FILM REVIEWS:
CARRY-ON (USA 2024) ***½
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
CARRY-ON is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, a Spanish-American film director and producer. He has directed the excellent suspenseful and critically acclaimed horror films House of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), and The Shallows (2016). This is a director who knows how to build up suspense and then executes the action sequences with confidence and verve.
The lead role of the reluctant hero is played by Taron Egerton, a Welsh actor. He puts his mark at the start of the film when he mentions that at Christmas the Brits wish Happy Christmas and not Merry Christmas, which is a true fact that many North Americans do not realize. Egerton gained recognition for his starring role as a spy in the action comedy films Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). Egerton is an excellent versatile actor who has won a Golden Globe for Best Actor as Elton John in the film ROCKETMAN.
CARRY-ON holds a very simple premise but makes it good as a solid Christmas suspense action thriller for the reason of attention to detail, solid performances and well-delivered build-up of suspense. A mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) blackmails Ethan Kopek (Egerton), a young TSA (The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within and connecting to the United States. It was created as a response to the September 11 attacks to improve airport security procedures and consolidate air travel security under a combined federal law enforcement and regulatory agency) officer, to let a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Day flight. The package is a carry-on and hence the film title. Kopek learns that the parcel contains nerve chemicals used for Russian warfare and decides to stop the parcel. A mild-mannered TSA Office now becomes a reluctant hero, but not of his choosing.
The film stands out from its production values and realistic setting. Set in the airport terminal where bag checks are carried out, the film captures the plight of the TSA staff as well as the often impatient airline passengers, especially during Christmas Eve, the evening when the action takes place. When there is a scurry alert and random passengers need to be checked and the system slows down, the angry passengers begin hurling verbal abuse at the TSA staff, something all travelers can relate to.
From Dreamworks Pictures with a hefty budget of $47 million, the film obviously has excellent production values. (Amblin Partners signed a deal with Netflix to produce multiple films per year for the streaming service. CARRY-ON was originally planned to be the first film to come from the deal.)
CARRY-ON with its Christmas setting and relatively violent-free suspenseful action fare makes it an ideal Christmas streaming film to watch during the festive holidays.
CARRY ON opens for streaming on Netflix on Friday, December 13th.
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ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE (USA 2024) ***½
Directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish
It is never too late to make or watch Elton John's new documentary about the world-renowned artist, Elton John, who was the most famous rock musician in the world in the 70s. Forget the Elton John movie made some years back in 2019 - though it was not bad. ROCKETMAN is a 2019 biographical jukebox musical drama film based on the life, music, and career of British musician Elton John. The film focused on the story of John in his early days in England as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The story is told through his music and is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man". Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, the film starred Taron Egerton as John, with Jamie Bell as Taupin.
The documentary is the real thing with real stage performances by Elton John. It follows Elton John at present as he looks back on his life in the 1970s and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, intimate and uplifting full-circle journey. As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time and recounts the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity, abuse and addiction to become the icon he is today.
The doc feels a bit disjointed as it moves back and forth from the present to the 70s, several times before culminating at his final performance that makes the film’s climax. Unlike ROCKETMAN, the doc enables the audience to know what Elton John has to say in person, rather than an actor echoing his words. In the doc, the real people in Elton’s life are also on display from Bernie Taupin to his final married husband David and his two children. The doc also delves into the drugs, sex and almost near-death experience of Elton. Elton also relates how he cherishes a solid relationship and how lonely it gets to be at the top of his trade. His past abusive relationship is also on display as he also mentions the abuse of his parents in which beatings were the norm. He also relates how he used to hide in his room from his angry father and how he was beaten till he bled by his mother with a wire brush. But he finally finds his true love. It is a very touching moment when at the end of the doc he introduces his family to his crowd of spectators claiming that it is for them, his family that he is now living it all up to sound the rest of his life with them.
ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE premiered on September 6, 2024, at the Toronto International Film Festival, and hade a limited theatrical release in the United States and United Kingdom on November 15, 2024. It streams on Disney+ on December 13, 2024.
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THE END (Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden 2024) **
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
It is the end of the world though the dystopia is not the focus of the film, which is neither explained nor elaborated in detail. George MacKay plays the naive young man who was born in this bunker. In his 20 years of life, he has only heard stories of the outside world. He spends his days working on a dubious book with his father (Michael Shannon), a former energy tycoon, while his mother (Tilda Swinton) frets over the upkeep of the many priceless paintings and artworks adorning their walls. It’s the semblance of a normal (albeit affluent) life. But when a woman (Moses Ingram) from the outside arrives at their doorstep seeking refuge, the family’s delicate dynamic begins to crumble. There exists sufficient and gourmet food, again unexplained where these come from. Director Oppenheimer’s (the acclaimed ART OF KILLING which I never liked) film is a long, tedious and occasionally unwatchable epic, which is as cold as its central character, Swinton. The film is also all over the place, with a few odd musical and dance numbers that seem out of place. A cold film on a cold topic in a film that lasts too long at 2 and ¾ hours.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER (USA 2024) ***
Directed by J.C. Chandor
“I am Kraven. I hunt people!” and so says Kraven (Aaron Taykor0-Johnson) at one point in the movie.
