"Senior Year" Review: What the kids call Cringe!
There have been plenty of child stuck in an adult’s body movies. I could name a few good ones: Big, 13 Going On 30, Little. They’re always a little over the top, you have to go with the premise, but it hits the right notes in the end. Senior Year is not one of these films. It may follow the cookie cut examples of others, but its sweet messages are buried under so many cringeworthy moments.
Rebel Wilson is Stephanie, a coma patient who has recently woken up after a cheerleading stunt went horribly wrong twenty years prior. For her, she is still a 17 year old in the middle of senior year mentally, but life has gone on. Her friends have grown up and Martha (Mary Holland) and Seth (Sam Richardson) are now the principal and librarian of her old high school. Her ex-boyfriend Blaine (Justin Hartley) has married her nemesis, Tiffany (Zoe Chao). The biggest issue for Stephanie is that after coming to the United States from Australia, she was treated as an outcast. So she willed her way into popularity as head cheerleader and was not far from her dream of becoming prom queen. So what else would you want to do in a world where everything is so vastly different? Re-enroll in high school and become prom queen, duh!
This is the premise we are given and have to work off of for the entire movie. This is a small town where a 37 year old can do this. As Stephanie adjusts to the new cultural norms, writers Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, and Brandon Scott Jones throw all of the throwback jokes they can muster. Even the ones that got thrown into the trash. They retrieved those and reinserted them in the script. Brittany Spears, Abercrombie, Von Dutch- anybody or thing early 2000s is at Stephanie’s disposal to talk about. Yet, it’s in her education of current culture and how she maneuvers it that the movie gets right and horribly wrong.
One of the first lessons she learns is that you can’t say gay anymore unless it’s a positively affirming statement. Its statements like these that show the gap in changes in society from the early 2000s to the present, but they aren’t discussed for further analysis. Stephanie’s plan and execution to be popular in high school is adjusted to present day by chasing after followers via social media. Therein lies the film’s emotional pull in sending a message that chasing after followers can be dangerous. However, seeing this from a 37 year old feels vastly wrong. Stephanie encourages the cheerleading squad to be raunchy in their cheers (yes, somehow she gets on the cheerleading team) and throws the party she never got to for teens. An adult pushing sexy dance moves, underage drinking and following your heart to adolescents is terrible when you step back from the movie and look at it.
I watched this movie because I needed something on in the background while doing work. Perhaps that would work for you too. As long as it’s the last thing in your Netflix queue, you can crack into this one.
Rating: D
"The Harder They Fall" Review: A Refreshing Western Genre Entry
The Harder They Fall is a stylish, fully realized vision from co-writer/director Jeymes Samuel. Rooted in the western genre it borrows French New Wave characteristics as well. With a stellar cast, engaging dialogue, and a bumpin’ soundtrack, this movie is not only an entertaining watch but memorable as well. With a predominately black cast, the film tells a fictional, swagged-out tale of real-life black cowboys who once roamed the American West.
The film starts out giving us the backstory of Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) as a child. After witnessing the murder of his parents and receiving a scar from Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), we find Nat as an adult years later on the path to finishing his revenge. Layered through this journey we’re introduced to Mary Fields (Zazie Beets), Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo), Trudy Smith (Regina King), and Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield) amongst other notable/familiar faces. That’s about all I’ll reveal as far as the plot goes because how the story unfolds is where so much of the enjoyment lies.
There are way too many beautiful shots to talk about in this film but let’s dig into a couple. In a scene where Cherokee Bill is introduced to us, he slowly glides down the center of the train, center framed while the rest of the gang is blocked by his head. He gives a young boy an alternative telling him to “put the gun down or we’ll kill everyone on this train”. When no movement is made, Bill draws his weapon and simultaneously arms from fellow gang members shoot out of his head in the background. This camera placement and blocking of the actors conveys the danger while showing us in one shot, a stylistic but thoughtful use of framing. This is consistent throughout the film as Samuel uses his camera to show instead of tell.
Samuel takes his framing even further with the use of music and sound. Whether it’s pushing in on a character to the thump of a gun hitting the floor or the kick of a drum in the soundtrack, there is intentionality on full display. Two percussion hits reveal one character behind another in step with a camera move to the right. Samuel’s chucking of conventional framing and attention to the fact that we, the audience, are aware we’re watching a movie, has French New Wave written all over it but shows his creativity in constructing a movie that draws on western genre traits while being refreshingly unique.
Cinematographer, Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master, Jojo Rabbit) adds his gift of painting with light to the film. The colors in each scene are vibrant while shifting from cool to warm temperatures with ease. Understanding when to implement the shift in palettes may be missed by the average viewer, but it builds this story to perfection. When a character tells something from their past, warm colors are used to bolster the vulnerability of discussing an old memory.
The dialogue in this film is handled masterfully in its delivery from each main cast member. Silence is used where it’s needed to allow the visuals of the film to speak for themselves. If someone speaks, it's important to the forward progression of the film’s storytelling. Otherwise, nothing needs to be said. The southern drawl or New Orleans accent of characters not only rings authentic but serves as a layer to this delicious cake of a film. Each cast member gives nuance and life to their role. To highlight one individual performance would slight this ensemble of no weak links. The soundtrack of the film fills in the role of an additional, unseen character, telling a part of this tale. Turn on the subtitles and you’ll see the lyrics align perfectly with each scene they are heard in.
At a two hour and ten minute running time, you won’t notice it. The Harder They Fall is engaging from start to finish and if we got more from this world we’d be lucky! Grab your popcorn and turn on Netflix as soon as you can!
