FILM REVIEWS:
ALL TO PLAY FOR (Rien A Pedre) (Nothing to Lose) (France/Belgium 2023) **
Directed by Delphine Deloge
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For the complete review, please click on the link below to our sister French website.
https://toronto-franco.com/article/21-cinema-movies/396-film-review-rien-a-perdre-all-to-play-for
THE BEEKEEPER (USA 2023) ****
Directed by David Ayer
THE BEEKEEKER arrives at the beginning of the New Year making it the first action film of the year and likely one of the best of the year. Credit goes to the superior performances from not only Jason Statham in the lead but from the supporting cast not including the likes of Jeremy Irons who steals the show as the part villain, who is nothing more than a big coward hiding behind status and great wardrobe. Ultimately the success of the film is due to its director David Ayer, one of the best cop film directors in Hollywood.
David Ayer is an American filmmaker known for making crime films that are set in Los Angeles and deal with gangs and police corruption. His screenplays include the monumental TRAINING DAY (2001) and THAE FAST AND THE FURIOUS among others. Ayer's screenplay of U-571 was based on his experiences as a submariner in the US Navy. Ayer admitted that U-571 had distorted history, and said that he would not do it again. This is a director with a conscience that many should respect and his new film THE BEEKEEPE\R and action film with more plot than usual (the script is written by Kurt Wimmer who wrote for films like TOTAL RECALL, POINT BREAK, and THE EXPEND4BLES among other hirs)shows it.
Mr. Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is a former operative of a clandestine organization called "Beekeepers". After his friend and neighbour (Phylicia Rahad) dies by suicide after falling for a phishing scam, Mr. Clay sets out to exact revenge against the company responsible. The neighbour’s daughter (Emmy Raver-Lampman) follows into, undecided whether Mr. Clay is on her side or the other side of the law.
Wimmer’s script keeps the dialogue, especially regarding bees and the beekeeper smart and funny. There are classic lines like: You mess with the beekeeper, you die” as well as metaphors of the hive system and the security of the United States. Adma Clay is a beekeeper. The beekeeper looks after the hive The beekeeper does not stand down. He does not fail until he dies. In the case of bees as well as in this story if the Queen bee produces a bad offspring, the bad offspring might replace the Queen Bee.
The film contains lots of characters with conscience thus making Ayer, the scriptwriter for U-571 with a conscience the ideal director. Adam Clay comes out of retirement hiding to take down the large phishing company targeted at the elderly to rob them of their savings. Madame President of the United States (an excellent Jemma Redgrave) who got her presidency from these illegal funds decided to come clean for it is the right thing to do. Clay offers the phishing company employees a chance to get out of the building before he blows it up. The film questions the difference between law and justice.
The action sequences are immaculately staged with effective edits creating exciting fight sequences. These coupled with an intelligent layered script and above-average performances make THE BEEKEEPER a pumped-up action feature that will keep audiences glued to their seats from start to finish.
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THE BOOK OF CLARENCE (USA/Italy 2023) ***
Directed by Jeymes Samuel
The new Sony Pictures THE BOOK OF CLARENCE is a milder less blasphemous form of MONTY PYTHON AND THE LIFE OF BRIAN, as it pays respect to the Christian faith, while not being too blasphemous as the Monty Python gang did in certain segments. LIFE OF BRIAN is way much funnier and a classic in its own terms, while THE BOOK OF CLARENCE still manages to hold its own.
The film begins with a chariot-type race in which Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) loses to Mary Magdalene. As a result, he owes Jedidiah a whole lot of money. That as well as struggling to find a better life, Clarence is captivated by the power of the rising Messiah, (a black Jesus played by Nicholas Pinnock) and soon risks everything to carve a path to a divine existence.
THE BOOK OF CLARENCE is split into three parts or books, BOOK 1, 2 and 3 under titles such as ‘The 13th Disciple” which is who Clarence will become, ’The New Messiah’ and ‘ The Crucifixion’. The film works best in the first two, parts but the final and third part is marred by its intention to include a satisfying conclusion that includes the crucifixion of Christ. That is the reason LIFE OF BRIAN is to be praised for an absolutely awesome ending of the crucifixion that included the classic song ‘Look at the Bright Side of Life’.