3 stars out of 5? At the point of writing, the film had scored 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. With the bar that low, the film can only look better than expected. And the film, despite many flaws, contains enough pleasures and quirkiness for it to be watchable. The one performance to watch is that of Russell Crowe, playing an over-the-top abusive father and villain that suits his real-life personality, judging from reports of how crazy this actor can be on set. The outrageous plot, cheesy special effects, corny dialogue, and ridiculous twists in the ending all add to the entertainment.
Kraven has a complex relationship with his father which sets him on a path of vengeance and motivates him to become the greatest and most feared hunter.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the lead, Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven:
A big-game hunter. Taylor-Johnson is all muscle now with solid abs to show off. The most ridiculous role is that played by Ariana DeBose as Calypso Ezili: A voodoo priestess and Kraven's love interest. The costume designer who did her out-of-place gold-laced gowns should’ve been hunted down. Relative newcomer Fred Hechinger plays Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon: Kraven's estranged half-brother who is a master of disguise. Christopher Abbott is the Foreigner: A mercenary and assassin, looking out of place as a foreigner in any country.
Trailer:
LISTEN CAREFULLY (USA 2024) **
Directed by Ryan Barton-Grimley
Filmmaker Ryan Barton-Grimley (REV: VAMPIRE SLAYERS and HAWK) returns to the screen with his latest psychological horror thriller LISTEN CAREFULLY about a goofy father, Andy (played by the director himself) trying to save his kidnapped baby. It is a poorer version of TAKEN about a father saving his daughter, and this one is a crying tot.
The film begins with a nightmare of the father escaping or trying to escape several masked perpetrators, for no explained reason. The film then moves to Andy’s office, where it is at least that he has been promoted to assistant bank manager, and with it comes several new opportunities, like being in charge of more unwanted jobs at the bank. The film shifts to Andy’s house where Andy is given care of another responsibility. He has to look after the baby while his wife has a night out with the girls. Andy listens to the baby monitor and goers to the baby if he hears her crying. Lo and behold, she is kidnapped. Andy tries to keep the kidnapping from his wife, Allie. The kidnapper appears to know a bit about Andy and his shady past, Andy.
When troubled assistant bank manager Andy McNeary's baby daughter goes missing, he must follow the instructions of a mysterious voice on the other end of a baby monitor to save her before she disappears forever. Andy has to LISTEN CAREFULLY,
The film follows Andy following instructions given through the baby monitor, in the shape of an oil. This leads him to draw money from various ATMs in order to satisfy the kidnapper’s needs. But when he delivers the final sum to the designated place, no baby is found, only more baby monitors. The masked perpetrator from Andy’s dream also appears.
At its worst, the film and story make little sense. Andy wakes up from a dream several times when things get too absurd. Andy is a goofball father that one can only be slightly sympathetic to, which makes yet another of the film’s flaws.
The horror nightmare is mildly amusing at best, with most of the entertainment deriving from the protagonist’s misadventures. The ending and explanation for all the mystery are far from satisfactory.
LISTEN CAREFULLY had its “World Premiere" at FANTASPOA! "North American Premiere" at DANCES WITH FILMS! "Latin America Premiere" at MACABRO! "European Premiere" at FANGOFEST AMPOSTA! The film LISTEN CAREFULLY Festival Favourite launches on Streaming Coming to Worldwide Digital HD on December 16th.
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (USA/Japan 2024) ***
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Many blockbuster franchises have been hacked to death with too many sequels and spin-offs, and now if lucky, the films exist as the studio’s Cash Cows. Examples are the STAR WARS and SPIDER-MAN franchises not to mention the numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (pronounced war of the Rohan) is a 2024 anime fantasy film directed by Kenji Kamiyama from a screenplay by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien.
But Kudos to the Studios marketing Department. Being animated, the budget is lower at a cost of only $30 million. The film has grossed only $10 million since the opening weekend, and ranked number 5 in box office for the opening weekend. The film will make money on its modest production costs and has the feel of a fairy tale with violence.
The story is set 183 years before the events of the War of the Rings, the voice of Éowyn narrates the story and tells how the story of Héra, a would-be shieldmaiden of Rohan and the king's daughter, will not be remembered in great tales or songs. Freca, a Dunlending lord, comes to King Helm's hall with his son Wulf, Héra's childhood friend. Freca is disturbed that Héra is to be married to a lord of Gondor and tries to force a marriage between Wulf and Héra, in order to usurp Rohan's throne. Wulf wishes to marry Héra, but she is uninterested in marriage. Helm and Freca begin a fistfight outside the hall, during which Helm unintentionally kills Freca with a single blow, earning Helm the nickname "Hammerhand". Wulf, devastated, vows revenge.
