The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' book The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and a prequel to the original film/book: The Hunger Games. This film takes place during the tenth annual Hunger Games, and follows a young Coriolanus Snow who is desperately trying to retain the status of his Capitol family name. All of his future hinges on mentoring the reaped District 12 girl, Lucy Gray Baird, for the Games themselves. Yet when his own feelings for Lucy Gray turn to romance it will be down to Coriolanus to choose between status and love.

I actually read the book this film is based on earlier in the year and as of writing this review it is currently my favourite book of the year, and quite possibly my favourite in the Hunger Games series. The strength of this novel is just how much is has to say thematically. On the surface there are some broad themes about the fallout of war, and how both sides are impacted by conflict but also how are views are shaped before and after conflict. This film very pointedly looks at how in these moments of conflict, humanity is stripped away and we are left with this tooth and claw push for survival. The narrative posits the question of if this is what humanity is at its core or if we are better? But I liked the more personal thematic narrative here around Coriolanus Snow, a young man who is presented as a protagonist we want to root for because he is falling in love and often does actions we feel are good. But there's another side to this; it becomes more and more apparent that Coriolanus Snow is a selfish individual guided by his own ambitions. He does good deeds often for his own benefit, while his love for Lucy Gray is a sense of ownership or entitlement. Snow often feels that because he is helping Lucy Gray survive the Games that she owes him in response. Watching him fully break down and reject love to become the man who clutches at power we see in the earlier films is one of the most well-rounded character arcs in film this year. More than this, the way the film bolsters worldbuilding with a deep dive into District life, the Jabberjay/Mockingjay backstory, how the Games came to lean further into the spectacle, Lucky Flickerman and Snow's perception of Katniss and 'The Hanging Tree' song is quite impressive.

Having Francis Lawrence back directing a Hunger Games feature means there are some incredibly significant visuals that hearken back to the originals while also spotlighting the themes of this series strongly. The framing can be very grandiose and bold at times, often illustrating the story as strongly as the written script tells it. The visual effects are up to the challenge too, the arena sequences look stunning and the design for the Jabberjays and Mockingjays was really well captured. The score is powerful and dramatic, bearing a lot of power to the dramatic tension of the games and the events after. The real musical strength of the film is Rachel Zegler's singing as Lucy Gray Baird; there are some serious ballads here that cut to the core of some character relationships or foreshadow the events of this film and future (past?) films.

 

Tom Blyth's work as central protagonist, Coriolanus Snow, shows an incredible range and capacity to lead a production like this; Blyth keeps all of Snow's vulnerabilities a fraction away from breaking through which I found fascinating. Josh Andrés Rivera, who played Sejanus Plinth, is a wild performance who really demands justice at every turn; the way Rivera portrays Sejanus as growing more hollowed out by the Capital and disgusted by the actions he is witness to is wonderful. Viola Davis, who played Dr. Volumnia Gaul, feels like one of the most impressive antagonists to come out of the Hunger Games series; Davis brings a really dark menace that depicts Gaul as a sort of shadowy puppet master. Peter Dinklage, who played Dean Casca Highbottom, gives one of his finest performances in a decent while; Dinklage crafts a man consumed with righteous hatred and a guilt that has destroyed him years ago by the time the audience first meets him. Mackenzie Lansing, who played Coral, is one of the more compelling minor antagonists of the film; Lansing depicts a rageful Tribute who is violently intent on winning the Hunger Games. Dimitri Abold, who played Reaper, is a character with not a lot of screen time but his impact is very profound; watching Abold grieve and stoically portray defiance was extremely moving.Jason Schwartzman, who played Lucky Flickerman, gives Stanley Tucci's Flickerman a run for his money; Schwartzman has masterful comedic timing unlike anything else in this film. Burn Gorman, who played Commander Hoff, plays the foul-spirited militant type well; Gorman's portrayal of support out of spite was a moment I thought really stood out.

However, the best performance came from Rachel Zegler, who played Lucy Gray Baird. This is the role I was most excited to see in some ways, she was the most unique and fascinating character in the books. In a year in which Zegler really didn't bring much to her Shazam: Fury of the Gods antagonist, I wasn't sure what to expect; this is a performer who still feels like a relative newcomer. But almost immediately Zegler becomes Lucy Gray in a way that captivates and surprises. I have already mentioned the power behind her singing ability; Zegler is a natural when it comes to ballad performance and lends a haunting quality to her more melancholy numbers. Yet what I loved was the ferocity she brought to this character, Lucy Gray is a young woman who rarely openly shows weakness and often portrays herself with a fiery and boisterous temperament. Zegler walked those moments where she had to let her character's fear creep past her facade very finely. I loved that this character felt so embattled, yet full of life. She was shining and bright, but also surprisingly cunning. She was a performer but a survivor. She fell in love, but she couldn't trust that love. Zegler played that last part probably best of all.

