A Haunting In Venice

 

    A Haunting in Venice was directed by Kenneth Branagh and continues the adaptations of Agatha Christie's beloved mystery stories involving Hercule Poirot. In this adaptation of Christie's 1969 "Hallowe'en Party", we see Poirot, retired, living in Venice in 1947. He is encouraged by a friend (Tina Fey) to attend a seance at the palazzo of opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) and to help expose the medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) as a fraud. Suddenly, one of the guests dies, and it is up to Poirot to solve the case once again. After "Murder on the Orient Express", and "Death on the Nile", which had huge supporting cast and beautiful locations, I was interested in the next installment of the Poirot saga. I enjoyed the whodunit aspects of the previous film. When looking at the poster and seeing trailers for the film, the film promised scares, ominous spirits galore. We didn't get that in this film. What we got instead was a slow, predictable mess of a whodunit that left me unsatisfied.

    One thing I did enjoy was the visuals. The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos was amazing to look at. I loved the different camera angles and editing techniques in the film. Venice is indeed a beautiful sight to see. The costume design by Sammy Sheldon was also pretty good. The masks and costumes fit the 1940s'. Unfortunately, the beginning and the end are all we get to see of Venice outdoors, as majority of the film takes place at the palazzo.

    As I mentioned above, the film suffers from a slow pace. At a 103-minute runtime, the film should've done a better job at moving forward the plot. The beginning seemed interesting, up until the death of the guest. Then the film goes at a snail's pace trying to figure out who the killer was. It doesn't help that Poirot's mustache is distracting to look at. Also, I couldn't understand half of what he was saying because of his thick accent. Most of the supporting cast could have been listed as cameo appearances, as half of them aren't nearly on screen as I'd like. Most of the film is focused on Poirot. With a great supporting ensemble, you would think the film would ace the acting. But some acting choices were flat, particularly Branagh as Poirot.

    If you enjoyed the previous entries in the Poirot remakes entries, I would recommend seeing the film at least once. But don't expect anything groundbreaking. For a murder mystery, it falls short of expectations.

5.5/10

Inside Man (2006)

Directed by: Spike Lee

Written by: Russell Gewirtz

Stars: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster

A man named Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) sits in an unidentified cell and narrates in medias res how he has committed the perfect robbery. In New York, masked robbers, dressed as painters and using variants of the name "Steve" as aliases, seize control of a Manhattan bank and take the patrons and employees hostage. They divide the hostages into groups and hold them in different rooms, forcing them to don painters clothes identical to their own. The robbers rotate the hostages among various rooms and occasionally insert themselves covertly into the groups. They also take turns working on an unspecified project involving demolishing the floor in one of the bank's storage rooms.

Police surround the bank, and Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwitel Ejiofor) take charge of the negotiations. Russell, the leader of the robbers, demands food, and the police supply them with pizzas whose boxes include listening devices. The bugs pick up a language which the police identify as Albanian. They discover that the conversations are in fact propaganda recordings of deceased Albanian leader Enver Hoxha, implying that the robbers anticipated the attempted surveillance.

When Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), chairman of the board of directors and founder of the bank, learns of the robbery taking place, he hires "fixer" Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) to try to protect the contents of his safe deposit box within the bank. White arranges a conversation with Russell, who allows her to enter the bank and inspect the contents of the box, which include documents from Nazi Germany. Russell implies that Case started his bank with money that he received from the Nazis for unspecified services, resulting in the deaths of many Jewish people during World War II. White tells Russell that Case will pay him a substantial sum if he destroys the contents of the box.

Director Spike Lee has made a well crafted crime thriller centered around a bank heist and the negotiations made by Washington to save the hostages. The situation is reminiscent of another Denzel flick, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3; also centered around a hostage situation. At one point, Frazier references "Dog Day Afternoon", which is also a similar film centered around a bank heist. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique is exquisite. He filmed the scenes with Russell on a Steadi-cam, to make it look like he was in control. In contrast, Frazier and his crew are hand-held, designed to display the character's confusion. The film also features a few scenes where Frazier and Mitchell are interrogating several hostages, sort of like a flash-forward sequence. There was more contrast in those scenes and less color temperature, to make it look like a flashback. Performances by the A-list actors are fantastic all around. Washington is great as Frazier, who is desperate to make Detective First Grade that he will negotiate with the ringleader of the heist, and Clive Owen as the ringleader, and he plays a nasty role as the villain.