The BOOK OF CLARENCE is a good concept that plays generally well. The story contains lots of opportunities for comedy and plot twists. Clarence comes up with a good saying involving the difference between knowledge and belief. Clarence teaches: If there are two fighters, one of which says I believe I will win and the other who says that he knows he will win, who would be the winner? It is the one who says he knows he will win as he possesses the knowledge. However, in order to fulfill the need for the film to remain truthful to Christianity, the film fails in the last act (Book 3: The Crucifixion) when it tries to blend Christ’s Resurrection into the story.
The film will be appreciated more by Christians familiar with the Bible. Those who are not familiar with the biblical miracles like Jesus walking on water and his Resurrection or the characters like John the Baptist and Pontius Pilate will miss out on most of the jokes. Indeed, the segment of John the Baptist baptizing Clarence in the river is one of the film’s funniest moments. The same can be said of MONTY PYHTON’S LIFE OF BRIAN. Those who do not know the Beatitudes that Jesus preached on the Sermon on the Mount (i.e. Blessed are the peacemakers etc.) missed out on the funniest jokes. The casting is impressive with many stars appearing in cameos. James McAvoy plays Pontius Plate, David Owelowo plays John the Baptist, Alfre Woodard plays Mother Mary Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Clarence’s mother and Benedict Cumberbatch plays Benjamin.
THE BOOK OF CLARENCE ultimately surprises for the reason of marvelous casting, performances and the concept of modernizing a well-worn Biblical tale.
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DESTROY ALL NEIGHBOURS (USA 2023) ***
Directed by Josh Forbes
William Brown (Jonah Ray), a neurotic, self-absorbed and geeky musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbour named Vlad (Alex Winter). Regarding the opus, William says: - not everyone will get it, but the important ones will.” Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William's accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses (hence the film title DESTROY ALL NEIGHBOURS) who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla.
The film contains amusing neighbours like the elderly Eleanor who is always in need of something to fix. During one visit to her place in which Will is ‘borrowed’, “Can I borrow you for a second?” Eleanor asks him. Then 5 things later, Will has to try his best to leave Eleanor’s apartment.
The film contains a few comedian heavyweights. Besides Alex Winter who starred with Keanu Reeves in BILL AND TED EXCELLENT ADVENTURE films, there is Thomas Lennon. Thomas Patrick Lennon is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, director, and novelist. He plays Lieutenant Jim Dangle on the series Reno 911! Lennon is an accomplished screenwriter of several major studio comedies with writing partner Robert Ben Garant. But it is Alex Winter who appears to be having the most fun in the film playing William’s psychotic new neighbour, Vlad. Vlad is simply bonkers, he ends up dead by accident after instigating a fight with William in one of the funniest yet goriest scenes in the movie. Winter sports a mixed Scots and East European accent for the character of Vlad, not that authenticity is a major part of the story. Actor Jonah Ray plays the typical straight man for Alex Winter’s crazy Vlad character.
All the characters in the film are either geeky like the main protagonist or annoying and loud like Eleanor, the homeless man, Auggie who keeps bugging William Brown for croissants and of course, his new neighbour played by Alex Winter.
In the story, William spends his entire life trying to write the perfect song (much to the consternation of his girl), something that has been described that not everyone will get, but only the right ones will. The same can be said and applied to this odd film, which as odd as it gets, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the right ones might get what the film is getting at.
DESTROY ALL NEIGHBOURS is described as a comedy horror, though it is more zany comedy than anything else. The whole story makes little sense so best the throw both caution and logic to the wind. The largely forgettable film is definitely good for a few laughs, with thankfully, many laugh-out-loud ones, though.
DESTROY ALL NEIGHBOURS is a Shudder original film and opens for streaming on the horror streaming service in January.
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FIREWORKS (Italy 2023) ***½
Directed by Giuseppe Fiorello
A sunbaked Sicilian town in the summer of 1982 provides the vivid backdrop to this tender romantic drama about two teenagers who fall in love, but much to the disapproval of those around them.
Gianni is a handsome but shy teen who works as a car mechanic at his stepfather’s garage but is mercilessly taunted by the macho townsmen for being a homosexual. With his family life no better, Gianni withdraws into himself until one day he meets Nino, a curly-haired boy with an infectious smile. As the two become close and fall in love, the moral rumblings from their families and neighbours begin to erupt. With all against them, the boys decide to make a stand.
