The Boy and The Heron

My View: The Boy and The Heron (2023)  PG-13   The Boy and The Heron is about a young boy named Mahito who loses his mother in a fire and is haunted by her memory. His father has remarried and moved to a new house in the countryside. Mahito keeps hearing his mother call his name, and he sets out to find her in an abandoned and magical tower that will take him to a world he never knew existed. The Boy and The Heron is a film from legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who has, over the years, given us some of the greatest animated films in history (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises). Now he gives us what may be his last film, a very personal story of a boy trying to find the answer to why his mother left him in a world that is so strange and cold. When I see animated foreign films, I try to see them in their original language, as I did with this one. However, after seeing the voice cast for the English version, including Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, and Christian Bale, I regret that decision. The film is beautifully told as the young boy goes on a journey of discovery, helped along the way by unique characters, including a weird and threatening big heron who initially seems to be the enemy but becomes a friend to help the boy in his quest. This is a magical tale with fantastic animation, a brilliant score, and a storyline that will move you while also delighting you. This is a little more adult than the typical Miyazaki film, like Howl’s Moving Castle, so small kids might sometimes be a bit bored. But older kids and adults will be filled with wonder and awe as Mahito goes on his journey accompanied by a big, talkative bird. If The Boy and The Heron is the last film of Miyazaki, he is leaving us with a masterpiece. This film is a sure bet to be nominated for an Animated Feature Oscar and should be seen in a theatre.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Boy and The Heron Website Now playing theatres nationwide.

My View: Leave the World Behind (2023) R A wife (Julia Roberts) books her husband (Ethan Hawke) and their two kids a getaway to a luxurious rental home. This dream vacation takes an ominous turn when a massive cyberattack knocks out their services just as two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la Herrold) show up at their doorstep, stating that the house is theirs. This is one of those films that should have been better. The film has an outstanding cast, but I felt that, at times, they seemed a bit out of place. The movie is never scary, even though it deals with some terrifying ideas, but the film never finds the tension it needs to make us keep watching. Other than some creepy deer that keep showing up (we don’t know if they are trying to warn the characters or get revenge for murdering Bambi’s mom) and a few attempts of shocking us with a scene or two, the film never finds its momentum. It also feels like director Sam Esmail got a little too in love with the tricky camera shots, so much so that it took me out of the film each time he did something weird with the scene. I also hated that the soundtrack kept jumping in with music, sometimes stopping the movie to a dead stop so we could listen to a selection. I never cared for the people in the film, especially the Julia Roberts character, who we hate from almost the first frame of the film to the last. Leave the World Behind is a film that tried to say too much and make too much of a statement, and it never succeeded in making us afraid or care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Leave the World Behind Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: We Live Here: The Midwest (2023)  The documentary highlights the individual experiences of LGBTQI+ families who faced with discriminatory laws and rising hostility, try to live their lives in the heart of the country, a place that they dearly love. This is a documentary about families trying to live their lives in a part of the country that doesn’t always welcome different lifestyles. We Live Here is about the love of families and acceptance of who you are. One story the film follows is about Minnesota Representative and queer mother Heather Keeler, who uses her political know-how to bring LGBTQI+ rights to the forefront despite ongoing death threats. We Live Here: The Midwest is a film that shows you all sorts of families living in the Midwest, on farms or in cities, who aspire to be a part of their communities and live their lives as best they can. Families that are full of love and support. We need more of that in the world.   My Rating: Full Price  We Live Here Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: The Oath (2023) PG-13  In 400 AD, the last warrior of his people, Moroni (Darin Scott), is trying to survive while being hunted down by a ruthless king named Aaron (Billy Zane). King Aaron has banished his mistress, Bathsheba (Nora Dale), to the wilderness after savagely beating her. Moroni takes Bathsheba in even though she is the enemy, and she’s her a kindness she has never known. Can they survive in the wilderness together as King Aaron sends out his best warriors to find the last warrior? This was a film that was a very confusing experience. The film seems to believe that I know what this story is about and the history of the religion in the movie. The story is boring, with most of the film Moroni teaching Bathsheba about his beliefs and faith. We are teetering on the fine line of the ‘white savior’, saving the savage from a bad belief system to one that teaches how to live. The film ends with the hero finding peace with his beliefs and life. All this made sense when I saw the final credits, which I was not happy with. I won’t go into any more about this film, but to say it is a promotion piece for a religion, and it’s not very well done.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  The Oath Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Waking Life (2001) R Willy has returned to the town he grew up in. However, he has returned in his dreams. As he wanders around the town, he both listens to and engages in conversations with people he encounters. The discussions range from what is reality, whether their free will is really free, what makes up a relationship, and, of course, serious subjects like what our purpose on earth is. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Slacker), this is a beautifully animated film that Linklater uses to make us feel like we are part of Willy’s dream. Waking Life is a beautiful film that celebrates ideas and the exploration of people’s dreams from all walks of life. Note there are a few surprise appearances of characters from other films, so that adds to the fun. So, go on a journey with Willy to discover what makes the world tick.   My Take: Full Price  Waking Life Info  The film is available to rent or buy on Amazon or Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Leave the World Behind: Dental Prosthetics

