Multiplex Madness
Fast X
⭐⭐1/2
Genre: Action
Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, Scott Eastwood, Jason Statham
The greatest strength of the Fast & Furious franchise is also it's greatest weakness, it's that every entry of it is pretty much exactly what you think it is and it doubles down on stupidest things about it with each installment. Sometimes it can create a golden dummy of an action movie, such as Fast & Furious 6, or fizzle out with a junky misfire, like F9. Here's the thing though, I can't guarantee that each viewer will fit those descriptions with the same movies. Some might think 9 is a great time while 6 is probably boring (these people are wrong and I will street race them for pinks). There are also those who are all in on the chaotic joyride (these people are insane) and those who won't touch these movies with a ten foot pole (these people are arguably even more insane). I can't guarantee anybody's reaction to this movie, but I personally had enough knee-slapping "That is so stupid but I can't look away" moments that I'd consider Fast X a recommended watch for those who even have a 51% ratio of enjoyment of this franchise. This time the Team Family group is targeted by the psychotic son of the drug lord they robbed in Fast Five, who spreads the group thin and hounds them to their breaking points. The film doesn't offer a hell of a lot that previous F&F installments didn't already deliver, but Jason Momoa shines like a star as the villain, who joyously brings pain to anybody in his way. But as good as Momoa is, the film suffers from a lack of pace, as it splits the characters in five different directions that aren't distinctive enough to make the film feel like it has momentum. It has action to spare, but the highlight is a bomb chase in Rome that happens early on and the film struggles to find a setpiece that's half as interesting, settling on using cars as indestructible wrecking balls that leave devastation in their wake. The movie's erratic storylines might not be so jarring if the film had an ending, but the film ends on an abrupt cliffhanger, setting up an underdog comeback for the next film that hasn't been filmed yet despite the two-part status of these two movies. And when it does come back, it's hard to feel like its overcoming through the fire is earned, as the franchise has killed and brought back characters willy nilly for a good while now, showing that there are no consequences to the actions of these characters despite how devastating this film wants to be toward them. Despite this, I enjoyed this movie's nonsense, but given where the road ends up, I can't say it's a satisfying journey.
Art Attack
Carmen
⭐⭐
Genre: Drama, Musical
Director: Benjamin Millepied
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal
My lack of experience with opera is probably getting the better of me, though if there's a solid opera venue in Idaho it's likely very niche, I can tell you. Carmen is an adaptation of one of the most beloved operas, though from what I can tell it's a very lose one, reimagined as a story of a Mexican immigrant crossing the border and on the run with a soldier who killed his partner to protect her. The movie is very dynamic, well photographed with excellent choreography highlighting it. In the Heights and Scream star Melissa Barrera shines brightly in it because of it, as while the camera has always loved her, this camera in particular makes a concentrated effort to flow with her every movement like it's dancing with her. The issue that I come to with this movie is that it feels like the risks its taking aren't paying off for it. As an opera itself, it feels broken, more focused on basic drama that is disconnected from its format. What I feel in my gut is that it puts so much effort into tearing its story down and rebuilding it from scratch that it loses its own identity while trying to forge its own. The return for the work it puts into itself seems like less that it was hoping it would be worth. As an experiment it's interesting, as a movie it's frustrating. Even if you have no context for what it's doing, you can tell that it's not working.
Monica
⭐⭐⭐1/2
Genre: Drama
Director: Andrea Pallaoro
Starring: Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, Adriana Barraza, Joshua Close
Monica is the story of a trans woman who comes home to help tend to her ailing mother who doesn't recognize her. The film is look at the anxiety of trans life, from fragile family bonds to sexual relationships. Interestingly the film doesn't dig into the most extreme of trans issues, like the bigotry they can face, instead choosing to stay a very intimate portrayal of an estranged woman who reluctantly finds herself in a situation where she has to see if old wounds can mend and if she can be accepted by those she's supposed to call family. There's a smartness to a presentation, because it turns Monica's journey as a trans woman into something relatable and sympathetic to those who don't relate to the trans identity, because we can feel what she feels through the screen. It's a look at the turmoil that humanizes a trans person in a world that seems to want to treat them less human every day. Not everybody will hear that message, because some minds are walled off too thoroughly for anything to penetrate, but it's a compelling expression of a struggle that should be in the spotlight. And it's a movie that shows her doing nothing extraordinary to win her family's graces, just being herself. Which, in a perfect world, should be enough.
Róise & Frank
⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Rachel Moriarty, Peter Murphy
Starring: Bríd Ní Neachtain, Cillian O'Gairbhi
This cute little Irish import sees a grieving woman visited by a stray dog, who she adopts while believing to be the reincarnated soul of her dead husband. Pet owners are the ones most likely to fall down the film's rabbit hole of schmaltz, as its sentimentality is its underlining trait as it tells a very sweet, but also very safe story. There are little surprises in the film, and a lot of the comedy relies on how a woman treats a dog like a grown man. But while it's a tad too safe, it finds its way to an ending that says so much while little to no words are being said. What results is a lovely little ode to the therapeutic nature of pets and why we love them, making them some of the most important members of our family.
Netflix & Chill
White Men Can't Jump
⭐⭐
Streaming On: Hulu
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Sports
Director: Calmatic
Starring: Sinqua Walls, Jack Harlow, Teyana Taylor, Laura Harrier, Lance Reddick
For context, I haven't seen the original White Man Can't Jump, which I guess is a generational classic from my era. It was just something that never fell in front of me while I watched silly monster movies growing up. So I have no nostalgic anchor to hold me back on judging a remake of that film fairly. I can only imagine it being better though, and that's based on the cast alone. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes? I mean, yes please! Why didn't I stream that one? And that's the failing that I saw with this movie, is that it isn't necessarily bad, but it's cast doesn't give it spice. Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow aren't individually bad, but there is no real chemistry between the two of them to spark the character comedy that that the movie wants to ride on. The movie is about a pair of shit-talking street hustlers, and sharp tongues and charismatic interplay are required. Harlow's inexperience as an actor is a hurdle to overcome as well, often making the film feel like it's being carried by Walls, which is unfair. This needs an ensemble to survive, and without that it falls well short of the hoop. But the best part about watching an underwhelming remake of a popular movie is that there's still a better version you can watch instead.
Movies Still Playing At My Theater
Air ⭐⭐⭐
BlackBerry ⭐⭐⭐1/2
The Covenant ⭐⭐⭐
Evil Dead Rise ⭐⭐⭐
Fool's Paradise ⭐⭐⭐
Hypnotic ⭐⭐
John Wick: Chapter 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love Again ⭐⭐
Sisu ⭐⭐⭐
New To Digital
Sisu ⭐⭐⭐
New To Physical
Moving On ⭐⭐1/2
Coming Soon!
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