On one side, you have movies like the recent KPop Demon Hunters, a title that tells you directly what it is about yet can scare people away from its subject matter (for the record, I loved that film and can’t stop listening to the soundtrack.) Then you have a movie titled Weapons, which, while singular and simplistic, is about so much more.
This is one of the best premises for a film I can remember. In a normal town, a child narrator explains that, at 2:17 AM, all but one of the kids of an Elementary classroom woke up, ran into the night, never to return. That is as far as I can go, because …well, you will thank me later.
Very few directors in my life time have been as unique or eclectic as the Coen brothers.
There are still three or so films of theirs I admit I need to see, but one only needs to see a couple to realize their talent. Even their “lesser” films are still interesting to watch (with the probable exemption of 2004’s The Ladykillers). They even managed to make a remake of the classic True Grit in 2010, and managed to make it just as effective (some would argue it is even better). Yet for all they have under their artistic belt, no film stuck to me (or the Academy) more so than their Best Picture winner of 2007, No Country for Old Men.
Based off of the book by Cormac McCarthy, what the film taught me as a film goer was patience. The film is not afraid to take its time before Llewelyn (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon the stolen money, and finds himself being chased by Anton Chigurgh (Javier Bardem). The pieces left behind are being picked up by the local Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (the pitch perfectly cast Tommy Lee Jones).
The Coen’s don’t mind taking their time giving us little subtle moments that, these days, require the viewer to stay off of their phone. The cat and mouse scenes between the aforementioned characters are basically Hitchockian.
This was one of two movies in 2007 that was a resurgence for Josh Brolin (the other being American Gangster, where he also shoots a dog). He had been in movies going as far back as The Goonies, but 2007 was the year that brought him truly into the public eye (it was not long before he was cast/immortalized as Thanos in the MCU).
Yet even with the immaculate performances from Jones and Brolin (not to mention Woody Harrelson and Kelly Macdonald), as well as the cinematography by the legend that is Roger Deakins, there is simply no way anyone cannot ignore Javier Bardem. His Anton Chigurgh is proof that not all fictional characters that are clearly psychopaths don’t have to be portrayed over the top. His is so emotionless and silent, but never the less ruthless. Add in the fact that (spoiler) he escapes and you have my pick for the best villain of the century so far.
Like many, I felt at the time the ending of the film was a bit abrupt and awkward, but I have come to accept it as clearly the right one (this was the same year as that wonderful finale for The Sopranos that confused a lot of people, myself included). Yet the Coen’s always played by their own rules. When the Coen’s won Best Director for the film (one of four Oscars it won, along with Picture, Screenplay, and Supporting Actor for Bardem), Joel said it best when he thanked everyone for letting them continue to play in their corner of the sandbox.
(As of this writing, No Country for Old Men can be found on MGM plus on Amazon).
“Dune Part 2 is the The Godfather 2 of Sci-Fi films.”
– My buddy Rudy
Like many, Rudy was able to see this movie this past Sunday (I was unaware of this early showing until I had already had my tickets). As great a movie lover (and friend) that he is, Rudy does tend to over hype things a bit (I fall into this same trap, but I am gradually improving a little).As the storytelling is more gradual and less bombastic as other sci-fi films, so was my appreciation for this epic sequel.
Much thanks must be given to the little voice in my head.
When buying my ticket for Dune, the voice told me to try and buy a seat as close to the screen as possible. While my neck did not start truly hurting until the last forty minutes or so of the film, the voice was correct, as the experience gave me small vibes dating back to when I watched the original Star Wars Trilogy re-released in the mid-90s when I was nine years old.
