Tag: movies

Film Review: Even A Pawn Can Take Down A King

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Young Washington is a pretty well-put together film depicting the early failures and successes of the first President of the United States with William Franklyn-Miller in the lead role as George Washington. Jon Erwin sits in the director’s seat of this film which he co-wrote alongside Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten.

Other familiar talents such as Kelsey Grammar, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ben Kingsley are part of well-chosen cast.

Much the film delves a bit into Washington’s childhood and reveals that his father died when he was quite young. Washington had an older half-brother who took charge of his education and was apparently an important inspiration to the boy. Of course, older brother Lawrence teaches George the rules governing the game of chess. Washington initially wanted to serve in the British Army but was denied because of his colonial roots. He was given a position in the Virginia Militia where he started making a name for himself. The film then starts to hone on the French and Indian Wars, and Washington’s experiences there, including a rather humbling loss. It takes the love and wisdom of George’s mother to reignite that spark of inspiration that propels him to build on the purpose that will eventually help form a nation from the ground up.

It’s not the greatest historical film I have seen, but it holds up quite nicely and is certainly one of the better projects to hit the screens this year. Franklyn-Miller does a decent job portraying a very young George Washington, although I don’t know there is anything that unique about his performance.

The film seems to not stray too far from historical record, although I am sure there were some flights of fancies utilized.

It was also a pretty straight-forward film in a lot of ways without a lot of strange surprises thrown in for effect. It was a little odd to see Washington portrayed at such a young age during a period of his life that doesn’t seem to have much of lore that most have come to associate with him.

The film is certainly intended to celebrate who would become the United States’ first president, but it also brings out his human frailty and reminds the audience what he had to overcome to be seen as one of the Founding Fathers.

The set design and wardrobe seemed well crafted.

There are times that the film likely exaggerates the accomplishments a bit, but it’s nothing too outrageous. The film does have moments where it could have used a quicker pace, but it’s no worse than many other releases in that regard.

The film still delivers a good time, and I did actually feel like that I learned something new about a period in Washington’s life that is likely overlooked in the schools.

As I write this, I am thinking I should add a more comprehensive biography of the man to the reading queue.

Supergirl Sputters Into Flight

~ Peter Kanelis ~ 2 Comments

Supergirl is another recent comic book movie that delivers another mediocre cinematic experience that comes closer to being utter garbage than much of what I have seen in a while. DC Studios may have gotten a few elements right, but I found those to be quite sparse as I subjected myself to this surprisingly, but mercifully short release. Ana Nogueira is the script writer with Craig Gillispie serving as director.

Milly Alcock is in the lead role as Superman’s somewhat dysfunctional yet formidable Kryptonian cousin. Jason Momoa has taken on the role of some intergalactic bounty hunter known as Lobo. Other cast members include Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham. David Corenswet makes a couple of unnecessary appearances as Superman

At this point, Supergirl is goofing off throughout space as some party girl accompanied by her Kryptonian dog with the not so ingenious name of Krypto. Supergirl encounters a young girl on a mission of vengeance hunting for a space marauder named Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Schoenaerts. After helping the girl retrieve a handmade sword that was crafted by her deceased father. The girl’s family had been killed by this Krem character, which is why she is rather hellbent on settling the score. Supergirl’s spaceship gets hijacked, and Krypto gets poisoned, which draws her into this mess. Lobo has his own agenda, but he becomes a somewhat unreliable ally. A chase ensues across several planets until a final confrontation takes place that solidifies what kind of hero Supergirl is going to be.

I understand that comic books require a lot of grace and suspension of disbelief, but the writing here gets pretty atrocious at times. Some flashback scenes are done with characters speaking in the fabricated Kryptonian language, but the translation in English has no sense of eloquence or originality. It was full of familiar colloquialisms and expressions. Then, we learn that Superman doesn’t know anything of his native language, which doesn’t make sense since he has some relics from his destroyed home planet and probably would have learned something of his own people’s language.

The casting of Milly Alcock isn’t a bad decision, but she was not served well by this script. There are some moments where I found her genuinely amusing and charismatic, but it wasn’t enough for me to forgive the more clunky production decisions in this thing. I know the actress has taken some heat for some comments made in interviews during the promotion, and it’s deserved. She still may have some talent that can be better utilized with a better writer.

