THE MARVELS (2023) review
written by: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik
produced by: Kevin Feige
directed by: Nia DaCosta
rating: PG-13 (for action/violence and brief language)
runtime: 105 min.
U.S. release date: November 10, 2023
“The Marvels” is like the equivalent of picking up a comic book for the first time without having read the thirtysomething issues that came before it. If you can easily follow along and you like what you’ve read, then you may feel compelled to search out some back issues. If you’ve watched “Captain Marvel” when the character was introduced back in 2019, but you haven’t seen the Disney+ shows, WandaVision (2021) and Ms. Marvel (20200), then you may or may not feel compelled to check those two shows out. Those two shows are definitely worth checking out. But then again, if “The Marvels”, which is an amalgam sequel of all three of those MCU entries doesn’t do it for you, it’s doubtful you’ll go back and catch up on what you’ve missed. That’s too bad. Read more…
PRISCILLA (2023) review
written by: Sofia Coppola
produced by: Sofia Coppola, Youree Henley and Lorenzo Mieli
directed by: Sofia Coppola
rating: R (for drug use and some language)
runtime: 113 min.
U.S. release date: October 27, 2023 (theatrical)
Last year saw the release of “Elvis,” a bombastic biopic from director Baz Luhrmann that was a whirlwind assault to the senses and a baffling entry in the filmography of Tom Hanks. Luhrmann and company reached their goal of “big and bigger” in every way, presenting a sympathetic portrayal of the alleged King of Rock and Roll, while his wife, Priscilla Presley, felt like an obligatory inclusion. Considering the countless amount of times Elvis has been portrayed in one way or another on the big (and little) screen, a film focusing on Priscilla is warranted. Writer/director Sofia Coppola is working from Priscilla’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, as she sets out to give us a glimpse of how the life of one teenage girl’s life was changed forever back in 1959. Read more…
THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER (2023) review
written by: Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith
produced by: Teddy Schwarzman, Keith Redmon and Mark L. Smith
directed by: Neil Burger
rating: R (for violence)
runtime: 108 min.
U.S. release date: November 3, 2023
It feels like there’s a whole chunk of story missing from “The Marsh King’s Daughter”, the latest film from director Neil Burger (“Limitless” and “The Upside”). Something is missing. Considering it is based on the 2017 international best-selling suspense novel of the same name from writer, Karen Dionne, one would think there’s much more to the story here. No doubt, those who’ve read the book will know. Ironically, Dionne co-opted the title from a story by Hans Christian Andersen about a pair of talking storks who build their nest at the home of a Viking warrior. Now that sounds more interesting than anything I saw in what is being marketed as a psychological thriller from screenwriters Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith. The movie is not quite psychological enough, nor is it all that thrilling. Read more…
RADICAL (2023) review
written by: Christopher Zalla
produced by: Benjamin Odell, Joshua Davis and Eugenio Derbez
directed by: Christopher Zalla
rated: PG-13 (for some strong violent content, thematic material and strong language)
runtime: 110 min.
U.S. release date: January 19, 2023 (Sundance), October 20, 2023 (limited) & November 3, 2023 (wide)
We need stories like “Radical” to remind us that magic can still happen in the classroom. It all depends on the teacher. We can all name a teacher (or teachers) who left an indelible mark in our formative years. That’s one of the reasons why when we see a film that revolves around a teacher who cares, one who thinks outside the confines of a set curriculum to connect with students in a meaningful manner, we are moved and reminded of the impact one person can make at a time in the life of a child when they need it the most. Read more…
THE CREATOR (2023) review
written by: Gareth Edwards and Chris Weitz
produced by: Gareth Edwards, Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer & Arnon Milchan
directed by: Gareth Edwards
rated: PG-13 (for violence, some bloody images and strong language)
runtime: 133 min.