The Boy (2016)

The Boy is a decent take on the living doll premise

Directed by: William Brent Bell

Written by: Stacey Menear

Stars: Lauren Cohen, Rupert Evans, James Russell

When the film opens, our protagonist Greta Evans (Lauren Cohen) agrees to take a job as a nanny at a English mansion, in order to escape from a abusive ex-boyfriend. She goes inside the mansion; no one is in the parlor and no comes to greet her, but she hears a rustling upstairs so she decides to check it out. She hesitantly goes up the staircase a bit and calls out again. Along the stairs is a huge painted family portrait of the Heelshires. It's clear they are a very regal family. Hearing nothing, she moves on to a room filled with old-fashioned toys. She picks one up and laughs a bit before being completely startled by a noise behind her. It's Malcolm (Rupert Evans), standing at the doorway. He's the grocery boy that comes weekly to bring produce for the Heelshires. They introduce each other, and he asks to have her help in packing the groceries away. They chat, and he's obviously already smitten by Greta, but she remains polite. We find out that Greta is an American, who has moved to the UK for the first time to work for the Heelshires.

She then meets Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire (Jim Norton & Diana Hardcastle), along with their son, Brahms. She is surprised to find out that the family's boy that she is taking care of isn't a human, but a life-sized doll named Brahms. We find out that the doll Brahms was created because the parents lost their son Brahms 20 years ago, as a way to cope with their loss. The parents of Brahms give Greta a bunch of strict rules that she must follow, like reading out loud a book to Brahms so he can hear, and playing loud opera music. And one very important rule: Never leave Brahms alone, which Greta fails to do, which leads to strange and inexpiable events that lead Greta to believe that the doll is alive.

With "The Boy", we have yet another film that uses the "living doll" plot that is surprisingly successful in movies nowadays. With hits like the Child's Play franchise, or even the Annabelle trilogy (yes they have 3 of those movies), Hollywood has proved that doll movies can actually be creepy. The movie The Boy tries to be no exception, and for aspects of the film, it can be. The doll Brahms is really creepy, the atmosphere is real tense and chilling. The film has a nice psychological tone, and the haunting piano score by Bear McCreary adds the creepy factor. With a budget of only $10 million and set constraints (the film only takes place in one location), The Boy proves to be effective in its creepiness.

Being one of the few actors in the film, Lauren Cohen does a good job as Greta. However, for most of the film, She doesn't do a lot. Greta spends a lot of the time on camera walking around and hearing bumps-in-the-night. It felt quite boring for at least an hour of the film. The film does have a very interesting twist ending that I wasn't expecting. So in that regard, The Boy is worth at least 1 viewing. It does set up a sequel, so I'd like to see the next film.

Ready or Not (2019)

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Written by: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy

Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien

Alex (Mark O' Brien) and Grace (Samara Weaving) are newlyweds. Grace is nervous but eager to join his family's gaming "dominion", which is how they came about their enormous wealth. The couple go for a photo-shoot prior to the ceremony, along with other members of Alex's family. Daniel (Adam Brody) is joined by his wife Charity (Elyse Levesque), who is open about the fact that she only married Daniel for his family's money. Their father Tony (Henry Czerny) is visibly disapproving of Grace, but not nearly as much as Helene (Nicky Guadagni), who shoots Grace a death glare. More approving is Alex and Daniel's mother Becky (Andie MacDowell), who tells Grace that only Alex's opinion matters. Moments later, everyone gathers for the ceremony, and Grace and Alex are married.

After they get married, Alex tells Grace that per tradition, the family partakes in a game at midnight. Alex's father Tony explains to Grace that this tradition was started by his great grandfather Victor, who made a deal with a mysterious benefactor known as Mr. Le Bail. He granted Victor and his future generations their wealth, as well as a special box, while Victor was told to give his own part in the bargain. The family passes Grace the box to draw a card from it and pick the game. Grace picks Hide-and-Seek, and she goes to hide. What she doesn't know is that Alex's family are hunting Grace down as part of a deadly game gone wrong.

This film is a darkly comic satire based around the theme of class struggles, and I enjoyed the first 2 acts of the film respectively. The film is violent at times, but the characters act in such an over-the-top way that it comes off as fun. The team behind Ready or Not put together a very creative film. Having said that, the third act of the film does feel rushed, like they didn't want to make the film longer than 90 minutes. I felt that the film would've been better if they added at least 15-20 more minutes. In regards to acting in the film, I enjoyed Weaving's performance. I think she is a really talented actress. The whole family is very eccentric and crazy at the insane lengths they go, in particular Andie McDowell and Henry Czerny as the mother and father. They give some great one-liners in the film. I liked the pacing of the film in the first two acts, but the 3rd act is a bit disappointing that I thought that the film overall was decent.

I Still Believe (2019)

Directed by: The Erwin Brothers

Written by: Jon Erwin, Jeremy Camp (Based on the book)

Stars: K.J. Apa, Britt Robertson, Gary Sinise

Plot: The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope. (IMDB)

I Still Believe is the true story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp (Apa), and it tells the story of him meeting his first wife, Melissa Henning (Robertson), who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they married. Regarding the film's main theme, Jeremy Camp said that it "tells my story and shares what God has done amidst all the hard things I went through. It shows hope in the midst of pain."