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Anyone But You (2023)  Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) went on a first date that had sparks at first, but then things happened. Now they have been unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in, of all places, Australia. Their exes are also there, so they do what two mature adults would do: pretend they are a couple. This looks like it could be a fun rom-com to see to get away from the Christmas rush. Sweeney is coming off two Primetime nominations in 2022 for The White Lotus and Euphoria. Powell impressed film lovers with his role as Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick.   Anyone But You Website  The film is in theatres on Friday, Dec. 22th.

Until Next Time!

The Marvels

My View: The Marvels (2023) PG-13 Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is an astronaut working for S.A.B.E.R. and Nick Fury. While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica’s powers become entangled with Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Ms. Marvel, Kamala Kahn (Iman Vellani). The trio will have to team up to defeat a new enemy while trying to figure out why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. As a film critic, I get upset when films are judged before anyone sees them. Such is the case with The Marvels. I am a huge fan of Brie Larson as she is in two films from 2013 that I love, The Spectacular Now and Short Term 12. While I liked the Ms. Marvel and Wandavision series, I felt both ran out of steam by the end of their respective episodes. However, I had high hopes that the charisma of Larson would meld with the high energy of Iman Vellani and the cool factor of Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. I was right. First, this works because of the brilliance of Iman Vellani as Kamala Kahn, who breathes a bit of fresh air into every scene she is in. She is so much fun to watch as Ms. Marvel, a superhero who is still figuring out what she can and cannot do but is ready to try. Vellani gives us a character full of adventure and life while still being a fangirl of Captain Marvel. You almost feel that Vellani isn’t acting, but is that excited to be an actor in this film as much as her character is. Now it is known that I am not a fan of cats, but occasionally one shows up that I like, and Moose the alien cat is hilarious as Captain Marvel’s sidekick. The film is fast, funny, and I loved you don’t have to have seen the TV series to figure out each character. My problem with the film is that the bad guy in the movie, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), is a pretty weak one, and the final battle doesn’t live up to the rest of the film. Still, The Marvels is a lot of fun to watch, Iman Vellani is terrific, and Moose is, well, Moose. And the film is 1 hour and forty-five minutes long, which is a brisk pace for so many recent releases. And there is, as usual, a bonus scene after the first round of final credits. So go have some fun at the movies and see The Marvels. But be sure to watch out for Moose. He tends to spit up a hairball or something bigger occasionally.   My Rating: Full Price The Marvels Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: The Holdovers (2023) R  Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is a history teacher at a remote prep school known for being demanding and cranky. The last thing he wants to do is babysit a student named Angus (Dominic Sessa), who has no place to go during the holidays, but he has no choice. They are now stuck together along with the school cafeteria manager (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) for the holiday break. It’s going to be a holiday that both won’t forget. This is a funny and touching film about three lost souls who aren’t happy about having to spend the holidays with each other. As you would expect, Paul Giamatti is just about perfect in the role of the teacher who looks down on his students and expects far more than they are willing to give. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a delight as the cook with an attitude who isn’t going to take any gruff. The surprise of the film is Dominic Sessa, who holds his own with Giamatti, able to act toe to toe and hold his own. The two play off each other wonderfully, and their timing and chemistry is a wonder to behold. I also want to mention Carrie Preston, a favorite of mine, who lights up the scenes she is in as the love interest for the teacher. With its clever twists and turns, The Holdovers is a delightful and entertaining exploration of finding family and understanding in unexpected places. So class, find your places, because Mr. Hunham is about to teach us a thing or two. