Wind River

I would be extremely remiss if I didn't share my thoughts on the exceptionally crafted "Wind River." The latest concoction of writer/director Taylor Sheridan, this will certainly cement his place among the most talented and thoughtful double threats in the game today. After 2014's "Sicario" and last year's "Hell or High Water," he's continued his gritty and realistic storytelling narrative with a particular homage to the forgotten women of the Native American reservations, and he's done it by letting the story (and perhaps one particular character) do the talking.

Although set in rural Wind River, Wyoming, it's a true Western at heart. The best Western since "No Country for Old Men" mind you. The setting is chilling. Literally. Sub-zero conditions in the spring in the Rocky Mountains, we find a young woman barefoot and frozen to death. Ruled a homicide, the local tribal police call in the FBI, and we meet agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen). She enlists the help of local fish and wildlife hunter Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) and with chief Ben (Graham Greene), they begin the search for the guilty murderer. As the clues lead them where they don't want to go, they search for justice for the woman's family, and closure for the community.

The brilliance is in the small things. From the supporting characters who make the most of single scenes, to the stationary camera shots just perfectly capturing the majestic setting. There is a melancholy sense of beauty, desperation, and isolation while presenting it in a freezing climate that makes you shiver in your seat. The dialogue is witty, but not contrived. It drives the narrative like a well-oiled machine, whether it's the whimsical ruminations or the necessary prose targeting the audience.

The climactic finale should go down in history as one of the finer and more harrowing extended scenes in recent memory. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about it for nearly a day. Sheridan has a way of bringing out the raw, primal emotions in his actors, whether he's behind the camera or the written narrative. Taylor Sheridan is simply my new favorite (Sorry Coen Brothers). He is a master of the modern Western in the way that can only be compared to author Cormac McCarthy.

Jeremy Renner delivers what might be his finest performance yet, even moreso than "The Hurt Locker." He embraces his character and shows us the pain he carries behind his eyes in every scene, while being the heroic semi-reluctant protagonist that the film needs. In fact, this performance will almost make you forget about Hawkeye, who is clearly the weakest of all the Avengers.

"Wind River" is simply stunning. It currently sits atop my best pictures of the year, and it will take something quite stunning to knock it off its perch (there are a few contenders on the horizon). I would expect five awards nominations; actor, picture, director, writer, cinematographer. With an August release, the odds are stacked against the film at this point, but I for one won't forget about it anytime soon. 9/10.

The Dark Tower

There have been over sixty Stephen King film adaptations since 1976. He’s been crowned the literary master of the thriller genre, and has spun more tales than a dozen highly trained authors could ever conceive of, which means that there are inevitably monster hits (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Shining,” “Stand by Me”), some stinkers (“The Lawnmower Man,” “Maximum Overdrive”), and of course some of my personal favorites (“Apt Pupil,” “1408,” “Misery”). The common thread among his stories is that they are so wildly diverse, that there is virtually no common thread. I would hate to see what his nightmares are like. On second thought, I would pay to see what his nightmares look like.

“The Dark Tower” has been rumored for a film adaptation for decades. It is odd to me that they chose book number three in the eight book series to start the franchise (which may not continue if the box office doesn’t show stronger results), but I suppose the epic story really is so grand in scale that the film really can only be a snippet of the whole story, and maybe producers though this was the most exciting portion. If that’s the case, the franchise is doomed.

Everything you might expect and hope for, including the best sequences, are shown in detail in the previews. This is never a good sign. The Dark Tower is a mysterious source of power that is essentially all that is keeping the universe together, and the forces of evil from running rampant on Earth and all other worlds. Walter (Matthew McConaughey) also known as the “man in black” is trying to destroy the tower with his army of skin people, and his secret weapon is the brain energy of abducted children. Only Roland (Idris Elba), the last of the famed Gunslingers, can stop him. With a .45 revolver forged from the blade of Excalibur. Young Jake (Tom Taylor) holds the power to destroy the tower with his unique and pure mind power, so the battle between good and evil will come to its last stand.

Whew. The story is a whimsical fantasy mixing old West heroism, the power of youthful innocence, and biblical evil. The film jumps right in with a slightly confusing attack on the tower, and doesn’t really get any better or clearer. There is simply too much going on that needs a few thousand pages of prose to set up and explain, and I can’t fault Stephen King for that in the slightest. This project is simply too epic and should have been a Netflix mini-series instead of a single film.

