, wildly fun horror of 2023; even if it might not wind up being the best. I would give M3gan a 6.5/10.

Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Guy Ritchie has made some of my favourite films over the years, I've only ever watched one film of his I actively didn't like it. That was 2021's Wrath Of Man; but that was last year, this year we get a real return to form. Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre follows a private task force of operatives hired by the British government to retrieve an object that could bring about a global crisis. I often find Ritchie has this style of writing that is quite quick-paced on delivery, the dialogue really rattles at you with hilarious lines scattered in nearly every scene. There is a real sense of urgency and danger throughout but the wit really bites to the bone and elevates the quality of this spy feature. Getting a real mogul of a character like Greg Simmonds in this screenplay was the real strength, his final act speech to the antagonists is filled with venom and is a really awe-inspired moment. This film is a real return to the classic blockbuster for Ritchie; scenes are blended with the extravagant yacht scenes and the brilliant action sequences of Orson Fortune sprinting several hundred metres and clearing enemies with a silenced rifle.

Visually this is a very impressive film, Ritchie has always crafted films with such variety in how they are shot and framed that I expected no less here. The framing here is often beautiful and sets some iconic imagery; yet that run and gun sequence framed from the point of view of the gun in the final act was one of the best uses I have seen of that technique in film. The editing set a steady pace, the action moved exquisitely and around those scenes everything clicked together nicely too. Christopher Brenstead's score in this is something you know is going to be good from the opening scene in which the music and Nathan's heavy footfalls blend together and great magic. More than this that track in the final act during Greg Simmonds aforementioned speech? That has no business being as lethal as it is.

 

Aubrey Plaza, who played Sarah Fidel, is in one of her biggest leading roles to date here and I loved every second of it; her wit was on full show and the way she matched and exceeded the cocky personalities of her co-stars was brilliant. Jason Statham, who played Orson Fortune, does a fine job as the leading action hero of the film; Statham isn't breaking new ground here but he works brilliantly as the adept stoic operative. Cary Elwes, who played Nathan Jasmine, is such a brilliant addition to Ritchie's ensemble of actors; Elwes really suits the smooth-talking team leader role and his rivalry with Statham is such a great touch. Eddie Marsan, who played Norman, is a longtime performer for Ritchie films and his appearance in this is a good one; I enjoyed Marsan really lay out the law as a representative of a security branch of the British government.

However, the best performance came from Hugh Grant, who played Greg Simmonds. Every time Grant has shown up in a Guy Ritchie film it has been nothing short of a gift, this is no different. Greg Simmonds is a really intense crime mogul with a sleazy accent and the ability to switch on a pretty terrifying mean streak. I really loved how much Grant poured on the obsessive charm around his role's favourite movie star and contrasted it with the dangerous lust he had for Plaza's character. Seeing Grant rattle out some hilarious and cutting lines as Greg was really fun, he just knew how to move through every scene and give it exactly what it needed. Yet I also admire that despite Grant playing a real larger than life figure it was clear he shared the screen remarkably well. And as I have been saying for many paragraphs now, if nothing else see this movie for the speech Simmonds gives in the final act.

I had a really fun time with this film and enjoyed it the further things went along, but there were some definite downsides in the script. There's some dialogue in here that felt a little archaic, often a lot of the jokes didn't really feel right for a blockbuster in the 2020s. I also really couldn't believe I had to deal with one of my least favourite action tropes, in that the object everyone is after is an all-powerful A.I. that can 'cripply the planet'. It's a very common plot device right now and is often written in a shallow manner that shows a lack of technical knowledge from the screenwriters. I also really found there were a number of plot threads that started to feel really frayed and scattered as things were going along, some of these lost importance as the film progressed too which really made their initial introduction quite redundant. The biggest plot element of the film is arguably that the team recruits a Hollywood actor to infiltrate Greg Simmonds headquarters, but the actor storyline is so poorly handled and dropped so frequently that you almost wish they had tailored it more. Finally i'm really not a big fan of a film ending with a massive sequel tease and the sequel tease in this felt VERY similar to the sequel tease of another great Guy Ritchie film: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

 

Josh Hartnett, who played Danny Francesco, is probably the biggest weak link of the main cast; Hartnett is entirely unbelievable as a big Hollywood star and just feels too mousy to suit the role he has been given. Max Beesley, who played Ben harris, could have been a great minor antagonist if he'd been used a little better; as it stood I found Beesley to function more as a plot device than as a character. Peter Ferdinando, who played Mike, was a strange choice for a secondary antagonist; Ferdinando just lacked the intimidation factor of a rival merc to the main team. Bugzy Malone, who played JJ Davies, was unmissable in his last Guy Ritchie film but the role here doesn't match him; he really just feels like a shadow to Statham which isn't much to work with even for an experienced performer.

While this isn't the strongest Guy Ritchie film I've ever seen, it is a damn fine time with some interesting new actors joining on to his ensemble. I would give Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre a 7/10.