Momoa’s performance was actually the more interesting one in this film. Lobo is a dangerous dude, but he has something of a code that can be respected. He did come in handy at some important moments, but there again even he wasn’t enough to improve the viewing experience by much.

The main villain with the stupid name was just another unhygienic, unhinged, brutish weirdo who got away with his misdeeds more by luck than judgment.

The performance of the cast was fine. The problems really are more from the editing and writing.

The action sequences and visual effects what one would expect. The fight scenes and moments of superpower display were not all that creative or interesting, but it wasn’t completely unimpressive.

On the whole, the film manages to not be a complete dumpster fire, but it does deserve the disappointing box office returns. It’s not one that is going to be remembered with any real fondness among the nerds and cinephiles who will show up hoping it is better than its reputation. Those hopes are likely to be dashed for many. It’s just another barely adequate release from Hollywood that is unlikely to improve with age.

Classic Film Review: Showgirls In Peril

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Trap is not one of the better films to feature Charlie Chan, as played by the late Sidney Toler. Howard Bretherton directed this film which was written by Miriam Kissinger. The character was first created by the late Earl Derr Biggers, who was also given some writing credit. Biggers died in 1933, so he probably didn’t have much to do with this bit of tragic cinema.

Victor Sen Yung, Barbara Jean Wong, Mantan Moreland, and Tanis Chandler are also included in the cast.

It’s kind of a classic murder mystery set-up where a where a theatrical ensemble is staying at a beach house where scandal and blackmail are ruining the camaraderie among the showgirls. When one of the showgirls is murdered, a pair of them fall under suspicion. San Toy happens to know the son of the great detective, Charlie Chan, and reaches out for some help. Jimmy Chan starts his own investigation; however, the big man turns up when he receives some information that Jimmy himself had been murdered. Charlie devises a trap to ensnare a murderer who has claimed a second victim as he discovers the secrets held by the performers.

There isn’t much about this particular film that works. Charlie Chan isn’t all that involved in the story as expected. I did a little research here and learned that Toler had been coping with a severe cancer diagnosis at the time of production. In fact, he died the following year. The story was not that interesting. Well, it did follow the basic tropes of the genre and the other films in the series, but it was not executed all that well. It felt rushed and a bit incoherent. Now that I am aware of Toler’s condition during filming, it does seem the studio was rather ruthlessly trying to make as much money as possible from a star who was terribly sick.

I do think the Charlie Chan movies themselves are worth some viewing time due to the cultural impact at the time of release, but I also believe this particular film deserves a pass. The actors did their best, but the script did little to help.

Film Review: Bart Sees It All

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Night Clerk is an almost painfully mediocre suspense film written and directed by Micchael Cristofer about a motel clerk with Asperger’s Syndrome who sets up cameras in rooms to spy on guests so he can learn how to imitate their mannerisms. He apparently believes this will help him be less socially awkward.

Tye Sheridan is in the lead as Bart Bromley with Ana de Armas, John Leguizamo, Helen Hunt, and Johnathan Schaech included in the pretty small cast.

Bart finds that he is the lead suspect when a pretty lady is found dead in the motel room with him in the vicinity. He is assigned by a sympathetic boss to another location where he meets another pretty lady who flirts with him and reveals that she is in an affair with a married man. The detective, played by Leguizamo, continues to hound the hapless Bart while the real killer is desperate to cover his tracks.

This is a bit of a knock-off of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, which isn’t a bad source for inspiration even if it has been overcooked over the years. The cast is solid enough with convincing performances; however, it just feels so slow. There are no real surprises. Bart does come off as a bit creepy at times, so I found it hard to maintain any real sympathy for him. An actress of Helen Hunt’s caliber feels wasted in the role as Bart’s protective mother. There are also times where it feels that the killer takes a somewhat more convoluted approach than necessary to keep his secret. I can go on and on, but I have a full plate today.