U.S. release date: September 29, 2023
After “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and 2014’s “Godzilla”, British director Gareth Edwards had confidently established himself as someone who can deliver some great-looking large-scale science fiction movies. Although the screenplays of those two movies left something to be desired, part of the reason those two movies were hits is due to the familiarity the audience has with the material. But, for epic sci-fi movies to continue we need more original material, not just franchise-extending entries or dabblings in IP. Thankfully, that’s what Edwards delivered with the action thriller “The Creator”, taking timely subject matter and placing it in a post-apocalyptic future Earth with beautiful visuals and creative world-building. Read more…
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S (2023) review
written by: Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi
produced by: Scott Cawthon, Chris Lee Hill and Tyler MacIntyre
directed by: Emma Tammi
rating: PG-13 (for strong violent content, bloody images and language) runtime: 109 min.
U.S. release date: October 27, 2023 (theatrical & Peacock)
Just like not every comic book should be adapted into a movie, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is proof that not every hit video game needs to level up to the big screen. The successful video game franchise of the same name, created by Scott Cawthon, has been going steady since 2014. The horror-based gameplay leans on 80s nostalgia, providing players with a creepy genre experience that hardly classifies as disturbing. So, there’s potential to ramp up the gore for horror movie fans and turn this into a potentially lucrative movie franchise. Cawthon is on board, contributing to the screenplay, along with co-writers Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi (who also directs), but instead of delivering something funny and unsettling, the trio misfires greatly here. Read more…
AFTER DEATH (2023) review
written by: Stephen Gray
produced by: Guy Guliano, Jens Jacob, Jason Pamer & Daniel Straub
directed by: Stephen Gray and Chris Radtke
rating: not rated
runtime: 103 min.
U.S. release date: October 27, 2023
“After Death” is a documentary that isn’t straightforward enough to call itself “After Life”, which is odd, considering it’s about the afterlife. To be honest, calling this a documentary feels generous. It’s not as if any of the handful of talking heads who’ve admitted to coming back from being clinically dead can show proof of what they’ve seen. The approach feels both generic and staged. Directed by Stephen Gray and Chris Radtke, the movie feels more like one of those long infomercials that you get hooked into viewing while doom-scrolling at 3am…or maybe that’s just me? Read more…
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (2023) review
written by: Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese
produced by: Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese & Daniel Lupi
directed by: Martin Scorsese
rated: R (for violence, some grisly images, and language)
runtime: 206 min.
U.S. release date: October 20, 2023 (theaters)
Director Martin Scorsese re-teams with screenwriter Eric Roth (“The Irishman”) for “Killers of the Flower Moon”, to co-write a loose adaptation of David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction novel of the same name. While the full title of the book continues with The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI”, Scorsese’s movie is more focused on the former rather than the latter, and the epic story of a devastating tragedy in American history that occurred over 100 years ago. It’s a more engrossing side to the entire story and Scorsese focuses on the dark details of the murders that occurred in the 1920s, which is well within his wheelhouse considering how many of his previous films have delved into the violence, power, and greed in America’s past and present. Read more…
CIFF 2023: The Mission
I remember when it made the news back in 2018. “U.S. missionary killed off the coast of North Sentinel Island by world’s most isolated tribe” isn’t a blurb you see that often. Like most news, it was reported and then forgotten, but there’s obviously more to the story, which is why the documentary “The Mission” was made. Directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (2020’s “Boys State”) and co-produced by National Geographic Documentary Films, the film is being distributed by Picturehouse and had its premiere back in August at Telluride Film Festival. Now, it makes its way to the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF). Read more…
CIFF 2023: Hard Miles
An American cycling drama based on a true story isn’t necessarily what I’d expect to see programmed at the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF), but then again I’m not gonna shrug off a film that is sets out to tell an inspiring story that most viewers will be unaware of. Directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna, who co-wrote with Christian Sander, “Hard Miles”, the story of a social worker who leads a group of troubled teens on a long-distance cycling expedition from Colorado to the Grand Canyon in order to empower them and give them confidence, and help them see what else is out there in the world beyond the limits they are used to. Read more…