FIREWORKS displays a certain charm from the way director Giuseppe Fiorello pays attention to details. One example is Nino and his little brother Toto, who are always slapped around because he is the youngest around under the table. “Let’s form a partnership. “ says Ninoto the bright-eyed Tito who agrees and asks after: “What is that?” The small-town atmosphere of the Sicilian town is wonderfully captured in many scenes as in the hunting of hares in the countryside around the village and the little cafes in the village.
Director Fiorello appears to love the use of mirrors. From the driver’s exterior mirror, as the driver drives off, one can see the reflection of the wife going into the house and coming to the door, in a meticulously shot scene. Another has the face of Gianni seen in Nino’s moped mirror as he delivers to the bus to take a ride on the moped with Nino.
Every scene is meticulously calculated as can be seen in the way a character might light up a cigarette or the comments made by the characters. Humour is dominant throughout and quite funny as well. “You know what I said to the prettiest girl around?” Asks Nino’s brother. “Which of your eyes is prettiest?” to which Nino asks what she says right when the father walks by with the remarking Italian “Fuck you!”
The sight of two young males finding love for the first time is so innocent and pure. As they swim in the cold water of the river, underwater photography captures the slimness of the semi-nude bodies swimming. Their first kiss occurs when Nino is giving Gianni mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after their mopeds clash. The second kiss occurs when Italy scores a goal at the World Cup as seen on TV. This one is so pure, so innocent, so beautiful and so forbidden,
There are many other charming scenes and simplicity that would arguably make FIREWORKS one of the most charming and delightful films of the year. One is Gianni dancing with his mother to old Italian tunes while the village outside watches them through the window.
Cinephobia Releasing is releasing the Italian LGBTQ festival darling FIREWORKS from writer-director Giuseppe Fiorello. Based on a real-life incident that jump-started the Italian Gay Rights movement in 1981, the emotional and beautifully realized FIREWORKS arrives on January 18, 2024 on DVD and VOD, digital platforms, including AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, VUDU, and others.
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FREUD’S LAST SESSION (UK 2023) ***
Directed by Matthew Brown
There are two good reasons to see the film. Firstly, the film’s two main characters are played by two British heavyweights. Double Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (THE FATHER, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) plays the ill-health morphine taking Freud while Emmy nominee Matthew Goode (THE CROWN) plays the celebrated Christian poet and author C.S. Lewis. The other is their debate on the existence of God. Both have valid reasons with arguments (such as how can one believe that there is a God when one sees the atrocities of the Nazis) that can hardly be faulted. But who is right? Or rather does God exist? It is interesting to note that Lewis was an atheist turned Christian.
Among the topics of discussion, one of the more interesting ones is their debate on the book Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Those with a British type education might have studied the text in school, and knowledge of the book makes the debate even more interesting. The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of the narrative aspect of Christian media.
The film’s setting, beautifully captured in the film is the September 3rd of 1939, the day England declared war against Germany. Freud, his wife and his daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) recently fled from Vienna and Hitler’s invading forces. Now 83, Freud is suffering from jaw
cancer, lacing his whisky with morphine and eyeing the pill that he will soon take to end his life.
The film contains a few subplots to fill the film’s running time. One is Freud’s complex relationship with his daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries), whose fixation on her father has been called an “attachment disorder” by her supervisor at work, and Lewis’s romantic involvement with the mother (Orla Brady) of his friend who died in WWI. Another subplot that also ties into the question of homosexuality, which was forbidden during the times, is the lesbian relationship between Anna and her longtime lesbian partner Dorothy Burlingham. The Lord of the Rings author J.J.R. Tolkien (Stephen Campbell Moore), an Oxford colleague who influenced Lewis’s conversion also appears in the story.
It is pointed out in the closing credits that the last session, or last meeting between Freud and Lewis could or could not have occurred, Freud did have a visitor from Oxford who came by train just as Lewis did in the film, but it was not ascertained who that visitor from Oxford was. And if it is Lewis, then did they debate on the existence of God or on some other subject? But if they did, and the film’s fictitious concoction is true, it must have been one hell of an interesting debate. The debate, though wordy and quite stage bound is the film’s best part and the film falters when the subplots are brought in, as well as the quite clumsy flashbacks of Freud in Austria before his move to Britain.