This is a very tricky character-driven narrative that loses some of the subtlety you need in such a feature. The film struggles in the first act with making the audience really fall for Coriolanus Snow, we get the sense he's not the prospective protagonist the movie wants us to believe he is. This does mean the final betrayal in the third act, while very well orchestrated, lacks the gravity or surprise of the moment. There are a lot of central characters and a few background narratives do get lost in the scale of everything; Sejanus could've been examined more early on alongside some of Criolanus' other peers. 

While I really loved Francis Lawrence's style of visual storytelling, I did find the more dialogue intensive scenes to be a little ugly, particularly when it came to close ups. The close up shots often felt poorly framed and pushed in uncomfortable close in a way that rarely served purpose.

Fionnula Flanagan, who played Grandma'am, really is quite a muted presence in this film; Flanagan doesn't get to make the lasting impression you'd expect from a Snow family member. Hunter Schafer, who played Tigris, is quite a one note performance; Schafer brings the doting quality of Tigris to life in a way that feels quite artifical and insincere. Ashley Liao, who played Clemensia Dovecote, is framed as a classmate who is close to Blyth's protagonist but her screen time is really wasted; the film poorly utilises Liao who is really propped up with potential. Lilly Maria Cooper, who played Arachne Crane, really struggle with her line delivery; Cooper whispers or chokes out most of her dialogue which really undercuts her role's presence in the film. Nick Benson, who played Jessup, is a role that fades into the baackground a bit too simply for all the importance placed on him by the script; Benson's portrayal of his character falling to sickness feels a bit unconvincing at times.

 

A strong reminder why The Hunger Games series took the world by storm with its incredible storytelling and talented cast. I would give The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes an 8.5/10.

The Marvels

This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Marvels is a sequel to Captain Marvel (2019) and is the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this narrative we see the remnants of the Kree use an ancient alien relic to steal resources across the galaxy in an effort to save their homeworld. The only ones standing in their way are Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Ms Marvel; a trio of light-based superheroes who have developed the unfortunate ability of swapping places when they use their powers. 

This is a cosmic adventure flick that has nothing but an intent to be fun at its very core. The entire time I watched this film I was so impressed with the genuine energy behind it, the characters all bounced off one another well and the plot was allowed to be wild. The balance of humour and genuine character connection was there. In a film rife with a scene dedicated to alien kittens we also had a very devastating moment in which our heroes could only save a handful from an alien colony. The film juggles tone nicely and this is maintained by the chemistry from the leading trio. Carol, Monica and Kamala are a trio that work extraordinarily well together on screen. These are some very distinctive personalities that just mesh and fire dialogue off one another superbly. I was very impressed with the action and effects beats in the film but the moments in which these three were just hanging out and learning to get along was even better.

The cinematography looks vast and impressive often, particularly in the final confrontation sequence and the way scaled sci-fi battles are captured. I also found the quick, in-motion shooting kept the brisk pace quite lively from a visual perspective. The visual effects looked absolutely great, particularly the details of the alien locations and the epic action set pieces, my personal favourite was Quantum Bands Dar-Benn. The score for the film really heightened the scale of the adventure and the soundtrack was absolutely energetic and really joyful; 'Memory' from the Cats musical was an incredibly hilarious surprise.

 

Brie Larson, who played Captain Marvel, leads this film with exceptional talent; Larson has always been perfect for Carol and I enjoyed seeing the character get to come out of her shell a little more in this one. Teyonah Parris, who played Monica Rambeau, is quite a fun lead who steps into that uninitiated hero space well; Parris really broachs the hurt and conflict between her and Larson's characters well. Samuel L. Jackson, who played Nick Fury, is brilliant as this role and continues to keep pace with the action; watching Jackson lean Fury into a more jovial "I'm getting too old for this shit" direction is a lot of fun. Gary Lewis, who played Emperor Dro'ge, may only be a minor role in this film but kept the Skrull plot quite interesting; Lewis played his role as a ruler completely hollowed out as his people who have already lost so much continue to lose more. Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur and Saagar Shaikh, who played Muneeba Khan, Yusuf Khan and Aamir Khan respectively, are incredible as an on-screen family unit; there is no performer here who steals the limelight from the others because these performances blend and stand strong alongside one another so notably. Tessa Thompson, who played Valkyrie, had a surprising scene that really worked quite well; I think this scene left such an impression because her and Larson have such notable chemistry with one another.

However, the best performance came from Iman Vellani, who played Kamala Khan. This is a performer who may be new to the acting world and to the MCU, but she makes her mark here in a colossal way. Vellani's first major gig was on the Ms Marvel series where she really started discovering the role and how she wanted to capture it. But here she comes to life. Ms Marvel is almost immediately the heart of the feature from her very first scene. Vellani is so full of passion and energy that she grips you every time she is onscreen. But more than that, she really embodies the enthusiasm and optimistic approach of her character that you can't help but grin from ear to ear every time she cracks a line. Vellani also proves she's got the range to really hit home with some of the heavier stuff too; expressing a great scene of outrage in which her character is forcibly told she cannot save everyone. If this is what we can expect from Vellani going forward I can only hope she continues to appear in bigger and better Marvel projects.