A Man Called Otto

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

In 2022 my first film of the year was The King's Man and it ended with the weirdly tone deaf post-credit scene of 'teasing' the next big antagonist as Adolf Hitler. To counter that absurdity (and maybe to reassure me somewhat?) 2023 begins with a really moving slice of life comedy feature that left me emotional right up till the credits. A Man Called Otto is an adaptation of Frederik Backman's A Man Called Ove and follows titular character Otto, a grumpy widower who is ready to give up on life until a young family moves in across the street and changes his outlook. You know this is probably one of the simpler plots I could have started my year off with and I'm actually really grateful it was as good as it was. It can be easy for a little slice of life film like this one to be poorly paced or have a lot of vapid scenes between key plot points. But the difference here is that the story around Otto as a character is genuinely quite interesting, he's not a bad nor cruel person. He's just a miserable man who has lost the love of his life and doesn't know how to find his way back to happiness. We also get to see all of the little quirks that define Otto in his everyday and it's really interesting seeing how his approach to these changes as he comes to bond more with Marisol and her family. I also loved how this film establishes community through the ensemble cast, it very cleverly weaves connections with Otto to all the people we come to meet no matter their screen time. There's some really valuable discussion here around the value of connection to others and the joy we can find in both community and love.

The visual style of this film is quite simple and intimate, which weirdly enough is exactly what a film like this needs. It takes a few risks outside of the box that don't pay off but it takes many more that do. Watching Otto murmur dialogue hazily as slip with a soft focus into a flashback, or the hard central framed imagery of the train station suicide attempt are just some great examples of why this film has surprisingly good cinematography. Thomas Newman's score is whimsical and light but it also clips in at surprising offbeat moments that really elevate the feature; and any flashback scene accompanied with Newman's score immediately are memorable moments.

Cameron Britton, who played Jimmy, is a very strong comedic element of the film; yet Britton is also quite sweet in his delivery of past experiences the community had together. Juanita Jennings, who played Anita, is a very soft spoken and kindly figure; watching Jennings still grow this more fiery resolve was one of the nicer subplots in the film. Mariana Treviño, who played Marisol, is one of those performances that really steals the show quite often; Treviño is this quick-talking larger than life figure who builds such a wonderful and sincere on-screen relationship with Hanks. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who played Tommy, is a real sweetheart even if his role is a bit witless; I liked that this character was a bit inept but still so utterly lovable and a great father onscreen. Christiana Montoya and Alessandra Perez, who played Luna and Abbie respectively, are a couple of really talented young performers; I loved the scenes in which Hanks attempted to connect with these young girls or his role learnt Spanish from them. Rachel Keller, who played Sonya, gives a captivating performance in this; this is a role that has so much empathy and heart and Keller embraces that extremely well. Truman Hanks, who played Young Otto Anderson, is a much milder and gentler figure than Tom Hanks' older portrayal; I really liked seeing how this younger role fell in love and also the ways in which he experienced anguish.

However, the best performance came from Tom Hanks, who played Otto Anderson. When first we meet Otto he doesn't seem the pleasant sort at all. Hanks stomps about the set with a rigid gait, a permanent scowl and a scathing line delivery. We watch this character reveal all the bitter edges of himself, even eventually seeing the more vulnerable moments in which he has reached a point where he has decided to take his own life. Yet Hanks is so good at finding those witty ways of delivering dialogue despite being foul-tempered, or slipping moments of quiet good intent in. The more opportunity Hanks had to break apart his role's anger from the sincere figure that was underneath marks him as the veteran performer he is. I adored his chemistry with Treviño, Garcia-Rulfo, Montoya and Perez because between them they crafted an unconventional family dynamic that I really adored. A lovely performance from Hanks that is leagues ahead of his work from 2022.

This film does suffer from those slice of life comedy pitfalls, scenes that don't advance the plot or where the pacing drags in places. But really I think the moments A Man Called Otto struggles with the most is the real outdated sense of humour, men comparing their choice in cars or the usual quips about social media and cellphones. I just think the bar for humour is a little higher than that these days and the film didn't really gain anything from trying to appeal to the fifty plus crowd. There's also a really good example of trans representation in this film, they have a trans role and even cast an actual trans actor in the part. But I also really felt that the subplot around Malcolm comes quite late into the film and is penned almost as a surface level afterthough. It's nice to see a film doing the right things but I would've liked for some better writing around this.

The editing of the film sets a slow pace and staggers out the cuts more than is really needed, the script takes on most of the legwork for trying to move at a sustainable level. I also really found the soundtrack of the feature to have some songs that just did not fit nicely with the tone of the film, where the score went right the soundtrack compilation felt gratingly off.

Mack Bayda, who played Malcolm, seems like the performer who is most trying to find their feet in this film; I really found Bayda's delivery to not really vary all that much. Mike Birbiglia, who played Dye & Merica Real Estate Agent, was nowhere near as sleazy or menacing as the film required him to be; Birbiglia's final confrontation actually took all the punch out of his role in a moment that really could have showcased him better. Kelly Lamor Wilson, who played Shari Kenzie, is hard to buy as a social media journalist; I was really confused how well this character even worked from a narrative position either.

A simple slice of life comedy that will trascend expectations and kick off your 2023 just right. I would give A Man Called Otto a 7.5/10.