The bright spots in this film were there but seemed a little muted at times. Overall, I think audiences have seen this kind of setup too many times, and Cristofer really doesn’t offer up much in the way of an interesting or unique twist. I didn’t really care much about the protagonist in spite of him being inflicted with a very challenging condition. Sheridan does do a solid job in his portrayal, but that wasn’t enough for me to muster up any real appreciation for the film as a whole.

Film Review: Dancing With The Devil

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Apartment 7A is a mildly interesting horror film which I just read was supposed to be some prequel to the classic film, Rosemary’s Baby. The film is directed by Natalie Erika James, who co-wrote the film alongside Christian White and Skylar James. Julia Garner is in the lead as aspiring stage dancer, Terry Gionoffrio. Other cast members include Dianne Weist, Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally, and Marli Siu.

Terry Gionoffrio is a dancer who was seriously injured in a fall onstage and is having some difficulty getting booked for other Broadway gigs. She meets an elderly couple who befriend her and offer a rent-free apartment in a lavish old complex. Of course, Terry starts having strange dreams and hallucinations. She does have a seemingly convenient fling with a Broadway producer which could lead to her desired fame on the stage. In the midst of these strange circumstances, Terry learns that she is pregnant, but there is something odd about the developing child. It turns out that Terry has been ensnared by some dedicated Satanists eager to bring forth a manifestation of the one they worship.

The film hits some of the right notes that engage my interest. It takes place in the 1960’s in New York. There is a rather spooky apartment, although we’re not really confined there with Terry. Terry does get to leave and figure out what kind of situation keeps her on the edge of hysteria. I have no real complaint about the cast. Garner is a pretty good actress. Wiest is kind of a legend and is easily able to pull off the part of a strange old woman who can be deadlier than she first appears.

The script is okay. There is nothing really that unique about setup or plot. Geriatric Satanists seems like an interesting idea, but I just ultimately found it to be kind of hammy. Some of the imagery of the devil was kind of clever, but nothing too jarring or unique.

I don’t think I have gotten around to seeing Rosemary’s Baby. Even though I may eventually be curious enough to see it, this film didn’t really kickstart my interest that much.

Apartment 7A is not a bad film on the whole and does have some merit in the horror genre, but there isn’t much that’s unique and will likely be considered another unnecessary prequel that has a tenuous connection to the film that inspired it.

Film Review: Blood In The Snow

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Dead of Winter is a surprisingly decent action film released in 2025, starring Emma Thompson as a recently widowed who is distracted from her efforts to scatter her husband’s ashes on a remote lake by an apparent kidnapping. The film is directed by Brian Kirk. The script was written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larsenand Dalton Leeb.

Other cast members include Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, and Laurel Marsden.

As mentioned before, Barb is a woman who recently lost her husband. She decides to set out to a favorite fishing spot of theirs where she intends to scatter his ashes. On the way, she gets detoured by a blizzard where she happens upon an isolated cabin. She finds a peculiar man who does give her some helpful directions. She notices some blood on the snow and is told it was from a recently slain deer. Sometime later, Barb witnesses a young woman whose hands are bound attempting to escape the previously helpful man. Barb figures out that the woman is held captive for some unknown reason by a couple. Her efforts to free the woman goes awry and a cat and mouse situation starts to ensue across the frozen landscape which could lead to Barb making a heart-wrenching sacrifice for a woman she does not know.

Emma Thompson is one of the most respected actresses out there, and this role is a nice addition to the resume. The usual elegance she exudes is submerged by the weary, saddened persona of Barb.

Judy Greer plays the desperate, frenzied woman known as Purple Lady, who is the actual mastermind of the abduction.

The performances were quite good, and the reason behind the abduction is rather chilling, if a little implausible.

I thought it was interesting that many of the characters were not given actual names. There are billed as either Purple Lady or Camo Jacket.

There are moments where Barb is remembering how she and her husband got together, and a heartbreak that kept them bound together.

Not everything in the plot hangs together all that neatly, but Thompson still carries the lead role well enough to make some oversights forgivable.

Judy Greer is also quite compelling as the lead villain. She can pull off psychotic mania quite convincingly without getting too outlandish.