The problem with blockbuster Marvel movies that I face as we go forward is that they are definitely becoming less accessible to movie audiences. I'm keeping up as a long time fan of this franchise but I can't imagine most people would follow all the references and cameos scattered throughout this feature. For that reason I grew disappointed that the film kept having to divert to release a whole bunch of exposition that really interrupted the flow of the narrative. There also were a few moments the film attempted to get a bit experimental and not all of these risks paid off. I also wish this film decided to slow down a little. This was an enjoyable story with an even better cast; but the plot would have actually achieved more if it took more time to sit in the emotional weight of a scene or allowed for more dialogue-intensive performance across scenes. I also felt the movie was a bit quick to start and also rushed to the end teaser faster than it needed to. This had all the trappings of a great film but it just needed to feel like it had a bit more trust from the people making decisions behind the camera.

Zawe Ashton, who played Dar-Benn, reminds me quite unfortunately of Christopher Eccleston's Malekith; this is a marvelous performer but a very simplistic antagonist that doesn't afford much opportunity to stand out. Seo-joon Park, who played Prince Yan, was clearly hired for his singing but failed to really standout in his duo/chorus performance piece; outside of his main musical role Park's line delivery was some of the worst in the feature. Abraham Popoola, who played Dag, is an odd side character with more screen time than he really needs; Popoola doesn't really fill a role that is comedic nor dramatic nor stunts heavy nor exposition oriented so it really does become difficult to place why he is put front and centre so often. Daniel Ings, who played Ty-Rone, is quite a dull secondary antagonist figure; the fact Ings' character disappears halfway through the movie is barely noticeable reflects the significance of the role.

The Marvels may not be as good as the first Captain Marvel feature but it has an incredible leading cast that I could watch together for hours on end. I would give The Marvels a 7.5/10.

Cat Person

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Cat Person is an adaptation of the New Yorker short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian; this short story became a viral internet sensation upon release. The feature follows the experience of Margot, a young college sophmore who meets an older romantic partner in Robert. The film as a whole examines the complexities of modern dating and some of the new dangers and behaviours associated with it. The film is extremely powerful when it stays with Margot, this is a protagonist who is extremely relateable and whom the audience can follow like a cat chasing a laser dot. Margot is someone with a great deal of care for others, a pretty razor sharp wit and an element of personal insecurity. She comes from a home life where she feels manipulated and unable to be herself, her ex-partner coming out as asexual also leaves her feeling distant. But as she meets Robert, in what is a very abrupt and awkward encounter, she begins a romantic entanglement that takes place in equal measure via her phone as it does in person. 

 

Margot constructs a fantasy of the man she is with through the texts she gets, never quite fully realising the true nature of Robert. I love seeing the contrast of this when she finally meets up with Robert in person from time to time. They only ever really have two physical dates but their relationship lasts for months on text, which affects their feelings towards one another immensely. I loved the more fantastical elements of this film, in which Margot imagines all the ways scenarios may actually go; her fear around a strong dog she was helping turning feral on her especially reflected the theme of the film well. But the real coup de grâce occurs when Margot and Robert have sex for the first and only time, an extremely awkward and provoking scene. It is a variety of elements at play here that makes this scene work so extremely well: from the clear implication Margot isn't comfortable with having sex, the out of body theatrical dialogue Margot shares with an imagined copy of herself or even the way the camera places Robert over the audience in several moments. The trick here of making the audience feel sexually engaged with Robert is horrifying and a revolting moment that stayed with me well after credits rolled.

The way this film is shot is told via a very skilled contrasting lens; there can be close moments of anxiety that will scale out to these wide and empty silent shots that up the scare factor. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack for the film; there's a lot of small cues here that feed well with want and desire. Also hearing Britney Spears' 'Gimme More' used to essentially block out the frightful nothing of a walk home at night was brilliant.

 

Nicholas Braun, who played Robert, does a frighteningly excellent job at portraying a man so emotionally distant and lacking confidence; Braun can switch between the Robert we see and the Robert Jones' Margot imagines in the blink of an eye. Geraldine Viswanathan, who played Taylor, has really just come onto my radar this year but is already an actor whom I greatly enjoy; Viswanathan is so blunt and champions her character's crusading sense of justice well. Hope Davis, who played Kelly, is very intense as this controlling mother figure; Davis really sets the tone for home life discomfort in the film chiefly through her unnerving Marilyn Monroe number. Liza Koshy and Josh Andrés Rivera, who played Beth and Dave respectively, are extremely funny side characters in this; I love the complete dedication to the annoying musical theatre friend appearance they had going. Jeremy Gill, who played Kyle, is only a briefly appearing figure but quite a profound role; Gill's approach to presenting and talking about asexuality in his role is commendable. Fred Melamed, who played Dr. Resnick, is one of the funniest performances in the film and one of my favourite scenes; the gravity Melamed lends this fictional therapist is what makes this so very special. Sammy Arechar, who played Kelvin, is another role that is only one scene strong but makes it an absolute memorable piece of viewing; Arechar awkwardly navigating having to sell defensive products to the two female leads results in some incredible dialogue exchanged between him and Viswanathan.

