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Showing posts from January, 2024

sometimes I Think About Dying | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  Sometimes I   Think   About Dying is a melancholic fairytale, pairing existential dread with an awkward budding romance. It contrasts a mundane existence against the permanent escape of death, resulting in something a little more thought provoking than it first seems.  Daisy Ridley plays Fran, a socially awkward office worker whose only source of excitement comes from the creeping thoughts of death crossing her mind throughout the day. When she’s introduced to a new coworker, though, she begins to experience thoughts other than her own demise. The plot follows their newfound companionship, as Fran navigates unfamiliar feelings that derail her morbid imagination.  This film could easily be taken at face value, as a dark but quirky workplace romance story, but there’s quite a bit happening subtly under the surface. It’s a thoughtful but intentionally understated exploration of loneliness, companionship and the importance of connections we make in our lives. Whet...

Boy Swallows Universe | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  Thrilling, sentimental, profound and funny - Boy Swallows Universe is an uneven, albeit occasionally great limited series that bites off more than it can chew. A lack of clear direction lets it down, but it’s got more than enough heart to win you over, and keep you watching.  The story follows 13 year old Eli Bell and his troubled but loving family, as they navigate life in 1980’s Brisbane. Although the main plot centres around crime drama, this is very much a story about a family bond. No matter how complicated relationships become or what mistakes are made, the undying love within the Bell family is the series’ strong point. The relationship between Eli and his older brother Gus is beautiful, as they’ve experienced a ton of shared trauma during their childhood.  In fact, Eli shares strong chemistry with almost every character, thanks to Felix Cameron’s terrific performance. The young actor plays every scene perfectly, whether the moment calls for a bit of levity or a ...

The Kitchen | Review by: Amanda Guarragi

  When films highlight a dystopian society, they often express the disservice the government has placed on its people. We believe in a futuristic society, the world would be different. That community would be financially stable and flourish in an ever-changing economy. That people would be able to live fruitfully and enjoy their lives. Sadly, that’s the future we all crave, but we cannot find it in reality or fiction. Dystopian stories like   The Kitchen,  directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, give a raw perspective of how broken government systems can be, no matter the period. In this narrative, all social housing in London has been eliminated, and the pocket of people called “The Kitchen” refuses to leave their homes because they have nowhere else to go. They are raided and uprooted from their homes for not complying with the government. Tavares and Kaluuya highlight the harshness of these conditions for the working class and how difficult it is to improve that ...

American Fiction | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  American Fiction delivers pointed, intelligent satire on Black representation in literature and mainstream media. It also gives us a touching family drama built around loss, responsibility and acceptance. It’s very much a film of two halves. Individually, these ideas work well - especially the clever social commentary. Combined, however, they make for a project that feels a little more disjointed and unfocused than it ought to.  Jeffrey Wright is excellent as a struggling writer, frustrated with America’s desire for, and consumption of stereotypical black stories. His distaste for popular media, and eventual hatred of his own fictional persona is made wildly entertaining thanks to Wright’s performance. It’s Sterling K. Brown who steals the film though, even with limited screen time. Although there’s plenty of great comedy in the movie, Brown is responsible for some of the biggest laughs. He also gets to showcase his dramatic talent, with a handful of powerful emotional scene...

The Beekeeper | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  When someone says a movie is “so bad it’s good”, they usually mean it’s entertaining because of how bad it is, not because it’s actually good. The Beekeeper blurs that line. This movie is so ludicrously stupid that it begins to actually resemble something half decent. Is it a good movie? No, but you’re gonna have a good time watching it.  Let’s face it - David Ayer has delivered far more misses than hits. His last three films were major critical bombs, and it doesn’t seem like he’s learned much from his failures. The Beekeeper has so many of the same lousy elements - bad dialogue, stiff performances, rough editing - yet somehow, miraculously, it comes together. It’s like this is almost a good movie by accident. There’s no logical reason for it to work, but it kind of does.  This movie feels tailor-made for Jason Statham. He’s not doing anything we haven’t seen before, but he plays the role of bad-ass antihero well. He embodies the mysterious brooding persona of the beek...