As a stand-alone film, it fails pretty miserably. Think of it this way; imagine watching season three of “Lost” without any other contextualization. It’s a little bit like that. I’m also dubious of the casting choices for the two lead roles, and that made the biggest difference for me. Elba is a fantastic actor, but when I heard that Javier Bardem was being considered for the role a few years back, I thought he would be a perfect fit. I still feel that way. Elba was a fine gunslinger, but there is something dark, mysterious, and decidedly not British about the character, and Bardem’s strong silent approach would have been more fitting.

McConaughey got to play his usual cool self as the personification of death, but he was a bit wooden and on emotionless autopilot. I would have preferred someone with a more physically imposing presence, maybe someone a bit weathered and grizzled. Someone older and more masculine. It would have changed the marketing angle for certain, but I think it would have made for a stronger overall film.

Admittedly, I haven’t read the source material, I mean seriously, who has the time? Over four thousand pages is pretty time consuming. I suppose fans of King in general and fans of the novel in particular will give it a look, and I’m curious to hear what the overall reaction is, but I for one wasn’t very impressed. There are certainly better ways to spend your time and money. 5/10.

Detroit

It’s a little early for Best Picture candidates to come out, isn’t it? Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow has made a name for herself by shooting gritty, realistic depictions of modern warfare (“The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty”). “Detroit” is merely a departure in setting, not genre.

Set in 1967 Detroit, the mix of economic depression and rising racial tensions come to a head at the Algiers Hotel, a cheap oasis for black youth to escape the literal war zone in their neighborhoods. Police, State Patrol, and National Guard are patrolling the burning streets while looting runs rampant. A curfew is in effect, but it’s just another day in paradise for most of the black youth who just want to live their lives and let loose with some alcohol and loud music. A toxic blend of police aggression, miscommunication, and being at the wrong place at the wrong time, sets off a series of cold-blooded killings and the subsequent aftermath. When the smoke clears, what’s left is a previously untold story that becomes another part of America’s shameful racist legacy.

A mostly unknown cast surround rising stars John Boyega and Will Poulter, who play a black security guard and the racist ranking police officer on scene, respectively. Anthony Mackey adds star power, but the real standout performances are by Algee Smith (Larry), and Jacob Latimore (Fred), who are really the central figures to the entire story. Larry is a singer with a silky smooth voice, and Fred is his biggest fan and best friend. Caught unaware, they are portrayed as the real innocent victims, even more so than the other patrons of the Algiers. Bigelow somehow is able to make the two of them stand out in a true ensemble cast, all delivering outstanding performances, which is a testament to both their acting, and her direction.

There was one maddening question I kept asking myself throughout, and you will too as you find yourself sucked into the extremely well-done tension. But as expressed at the end of the film, much of the accuracy of the actual events are unknown, so award winning writer Mark Boal took some liberties to add dramatic effect. His restraint shown in his liberties pay off handsomely, and what the viewer gets as a result is two and a half hours of what feels more like a documentary than a blend of fiction and non.

What stood out to me was not how tragic the events seemed to be, but how timely and shockingly poignant the story is with the current Black Lives Matter movement. Not to get too off-track, but “Detroit” truly struck a nerve; in a good way. The aim was to dig deep into the soul of the viewer and tap into the uncomfortable recognition of racial inequities that still exist in our society. To shed light on the real problem with police brutality, which isn’t necessarily that cops are racist, but that there is a stark cultural divide in perspective and lifestyle between those who are charged with protecting the people, and the citizens. This is particularly noticeable in 1967 Detroit, but certainly is relevant still today.

“Detroit” is a gritty and sometimes somber reminder of how things once were during the Civil Rights Movement, but what really sticks is the question; have things really changed that much? The emotions will be stirred in you, and you will leave with a real sense of tragedy, but also that this was an exceptionally made film. If buzz can stick around, expect award nominations to prevail. This is certainly one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year. 8/10.

Atomic Blonde

“Atomic Blonde” is the most recent in a growing trend of stuntmen working behind the camera as opposed to in front. This time, it’s David Leitch, a longtime (and well-respected) stunt double and fight choreographer. He shot some scenes in 2014’s “John Wick” and was given a chance to do his own film here. The big test, however, will be next year’s “Deadpool 2,” which is a very low-risk/high-reward proposition with a modest budget.

Fueled by alcohol, a bad attitude, and cigarettes, Charlize Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, a British MI6 superspy who channels James Bond and Jason Bourne as a well-dressed bare-knuckle brawler who puts all of the East German thugs on their backs, and looks really good doing it. When she’s done, she swigs her vodka on the rocks and wallows in her regrets. She’s a master of disguise and fighting in heels, and uses everything within hands reach as a weapon.