However, the best performance came from Emilia Jones, who played Margot. There are some really up and coming performers who are well worth watching right now and Jones is one of them in a big way. I was so entirely impressed with her in Coda that I wondered how her next leading role could ever compare. While I won't describe Cat Person as being close to Coda's quality, Jones' excellent leading performance sure is. I loved watching this protagonist who feels very grounded, she can be witty and spirited in one scene while exposing some personal insecurities the next. Watching Jones take a role who was very free-spirited, if not a little lonely, and entirely reworking her to be essentially bound to the idea of this man she is dating was an uncomfortable but honest watch. The almost dual monologue performance in the major sex scene of the film felt like an awards worthy performance out of theatre; Jones was arresting and helped to heighten audience fear and axiety. This movie is worth seeing because of Margot, and that can only be said because of Emilia Jones and her powerhouse performance.

 

So why does Cat Person never rise to be the same sort of critical piece that a similar feature like promising Young Woman is? Well the feature often feels very muddled in the first act, it knows where it wants to go but neglects to really seem interested in taking the audience there. Margot's day to day life is simplistic and the way we ease into her relationship with Robert isn't especially compelling. In fact you really have to take a few leaps in logic to believe this relationship can get to where it's slanted to go. The second act really patches that issue up but at first it is hard to imagine any woman becoming shackled to a person who behaves like Robert does. But the part that really doesn't work for this piece is the final act and the way this film keeps trying to run some commentary on what this all means for Robert too. As a male viewer I can appreciate the desire to position Robert's perspective; but this is a female led film, written and directed by women front faced with a kickass Margaret Atwood quote that notes the danger women experience versus the fear of lost status men have. This was never going to be Robert's story and it's not vital to capture his point of view as much as this film attempts to find it. The final act just melts down into a violent thriller-styled brawl for survival culminating in a fire that forces our protagonist and antagonist to work together. It is a massive sequence that really lets down the themes of the movie, essentially drifting apart from what we have been told the entire time.

 

The editing for the film got pretty choppy at times, I was also underwhelmed by the special effects. In the climactic sex scene there's a moment where we see multiple Margot's surrounded by stars in what is the only weak part of that scene, a glaring moment of bad visual effects. The score for the film never really strikes up attention, the music could have achieved a moment of fear or anaxiety in the piece but is never attention-grabbing enough. 

Isabella Rossellini, who played Dr. Enid Zabala, is one of the least convincing performances in the film; this college professor with some over the top dialogue and an oddly social relationship with her students feels like an odd side character. Christopher Shyer, who played Ernie, is quite an unimpressionable stoic father figure; Shyer's role doesn't build on relationships with other characters and becomes fairly forgettable. Donald Elise Watkins, who played James Madley, is the weird result of a very forgettable subplot; Watkins didn't really need so much dedicated screen time and was a role that really drew attention away from storylines that were probably more important.

A pretty provoking and relevant film that could have been the next Promising Young Woman if it didn't pull its punches. I would give Cat Person a 7/10.

Five Nights At Freddy's

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

 Five Nights At Freddy's is an adaptation of the hit video game horror series of the same name, in which a security guard must survive the night shift guarding a derelict 80s novelty restaurant populated with possessed animatronics. This film follows Mike, the security guard in question, who needs the job to keep custody of his kid sister but who is also obsessed with solving the mystery of his abducted younger brother. As a horror film I wasn't often very scared or even on edge but what this movie does do rather well is sudden intensive jump scares. I'll admit that some of the scares I didn't even sense coming but the movie really knows how to startle the viewer in quick bursts. I also thought there were a lot of moving pieces in this: a child abduction story, a custody battle, possessed animatronics, a serial killer/kidnapper, a cop with a shady past and ties to the restaurant, a mystery being solved via dreams and the history of Freddy's itself. Now I won't say all of these moving pieces made sense or blended together well but it really had this 'down the rabbit hole' quality. The more questions or intrigue the feature posed the more I was interested to see just exactly where it was all going to go.

The way this film is shot really highlights Five Nights At Freddy's as an aesthetic film, the bright neon colours that pulse and flicker and fade through scenes are very unique. The camera work really plays strongly with the practical sets and animatronics themselves, giving you an appreciation for the production at hand here. The soundtrack for the film is a nice touch too; a real blend of detail for the characters with The Romantics 'Talking in Your Sleep' and an equal share of fan appreciation with Living Tombstone's bop: 'Five Nights At Freddy's'.

 

Josh Hutcherson, who played Mike, leads this feature with a stern capability; Hutcherson really leans into the dour and troubled side of his character which makes his performance the most grounded quality of the film. Piper Rubio, who played Abby, takes a moment to get going but really charms in her role; Rubio manages to portray a child with challenging behavioural issues while also being the brightest ray of sunshine in the feature. Michael P. Sullivan, who played Doug, really just stole the show in his few scenes; Sullivan has a very subdued yet entirely brilliant approach to physical comedy that drew some great alughs from my audience.

