"Goodbye Christopher Robin" Review
Goodbye Christopher Robin is an above average biopic. Director Simon Curtis and screenwriters, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Simon Vaughan, explore the origins of how Winnie-the-Pooh was created and the relationship that author A.A. Milne had with his son, Christopher (who served as the basis for the character named after him). As a kid, I remember growing up on the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and his adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. While the film features good performances from the actors, the film ultimately suffers from some of the tropes you would normally see in your typical biopic.
The film is set after World War I and A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) is trying to find inspiration for his new book. Cold and distanced from his friends and family, Milne has trouble connecting with people. After Milne, his wife Daphne (Margot Robbie) and his son Christopher (Will Tilston) move to the countryside, A.A. still has trouble finding his inspiration. As he finally starts to connect with Christopher, A.A. begins to write more, and Christopher asks to write a story for him. Using Christopher’s imagination and his stuffed animals as basis, A.A. begins to write stories about Winnie-the-Pooh (which is based on Christopher’s stuffed bear) and it becomes an instant success. With the fame that he wanted in hand, A.A. doesn’t see the harm that it causes Christopher until it’s too late.
The film succeeds with the acting that’s on display. Gleeson as A.A. Milne, or ‘Blue’ as Christopher calls him, is particularly good and I liked the arc that his character goes through in the film; going from somewhat cold to caring and everything in between, it’s a good showcase for the actor. Robbie, playing Daphne, A.A.’s wife, puts in another solid performance as someone who doesn’t particularly care for her son and constantly shifts the blame when things go bad. Kelly McDonald as Olive, Christopher’s nanny, stole the film from time to time as she looks out for Christopher’s well being. The kid who plays Christopher, Tilston in his first role, succeeds as well with a natural performance. Another aspect of the film that Goodbye Christopher Robin does well is showcasing A.A.’s PTSD and how it affected people around him. The film displays interesting transitions, like when A.A. goes from the battlefields of World War I to a ballroom in an instant.
I also liked the contrast between A.A.’s cold-hearted reality that he’s seen to Christopher’s innocence, and for the most part, they balanced that well. This is a well paced film. The makeup effects that they placed on the actors as older versions of their characters was believable. Perhaps the strength of the film is that it works to show how much of Christopher’s childhood that A.A. basically exploited for gain and the toll that it took. What’s the ultimate price for selling your child’s life and can you ever recover for what you did? Can you reconcile that you basically had no childhood?
The film could have fought harder to go against some stereotypical biopic tropes that you’ve seen time and again. With a biopic, you know that they have to hit certain beats along the way. Adversely, the film seemed like it glossed over things, when it should have gone more in-depth in sections. The third act feels truncated, as if they were running out of time. I wanted to see and feel more of the torment that Christopher went through as kids started to pick on him and the growing resentment he had for his parents. It’s as if the filmmakers were close to nailing it, but pulled back. If they went more in-depth, I think the film could have been even stronger then what we see on-screen.
Overall, Goodbye Christopher Robin features some good performances. As I said before, even though they go in-depth in some places, I wished it did more when it came to some important facts. I will give the film points in that it’s rare to see a biopic that focuses on the negative side of what was its main character’s greatest creation. If you’re a fan of the Pooh, you may want to spring into theaters this weekend!
Rating: B
"Suicide Squad" Review
It’s no secret that DC is trying to get its footing with every film it puts out. Suicide Squad is not able to escape this dilemma, but I get the sense that they are learning and re-working with each installment in its world. The film starts strong, and ends flat, but in a film that didn’t take itself so serious :), it’s the summer movie popcorn fun that it’s supposed to be.
Picking up after Superman has died from Batman V Superman, a secret government agency decides to comprise a group of meta-humans and bad guys as a contingency against anyone who may rise up and wish to destroy the world. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) leads the charge and seeks out some incredibly talented but villainous individuals. There’s the assassin Deadshot (Will Smith) who never misses a shot, Joker’s (Jared Leto) crazy girlfriend Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a fire powered Diablo (Jay Hernandez), an Australian thief named Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and a witch who goes by Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). Right off the bat we’re introduced to each character in an efficient, fun, albeit we’ve seen it before way.
After a mystery villain begins to destroy Midtown, the squad is called into action. The rules are simple, go extract a high powered official and defeat the villain at risk of death, or be killed by the nanite implants in their necks. There you have the motivation for each villain and story in a nutshell.
Writer/director David Ayer had his work cut out for him in having to introduce us to each character having not seen a solo story for them prior. The first hour of the film starts out pretty strong, introducing us to the characters, seeing them play with others, and getting them into the mission. Ayer’s tactical know how and ability to visualize action as seen in prior films like Sabotage and End Of Watch is displayed throughout the film. Yet character development gets the short end of the stick.
Smith’s Deadshot, and Robbie’s Harley Quinn are the obvious stars of the film. With the rest of the group being tag alongs almost as dispensable as the group is to the government. Smith brings the charisma we love in a character that isn’t just Will Smith being Will Smith. Robbie loses herself in her character, but unfortunately the Hollywood male gaze pins her as an object more than anything else. Viola Davis brings the ruthless, pragmaticism that we’d expect from Waller. There is a glimmer of shine that comes from Hernandez’s Diablo that I would have liked to see more of. Of course, the character most of us have been waiting to see, the Joker, weaves in and out of the film a lot more than I thought we'd see, but not quite enough to judge how good he is.