Charlize clearly studied fight choreography as several scenes are definitely her and not a double. There isn’t much depth to the character beyond her stoic professionalism, and she clearly works alone, but Theron conveys a very subtle loneliness at times, which is a vulnerable trait you wouldn’t expect with such an uber-confident woman. She fits the role perfectly, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see this character become a franchise figure.

Powered by a steady stream of 80’s pop, and cold war era nostalgia, the film is set in 1989 Berlin, a turbulent and exciting time in history. The days leading up to the taking down of the wall find a British spy killed, and he loses a valuable list of international agents (sound familiar?) that is hidden in a watch. Broughton is dispatched to work with fellow British agent David Percival (James McAvoy) and find the watch before it gets into the KGB’s clutches. Percival is the personality of the film as opposed to Broughton’s calm coolness. He is flamboyant, unorthodox, and seemingly on the cusp of losing his focus on his purpose, and every time he’s about to come unhinged, Broughton seems to reel him back in. It’s really a nice chemistry even if there isn’t a spark.

As they race the clock to find the list, they use assets and leave a trail of battered and bloody bodies, their own included. Joining the team are MI6 handler Gray (Toby Jones), and CIA agent Kurtzfeld (John Goodman) who are used nicely to separate the narrative from the debrief. Sofia Boutella plays Delphine, a vampy French woman who is attracted to Broughton from the moment she sees her. The two of them share a surprisingly steamy scene together, which conjures memories of gratuitous sex and violence in 80’s and 90’s B-movies. Perhaps this was intentional to match the setting and mood of the film, or perhaps not, but either way, I’m not complaining.

One thing that people will inevitably talk about is the stairwell fight scene. Let me be clear, it is absolutely stunning. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is the best fight scene since Viggio Mortenson’s “Eastern Promises” steam room brawl in 2007. It is an eight-minute sequence that appears to be shot in one scene (director Leitch admits there are some hidden cuts, although I couldn’t tell) and it is brutal. Shootings, stabbings, tumbling down stairs, and even a strategically placed corkscrew. Theron did the scene herself, and it catapults her to the top of my female bad-ass list in a single eight-minute swoop. Try to find the cuts while watching, I dare you.

“Atomic Blonde” is more than just a vehicle for gonzo fight scenes. With a 30 million budget, strong reviews and word of mouth, and a story that is actually pretty strong considering the aim, I would expect this to be a surprise hit. There is plenty to criticize, but I was thoroughly entertained, and I can truly appreciate what Theron and Leitch accomplished in this one. The twist at the end might not be surprising, but it is pretty satisfying as well. 8/10.

Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan’s name has become synonymous with brilliant and cerebral science-fiction films ever since breaking on the scene with the masterfully crafted “Memento” in 2000. He followed that with the epic “Batman” trilogy, “Inception,” and most recently, “Interstellar” in 2014. Suffice to say, when he made the decision to give non-fiction a try regarding one of the most pivotal and heroic stories from the British perspective of World War 2, it conjured images of “Saving Private Ryan” and I braced myself for a gripping story filled with graphic images and sensational acting.

A refreshingly unknown cast (besides 3 noticeable Oscar-winning/nominated actors in very unassuming roles) take us back to 1940, when the British allied troops were trapped against the English Channel, pressured by the axis powers from all sides, pushing them as fish into a barrel for the Germans to strafe and bomb. Their only hope is evacuation by sea, but with their Navy decimated by German bombers and U-Boats, all hope falls on the civilian naval corps to cross the scant fifty miles separating the soldiers and their homes.

Right off the bat, it was clear that this would be a film of action and not dialogue. Chris Nolan did a tremendous job using music and setting to paint the picture of desperation and plight. Dialogue is sparse, which serves the story perfectly. Understated acting draws the viewer’s attention to the tense and harrowing score (by Hans Zimmer) which will be a difficult one to beat on Oscar night. Particularly interesting is the ticking of a stopwatch that continues essentially from start to finish, amplifying the desperation and urgency. Attention is paid to the slightest details from start to finish, with every single frame and sequence intentionally shot. It was almost too intentional, too framed. That doesn’t take away from the beauty and awe at all, but at times I felt that the film was taking the easy way out and was a bit too conservative in its approach to war despite the full-immersion and gripping beauty. Additionally, the PG-13 rating eliminated any bit of violence or blood, which left a much smaller impact on me as a viewer. I’m not saying I was hoping for violence, but it definitely adds effect. It was “Saving Private Ryan” light in a nutshell.

Broken into segments of sea, air, and land, we bounce back and forth following individuals who represent the collective in different perspectives; a civilian sailor (Mark Rylance), a fighter pilot (Tom Hardy), and a trio of soldiers who will do just about anything to get home (Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, and Harry Styles). This diversity shows the different struggles, and are even shot with different color hues if you’re paying attention. Everyone is a hero in his own way, yet the heroism isn’t glamorized and is subtle and tasteful in preserving the realism.