However, the best performance came from Matthew Lillard, who played William Afton. I haven't seen Lillard in such a major live action gig for a while and I had high expectations that were certainly met. Lillard crafts this role as quite the oddball when first we meet him, posing as a mundane careers officer who has no qualms with poking fun at his clients. Lillard has to deal with a lot of exposition early on and he makes that sort of line delivery a journey. The way we are fed information about the diner by him leaves a sense of intrigue, foreboding and interestingly, hints at some unreliable narration. Yet in his final scene Lillard really gets to come to life, portraying a more vicious and sadistic streak that is an alarming shift in perspective. What at first seems an odd yet funny role from Lillard becomes more perverse and dangerous. He becomes wilder and more spiteful, which just goes to show his incredible range. I loved Lillard as a new horror antagonist, I hope to seem him in something similar soon.

There is one thing I have to say for Blumhouse horrors, they like to find a unique angle but only if that angle is something they can entirely commercialize or make look good in a trailer. Think to some of their recent big hits: M3GAN, Freaky, Totally Killer or Happy Death Day to name a handful. All of these movies are big genre-bending features that are rarely great but coast the numbers on their entertainment value. And with Freddy's being an already widely recognised property this reeks gold mine; who cares if it's actually good? The feature starts with some very basic horror elements: a family that is down on it's luck with a protagonist in serious need of some better luck and a number of scenes riddled with flickering lights and jump scares. The movie begins like any horror could and doesn't even try to get creative for a very long while, content in simple scares and a tone propped up on a miserable character. Yet as I mentioned earlier the film becomes crammed with new plot point after new plot point; which can be very fascinating - particularly if you're not familiar with the Five Nights At Freddy's universe. However, it is quite busy and the plot points don't always make a lot of sense. The possessed animatronics being influenced by drawings and dreams but also their own creator/kidnapper is a puzzling plot point and the entire dream story arc as a whole doesn't really work at the best of times. The character of Vanessa is a major weak link and that big final act twist with her link to her father really didn't stick the landing. This is a feature that could've really tried not to do everything at once, it would have made the conclusion far more satisfying. I also felt the fear factor in relation to the animatronics could have been built up, the slow clunky robots and heavily CGI cupcake really didn't unnerve me much.

The editing for the film really staggered about, sometimes it moved great but there were a lot of scenes that just didn't feel scary because of the flow pacing. The score is barely present, meaning that there are a number of scenes in which the appropriate tone isn't really achieved.

Elizabeth Lail, who played Vanessa, seemed a bit lost as to what she needed to achieve with her role; Lail approaches Vanessa in such a scattershot way and there really needed to be some better direction taken with the character performance here. Mary Stuart Masterson, who played Aunt Jane, is an almost comical minor antagonist; the over the top approach from Masterson towards the family member hoping to reap financial gain from another family member was too much from her very first scene. Kat Conner Sterling and David Lind, who played Max and Jeff respectively, were far from believable as youth delinquents on a vandalism payroll; Lind just had no presence to be the leader of this mean crew and Sterling was a mismatched piece that felt out of place in her part of the film. Tadasay Young, who played Dr. Lillian, spouted some of the most nonsensical aimless dialogue of the film; I felt bad that Young had to spout so much exposition because her lot rarely even went so far as to serve the plot.

It is a film that is often baffling, rarely scary and yet somehow still entirely entertaining. I would give Five Nights At Freddy's a 6/10.

Killers of the Flower Moon

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Killers of the Flower Moon is an adaptation of David Grann's novel of the same name, an American historic epic that tells the story of the Osage people and how they were systematically cheated out of their own wealth by white Americans. It is rare for me to be so entirely captivated by a film; this movie is three and a half hours long but every single iota of it I really valued. I described this as an epic in nature and it really is one; painting a picture of the sprawling landscape, the inner workings of the Osage and the white townspeople. I loved that from the beginning of the feature we feel the land in absence of the white characters, they hover on the fringes like a great plague about to descend but in the meantime the Native American people can still hold true to their traditions. Yet once the Osage discover oil and attain wealth we start to see the way white America invades this land and the way of life entirely shifts, worse than that we see how the Osage are manipulated or straight up killed for the money they rightfully possess. This whole film details a very confronting cultural genocide that creeps under your skin and horrifies at every turn. The protagonist of the film, Ernest, is a weak-willed man inclined to bouts of vileness and goodness alike. Yet watching Ernest and his uncle sacrifice shreds of morality to circle the large amount of wealth Mollie possesses is tough to see; and there is an almost morbid fascination in seeing how desparately they justify their own actions. You watch this film take our characters to the brink of depravity and ruin, challenge them to be better or survive and then leave the audience on the edge of our seats hoping for justice to prevail. The final act of this feature is one of the best in the history of cinema in my honest opinion. Sure this film is massive and that might be intimidating, but it is a raw and unapologetic narrative about the wrongs that were visited on the Osage by white Americans and examines a monstrous part of American history with some honest scrutiny.