Despite the drastic ending of Infinity War, when Thanos succeeded in wiping out half the universe, we were not given a year to recover from the snap heard round the cosmos. Rather, we were given a year to prepare for Avengers: Endgame. I have not felt this feeling in a movie theater since the conclusion of the original Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Of those survivors of the snap, life has (understandably) changed drastically for our heroes. I will not say how, for they are worth finding out for yourselves (though I will say that the changes of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor put a giant smile on my face). When all seems lost, we get the return of Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who has been trapped in the quantum realm during the snap (we learn this at the end of Ant Man & the Wasp). He proposes an idea that is so crazy it could never work: use the quantum realm for time travel and reverse the events that led to the deaths of all the heroes we have been mourning (let alone the rest). This leads to countless (and hilarious) comparisons to films like Back to the Future, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Hot Tub Time Machine. Personally, I was thinking of the description of time travel from Doctor Who, which states it is “more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey….stuff.”
What follows is akin to a collection of classic reruns, as certain teams travel to certain points in time to collect the stones, seeing many (and I mean many) familiar faces along the way. This gives more time for our heroes (specifically the ones we have known since the beginning) to grow even more as characters and as people (or Gods or raccoons or whatever). Of course, when Thanos (Josh Brolin) reenters, all is even more complex. The showdown at the end (which you know will happen) is one of the best action scenes ever put to film.
From Chris Evans’s Steve Rodgers/Captain America and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man to Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon and Karen Gillan’s Nebula, the characters of the MCU are some of the most recognizable and memorable characters in the history of cinema (regardless of genre). Sure, we all like to imagine having made up powers to fight the bad guy (not to mention doing it as a team), but to care for these characters like family is something on a whole other level. There is a sense of closure at the end of the film that seems so palpable. The film reminds us how we as humans can relate empathically with fictional characters. Furthermore, the film inspires us to be courageous and self-sacrificial. It reminds me of a quotation from the aforementioned Lord of the Rings trilogy: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Parents, the film is a little bit more graphic than the other MCU films; it still has a PG-13 rating like all the other MCU movies. A good amount of swearing, too.
Next up, the MCU is bringing us Spider-Man: Far from Home, and then it will be awhile before we have any other films from Marvel. After seeing Avengers: Endgame, you can understand the time off. It will be near impossible to follow this film up.
For the past ten years, Marvel has made (for the most part) solid entertaining movies. Few movies have been any kind of a threat of dethroning Marvel’s work (Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther). Now comes the cream of the crop, Avengers: Infinity War.
If you have seen any of the Marvel films (I know you have), you know there have been six infinity stones in the universe. They are being hunted by Thanos (Josh Brolin), in his quest to bring balance to the cosmos. This is done with the infinity gauntlet, which he can use to wipe out half of all living things, with a snap of his fingers. Standing in his way are Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Captain America (Chris Evans), … ok, basically everyone in every Marvel movie except for Ant-Man and Hawkeye.
Remember Spider-Man 3, when there were too many characters and story lines? Well, Infinity War has only one real story line and one villain. Nevertheless, all the star players are not only here, but needed. After all, that is how hard it is to defeat a guy like Thanos. The first ten minutes alone prove my point because “We have a hulk” isn’t good enough for the Asgardians.
Credit also must be given to directors Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Each character is given not only the same amount of screen time, but the right amount of it. Kudos to the actors for remembering the old rule: no small parts, only small actors.
Speaking of which, there is even a role for Peter Dinklage. I mean that transition not as a put down joke, but from the heart. There is no doubting the man’s talent.
Perhaps the greatest difference between the films of the MCU and the (now defunct) DCU is that the former has far more layered characters. After spending a decade with most of them, we have seen a character arc in nearly every one of them, and have seen there ups and downs, fears and beliefs, strengths and weaknesses. How applicable are the words from Proverbs 18:24; “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The heroes are not blood related (Thor and Loki are brothers, but not by blood, as is the case for Gamora and Nebula), but have gone thru so much they may as well be. How can that not be relatable?
John 15:13 tells us a deep, moral truth: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Avengers: Infinity War recognizes this truth time and time again. One critical point in the plot is the discussion over whether to kill Vision preemptively to stop Thanos from getting the Mind stone. Vision was willing to die (and did!) for his friends.
Parents, Infinity War is darker than most other Marvel movies, but still an acceptable film for Middle Schoolers and above.
That is all I will say, because this is not a movie to read about. It is one to experience. And what an experience.
Nothing else to say 