ADULTHOOD (2017) review
written by: Kim In-seon and Park Geun-buem
directed by: Kim In-seon
rated: not rated
runtime: 92 min.
U.S. release date: September 12, 2018 (AMC River East 21, Chicago, IL – opening night film for the 7th Season of Asian Pop-up Cinema)
You could describe “Adulthood” as a coming-of-age tale, one that revolves around two characters, a teenage girl and her uncle and based on that and the title you’d probably assume that the typical tropes of the genre apply toward the girl, but you’d be incorrect. In director Kim In-seon’s feature-length debut, the ‘growing up’ you’d expect from the genre pertains to both characters actually, two estranged relatives who develop a relationship out of bad decisions and necessity. The result is an endearing, often warm and humorous look at how maturity and responsibility at any age can be viewed, from the lens of certain unexpected life situations. Read more…
THE APPARITION (2018) review
written by: Xavier Giannoli
produced by: Olivier Delbosc
directed by: Xavier Giannoli
rated: not rated
runtime: 144 min.
U.S. release date: September 7, 2018
“The Apparition” turns out to be the type of film I hope to see about religious faith. It doesn’t water down or generalize belief, nor does it placate to believers, but rather shares the nuances and struggles that come with grasping whether or not God exists. At least that’s what I gleaned from writer/director Xavier Giannoli’s latest feature (his first since 2015’s “Maguerite”) upon first viewing, an experience that left me pondering how faith is maintained by an individual and perceived in general by believers. Not too bad for a film that, based on its title, one would assume revolves around some kind of conspiracy or turn out to be a kind of art-house ghost flick. That would be too obvious though. “The Apparition” tells a more personal and absorbing tale than I was expecting and despite its somewhat glacial pace, which tested my attention at times, I found myself revisiting certain key moments well after viewing. Read more…
BIG BROTHER (2018) review
written by: Tai-lee Chan
produced by: Wong Jin and Donnie Yen
directed by: Kam Ka-Wai
rated: not rated
runtime: 101 min.
U.S. release date: August 31, 2018
If you’ve followed Donnie Yen’s career at all, you probably know to expect some martial arts action in each of his movies. If you’ve paid closer attention, you’ll know that the Hong Kong actor is also a choreographer, producer and director, known most recently on an international level for a supporting role in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and in “xXx: Return of Xander Cage”, in which he continued to rely on his mixed martial arts talents. In his latest, “Big Brother”, in which he co-produced and stars, Yen is subverting audience expectations by playing a high school teacher, of all things. If you wind up seeing this movie solely out of curiosity and have an open mind, you’re likely to be as entertained as I was. Despite some elements that I would typically associate with shortcomings, I was won over by the intent and tone here. Read more…
BLUE IGUANA (2018) review
written by: Hadi Hajaig
produced by: Hadi Hajaig and Tom Lassally
directed by: Hadi Hajaig
rated: not rated
runtime: 100 min.
U.S. release date: August 24, 2018 (limited)
The draw in watching the comedy thriller “Blue Iguana” was obviously Sam Rockwell, the recent Oscar-winner who has been a favorite acting presence for years now. Obviously, I’m going to be curious with each role he takes on, but there are times when I’m reminded that great actors can’t salvage a mediocre screenplay, which is exactly what’s happened in this heist movie that tries too hard. Writer/director Hadi Hajaig is attempting to resuscitate an interest in the British crime flicks that put Guy Ritchie on the map, aiming for a wild ride of criminal activity and mishap hilarity, but “Blue Iguana” inevitably becomes a checklist of styles and tropes we’ve seen before. There may be an undeniable lightness to the tone and the cast is certainly game here, but ultimately the story befuddled mess that needed to focus on doing one thing well, instead of taking the kitchen sink approach. Read more…
93QUEEN (2018) review
produced by: Adam Bolt, Heidi Reinberg and Paul Eiselt
directed by: Paula Eiselt
rated: not rated
runtime: 90 min.
U.S. release date: July 25, 2018 (limited), August 29, 2018 (Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL)
I bet you never thought you needed to see a documentary about an all-female Hasidic EMT emergency corps, but here is “93Queen” to correct that. Furthermore, I bet you didn’t even know such a film existed, but that’s exactly what director Paula Eiselt is counting on. Within the first fifteen minutes, it becomes clear why Eiselt chose to follow Rachel “Ruchie” Freier around Borough Park, Brooklyn and tell the world how inspiring and intrepid this resilient woman is. She is a charismatic and unapologetic figure, one who is captured and presented in an up close and personal approach that is free from hagiography, providing viewers with an understanding Freier’s intent and the impact she’s had on the lives of the like-minded women that surround her. Read more…
CRAZY RICH ASIANS (2018) review
written by: Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim (screenplay) & Kevin Kwan (story)
produced by: Nina Jacobson, John Penotti and Brad Simpson
directed by: John Chu
rated: PG-13 (for some suggestive content and language)
runtime: 120 min.