 

The way Scorsese shoots this is magnificent and marks this as one of his visual triumphs. The long rolling establishing shots of Americans plains and oils rigs paired with wide shots that could be paintings pulled vividly from the era. I also loved that moments of action or movement got so tight and frantic in how they were captured. The editing flowed nicely for such a lengthy runtime and the moments of abrupt shift were very strategically placed to shake up the tone of a scene and audience expectations. Robbie Robertson's work in creating the music for this is inspired, the music really heightens those more visceral and confronting moments. If anything the score only becomes more perturbing as we sink deeper into the atrocities at hand.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Ernest Burkhart, has found one of the best protagonist roles of his career; DiCaprio's depiction of a man so entirely weak and spineless crafted some of the best moments of internal conflict that I've seen in a film. Lily Gladstone, who played Mollie Burkhart, is a reserved figure with a disgruntled outlook at how her world has become affected by those who have laid claim to it; watching Gladstone craft a character who falls entirely ill and weak and must reforge her strength is an absolutely impressive lead performance. Jesse Plemons, who played Tom White, is a very cocky and charismatic federal agent who makes quite the splash late in the film; I love how good Plemons is at negotiating a scene so he has all the power by the end of it. Tantoo Cardinal, who played Lizzie Q, is wonderful as the ailing mother of Gladstone and her onscreen sisters; Cardinal really stands strong as the last vestige of a time that is really forcefully being erased. John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser, who played Prosecutor Peter Leaward and W.S. Hamilton respectively, didn't have long in this film but whom both made very decisive impacts; Fraser especially was arresting as the cantankerous defense lawyer trying to resort to any underhanded verbal ploy to De Niro's antagonist intact. Cara Jade Myers, Janae Collins and Jillian Dion, who played Anna, Reta and Minnie respectively, serve as a great sisterly ensemble in their scenes together and with Gladstone; I especially loved Myers' role who had zero tolerance for others' nonsense and wasn't afraid to demonstrate that. Jason Isbell, who played Bill Smith, is a very amiable and likeable role at first; I loved that Isbell became a figure who you didn't know if he was serving his own agenda or that of those he had married. William Belleau, who played Henry Roan, is a performance that really ranges in mood and attitude; I found Belleau's sudden outbursts to have a subtle sense of tragedy or predestination to them that I quite admired. Scott Shepherd, who played Byron Burkhart, is a role that is nearly lost in all the bigger performances about him but Shepherd really lays a claim to the screen; the character of Byron is best when Shepherd can play up his bouts of rage and his lewd display of personal passions. Tommy Schultz and Ty Mitchell, who played Blackie Thompson and John Ramsey respectively, were very convincing as the remains of old Western outlaws/criminals; yet the deeper part of their performances that I liked was watching their will to stand firm in the face of the law crumple under interrogation. Steve Witting and Steve Routman, who played Dr James Shoun and Dr. David Shoun respectively, had fantastic chemistry with one another as these brother doctors; Witting and Routman bounced dialogue off another with a flow and ease that I feel few character performers could partner up and nail. Martin Scorsese, who played Radio Show Producer, caps this film off with a simple paragraphs worth of lines; but it is a powerful somber note that sends this film off to the final shot perfectly.

 

However, the best performance came from Robert De Niro, who played William Hale. There is no surprise that De Niro is a titan of a performer but this was really something exemplary. The character of William Hale is a patriarch who reeks of cunning from the moment we meet him. De Niro comes at this character with a warm smile and a snake-like glint in his eye, he explores every angle of this despicable antagonist. Hale is a man who is constantly plotting, learning the ways of the Osage people and even their language but also the way money and assets flow in the region he controls. De Niro presents a figure who seems almost charming when first we meet him but this charm fizzes out after awhile, which is very subtly presented over the course of many scenes. I loved how passionately De Niro presented his character's love of the Osage while also dispassionately talking about murder or the value of a Native American life. De Niro shifts this role steadily from shifty patriarch to full blown criminal mastermind as things go along and his own delusion in the face of a criminal trial in relation to his 'innocence' really shocks. It is more than possible that De Niro has found one of the most dislikeable roles of his career - which makes it all the more evident why this is the best performance of the film.

 

When a movie is as long as Killers of the Flower Moon there will be small moments of pacing where attention lapses or a stylistic choice that feels extremely varied from everything else. These came as small beats here and there for me and were one of the few glaring negatives I would have to say about the film.

 

Tatanka Means, who played John Wren, comes into the final act and is given a lot of screen time that is rarely well utilised; Means is positioned at the forefront a few times but he seems much more of a background role. 

There is no doubt in my mind that this is Scorsese's defining feature of his entire career. I would give Killers of the Flower Moon a 10/10.