The villain in the film gets the least development of the bunch, but is probably way too powerful for the group minus one. All that said; I still enjoyed watching the film. There were moments in the film that gave me goosebumps (Deadshot leaping on the car), character flashbacks that helped you identify with the villain and see where things may have gone wrong, and the team building of the group works for this rag tag team of bad guys.
While we’re constantly reminded that the group is comprised of bad guys, it’s a one off that works to bring new characters into the DC movie universe. These characters will never have their own film, but they’re not supposed to. DC has introduced us to some of their villains, and when we see them in future films we have an idea of what they’re capable of. So while the film has a simple plot, plenty of style and character charm, it’s not supposed to cure diseases. Let’s be real, if Ayer was able to give us a rated R version of this like he’s accustomed to it would have been a better film. Given the parameters, I think it came out alright. Let the trolling begin!
Rating: B-
"Z For Zachariah" Review
When you’re out on the lake fishing, you have to be patient sometimes, but the wait is worth it when you catch one. “Z for Zachariah” is the type of slow burn thriller that slowly gets you invested in its characters and hooks you in without realizing it. With a stellar cast, and breath stopping tension, it’s certainly a film to see!
After an unknown disaster wipes out most of civilization, Anne Burden (Margot Robbie) survives on her father’s farm, an unaffected sliver of the world. She hunts, works the land and stays busy with her dog. As far as she knows she’s the only person alive, until a man named Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) comes along in a laboratory made, radiation safety suit.
After mistakenly bathing in polluted water, Anne nurses Loomis back to health. It’s just the kind of kind act that can create a spark of romance in a world left to two people. Loomis is an intelligent man. He helps the pure hearted and deeply religious Anne around the house by doing things like getting her plow running. Just as their connection starts to grow into love, a mysterious wanderer named Caleb (Chris Pine) comes upon the farm.
As a love triangle starts to take shape, a competition between Loomis and Caleb does as well. The linchpin of the film is superb performances from its cast and pace. Director Craig Zobel is no stranger to unnerving tension. His 2012 film “Compliance” certainly was filled with it, and with “Z” he’s honed it. Zobel knows how to let a scene breathe and not only direct his cast, but his audience’s thoughts and emotions as well in what he chooses to show.
Robbie, Ejiofor and Pine bring three uniquely different and fleshed out characters to the film. It’s never about what they’re saying so much as what they’re thinking or omitting from their conversations together that really pulls you in. You’re left without a doubt that Margot Robbie is more than the beautiful face that recent blockbusters have sold her as. In this role, she looses the makeup and gives an excellent performance as a woman stuck between the world before disaster and after, and eventually the two men. Ejiofor brings his usual polarizing presence to the flawed Loomis. Pine has just the right amount of boy next door charm, sprinkled with just beneath the surface darkness that makes his character a worthy wrench in what appears to be a happily ever after between Anne and Loomis.
“Z For Zachariah” shows what you can do with a talented storyteller in the director’s chair, and an equally talented cast. It’s a good reminder that sometimes a simple, minimalist approach can entertain more than crowded, action sequences and explosions! The fact that only three characters make the story, should be an instant grab for any indie filmmaker. Yet, the film’s ability to entertain on various levels of complexity and evoke near tangible suspense, makes it one to see for anyone!
Rating: A
"Focus" Review
Will Smith proves “After Earth” was a bump in his career with “Focus”. Written and directed by Gleen Ficarra and John Requa, the film is a well executed caper comedy. It's sure to keep you entertained this weekend!
Nicky (Will Smith) is a veteran con man. He meets Jess (Margot Robbie) after she tries to play him in a “bring you back to the hotel room so my husband can bust in and take your wallet” con in New York. Knowing he’s being played, he turns the tables on them and gives Jess a quick tutorial in the art of lifting before leaving. The key for the film to work is the chemistry between its main characters, and there’s enough to teach a high school class! (That was a little lame, but there is!) Their brief lesson in the snow is light hearted and playfully flirtatious, but continues throughout the rest of the film.
We then find ourselves in New Orleans for a Super Bowl. It’s the greatest place for a heist according to Nicky. With a team of thirty people in on the action, Jess joins the group after tracking Nicky down from New York. She fits in nicely with the crew in a beautifully choreographed sequence in the bustling French Quarters in which they lifts wallets, purses, rings, and more. A romance blossoms between Nicky and Jess, but the best part about it is as a viewer you constantly question what’s real. Is their “love” real? Is Jess playing Nicky or Nicky playing Jess?
The entire crew disperses to ensure nothing is traced. A few years after New Orleans, the two meet again as Jess descends down the stairs straight out of a classic film, into the middle of Nicky’s in progress con and back into his life. From there the film gets thick with distrust. You never know who is playing who, but not in such a way that it’s confusing or distracting. It keeps you on your toes in an entertaining way.
The camera work is great in the film. Occasionally the frame is in and out of focus, but more specifically the directors lead our eyes to what they want us to see. For instance, in one scene Jess walks into a designer store. We see her walking straight toward the camera, the camera dollies left, and we realize we’ve been watching her through a mirror as she walks past the camera on the left. It’s tricks like this that make it hard to trust our eyes as well as the story unfolding on the screen.
“Focus” is a sexy, fun ride that will keep you guessing. Will Smith still has it, and it proves that Margot Robbie is more than just the objectified, pretty woman that “The Wolf of Wall Street” made her out to be. If you want something to keep your attention off of your busy work week this weekend, “Focus” is the movie to do it!
Rating: B