Rating: A
"Dolemite is My Name" Review
First, I want to take the time to welcome Eddie Murphy back to cinema. It's been a long time coming and now he's hit the Netflix small screen with a star studded cast to give us Dolemite is My Name. If you know anything about comedy and Blaxploitation from the 70's then you've heard of the man known as Dolemite. Director Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) gives us a look at Rudy Ray Moore's story in how he brought his first movie to the big screen and his tenacity to become the "Baddest Motherf*@#*& alive."
The film starts off with Rudy (Murphy) trying to find his niche in the entertainment industry doing odd jobs from singing, hosting clubs and working at a record store in order to find his claim to fame. After receiving inspiration from a local homeless man, Rudy creates the character Dolemite (a provocative pimp character with legendary stories). With the help of this persona, he finds his calling in the industry as a successful comedian. Subverting the norm, Rudy continues to find ways to push the envelope and turn his comedy albums into must have records around the US. It’s during a moment on the road that he gets the idea to make a motion picture of his character and bring it to the big screen with the thought process that movie distribution will put him everywhere at once. The only problem is he has no idea what he's doing. As he takes on the task, he quickly finds out he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
In the words of Dolemite, "its a movie that's made for the people and has funny, titties and kung fu." And this movie has all that and more! This movie also gives an inside scoop on what it took for black entertainers to breakthrough and have a voice in the entertainment industry in Hollywood by building from rock bottom in the 70s. The movie has a star studded cast featuring Snoop Dogg, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Keegan Michael Key, Bob Odenkirk, Luenell and Tituss Burgess as well as appearances from other A listers. Seeing all these great actors in a cohesive film felt like a relatable episode of SNL.
Each actor embodied their roles. Ms. Lady Reed (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) did an outstanding job as Dolemite's first lady. I was surprised to see the chemistry of Da'Vine and Eddie work well together. Eddie Murphy is the and delivered with a capital D. Also seeing Wesley Snipes (D'Urville Martin) in a comedic role was another hidden gem in the movie. He gave the zeal and tenacity and has me looking forward to Coming to America 2 (still on the fence about this sequel).
Overall, this might go down as a cult classic about a cult classic. Funny, witty and did I mention funny? It made me want to go watch some Dolemite (not the greatest films by far) films over again with my new appreciation for what it took to make them. This film has great production value and a big screen film feel to it, which isn’t always typical of a Netflix movie. This is guaranteed to be a film you watch a few times with your family, friends and your pimp friends over the coming holidays.
Rating: B
"Bright" Review: The Rumors Are True
By this time, you’ve unwrapped your gifts, dealt with a little family love and drama, and might be getting in a little work before the New Year break. So why not escape from reality for a couple hours with director David Ayer’s Bright? Let’s just say that’s not a bright idea. Yeah, because the film is about as corny as that last pun.
Will Smith is Daryl Ward, a veteran cop who is getting back out on the street with his orc partner, Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), after being shot by a criminal. It’s bad enough that orcs are considered scum in this world of humans, elves, and fairies, but diversity hire Jakoby is a part of the reason Ward was shot. So Jakoby is hated by virtually everyone in his life and his own kind. When a routine response uncovers a magic wand at the residence, the two partners are the most sought after cops in...can we call it Middle-earth for kicks? Everyone wants the wand because whoever wields it can be granted whatever they wish for. The problem is, only a Bright can hold it and live.
Thus, a survive the night film of sorts kicks off. Not the kind that Ayers is good for, but the kind of buddy-cop drama that just doesn’t work, reminiscent of the films that came out post Lethal Weapon. While the world building in the film is decent, you constantly feel like something isn’t quite right. You’re waiting for a punch line that’s never revealed. Maybe that’s the problem; the film takes itself seriously. With elves that do acrobatic martial arts moves and don’t miss when it comes to taking a shot, in the midst of a barrage of bullets that miss, it’s hard to believe. It’s also hard to believe there’s no racist themes underlying the film. With the orcs as baggy clothe wearing gangsters living in the slums, the elite elves wearing the latest high-fashion clothes and living in a gentrified area, and humans fitting somewhere in between, the “races” lean into stereotypes. It’s certainly not the District 9 environment it strives to be.
When news hit that superstar Will Smith would be starring in a Netflix film, a sense of excitement hit blogs and media outlets. Seeing Smith in Bright is the equivalent of the time that you beat your dad in a race for the third time. You knew he hadn’t been winning for a while, and you thought maybe it was a fluke. This film cements Will’s range and the fact that his delivery is still stuck in the Bad Boys 2 era. Edgerton is wasted, but it’s probably a good thing that you can’t recognize him in all his orc make-up. Genius decision! Noomi Rapace adds a small spark of excitement as Leilah, the big baddy hunting down her wand.
At the end of the day, in order to bake a good cake, you take different ingredients and bring them together. Generally, they’re brought together with one or two key ingredients that can gel them all and poof! Deliciousness! Bright has all the right ingredients, but it’s lacking the jell to bring them together. Ayer is known for his signature style in the cop genre. He wrote Training Day! He wrote/directed End of Watch (a film I enjoyed)! He has skills. Ayer teamed with his longtime cinematographer, Roman Vasyanov, so the film’s look is definitely there. The cast on paper is a solid ensemble. Taking Ayer’s style and infusing it into a fantasy world could work had Max Landis’ script not been so disjointed.
There’s a reason Bright is getting a lot of buzz for being bad. It’s bad! Yet, the word of mouth that has drawn in 11 million viewers in the first three days maybe the kind of thing that years from now makes it a cult classic. Perhaps that’s why you checked out this review. Perhaps that’s while you’ll check it out yourself. Just don’t say you weren’t warned.
Rating: D