Death and Other Details Episode 1-8 Review

  The murder mystery genre has had a resurgence in the last few years with many refreshing takes within the genre that has left viewers wanting more. Death and Other Details looks to build on the success of such shows as Only Murders in the Building.  Taking place on a cruise ship with a large cast made up of family and co-workers, Death and Other Details begins on what looks like a promising voyage. Two wealthy families, The Colliers and The Chuns sail upon the ship in order to broker a large business deal. Before the deal can be brokered, a relatively unknown associate to the group is murdered and it is up to "the World's Greatest Detective" Rufus Cotesworth (played by Mandy Patinkin) to solve the case. Adopted daughter to the Colliers, Imogene Scott (Violett Beane) has been close with Rufus since the death of her mother eighteen years ago and has since been something of an assistant. Rufus and Imogene must work together to solve this cruise ship murder a...

LIFT | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  Netflix’s latest original is a cheap looking, uninspired Mission: Impossible wannabe with a solid ensemble cast. Sounds a lot like last year’s Heart of Stone, doesn’t it? Let’s pray this isn’t a new annual trend for the streaming juggernaut.  This is Oceans Eleven without the brains. Bond without the charm. Mission: Impossible without the jaw dropping stunts. This heist thriller feels like a watered down amalgamation of better films, and seems wholly content with not aspiring to be anything more. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see a movie aim for something different and fail miserably, than settle for being a stale, complacent copy-cat of other movies in its genre.  The cast is serviceable, but most of them are either miscast or underused. With Kevin Hart in the leading role, you’d think this would lean more into comedy, but the jokes are far and few between. Hart is at his best during the few scenes he gets to crack jokes, but otherwise I don’t really think he ...

Echo | Review by: Stefano Bove

  Maya Lopez returns in her very own, self-titled series Echo. The series takes place five months after the events of the Hawkeye series. Maya reconnects with her family, culture and the sins of her past with Wilson Fist coming back to haunt her. Immediately as the first episode begins, you feel everything about the show is unlike any previous marvel entry. From the tone, the score and the violence; everything about this show resembles that of the Daredevil series that we all know and love. Marvel may not have wanted to take the risk for a mature title on a larger character but in turn, the risk was worth it because Echo is one of the strongest Disney plus entries to date. Maya is one of the most grounded characters in the MCU and it is because of Alaqua Cox and her strong and emotional performance. The ensemble cast of characters are all family members and part of her Choctaw culture that is explored over the five episode arc. This reintroduction acts as a origin story even though...

The Book of Clarence | Review by: Stefano Bove

  The Book of Clarence is a much needed return to the biblical epics that have been missing in entertainment for far too long. Director Jaymes Samuel (better known as The Bullits) takes us back to 33 AD, Jerusalem to tell the story of Clarence.  Clarence (Lakeith Stanfield) is a street hustler who is well known in the town for his miss-deeds, contrary to his lifestyle, he is also the brother of  an apostle of Jesus, Thomas (laKeith Stanfield) The film begins with Clarence and his friend Elijah (RJ Cyler) in the middle of a horse and carriage race against Mary Magdalene. Upon losing the race, losing the horses and damaging the carriage, we discover that it was all loaned to him from the village gangster which immediately puts him at a loss as the story begins.  In a need to recoup his loosing's or face death in 30 days for non-payment, Clarence begins devising plans in order to save his life. One of which includes trying to get his b...

All of Us Strangers | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

  All of Us Strangers is a profoundly moving examination of grief, love and loneliness. It’s a film that doesn’t hold your hand through an intentionally ambiguous structure, but its beautiful themes will weight heavy on your heart.  There’s tremendous depth in the many ways this story can be perceived, but no matter how you approach it, you’re sure to find something that’ll resonate with you. This is a film that will mean something entirely different to those who’ve lost a parent or loved one at a young age. Even without having experienced that kind of loss, though, the universal themes and exceptionally written characters are easy to connect with.  The film uses its small cast perfectly to tell an intimate story. it’s essentially just four actors, and they’re all phenomenal. The chemistry among them feels genuine, and because it’s so believable, it packs an emotional punch. This might be Andrew Scott’s best performance in a career full of highs. There’s so much pain and ...

