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Twitter roasts movie character clichés.

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“The year 2018 was a big one for political nonfiction — including exposés from prominent journalists and tell-alls from former administration officials,” says our nonfiction editor Meghan Sullivan. Check out her roundup here.

– Petra

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The princesses are so cute!

Ralph Breaks The Internet

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Aretha Franklin will never be forgotten. Her legacy was felt by millions: She was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, in 2005. She was invited to perform at the inaugurations for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. // Photos by: Getty Images 

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Movie Review: Annihilation

Photo Credit: The Atlantic 

Fair warning to moviegoers interested in watching “Annihilation”: don’t expect many jump scares or other cheap thrills that may have come across while watching the trailer.

Strange, beautiful, and captivating, the film is a slow burn that’s like no other in the sci-fi/horror market right now. Instead, I saw influences of sci-fi classics such as “Alien” or “The Thing.”

Based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, “Annihilation” is seen through the eyes of Lena (Natalie Portman), an Army soldier turned biology professor at Johns Hopkins University. She is still dealing with the disappearance of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who has been missing for a year after participating in a classified Army mission. One day, he unexpectedly shows up at their house, but immediately something is amiss when Kane cannot answer any of Lena’s questions about the operation. Kane then mentions he is not feeling well, and is rushed to the hospital. While in the ambulance, the couple are ambushed by a group of SUVs, and Lena is injected with a sedative.

When Lena wakes up, she is in a government facility titled Area X, which is located near a translucent, rainbow force field called “The Shimmer.” Soon she embarks on a expedition in The Shimmer, the place where her ailing husband has just returned from. Joining Lena in the all-female team is Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a psychologist at the facility, paramedic Anya (Gina Rodriguez), physicist Josie (Tessa Thompson), and geologist Cass (Tuva Novotny).   

Scenes featuring The Shimmer are visually stunning. Beyond the force field is a forest which is sophisticated enough to mutate various plants and animals. You really feel like you are transported to a different world alongside the team as they comes across clusters of mutated flowers and a pair of white deer. The vicious animals are hard to look away from as well, such as in one scene featuring a huge, unrecognizable creature.

Portman’s performance is compelling as she takes Lena on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the film. At times, she is a tough, confident soldier back in action. Other times, she sweats in fear over the lurking unknown in The Shimmer. When the film goes to flashbacks as Lena thinks of happier times with her husband, she delves into a depressed state. Depending on the scene, Portman is able to pull off these range of emotions in a matter of minutes. While Lena has made some mistakes that makes her less likeable, the actress is still able to persuade viewers to sympathize with the character, as well as become someone to root for.

The director and writer of “Annihilation” is Alex Garland, who also made the critically acclaimed sci-fi film, “Ex Machina.” He takes his time developing the story, as he introduces the five women and unveils little by little the world of The Shimmer. While “Annihilation” has its share of action sequences, Garland makes sure the action is spaced out and serves a specific purpose. Unlike many sci-fi or horror movies, the action is not the centerpiece of the film, but rather, a part of the story. The director is more interested in showing the complexity of the characters and how they are all haunted by experiences that happened long before setting off on their mission.

Ending on an ambiguous note, “Annihilation” is a film worth taking the time to interpret, and maybe even a rewatch. In a media landscape full of mindless entertainment, it’s nice to have a film that not only keeps you interested, but also gets you thinking.

Grade: B+

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Movie Review: Game Night

Photo Credit: IndieWire

Comedies haven’t been doing well at the movies lately. According to The Hollywood Reporter, only two comedies saw box office success last year: “Girls Trip” and “Daddy’s Home 2,” with 31.7 million and 30 million respectively. Other comedies from 2017 like “Rough Night,” “Baywatch,” and “The House” flopped, even with big names such as Scarlett Johansson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Will Ferrell.

With the financial and critical success of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” it looks like comedy films are slowly becoming popular with moviegoers again. The latest mainstream comedy release, “Game Night,” has its flaws, but is overall an entertaining ride.

The movie follows Max (Justin Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), two competitive types who bond over their love of games. During the opening credits, the two meet at a bar trivia night where they give the correct answer for the name of a character from Teletubbies. Max and Annie look across the room at each other, forming an instant attraction. From then on, the scene is a montage of their love story, which consists of making out in the subway, and of course, several game nights. Max even proposes to Annie during a game of charades.

The now married couple continue to host weekly game nights with another couple, Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury), along with their pal Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and his date of the week, which usually involves clueless Instagram models.