The Burial

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Burial is a biopic following a personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, fighting the case of funeral home owner, Jerry O'Keefe, against the Loewen group. This functions on the surface as a case of the small business owner against the funeral proceedings juggernaut of big business, a case that defied the odds and led to a tremendous amount of success for those poorly affected by the Loewen Group. This is a film that really works best when it sits with the dramatic persona of Willie Gary, showcasing his life and very wild state of presentation. I found this to be a protagonist who was very arresting to watch, who drove energy into the narrative. Even if a courtroom scene moment felt a little fabricated, you would be pulled right in by the arresting nature of this attorney. I found the steady personal connection Gary formed with the case to be really gripping and the development of how the case turned so drastically in the favour of the protagonists was very interesting as well. There is also a really engaging rivalry at the heart of this feature between Willie Gary and defendant attorney, Mame Downes.

 

This film has a soundtrack that really serves the impact of elevating how we see Willie Gary. I also really enjoyed the track 'Feels Good' by Tony! Toni! Toné! and the emotional connection it crafted between our two leads: Willie and Jerry.

 

Jurnee Smollett, who played Mame Downes, is one of the few performances in this feature that really comes close to giving Foxx a run for his money; Smollett is a dominating presence in the courtroom scenes and is unrelenting throughout. Alan Ruck, who played Mike Allred, is fascinating as this figure who appears charming but is clearly deeply prejudiced against African-Americans; Ruck portraying his character's breakdown on stand and deep sadness at having to step away from the case are incredible scenes. Mamoudou Athie, who played Hal Dockins, is such a quietly strong and likeable individual from the moment he comes onscreen; Athie is a quietly intelligent presence who makes the scenes in which his character uncovers new info extremely thrilling. Bill Camp, who played Ray Loewen, is so interesting when he finds a character performance he can really run with; here Camp brings this sense of vile greed right to the forefront of his antagonist. Amanda Warren, who played Gloria Gary, is so bubbly and filled with joy; I was entirely enchanted with her and thought her and Foxx shared incredible chemistry with one another. Dorian Missick, who played Reggie Douglas, may not have been in this film long but he sure left his mark; Missick and Fox share some great back and forth in the scene we are introduced to Gary and it kicks the film off incredibly well.

 

However, the best performance came from Jamie Foxx, who played Willie Gary. This is a feature that could have been an indie biopic ranging right through to something vying for awards season distinction; I'm not sure it'll be much more than streaming housed feature. However, what makes this film watching in the face of a biopic formula we've seen before is Foxx's performance. This is a man who may not have picked stellar films over the past year or two, but has continued to impress with exceptional commitment to his craft. He comes at this film with incredible gravitas; there is no one in this feature who really has a hope of measuring up to his energy in a given scene. When Foxx is playing in the courtroom scenes he can shift from plaful charisma to a man on the attack. I also liked the backroom conflict around case leadership, particularly how smugly that was played. Yet what I think gave this performance an edge was Foxx's capability to lend an emotional footnote to it; you really believed Gary moved from being dispassionate about the case to deeply and personally invested.

 

The struggle with biopics these days are making ones that stand out, particularly if the movie is a little guy vs. the corporate entity film. I found the pathway into this movie difficult at first, Willie is a lawyer carting around in a private jet with not much of anything to lose. I also thought that Jerry was really his own worst enemy and little more than a business owner who wasn't good at business, it was difficult to understand why I should care if he won his case beyond the fact he's a 'family man'. The journey this film goes on to bond Jerry and Willie doesn't really sell me much, it's not a bond that comes together naturally and feels a bit pieced together. But the major glaring issue with this film is how fictional it all feels. The great strength of a biopic is to adapt real life; it's not entirely real but it should trick the audience into believing it is real. This movie is riddled with moments that shatter the illusion of this being an authetic biopic; whether that's the first meeting between Willie and Mame or the long detour to look at unmarked slave mass graves. This film feels a lot of pressure to be a civil rights story, and it certainly is one, but it needed to take the time to detail and weave this in smoothly. The objective of the feature is rarely clear and often it's quite content to show off when it should really be informing the audience more or packing more of an emotional punch.

 

The cinematography is very simplistic and often framed in quite an ugly manner that neglects the layout of a scene; there are fleeting moments of creativity but they are few and far between. The editing could have been done by a high schooler, there are some monstrously bad cuts especially in the first act. While I loved the soundtrack for the feature I barely had a sense of the score, which really could have upped the tension of the feature. 

 

Tommy Lee Jones, who played Jeremiah O'Keefe, seems to be having fun across from Foxx but is clearly struggling to keep up; I found little reason to care for Jerry and Jones' range comes across as quite limited in this. Pamela Reed, who played Annette O'Keefe, often fades into the background throughout this feature; I really struggled to believe her and Jones' characters shared a bond as deeply emotional as marriage.

 

The Burial is a very entertaining and dramatic watch but it often breaks the illusion and feels a little bit closer to fiction than fact. I would give The Burial a 5.5/10.