At best, the film tells a tragic story about the "wreckage of war", and examines ideas of honour, revenge, family, and resilience - and of course how villains come to be.
The film runs like a fairytale - princesses and kings, thrones and swords and magic. The stouter has some but not much reference to the Rings trilogy and the story can stand up much on its own.
The decision to hire Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama pays off. He has had a myriad of animation experiences, working on films like GHOST IN THE SHELL, AKIRA and Ghibli Studios KIKI’s DELIVERY SERVICE. He brings a fresh look to the J. R.R. Tolkien fantasy world.
Of all the voices, Shakespearean actor Brian Cox brings dignity to the character of Helm Hammerhand, a king of Rohan.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings films have been thrashed to death and who really needs a before-everything animation feature? Despite all the effort and some impressive animation, the feature fails to generate much excitement. At the time of writing, the film received 51% approval from Rotten Tomatoes. But not for want of trying. Still, by anime standards, the animation is quite good, especially in the second half. The film has tough competition with other animated features and will be up against films like MEMOIR OF A SMAIL, MUFASA: THE LIONS KING and FLOW for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Trailer:
QUEER (Italy/USA 2024) **
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Director Guadagnino's (CHALLENGERS) latest entry is based on William Buurrough’s novel, which in itself is a boring odyssey of a drug addict’s quest for an elusive drug in the Amazon jungles. Lee (Daniel Craig) mingles with the expatriate set in postwar Mexico City, wandering its streets, frequenting its gay bars, and ingesting whatever illicit substances are available. He is a consummate raconteur who has no trouble finding an audience, but he is also a desperately lonely, middle-aged addict with an alarming fondness for guns. Early in the film, Lee sets his sights on a journey to the Amazon in search of the potentially telepathic ayahuasca — and he wants handsome young bi-curious Oklahoman Allerton (Drew Starkey) to accompany him. Their travels will yield a string of unexpected encounters and provide Lee with sobering lessons in what Burroughs dubbed “the algebra of need.” The cinematography is stunning, and the camera work is admirable but the whole piece still ends up boring with nothing happening in the film’s lengthy over two hours running time. Craig is showing his age and he portrays a decaying gay man who suffers from diarrhea, fever, and sweats had the time during his travels.
SEPTEMBER 5 (USA 2024) ***
Directed by Tim Fehlbaum
The Munich 1972 Olympic Games were largely overshadowed by what has come to be known as the "Munich massacre". This occurred on September 5th, 1972 and hence the title of this new movie, the movie that examines, the extent of these awful circumstances. Just before dawn on 5 September, a group of eight members of the Palestinian Black September militant organization broke into the Olympic Village and took eleven Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage in their apartments. Two of the hostages who resisted were killed in the first moments of the break-in; the subsequent standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours.
SEPTEMBER 5 is a historical drama film directed by Tim Fehlbaum, focusing on the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew. The film highlights their transition from covering the Olympics to reporting on the hostage situation involving Israeli athletes. It showcases the intense and emotional experience of live broadcasting during a global tragedy.
Late in the evening of 5 September that same day, the terrorists and their nine remaining hostages were transferred by helicopter to the military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, ostensibly to board a plane bound for an undetermined Arab country. The German authorities planned to ambush them there but underestimated the numbers of their opposition and were thus undermanned. During a botched rescue attempt, all of the Israeli hostages were killed. Four of them were shot and then incinerated when one of the terrorists detonated a grenade inside the helicopter in which the hostages were sitting. The 5 remaining hostages were then shot and killed with a machine gun.
SEPTEMBER 5 covers all the events of the Munich massacre described above but with a difference. The events are looked upon from a reporter newsreel’s point of view. It is a neat difference in outlook and it works to a point. Unlike Kevin Macdonald’s 1999 Academy Award Winning Documentary, entitled ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, which was exciting and thrilling, the thrill derived from this new movie from the Swiss director takes a completely different outlook. It attempts two lots from a nonpolitical standpoint, understandably as the director is Swiss. His film discusses issues like whether the sports network should cover nonessential sports news that is current and urgent. At one point, the newscast is terminated. At another point, the newsreel people realize that what is seen on TV newsreel is what the terrorists are seeing as well. Unfortunately, this intriguing concept is not dealt with any further, The question is whether the audience really cares about the newsreel people rather than what is happening in reality with the Israeli athletes and terrorists. The statement “All the athletes are killed: is uttered in the film, which dismisses all the events leading to this situation.
Director Fehlbaum has created a time bomb-ticking film with crucial events happening in seconds, but only from the point of view of the newsreel staff, totally dismissing the key issue of the terrorist attack on Israeli athletes. The film ends up lacking in the excitement generated of how the situation can be solved as in Kevin MacDonald’s ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER documentary. Still, SEPTEMBER 5 is a well-made film that achieves its goals making it a worthwhile intriguing watch,
SEPTEMBER 5 opens in theatres on December 13. The studios are hoping this film becomes a big hot for the holiday season.
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