Abruptly, Max’s wealthy, suave brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) rolls into town and announces he’s hosting a game night of his own and that it will be “one to remember.” Held at his upscale rental house, Brooks reveals the game is a murder mystery with a kidnapping plot. However, the “actors” he hired to set up the kidnapping aren’t actors at all, and the gang soon enters a state of confusion trying to decide whether the events are real or made up.

Supporting players include Jesse Clemons as Gary, a creepy cop that was kicked out of game night and wants desperately to be back in and Sharon Horgan as Sarah, Ryan’s date and smart, charming co-worker.

The chemistry between Bateman and McAdams is exciting and believable, as they seem natural playing kooky, competitive spouses. McAdams in particular looks like she is having a blast. Not having starred in a comedy movie since “Mean Girls,” her comedic chops have not gone stale and she is entertaining to watch. One scene where the two actors shine is when Max gets shot and Annie attempts to remove the bullet with drinking alcohol, a squeaky toy, and instructions she found on her phone. The payoff is hilarious, especially when Max tells Annie she should change the auto-lock settings on her phone so she won’t mess up the procedure.

Another standout is Clemons. He has the characteristics of a creeper down pat, including the death stare. Every time Clemons appears on screen it’s slightly uncomfortable. In Gary’s first appearance in the film, Max and Annie’s next door neighbor steps out of his house as soon as the couple comes home from the grocery store. He immediately asks if they are having a game night, with the couple terribly lying about it.

While Morris and Bunbury also have great chemistry together, their storyline falls flat. Kevin spends the majority of the movie questioning Michelle about a celebrity she slept with. Though the running gag is funny initially, the joke goes on too long and eventually becomes annoying. It isn't until Michelle finally reveals the celebrity that the joke pays off. I wish the couple had more screen time and more material to grapple with other than a secret revealed during a game of Never Have I Ever.

Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, along with writer Mark Perez, keep the laughs going in “Game Night,” but there is a lack of character development. All of the main players are one dimensional characters: Max and Annie are the odd couple, Kevin and Michelle are the normal couple, Ryan is the dumb one, Gary is the creepy loner. I’m sure Perez, Daley and Goldstein were more interested in the situations the characters get into rather than development, but it would have been nice to know more about the characters instead of just their love for games. So when it is revealed that Max and Annie have fertility problems, the plot feels forced, as if Perez needed to add something realistic to an otherwise over-the-top comedy.

Despite its holes, “Game Night” is fun and full of laughs, making it somewhat of a winner.

Grade: B-

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Movie Review: Black Panther

Photo Credit: The Atlantic 

After 10 years and 17 films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a little stale. We’ve seen Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the like have their stories adapted from the comic book page to the big screen. Then in 2012, MCU decided to up the ante by having a slew of superheroes save the world in the first entry of The Avengers series. While more women and people of color have appeared in Marvel films over that time period, the white male actors have remained the hero.

From those frustrated with the lack of representation on screen, or even those suffering from superhero fatigue, “Black Panther” instantly erases those concerns. Vastly different from its previous entries, the film is a game changer for MCU in that it doesn’t just set out to make a superhero movie, but a smart one at that.

This is due in large part to director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. Having directed the excellent “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed,” Coogler’s third outing continues his success of masterful storytelling.

The world of “Black Panther” unfolds in the fictional African country of Wakanda. Seen as a third-world country from those outside of Africa, Wakanda is secretly an affluent nation, filled with technological advancements even the United States couldn’t touch. The futuristic look of Wakanda is due to the country’s most valuable resource: the fictional metal, vibranium.

As seen in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” Wakanda’s ruler King T’Chaka is killed during a visit with the United Nations. Black Panther picks up where those events left off, with T’Chaka’s son, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), in line to be the new king. T’Challa has trained and studied to be a king and warrior all his life, but when he is finally awarded the title after a brutal fighting challenge, he takes the new weight of responsibility seriously. He wants to serve the people of Wakanda as well as his father did, while also creating his own path of leadership.

T’Challa’s role of the Black Panther is quickly put to the test when it is discovered that Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), was seen stealing Wakandian artifacts at a British museum. Klaue is also responsible for stealing loads of vibranium from Wakanda in the early 90s. The resurfacing of Klaue sets off a mission for T’Challa, and he recruits Wakadian spy and ex-girlfriend, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and one of his bodyguards, Okoye (Danai Gurira) to join him.