Uproar

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Uproar follows Josh Waaka, a young Māori teen at an all boys, predominantly white high school in the 1980s. New Zealand is right in the midst of the Springbok Tour and protests are underway; in amongst all that Josh grapples with his own identity and cultural heritage in a world that is telling him to just 'fit in'. Uproar is the sort of film you kind of hope most New Zealanders see, even if many won't. I felt remarkably more informed after watching this really engaging and human approach to discussing racism and cultural identity in New Zealand. This film really advertises itself as taking Josh on a journey from being told he has to fit in with the rugby lads to expressing himself through the discovery of dramatic performance. And that is an element of the narrative, but it's not the whole thing. What really sets this film apart is the character of Josh himself, this is a hilarious kid with a lot of sincerity and curiosity to him. Because of how he lives and the people he is surrounded by at school Josh often hides himself, he removes himself or moves away from the things that interest him or are directly calling out to him. Yet I loved seeing the discovery Josh makes within himself, the first step being the drama club where he gains confidence and expression. 

 

But the more compelling point is seeing this young Māori boy growing up with no connection to his Māori heritage wishing to explore that; and more than that, learning through the protests against the Springbok tour. When I was studying history at high school I can remember the Springbok Tour unit we did, but I really didn't learn much about the Māori perspective or how that event related to the injustices Māori had experienced within Aotearoa New Zealand - at that time or even right now. This film really genuinely talks about the importance of standing against racism, and applauds the protest action during the Springbok Tour but it also notes the work that still needed and needs to happen in New Zealand. Uproar stands up and states itself sincerely and without fault, it doesn't bluntly state the case it makes. This is a film that weaves you into the narrative and really spotlights an aspect of our history in a new light. I found this film refreshing, humourous, important, well-performed and timely.

 

The way this feature was shot was gorgeous, I loved the vistas of New Zealand scenery paired with the quaint and older Dunedin architecture. Yet the film is also great at holding arresting shots of the characters, telling inner thought or conversation with a few frames. I found the editing cut a really strong pace, I never dropped focus on the piece once. The soundtrack was phenomenal and really grounded the feature in the era and setting. I particularly loved 'Sweet Inspiration' by the Yandall Sisters at the end, it just returned this film back to the story of family and standing together that made it work so very well.

 

Rhys Darby, who played Madigan, is absolutely charming as this passionate English teacher; Darby really gets to flex his dramatic side in this role and I loved the scene in which he has to admit to feeling cowardly in the face of the Springbok Tour. Minnie Driver, who played Shirley Waaka, gives some of her best character work I've had the pleasure of watching in a while; Driver plays quite a woman with a very tough exterior which results in some heavy scenes between her and Dennison. Mark Mitchinson, who played Principal Slane, is absolutely perfect for the antagonist role of this film; Mitchinson has a stern old boys air to his character that lends a sense of superiority and dislikeability. James Rolleston, who played Jamie Waaka, has a very stoic figure with a more limited emotional depth which is explored well; I loved seeing the quiet spark of rebellion ignite with Rolleston's performance. Erana James, who played Samantha, is such an explosive radical figure at several points throughout the film; I loved how James crafted someone who stood so boldly for what she foguth for. Ascia Maybury, who played Mrs. MacMenigall, is quite a fun caricature of a strict librarian; Maybury has this wonderful scene where she berates a boy who was otherwise going to severely bully Dennison's role. Mabelle Dennison, who played Tui, is a quiet compassionate voice that delivers some of the most important lines in the feature; Dennison's performance is a reminder that even through struggle there is real power in kindness and love. Jada Fa'atui, who played Grace Ioane, really has a lot of chemistry with Dennison as best friend roles; I like the sharp banter that Fa'atui trades against her co-stars with ease.

 

However, the best performance came from Julian Dennison, who played Josh Waaka. Like most New Zealanders I really grew to enjoy Dennison as an actor through his performance of Ricky Baker. I also really grappled with my thoughts on his acting after seeing him in American blockbusters like Deadpool 2 or Godzilla vs. Kong. But this feature is really the pinnacle of what Dennison has to offer in such a young career. The way he found a quiet, reserved approach to portraying Josh while also bringing some serious comedic moments made him immediately interesting from the offset. This role pushed Dennison to be more dramatic, to show more inner conflict over the choices his character had to make and the obstacles he faced. I loved watching the raw frustration and anger Dennison brought as he expressed his feelings of not being able to connect to his Māori roots. The scene in which he performs Josh's monologue is one of those few moments in a career that will stand out for all time. I enjoyed watching Ricky Baker, but I loved watching Josh Waaka a whole lot more.

 

It is difficult to find much to say against Uproar at times, but I did feel that earlier in the film the blending of Josh as a character and the larger theme of Māori cultural identity during the Springbok tour didn't blend smoothly. Josh's story felt easygoing at first, it wasn't urgent but the Tour storyline felt present and in your face almost immediately. Once the film finds it's equilibrium and takes stride is when the feature as a whole becomes really impressive.

 

Byron Coll, who played Bullivant, was an odd comedic minor antagonist that felt weirdly placed in the feature; there were many scenes that I felt Coll's presence intruded on more than anything else.

To describe this film as one of the best New Zealand films this year would be an understatement, this is one of my favourite New Zealand films ever. I would give Uproar a 9/10.