What I couldn’t quite gauge from the film was the true number of soldiers either killed or rescued. They mention numbers throughout, but the camera never shows groups as large as I was expecting. There were almost a half a million soldiers on the beach, with roughly eighty-five percent rescued, and that sheer miracle wasn’t punctuated nearly well enough, nor could I envision that many during the climactic rescue. The small bands of pilots, sailors, and infantry were the focal points throughout, which lessened the grandeur and epic scale that could have been. Nolan is a consummate professional, and uses deliberate and minimalist scenes to tell stories with incredible depth, but I never quite was able to visualize four hundred-thousand British in peril.

“Dunkirk” is a fantastic story wrought with heroism, sacrifice, fear, and drama. Nolan clearly had this passion project on his mind for some time, and I can’t find any flaw in his depiction. Maybe I was expecting more violence, and for that I was a bit caught off guard. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but it definitely could have presented more tension or struck a deeper nerve. That said, I can’t overstate the spot-on perfection achieved by the score, with the ticking clock taking center stage. Zimmer proves he is the master of his craft (he took some inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson films on this one) and he truly outshines the cast leaving a lasting impression. The film is of very high quality and an exceptional story. I for one welcome more non-fiction from Nolan. Although his science-fiction is pretty awesome too. 8/10.

War for the Planet of the Apes

I quite enjoyed the first two “Planet of the Apes” remakes. Much more than I expected, and it was largely due to the care and attention to detail in the motion-capture effects of bringing the simians to life. Andy Serkis is not even remotely given his due in terms of the magic he has brought to the screen as characters such as Gollum, King Kong, Supreme Leader Snoke, or Caesar.

The epic finale to the remake of the trilogy finds Caesar (Andy Serkis), the leader of the genetically enhanced society of apes living deep in the Redwood Forest, battling for alpha species status with the last-stand special forces group of monkey-haters, led by the Kurtzesque Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson). The film has more than a few “Apocalypse Now” parallels, and as the war rages and the body count stacks up (ape and human), we quickly come to realize that these two species simply can’t live harmoniously on Earth. Or at least in America. Or at least on the West Coast. Caesar and McCullough develop a certain extinction-level hate or rivalry toward each other, and it causes them to make merciless and highly personal decisions in their dueling.

This film has a decidedly different feel than the previous two. Director Matt Reeves (2018’s “The Batman”) conveys an unintentional dark, almost ominous mood, which is a stew of “The Great Escape,” “Full Metal Jacket,” and “Schindler’s List.” You read that right. After a hard and fast battle introduction, I thought I was watching a true blue war film, and it was extremely compelling. I was simultaneously impressed and surprised, but the mood devolved quickly. The war quickly turned into a political statement eerily reminiscent of Nazi Germany, where the humans displayed the deplorable barbarism of humanity, led by none other than Woody Harrelson’s Colonel McCullough.

Harrelson claims that he’s not channeling Marlon Brando, but there is something off about the typically great actor’s performance. It’s much too forced, and the sunglasses in the dark don’t do him any favors. The militaristic approach was a bit too inhumane and jingoistic, but I suppose the intended juxtaposition of audience sympathy is the whole point. Humans bad, apes good. Two species hitting a crossroads evolutionarily; one grasping for its domination through animalistic violence, and the other reluctantly displaying more humanistic tendencies than expected is a great concept, but played out on the screen in two hours, I just thought the idea would make a stronger novel, and the film should have had more action.

That said, the acting was phenomenal; by the apes. Every one of the main characters communicated so much emotion through their eyes, their sign language, and even in some cases, their primal grunts and noises. The humans were devoid of emotional depth however, which left me feeling a bit underwhelmed by the story.

The film was a bit too long, with lengthy segments of inaction, and I question whether horses have the strength to carry gorillas and orangutans on their backs, running at full-speed. That aside, I was absolutely blown away by the realism presented on screen. I would expect numerous Oscar nods in the effects department, and the music kept pace with the action very well, creating what is on the surface a very entertaining film. I can’t overstate how impressed I was by Serkis, and I hope he is finally recognized by the academy (I said that back in 2014 for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and his work as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” films) “War for the Planet of the Apes” is an ambitious but ultimately kind of depressing movie.

Come for the effects and the movie magic, but don’t expect to leave with a smile on your face. It’s plenty entertaining for a summer blockbuster, but just a bit too heavy and emotionally layered. 7/10.