Another obstacle for T’Challa comes later when American black-ops soldier, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (a menacing Michael B. Jordan), threatens to take over the throne. Frustrated with Wakanda’s lack of involvement with the U.S, in particular, protecting black people from systemic racism, Killmonger plans to use the resource to start a violent uprising where he can enact revenge on the oppressors of the world.

The rest of the cast includes Letitia Wright as Shuri, T’Challa’s little sister; Angela Bassett as his mother, Ramonda and queen of Wakanda; Forest Whitaker as Zuri, T’Challa’s mentor; Daniel Kaluuya as T’Challa’s friend and Martin Freeman as a CIA agent who eventually teams up with Black Panther.

Boseman plays the title character with regal, confidence, and calmness. T’Challa oozes coolness, only occasionally being aggressive when he has to be. The thoughtfulness and sincerity Boseman brings to the role is a reminder that the actor can easily transform himself into his character like he did playing real life heroes, Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and Jackie Robinson.

While Boseman is a delight to see, the women of Black Panther steal the show. Nyong’o plays Nakia as warm, whip-smart, but tough. Looking outside the bubble of Wakanda, she is interested in helping the poor in other parts of Africa. She is also one of the people T’Challa trusts the most, and she often helps him make difficult decisions throughout the film.

Gurira is great as Okoye. While her performance is often serious, the actress still looks like she’s having a lot of fun. One of the scenes where she gets to shine is a fight scene in a South Korean casino where she knocks out member after member of Klaue’s gang.

One actress to watch out for is Wright. Her role as T’Challa’s kid sister could’ve easily been a small one, but she is given her own spotlight by designing tech products that would even make Tony Stark jealous. Wright is pleasing to watch, especially in a scene where she gets to show off the sleek, bulletproof suit she made for Black Panther.

Jordan is another standout. A Coogler regular, the role of Killmonger is his most daring to date. While he is the antagonist, Jordan brings a certain charm to Killmonger, even making him somewhat sympathetic at times. In addition, Killmonger’s hatred for Black Panther is understandable, which can be a flaw in some superhero movies. He is definitely the most interesting villain Marvel has seen in a while, as well as the most political.

The art and special effects departments, as well as cinematographer Rachel Morrison, deserve praise for their vision of Wakanda. The country has a futuristic look to it, but is still undeniably Afrocentric with the Wakadian language written on the walls and the characters’ costumes and hairstyles. From the bustling downtown to a cliff surrounded by waterfalls, Coogler and his team made Wakanda into a beautiful creation.

“Black Panther” is in a league of its own. Fun, thrilling, and closely grounded to the real world, the film feels like a superhero movie and then some.

Grade: A

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Movie Review: Lady Bird

Photo Credit: IndieWire

Since its release in November, “Lady Bird” has been breaking records and garnering major media buzz.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the film surpassed Pixar classic, “Toy Story 2″ as the best reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes. With a then-100 percent rating (it’s now at 99 percent), “Lady Bird” has received 228 favorable reviews.

So does it live up to the hype? Deservedly so.

“Lady Bird” chronicles Christine McPherson's (Saoirse Ronan) senior year of high school circa 2002-2003. Like most teenagers, she’s at a point where she wants to start distancing herself from her parents and carve out a life of her own. The first change is having her family and friends call her Lady Bird.

But mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) hates the nickname, and she and Lady Bird often bump heads, especially on college choices. Marion wants her daughter to stay in Sacramento, while Lady Bird longs to attend school on the East Coast “where writers live in the woods.”

Her relationship with her laid-back father, Larry (Tracy Letts), is the complete opposite as he has a quieter demeanor and mostly supports Lady Bird’s decisions. However, Larry soon has problems of his own when he is let go from his job.

Lady Bird’s last year at her Catholic high school is full of new experiences and disappointments as she struggles to find her identity. She dabbles in musical theater with her best friend (newcomer Beanie Feldstein), has her first love (Lucas Hedges), and dates a bad boy musician (Timothee Chalamet). Her relationship with her mother becomes more strained as the year progresses as Marion deals with the stress of becoming the sole breadwinner of the household.

Ronan is fantastic as the title character. She captures the feelings of teen angst perfectly, complete with pink highlights and combat boots. While Lady Bird has flaws, particularly her self-centeredness, Ronan makes up for it by making the character relatable. You see yourself in Lady Bird when she fights with her mom while shopping for prom dresses, or when she sees her crush at the grocery store and asks, “Do you come here often?” She plays Lady Bird as a lovable dork, who is mixed up with emotions. One minute, she is confident and self-assured about what she wants to do with her life. Other times, she’s insecure and vulnerable.