The film is directed by Matthew Brown (THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY). The script is by Mark St. Germain and Brown, adapted from Germain’s acclaimed stage play, and suggested by “The Question of God” seminar that Dr. Armond M. Nicholi, Jr. gave at Harvard.
FREUD’S LAST SESSION opens on January 12 in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal! The film opens on January 19 in Ottawa and throughout the winter in other cities.
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LIFT (USA 2023) ***
Directed by F. Gary Gray
The film begins in a posh auction in Venice e where master criminal, CYRUS (Kevin Hart) is about to steal an expensive art item at an auction. He will not be able to LIFT this one, says a detective watching the auction proceedings recorded live on camera. There is nothing to lift, as it is all digital.” Predictably the piece designed by an artist who has never shown his face N8 (Jacob Batalon) is stolen.
The story follows a master thief, his ex and his expert crew who all team up to steal $100 million in gold bullion being transported on a 777 passenger flight.
One difference in this heist film is that the audience is torn between taking either the side of the cops or the criminals. Director Gary and the script by Daniel Kinka spend equal emphasis on Cyrus, the heist leader and the cop chasing him, called Abby aka Agent Gladwell (played by British black actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who provides some finesse in the film by speaking fluent Italian. It is also good to easy Kevin Hart playing more sophisticated than dumb ass comedy,
F. Gary Gray, the black American director of previous hosts like THE FAST AND FURIOUS 8, MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL, THE ITALIAN JOB and the drama STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON returns with again a stylish production - this time a heist movie with comedian Kevin Hart. Set in posh and wealthy cities like London and Venice, Gray gives his film a polished and international look, appropriate for Netflix, which financed this Netlfilx origin al; movie opening this weekend on the world’s most popular and successful streaming service.
LIFT has the feel of THE ITALIAN JOB (not the Michael Caine) one, not only because it is partly shot in Italy but both films are directed by Gary and are heist films. Fun, entertaining to watch but essentially forgetful fare, LIFT succeeds as an undemanding and guilty thriller.
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MEAN GIRLS (USA 2024) ****
Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.
Pink is the word.
MEAN GIRLS is a 2024 American musical teen comedy film directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. in their feature film directorial debut, from a screenplay by Tina Fey. It is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Mark Waters's 2004 cult successful comedy film, both written by Tina Fey and based on Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes. It features an ensemble cast that includes Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney, Jenna Fischer and Busy Philipps, while Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the original film. The film also contains welcome and entertaining cameos from (which got cheers from the preview screening I attended) Lindsay Lohan who had played Lady in the original film, Tina Fey and Jon Hamm,
The 2024 MEAN GIRLS makes significant changes to both the original 2004 version as well as the musical version and for the better. To make the story's musical form translate to the screen, changes were made to shorten the runtime compared to the stage show's two-and-a-half-hour length and to improve on certain plot elements, such as shortening the length of some of the musical numbers. Like the stage show, this film takes place during the social media age, with the incorporation of social media and mobile technology into the plot, compared to the 2000s setting of the 2004 film The incorporation of multiple split screens showing multiple reactions for example to Regina’s social media is extremely well put together while also getting the message across. This is the stuff done right, and with effectiveness.
MEAN GIRLS 2024 still maintains itself as a musical with some catchy tunes. Fourteen songs were cut for the film, including "Where Do You Belong?", "Fearless", "Stop", "Whose House Is This?", "More Is Better", and "Do This Thing", along with the reprise of "What's Wrong With Me?". A new song, "What Ifs", was written to replace "It Roars", the introductory song for Cady in the stage version
While the first MEAN GITRLS was largely shot in Toronto the latest version was shot in New Jersey.
MEAN GIRLS was made on a modest budget of $38 million with minimal special effects but with excellent choreographed musical numbers.
By inevitable comparison with BARBIE, MEAN GIRLS 2024 is what BARBIE should have been - a teenage or pre-teen movie starring a younger cast and written by those who now comfy like an SNL cast and not by drama heavyweights like Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Bambaugh who are better known for their relationship dramas. Box-office success aside, BARBIE is a complete dud, boring after the first 15 minutes trying too hard to make a message while MEAN GIRLS is totally fun entertainment, hilarious, and edgy with performances that suit the story.
MEAN GIELS premiered in New York City on January 8, 2024. It is set to be released by Paramount Pictures in theatres on January 12, 2024.
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