Anyway, this film was not something that seems well-known. I found it quite by accident, but it’s worth a look. Dead of Winter is one of the few films in recent years that was effectively and darkly diverting.

Film Review: Vengeance In Five Points

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Gangs of New York is a very long film directed by Martin Scorsese that does take some patience to get through in spite of some captivating performances, especially with a certain Daniel Day-Lewis in the cast.

The screenplay is written by Jay Cocks, Steve Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan and was adapted from a book published in 1928, what was Herbert Asbury’s The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld.

Leonardo Dicaprio, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, and John C. Reilly are included in this obviously talented cast. Cameron Diaz does seem a little miscast here, but she is not too distracting.

The film starts off in 1846, taking place in a New York slum known as Five Points where a gang fight is about to erupt between Irish immigrants and American natives. The leader of the Irish gang is cur down by the leader known as the Butcher, played by Day-Lewis. Sixteen years later, the son of the slain man has returned to Five Points for vengeance. DiCaprio’s character goes by the moniker “Amsterdam”. In order to get closer to his target, Amsterdam positions himself as the Butcher’s protégé. A brash pickpocket played by Diaz comes to Amsterdam’s attention and complicates his plans to avenge his father. Another war is brewing between the New York gangs, and a major city could be caught in the crossfire.

The set designs are stunning. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a powerful performance as the brutal gang leader known as Bill “the Butcher” Cutting. DeCaprio also leaves an impression with his talent, but Day-Lewis stands over everyone in the arena of acting.

The film is just too long. It does seem that Amsterdam could have pulled off his objective too many times before the climactic battle sequence taking place. Bill the Butcher is an intimidating fellow, so I am glad that he was not taken out sooner.

It’s still a visually appealing film even though it feels that further editing could have occurred. It’s an exhausting film to watch at times. The fight scenes are gruesome but well-executed.

I had been thinking of finally watching this film for some time, and although I would not label it as a disappointment, it didn’t pack quite the punch I was hoping for.

My complaints about this film may have more to do with my choice of genre and certain expectations than Scorsese’s editing choices. It’s still a decent film and should be watched. Just make sure the day is slow and one has the attention span to stay focused.

Film Review: An Island Getaway No One Wanted

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Send Help is an interesting survival horror film with some solid performances in spite of the outlandish twists and turns throughout the experience.

Sam Raimi is the director of this film, which was written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien play the corporate colleagues who survive a spectacular plane crash and end up on what appears to be a completely deserted island.

Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, and Edyll Ismail are included in the small cast. Of course, the focus will be on the chemistry and banter between McAdams and O’Brien.

McAdams plays the shy, eccentric corporate strategist, Linda Liddle, who is passed over for an expected promotion by O’Brien’s typical spoiled new CEO for the company he basically inherited from his recently deceased father. Linda is a Survivor enthusiast and even auditioned for it. O’Brien’s Bradley Preston is shown the audition tape which amuses him and his cohorts greatly. Well, the plane suddenly develops a problem which kills everyone but Linda and Bradley and crashes into the island. After they awake and reunite on the island, their power struggle begins in earnest. Linda is the one with the knowledge of survival skills, and Bradley is just a spoiled jerk who has little respect for his strange subordinate. Linda’s many years of suffering underestimation and unappreciation may have unhinged her in ways that Bradley could never imagine.

On the whole, this is a pretty good film. Some of the twists were a surprise, but there was still more than a tinge of predictability as to what the final outcome would be.

The performances of McAdams and O’Brien were really quite compelling. O’Brien nailed the part of the obnoxious, entitled rich kid who ultimately cannot conceive that he could be in over his head. The evolution of McAdams’ character arc was pretty well written. I am not sure that McAdams is going to be considered one of the great actresses of the silver screen, but she does shine quite effectively here. She usually does more than hold her own alongside her peers in the projects that I have seen her participation.

Some of the gore still seemed a little too egregious at times, and I had some trouble believing that Linda Liddle would know that much about octopus’ toxins, which does involve a rather disturbing, grotesque scene of retribution midway through the film.

There are some moments that seemed a little too ridiculous at times, but I believe that was rather intentional in the writing.