Laurie Metcalf is also great as Marion. Most teen movies only show the parents in a minor role, often as a clueless authoritative figure who has no idea what is going on in their children’s lives. Marion is very much involved in her daughter’s life and we even get to see their relationship from her perspective at times. Metcalf portrays Marion as a tough mother, but balances it with a person who can still be likeable. Her quiet moments with Ronan, as well as an emotional scene towards the end of the film is when Metcalf shines. Best known for her roles as Jackie Harris in “Roseanne” and Andy’s mother in the “Toy Story” series, it's nice to see the actress is back in the spotlight.

“Lady Bird” is the semi-autobiographical story of director Greta Gerwig. Like the main character, she grew up in Sacramento in the early 2000s. The film is Gerwig’s directorial debut, and by giving her unique outlook into being a teenager at that time, she puts a fresh spin on the tired, coming-of-age story. One thing I wish she would have done is made some scenes a little longer. With the film clocking in an hour and a half, Lady Bird’s school year breezes through, with some scenes lasting only a minute. Gerwig could have slowed things down a bit, especially on the significant parts of Lady Bird’s life, such as her first heartbreak or her prom night.

Like last year’s Oscar nominee, Moonlight, Lady Bird is the rare teen movie that rises above the cliches and presents a smartly written film that transcends its target audience.

Grade: B+

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Music Review: Man of the Woods

Photo Credit: Variety 

As Justin Timberlake has been promoting his latest album “Man of the Woods” for the past month, I thought I had an idea of what sound he was aiming for this time around. The album cover features the singer standing in a snowy forest, while the trailer for “Man of the Woods” shows him in various country landscapes such as a corn field, a horse ranch, and the mountains.

Timberlake’s marketing campaign suggested he was venturing into country music, which wouldn’t be too much of a surprise. The singer’s hometown is Memphis, Tennessee, and he hinted at a possible move to country when he performed with Chris Stapleton at the 2015 CMA Awards.

However, Timberlake’s fifth album is not a country record at all. Rather, it’s a funk/soul album with a bit of a twang.

The opener and first single “Filthy” sees the pop superstar looking to his second album “FutureSexLoveSounds” for inspiration with its funk and spacey, electronic beats. The track offers little lyrically, with Timberlake talking about partying “till six in the morning” and having sexual desires for a love interest, presumably his actress wife, Jessica Biel. With cringeworthy lyrics such as “What you gonna do with all that meat? Cooking up a mean serving,” the singer’s attempt at making a “Sexyback” part two have failed.

The first half of the album is filled with several misfires, like the second single, “Supplies.” The trap song sees Timberlake trying to keep up with the sounds of today, while telling his lover they will be well prepared if the world ends like in The Walking Dead.

“I’ll be the wood when you need heat,” he sings. “I’ll be the generator, turn me on when you need electricity.”  

The title track is the singer’s declaration of love to his wife, and he’s so filled with joy that he has to shout it from the open fields of the woods. The twangy guitar mixed with the hip-hop beats do not meld well together, making for a disjointed sound.

The two collaborations are also underwhelming. Stapleton teams up with Timberlake again as the country singer has three co-writes on the album including the one he’s featured in--“Say Something.”  The country-pop song seems like it was made for country radio, but the duet is forgettable as the two singers express the pressures of voicing their opinions as celebrities.

Alicia Keys appears on the 70’s soul-inspired “Morning Light.” The saccharine ballad has her and Timberlake sharing their love for each other, and wanting to stay in bed holding each other until they see the morning sun.

Standouts on the earlier tracks include the funky “Midnight Summer Jam” and “Sauce.” The former, produced by the Pharrell Williams production team The Neptunes, is an upbeat track about a late night dance party while “Sauce” has Timberlake talking about how he sees his wife as the perfect woman. The rock, funk, and country hybrid works in the singer’s favor this time with the help of producer Timbaland.

The second half of the album is great, forming into a cohesive collection much better than the earlier songs. The ballad “Flannel” has Timberlake sounding his most heartfelt, reassuring his lover that even though she has been hurt before, he will continue to stick with her as he has been hurt as well. The singer’s vocals are in top form as well. The harmony in the chorus, as well as a brief acapella section in the bridge, proves that Timberlake continues to have one of the best voices in the music industry.