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Holdovers Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: What Happens Later (2023) R Willa (Meg Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny) are ex-lovers who were together over twenty years ago. They are now stuck in an airport overnight together. Will they find the spark again, or is it too late? Meg Ryan has been in our hearts since that wondrous appearance as Goose’s wife in Top Gun. A queen of the rom-com in the 90s, she dazzled us on the screen. Now, after quite a few years away, she is back in a film she not only stars in but directs and co-writes. I wish I could say it’s a triumphant return, but it’s not. The film explores the theme of lost love and the regrets that come with it, as two people with a shared past meet at an airport and share their stories. What Happens Later tries to be too cute, with an airport announcer as the third character in the film. I would have enjoyed this film more without the announcer's voice constantly guiding the characters' discoveries at the airport. The film tries to make this a magical thing, but instead, it becomes tiring very quickly as a plot device to get the characters to do something. There is some chemistry between Duchovny and Ryan, but the film doesn’t have a lot of charm to it, and so a lot of the discussions (and there are many) don’t feel fun; they feel like the characters want to revel in the sorrow of the past regrets. I think the film might have had a chance to work without the magic airport and its announcer, but we will never know, just like we won’t know what their lives would have been like if the two characters had stayed together.   My Rating: Cable  What Happens Later Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: AKA Mr. Chow (2023)  Documentary on the life of Michael Chow, a Chinese immigrant who started a restaurant in 1968 in London that soon became a hangout for the rich and famous, including The Beatles and every fashion model on the cover of Vogue. He soon expanded to Hollywood, where stars went to be seen. I found the first part of this documentary fascinating, as Michael Chow was the son of Zhou Xinfang, the Peking Opera Grand Master performer. Michael was sent to Europe to boarding school, and he followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor (along with his sister), appearing in films and TV shows in the 60s. The documentary becomes too much of a promo from Mr. Chow as we spend too much time on his present-day ‘job’ as a painter. I felt sorry for his assistants, who kept getting splattered with paint as Michael created his paintings using a mallet to bang paint on his canvas. The film slows down when transitioning between Mr. Chow's marriages, and I wished for more focus on the earlier days of the restaurants. I wanted to know what was happening in the 80s and 90s when there were stories coming out every week from those restaurants. Overall, I would send this dish of a film back to the kitchen; it’s just too lukewarm for my taste.   My Rating: Cable  AKA Mr. Chow website Now playing on the Max platform.

Forgotten Film: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) In a world where forests are poisoned and giant insects move at will, enters Princess Nausicaä, who vows to save her people living in a valley from an invading army. This is one of the first feature films of Hayao Miyazaki, and while the animation feels very 1980s, the storyline is still relevant for today’s audience. The characters are vibrant and stand out, with the Princess determined to save her people. Unlike some of Miyazaki’s other early films, like Castle in the Sky (1986) and Porco Rosso (1992), this film feels a little more adult in its storyline. Still, this is a beautiful film and a great starting point into the world of Miyazaki’s animation.   My Rating: Full Price Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Info  Now available to rent/buy on most online forums.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Marvels: Blues Standby Rigger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Boy and the Heron (2023) PG-13  A young boy, Mahito, loses his mother in a fire and is haunted by her memory. His father has remarried and moved to a new house in the countryside. Mahito keeps hearing his mother call his name, and he sets out to find her in an abandoned and magical tower that will take him to a world he never knew existed. Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises) brings us another tale from his inventive mind. The Boy and the Heron could be the last of Miyazaki’s incredible animated film collection and is one of the most anticipated films of the December releases.  The Boy and the Heron Website   The film will be in theatres nationwide on Friday, December 8.