And You Thought Burning Man Was Crazy...[Midommar Film Review]

Continuing to mine the folk horror sub-genre, writer/director Ari Aster side steps the dreaded sophomore slump and delivers yet another taut exercise in grinding, slow-burn intensity and gut gnawing apprehension. While he treads somewhat familiar territory by having yet another psychologically damaged female protagonist a la the disturbing and dividing Hereditary, Midsommar switches things up by taking the action abroad and creating a scenario in which one might seriously think twice about traveling in the rural areas of Sweden (or any other Scandinavian country, for that matter).
The proceedings come out the gate with a muted, yet no less jarring “bang!” and then the quietly creepy sensibilities never really let up for the film’s 2 hour-and-27-minute duration. Aster is rather deft at building tension and creating a smoldering kind of subdued terror which is delivered with a confidently even pace.
One of the many interesting aspects of the film is just about everything that happens onscreen is easily predictable to the discerning horror/thriller fan. Yet despite the fact that stuff happens just as you’d guess it would, there is still sufficient built up around the action so that when things do happen as expected, they still manage to resonate with shocking elements of surprise.
Another cool thing Aster relies on is that he has a lot of action happen off-screen, using audio to impart what’s going on. He also has off-screen/out-of-shot characters talking over other characters who are in the frame at the time, making for a nice, rich aural tapestry that is like a mutant riff on  Robert Altman’s signature chaotic approach to dialogue in films.
In terms of the cast, Florence Pugh is great in the lead role of Dani, expertly becoming the uber cute, yet dreadfully cloying girlfriend. Will Poulter continues to amaze at his dexterity playing complete asshats (he’s so good at portraying whiny, bloated Americans that I never knew he was a Brit until a few years ago; in many ways he reminds me of a young BIll Paxton in terms of the types of characters he seems to gravitate towards). The acting of Jack Reynor left me a little flat, but then again his character is supposed to be a wishy-washy douche, so perhaps he nails it after all.
As with Hereditary, the ending of this film definitely goes for shock and awe(fulness) in terms of its twisted gore factor. In many respects, the film could have easily ended 10-minutes earlier than the bloody and fiery finale, taking the very last shot and transposing it on the final portion of the May Queen ceremony; it would have made the film a bit more enigmatic, leaving the ending up to the audience, but also being no less potent and malevolent.
When all is said and done, Midsommar is a thought provoking, little horror film that eschews jump scares and over-the-top blasts of gore in favor of a more nerve-wracking and harrowing sense of paranoia and uneasiness.

Rating: 4.5/5
RIYL:
Hereditary; The Killing of a Sacred Deer; Rosemary’s Baby; The Wicker Man (the 1973 original); It Comes At Night; Us; The Lair of the White Worm; “The Lottery” short story by Shirley Jackson

Yesterday [Film Review]

Written by screenwriter Richard Curtis (best known for Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love, Actually) and directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting), Yesterday exudes large amounts of charm and character intermixed with plenty of visual flair.
At its core this engaging little gem, while ultimately predictable, is a quirky and highly likable romantic comedy masquerading as an-ever-so-slight sci-fi fable. It’s the fantastical elements of the story which really keep things interesting. That and the top-rate cast. Himesh Patel shines in the leading role of Jack, a struggling musician whose fortune changes after a worldwide blackout. The rest of the cast, which includes Lily James as the love interest Ellie, Kate McKinnon as a savage entertainment manager, and Joel Fry as the lovable stoner Rocky, shine just as brightly and help create a warm and bustling atmosphere.
If there’s one drawback to the film it’s the presence of Ed Sheeran. I can’t tell if the filmmakers are taking the piss in their not-so-subtle comparison of his music/popularity to that of The Beatles or if they are being serious. And while I will never understand the appeal of his music, I am willing to concede that he’s probably a likable bloke in real life. But he’s not a terribly good actor and his moments on screen are awkward and diverting.
In the end I cried. I laughed. And while at times I felt that my emotions were manipulated, I really didn’t mind all that much because the acting and the music were so engaging.
RIYL: Love, Actually; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Withnail & I; the music of The Beatles.

Rating: 4/5

Men In Black: International [Film Review]

This was on my backburner list, meaning that I didn’t put high precedence on seeing it in the theater. Alas, when I first attempted to see Yesterday (on opening day, actually), the theater was packed with only the front row seats left, so I ditched out and went to see MIB:I instead as it was the only other film showing at the same time.
Truth be told, I don’t remember anything about MIB3 and all I recall about MIB2 is that Linda Fiorentino was in it. I’m also a bit dubious when Hollywood feels the need to reboot a franchise some 7 years down the line and without any of the original cast.
MIB:I was pretty much what you’d expect: lots of CG action enveloping a rudimentary plot. The story actually appears decent enough while you are watching the film, mostly because the pacing is so lightning quick and the effects are so overwhelming that you don’t have time to dissect the story until the film is over. Once you’ve caught your breath and actually have time to reflect you quickly realize that the story was pretty ho-hum, not to mention terribly predictable, and that you were a victim of classic bait-and-switch, here the tactic being the non-stop barrage of explosions, action, and interesting aliens that overwhelm (and eventually numb) your senses.
The cast is decent enough, although Hemsworth just seems to be coasting along on his good looks and leftover Thor charm (the meta reference to his turn as the Norse God of Thunder seen in the trailers falls pretty flat in the film, fwiw). Tessa Thompson is charming, as well, but she, too, just seems to be along for the ride. The scene stealer happens to be Pawny, a diminutive green alien who drops some of the best quips and actually makes the proceedings rise slightly above mediocre. The rest of the cast, which also includes Emma Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, and Liam Neeson, are serviceable in their roles, but ultimately underutilized.
In the end the film is nothing more than a semi-amiable time waster that, like a generic piece of candy, is sweet to the taste, but eventually forgettable once it has melted in your mouth. Oh yeah, I’m pretty confident that we won’t be seeing Men In Black: International 2, unless, say somebody like Netflix ponies up for a streaming series.

Rating: 2/5

Houston, We Have A Problem [ROCKETMAN Film Review]

For whatever reasons, this film just sat on the screen and merely unfolded before my eyes, ultimately failing to really reach out and grab ahold of me. Now there’s no denying that it’s visually stunning and Taron Egerton in the title role is one of the most tour de force performances of 2019, but there just didn’t seem to be much else to it. Perhaps it came too close on the heels of Bohemian Rhapsody, as it shares a pretty similar story: musical genius grows up suppressing his homosexual orientation, becomes huge pop star, surrounds himself with toxic people, becomes dependent on drugs and alcohol, alienates himself from those he really cares about, and eventually accepts who he is and comes out on top. It’s an all-too-familiar story in the entertainment industry and while here it is delivered with over-the-top bravado (especially if you dig Broadway musical oppulence), it just ends up feeling kind of empty, as if it were merely going through the motions. The music of Elton John was just as ubiquitous during my childhood (heard it all over AM radio growing up) as the music of Queen, yet watching this film made me realize that it never resonated with me all that much beyond that period of my life; to wit, I’ve  never once felt compelled to go out and purchase any of his albums. In fact, the only time I can recall really being moved by an EJ tune was in Almost Famous during that airplane scene where the band starts singing “Tiny Dancer”.
If you are a hardcore fan of Sir Elton, then this cinematic endeavor may very well butter your toast. If you’re only a passing fan, you can probably save your $$ and just listen to one of his early albums (if you own any) in the comfort of your own home instead.

Rating: 2.5/5
RIYL: 
Moulin Rouge; Mama Mia; Rock of Ages; Tommy; Broadway Musicals