Mean Girls (2024) | Review by: Luke Elisio

  Consider the following review as the official entry in the Burn Book for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, “Mean Girls.”   Simply put, this is not a real movie. It’s clear to see how fun this show would be in the setting of live theatre, but this big screen adaptation lacks any theatricality of the production it’s based on or the charm and emotional heft that the original 2004 movie had. Honestly, Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” music video has more theatricality and cinematic awe than this. “Mean Girls” is the one that looks like a music video. At times it even gives the same energy as a bad episode of “Glee.” The filmmakers had all the resources and freedom that a film budget and set allow and yet the movie fails to elevate the material into anything resembling sensation. The musical numbers have no fanfare and the performances feel inorganic even for a musical. There isn’t any spectacle to them and they’re all staged / choreographed in the same boring way. The...

Solo Leveling | Episode 1 & 2 Review

  Solo Leveling takes place in a world where for ten years, portals have been opening up across the globe and it is up to the humans to close them. The portals allow monsters to cross over into the real world and it is up to the  Humans to stop the monsters before more damage is done. Humans that possess supernatural abilities have created training and ranking systems from A-E in order to classify what missions certain levels can participate in. This is very similar to the Ranking in many other manga's such as One Punch Man and Naruto but the only difference is that it is extremely early in the history of the portals that there seems to me a lack of knowledge of their existence and how to handle them which can be great for the future storyline possibilities. Our main character, Sung Jin-Woo is renowned as the "World's Weakest Hunter" Despite the negative backlash, he continues to hunt and try to make money in order to pay for the medical expenses ...

Society of the Snow | Review by: Benjamin Garett

  Society of the Snow masterfully captures the harrowing true story of the 1972 Uruguayan plane crash, that left 27 survivors stranded in the heart of the Andes.    It’s a bleak, brutal and occasionally hopeful survival thriller that ranks among the year’s very best.  Director J.A. Bayona is no stranger to the disaster/survival genre, as he broke onto the North American film scene with ‘The Impossible’ back in 2012. He once again excels in conveying the scope and gravity of such a dire situation, never shying away from the harsh realities faced by the survivors. This film doesn’t hold back in its depiction of the events that transpired. From the horrific crash sequence to the lengths these men and women were forced to go to in order to survive, there’s no Hollywood sugar coating to be found here.  The technical craftsmanship throughout the film is stunning. The aforementioned crash sequence is among the most graphic ever put to film, and there are some other seq...

Society of the Snow | Review by: Gal Balaban

  J.A. Bayona is no stranger to creating disaster movies that feel brutal, immersive, and rooted in the human spirit. The true story of  Society of the Snow  will leave you without words and wanting to learn more. The visual effects and production at hand are outstanding and the entire cast is amazing. The film is deeply disturbing and may test some of its viewers as to how much second-hand pain and harshness they can tolerate, but the film also provides positive messages on the value of hope and teamwork in finding solutions and staying alive. Despite the unimaginable situations that test their humanity and push them to (the brink of) death, the boys act selflessly and resourcefully and look out for one another. Society of the Snow  presents the true horrors of its subject material at full display -- calling the disturbing nature of the film uncompromising would be an understatement. At the core of its thrilling story, which is told both at an intimate and massive s...

Flightpath | Short Film Review

 Everybody deals with grief in their own way. Life is precious but we only have one of them and When a loved one passes, how do we cope with it? How does it affect us and change us? how does it change us when the job we live could cost us our lives. This is the story of Sarah. Sarah and her husband were in aviation for many years and he sadly lost his life in a plane crash. Aviation was their career and passion but Sarah had to step away from it for obvious reasons. She took a job as a wildlife researcher, investigating bird mortality by wind turbines. Ironically, it took her to the ground looking up at the planes as they flew past her in the California Desert Valley. This particular job is required to be done in the middle of the night as birds and bats accidentally hit the turbines and fall to the ground. With the help of her dog, Sarah ventures in the middle of the night to find any birds that may have perished and documents her findings.  This...

Carol & the End of the World Review

  If you knew the world was going to end, how would you spend your final days? Carol & the End of the World is a refreshing apocalyptic story, offering a profound perspective on the seemingly mundane. The everyday occurrences we take for granted might be viewed differently if we had a collective expiration date.  This ten episode limited series might test your patience with its extra-dry humour and lack of narrative momentum. While it doesn’t always seem like much is going on, the show is quietly making observations and serving up thought provoking commentary. Your disposition going into this show will greatly affect what you take away from it. It’s usually subtle, occasionally a little more obvious, but always asking questions that require a bit of self-reflection.  Loneliness, friendship, community, depression and finding one’s purpose in the world are among the many themes the show thoughtfully explores. It smartly frames ordinary situations through the lens of the...