The film is heart wrenching at times, specifically when Melissa is going through her cancer treatments, reminiscent of other films of this theme, such as A Walk to Remember, and The Fault in our Stars. K.J. Apa and Britt Robertson have great chemistry in this film, and I really enjoyed their scenes together. Some of the scenes are cheesy, but they are still enjoyable. Apa gives one of his best performances as Camp, and he did his own singing in the film. The film does have a love triangle in the film, which was a bit unnecessary, because it deflected from the main story. According to the director, "the film grapples with the question of why God allows suffering." The film got me choked up near the end, and it does have a good message of Hope.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Directed by: Stephen Herek

Written by: David Paterson

Stars: Sophie Nelisse, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close

Plot: 12-year-old wisecracking Gilly Hopkins finds herself shuffled from foster home to foster home until she meets Maime Trotter. (IMDB)

Based on the award winning young adult novel by Katherine Peterson (Bridge to Terabithia), A feisty foster kid's outrageous scheme to be reunited with her birth mother has unintended consequences in The Great Gilly Hopkins, an entertaining film for the entire family. Gilly Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) has seen more than her share of foster homes and has outwitted every family she has lived with. In an effort to escape her new foster mother Maime Trotter's (Kathy Bates) endless loving care, Gilly concocts a plan that she believes will bring her mother (Julia Stiles) running to her rescue. But when the ploy blows up in Gilly's face it threatens to ruin the only chance she's ever had to be part of a real family.

This film was really heartwarming, and something that the whole family can enjoy. The film deals with themes such as growing up, and having a sense of belonging to a family. Sophie Nelisse is great in the titular role, and she expresses her spunky, feisty side as the foster kid. At first, I didn't like her character, based on what she was doing to her foster family. She acted rude at first, but she did end up growing on me near the end. I did feel sadness for her character when she finds her mom, but her mom wants nothing to do with her. I thought Nelisse would be overshadowed by her A-list co-stars, but she does hold her own in this film. Other highlights in the film include Kathy Bates as the loving foster mother, Octavia Spencer as Gilly's school teacher, and Bill Cobbs as Trotter's next-door blind neighbor. 

The plot is very straight-forward, and it doesn't feel rushed. The film flows nicely for the first half, with the set-up of the characters and basic shenanigans that Gilly gets into. Once Glenn Close's character, Gilly's grandmother, shows up, however, I feel that the movie falls flat. Close's character takes Gilly away from her foster family, and about 15-20 minutes are just Gilly and her grandmother. I think the film fell flat because I missed the earlier characters. But the film did have a nice ending, with Gilly realizing the importance of being accepted by a family. This was a good film for the family!

The Films of Bruce Lee: Enter The Dragon

Directed by: Robert Clouse
Written by: Michael Alin
Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly
Plot: A martial artist agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a tournament there as cover. (IMDB)

"Don't think. FEEL!" - Lee in Enter the Dragon

In Bruce Lee's final film (that he was involved with), Enter The Dragon is the first film to enter mainstream success in the West. Bruce Lee plays a persona of himself as Lee, a Shaolin Temple member. Lee, a highly proficient Shaolin martial artist and instructor from Hong Kong, is approached by Braithwaite (Geoffrey Weeks), a British intelligence agent investigating the suspected crime lord Han (Shih Kien). Lee is persuaded to attend a high-profile martial arts competition on Han's private island to gather evidence that will prove Han's involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution. Shortly before his departure, Lee also learns that the man responsible for his sister's (Angela Mao) death, O'Hara (Robert Wall), is working as Han's bodyguard on the island. Also fighting in the competition are Roper (John Saxon), an indebted gambling addict, and fellow Vietnam war veteran Williams (Jim Kelly).

Enter The Dragon has some of the best philosophical statements of fighting."The art of fighting without fighting", "A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself." To me, that speaks a lot about Lee's impact on martial arts, and the future that it has become. After Lee's untimely death, MMA has become very powerful for the community at large.

Really enjoyable Bruce Lee flick. One of the highlights for me was, of course, the fight sequences. Lee was real talented when it came to stunts, as when he was fighting, the camera was wide to show that he performed his own stunts. There were scenes that involved him fighting goons with nun chucks, and scenes with him fighting with sticks, but the main scenes that I enjoyed the most were when he was fighting with his fists.

For the rest of the film, the acting was decent. It's what I've come to expect from a martial arts film from the 70s'; real campy and cheesy dialogue. The film was in dub, but it was bearable to listen to, in contrast to "The Way of the Dragon"'s dub. The music fit the film, and at some points of the movie, it switched to a James Bond-esque soundtrack. Half of the time I was thinking I was watching a spy thriller.

Overall, this was a very good entry in Lee's filmography. Unfortunately, he passed away 3 weeks before the film debuted, so he wasn't able to see his incredible work. But, the film lives on in cinematic history. Really enjoyed it.