“Montana” is a another love song, only in the form of a 80’s funk jam, while the excellent “Breeze Off the Pond” is flowy, 70’s-inspired funk that sounds like something that should be played at top volume on a sunny, summer afternoon. The singer talks about the strength of his relationship with his wife, singing they’re as “solid as oak.” He compares the naysayers to a “breeze on the pond” and advises his spouse to let the wind “blow through you, don’t let it move you.”

The closing song, “Young Man,” is dedicated to Timberlake’s two-year old son Silas. The singer gives his son advice on how to prepare for the difficulties of life, such as disappointments and heartbreak. However, Timberlake tells him to never give up on his dreams and that he’ll always be around to help him.

While Timberlake teased he was going to switch up his sound while promoting the album, “Man of the Woods” sounds a lot like the old JT. It also doesn’t help matters when he enlisted his longtime collaborators, The Neptunes and Timbaland, to produce all of the material. With both of them masters of urban music, the singer’s attempts to mix country and R&B were bound to fall flat. For his next album, Timberlake should take the plunge and make a straight country album. Who knows? The fans may be pleasantly surprised.

Grade: B-

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Music Review: Revival

Photo Credit: Amazon

When Eminem made an unexpected appearance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards last October, he made the headlines he was once known for with his freestyle rap, “The Storm.” The pre-taped video was simplistic, featuring the rapper in a parking garage. However, Eminem had a lot to say, critiquing President Donald Trump on his policies and being a master of distraction, such as steering the media’s conversations from Hurricane Maria and gun reform to the NFL controversy where players refused to stand for the National Anthem. At the end of the four minute song, the rapper demands the fans that voted for Trump to choose a side.

The acapella rap was a whirlwind of frustration, fury, and passion; a fire that hasn’t been seen in Eminem in recent years. I thought more of that creative spark would show up in his latest album, “Revival,” but only a few of the 19 tracks offer a glimpse at how great Eminem was at the peak of his career.

The rapper even brings up the pressures of living up to his late 90s-early 2000s success in the album opener and first single, “Walk On Water.”

“It’s the curse of the standard, that the first of the Mathers disc set,” he raps. “Always in search of the verse that I haven’t spent yet. Will this step be just another misstep?” He also talks about his disdain of being labeled a God, saying, “It’s a facade, and it’s exhaustive.” Even with Beyonce singing the chorus, she cannot save this dull piano ballad. Though, it is interesting to hear how Eminem hopes to live up to his legacy. It is a subject that has been brought up time and time again since his first comeback with 2009’s “Relapse.”

The rapper revisits many subjects from past albums on Revival, such as his tumultuous relationship with ex-wife, Kim Scott. This is apparent in the second single, “River.” Featuring vocals from Ed Sheeran, he sings about being “a liar and a cheat” with Eminem talking about his Internet chats and one night stands while being in a relationship.

Like “Walk on Water,” “River” isn’t an outstanding song that should be added to Eminem’s catalog of great singles. Production-wise, the song is bland as well with an acoustic sound that Sheeran is known for. Without Eminem's verses, this could have easily been a solo single for the singer-songwriter.

Scott is also on the topic of forgettable ballads such as the X Ambassadors-assisted “Bad Husband” and “Need Me,” which features pop singer Pink. Both are about the dynamics of a dysfunctional relationship. The couple is crazy in love, but they know they are not good for each other. With both songs produced by frequent Eminem collaborator, Alex da Kid, it seems like the rapper is trying to recreate the success he had with “Love the Way You Lie.”

The rapper shares his thoughts on fatherhood in two of the strongest songs on the album, “Castle” and “Arose.” In “Castle,” Eminem uses each verse to read from three letters he wrote to his daughter, Hailie.

The first one was written shortly before she was born in 1995, the second following a year after her birth, and the third on the eve of her twelfth birthday. The rapper talks about how his first album “Infinite” flopped, and his hopes to be successful in order to give Hailie a better life.

“Trying to build these castles out of sand, baby girl,” he says. “For you to sit on the throne, I got plans, baby girl.” The third verse grows dark, as Eminem was battling drugs at the time. He tells her to not look at the letter as a “goodbye note, ‘cause your dad’s at the end of his rope.”

Where “Castle” left off, Eminem continues the conversation in “Arose,” talking candidly about his 2007 overdose and apologizing to the people he let down such as his daughter and Scott. By the song’s end, the rapper reveals that his near death was a wake-up call for him, declaring, “I’m pledging to throw this methadone in the toilet.”