Anyway, the story does seem to bring out some interesting thoughts on potential shifts in dynamics when two people from very different social standings are isolated and sharing a uniquely harrowing experience. Both of the lead characters had some depth when they were trying to outwit the other.

If one can handle some unnecessary gruesomeness and unlikely plot swings, the performances and a pretty interesting script still makes this film something I could recommend seeing.

Film Review: Predator, Prey, And Everything In Between

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Predator: Badlands is a pretty decent continuation of the franchise which began in 1987 where Arnold Schwarzenegger faced the first creature onscreen which is apparently now known as a Yautja.

Dan Trachtenberg is the director of this film while Patrick Aison is the credited screenwriter.

Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays the lead role as the outcast Predator named Dek. Elle Fanning also stars as a synthetic woman named Thia who is missing her lower half. Reuben de Jong, Alison Wright, and Mike Homik.

This film includes some family drama injected into mythos of the Predator race. A young Predator who is apparently seen as some kind of weakling is trying to receive some type of approval from his father. When the father makes an attempt on his own son’s life, Dek makes his escape to hunt another more terrible beast known as the Kalisk. When Dek arrives on the planet known as Genna, he runs into trouble and meets am artificial, yet sentient woman known as Thia. Thia has already met the Kalisk and had her lower half sheared off for her trouble. Thia is on the search someone she has identified as her sister. They were there on behalf of a corporation to experiment on the Kalisk which has some extraordinary regenerative abilities which Dek is destined to find out. As their quest nears its climax, it is no longer clear where the bigger threat lies for Thia and Dek.

It’s a decent enough movie on a slow afternoon, but it’s not all that memorable. I had some trouble caring about the family woes of Dek. Fanning’s cheeky and chatty performance as Thia was kind of entertaining.

There were of course lots of CGI visuals for the eyes to feast on. The action sequences were finely programmed or whatever. The various creatures inhabiting Genna were much the same as any other in this genre of film. Lots of tentacles get sliced off in this film.

Anyway, the film is entertaining and manages to not be terrible, which is a relief to fans of the franchise. Some of the action sequences have so much CGI, it does feel a bit cartoonish. Probably the best thing about this movie is Elle Fanning’s performance.

The film is above mediocre or average but not by as much as I dared to hope.

Film Review: A Heist Along The Highway

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Crime 101 turns out to be one of the better heist films that have been released in some time. It was written and directed by Bart Layton and was based on a novella by Don Wnslow.

Chris Hemsworth is in the lead and is joined by a formidable cast which includes Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, and Nick Nolte.

Hemsworth plays a scrupulous jewel thief named Mike who does his best to not actually injure anyone during his criminal escapades. He plans to retire after he hits a certain score and is pursued by a disheveled, yet relentless LAPD detective portrayed by Ruffalo. Halle Berry plays a frustrated insurance broker who eventually gets wrapped in the jewel thief’s latest heist. Mike’s plans to retire are complicated by a psychotic rival who is acting on behalf of their employer played by Nick Nolte.

This is one of those films where seemingly disparate characters are about to be intertwined in a catastrophic encounter which culminates in a bloody climax where everyone’s morals and boundaries get stretched to a breaking point.

The film has a lot going for it. The casting is quite effective. The three main actors, Hemsworth, Berry, and Ruffalo, are all compelling to watch. It was not entirely as predictable as it could have been and so many of these types of films are. The other significant characters were also interesting. Keoghan’s portrayal of the crazy biker was also pitched where he was actually pretty terrifying at times.

The movie did have some moments where it dragged a bit and could feel a little muddled due to the shifting of perspectives.

I thought it was pretty clever how the title was misleading in that one would think it had to with some kind of class. It really dealt with the close proximity to Highway 101 which runs through Los Angeles. If one is not familiar with the geography of L.A., it’s kind of a refreshing nugget of information.

There is kind of a modern noir feel to this film that I liked quite a bit, and the film had a sense of creativity that seems so rare in today’s cinematic selections.

Crime 101 is likely to be one of the better films to be released this year. It’s not likely to be a classic, but it’s a solid piece of filmmaking that ends up being worth the money.