U.S. release date: August 3, 2018
“Crazy Rich Asians” is a fun, comedic peek into the conspicuous consumption habits of Asia’s super wealthy, jetting from private-island bachelorette parties to palatial estates, but it also centers on the dynamics of growing up in one culture and then living in another. The movie takes a look at an older generation’s expectations against the values and beliefs of the next. The film’s themes seem to be resonating with audiences as “Crazy Rich Asians” dominated its first two weekends at the box office with $84 million in global ticket sales. And it goes into the Labor Day weekend with a good chance at retaining its top spot at the box office. Read more…
ARIZONA (2018) review
written by: Luke Del Tredici
produced by: Dan Friedkin, Ryan Friedkin, Brandon James & Bradley Thomas
directed by: Jonathan Watson
rated: unrated
runtime: 85 min.
U.S. release date: August 24, 2018 (limited, VOD digital)
The worst position to be in for a homeowner is underwater. I mean that figuratively, of course. Getting behind in your mortgage payments is the worst feeling. Despite doing everything you can to prevent such a dreadful and helpless position, you ultimately wind up feeling like a failure when it does and then desperation set in and turns into anger. The housing crisis comedy thriller, “Arizona”, looks at that dire position and the powder keg potential it has when someone with a short fuse gets lit by the building pressure. Longtime first assistant director Jonathan Watson makes his directorial debut here working off a screenplay by Luke Del Tridici, and winds up offering a nightmarish worst-case response to a market crash that took place almost a decade ago. Read more…
CUSTODY (2017) review
written by: Xavier Legrand
produced by: Alexandre Gavras
directed by: Xavier Legrand
rated: not rated
runtime: 93 min.
U.S. release date: October 218, 2017 (Chicago International Film Festival) & August 24, 2018 (Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL)
Adults can say “it’s not your fault” all they want to children experiencing the divorce of their parents, but the irreversible life-long emotional damage is done. When a child is involved, the actual divorce process can be a torturous gamut, especially when custody proceedings turn bitter, leaving the child to inevitably witness a family feud. If the parents aren’t mindful, the child can be pulled between the two or used to manipulation the other spouse. That’s what we see in writer/director Xavier Legrand’s tense drama that follows such proceedings to gut-wrenching means and destructive ends. Anguish, confusion and fear permeate this confident picture, which deftly handles complex situations and emotions, resulting in a truly riveting and exhausting experience. Read more…
ALPHA (2018) review
written by: Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt and Albert Hughes
produced by: Albert Hughes and Andrew Rona
directed by: Albert Hughes
rated: PG-13 (for some intense peril)
runtime: 96 min.
U.S. release date: August 17, 2018
As a sucker for for stories involving wilderness survival and “a boy and his dog” tales, “Alpha” easily falls into my wheelhouse. This coming-of-age yarn set in the prehistoric/Ice Age era is indeed a variation of both of those and it’s also the first solo outing for director Albert Hughes, a guy who’s previously made his mark in moviemaking with his twin brother, Allen Hughes with movies such as “Menace II Society” and “The Book of Eli”. While Allen helmed last year’s 4-part HBO documentary “The Defiant Ones”, Albert went way way back in time for his endeavor, co-writing a screenplay with Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt that’s pretty straightforward, while proposing the origin for the love that humans have for canines. That’s an intriguing proposal right there and it turns out the end result is something visually captivating and ultimately surprisingly contemplative. Read more…
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (2018) review
written by: Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy and Allison Schroeder (screenplay) & Greg Booker and Mark Steven Johnson (story)
produced by: Brigham Taylor and Kristin Burr
directed by: Marc Forster
rated: PG (for some action)
runtime: 104 min.
U.S. release date: August 3, 2018
Despite its title, Disney’s “Christopher Robin” will be known as the latest Winnie the Pooh movie, kind of like how Steven Spielberg’s “Hook” is remembered best as a Peter Pan movie. Clearly, its not the first time that writers have taken a different approach to familiar material, but the tone and feel to this movie, helmed by Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland” and “Stranger Than Fiction”) is strangely unique, resulting an enjoyably effective viewing experience. Disney has definitely had the most recognizable iteration of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard’s creation, debuting animated adorable pals and their honey-loving friend, Pooh bear, fifty-two years ago, so it figures a live-action take on these characters and the Hundred Acre Wood they inhabit would be next as the studio is currently in the midst of utilizing such a method to seemingly every animated feature classic in their vault. The target audience for these characters widens with “Christopher Robin”, as the film resonates with just about every age in its quest to emphasize what’s important in life. Read more…