Following the popularity of “The Storm,” Eminem gets political with the songs “Like Home” and “Untouchable.” The former, another piano ballad featuring another female singer (this time Alicia Keys), the rapper again bashes Trump, comparing his looks to a canary and how all he does is watch Fox News and tweet all day. However, he is confident that the country can overcome this dark time and unite together.

While it is refreshing Eminem is optimistic about the current landscape of our country, his attempts to unite the country come off as cheesy and cliche-ridden. With lame lyrics such as “This type of pickle that we’re in is hard to deal,” and “Like a dictionary, things are looking up,” the track is the opposite of what it is trying to be--uninspired.

“Untouchable” explores racism in America with the first half of the song told from the perspective of a racist police officer as envisioned by Eminem. Over a loud guitar riff, the “officer” talks about intentionally going into black neighborhoods to harass people, not caring what the laws say about racial profiling. The second half sees the production move to a mid-tempo, hip-hop beat. Meanwhile, the rapper is now looking into the point of view of an African-American man, bringing up topics such Black Lives Matter, housing segregation, and poor education in black neighborhoods. While the idea to tell “Untouchable” from two different perspectives is interesting, Eminem does not have the right to discuss racism from a African-American man’s point of view. He could have featured a black rapper for that particular part, or talk about racism from his own perspective.

“Revival” further proves Eminem is unable to match the charisma and clever wordplay that he once showcased in “The Slim Shady LP,” “The Marshall Mathers LP,” and “The Eminem Show.” His recent releases have tried to recapture the rapper’s glory days, but most of the time, they just fall short. It seems like Eminem doesn't have much to say now that he is no longer an outsider in the rap game. Maybe next time he will find his creative spark again and plan a real revival.

Grade: D+

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Movie Review: I, Tonya

Photo Credit: The Observer 

Twenty-four years have passed since former figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted during a training session for the 1994 Olympics. The mastermind behind the incident was the husband of Kerrigan’s rival, Tonya Harding. Never one to truly fit in the world of figure skating, Harding was quickly labeled “the villain” and the scandal ultimately ruined her career.

So why make a Tonya Harding movie now?

As fellow disgraced athlete O.J. Simpson received the small screen treatment in 2016, director Craig Gillespie proves Harding’s case is worth re-examining as well with “I, Tonya.” Rather than turning the figure skater’s tragic story into the form of a Lifetime original movie, he reimagines it as a dark comedy.

“I, Tonya” begins with Harding’s early years in Portland, Oregon, as her mother, LaVona Golden (Allison Janney), forces her young daughter to take ice skating lessons. Struggling to make ends meet as a waitress, Golden puts all of her money towards Harding’s lessons and sews her daughter’s costumes herself. But as Harding’s talent blossoms, Golden becomes verbally and physical abusive.

Into her teenage years and onward, Harding is played by Margot Robbie. She channels the anger fueled by her mother into her performances, reaching her peak in 1991 at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where she becomes the first American female skater to land a difficult move called the triple axel.

While Harding’s fame is beginning to rise, her personal life is falling apart. Her boyfriend and eventual husband, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), seems to be the one person that truly loves her, but turns out to be abusive as well. Gillooly was Harding’s first love, and their relationship is toxic and they both know the other person is bad for them, but they keep coming back to each other anyway.

Paul Walter Hauser comes in later as Harding’s “bodyguard,” Shawn Eckhardt, a bumbling idiot and Gillooly’s friend who is partly responsible for the 1994 attack. 

In between the narrative of Harding’s life are “interviews” in the style of a mockumentary. Set in the present day, Harding, Gillooly, Eckhardt, and Golden each give their accounts of the events that occurred during the skater’s brief rise and fall from grace, often contradicting each other.

Robbie’s physical and internal transformation of Harding is impressive. With her big, early 90’s hairstyles, crudeness, and tough exterior, you start to believe Robbie is Tonya Harding. Instead of portraying her like the “mean girl” the media made her out to be, the actress gives Harding complexity. The disgraced skater is turned into a sympathetic character; someone who is looking for love and acceptance while her mother, husband, and the figure skating community shut her out. While Robbie has been on the radar for a few years with roles in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Suicide Squad,” this is her best performance yet, hopefully cementing her place in the circle of Young Hollywood.

Stan is also great as the eccentric, but mentally unstable, Gillooly. At times, he plays the mustached man with a quiet, sweet demeanor. The rest of the time, he explodes, especially during arguments with Harding. Even though Gillooly is supposed to be one of the antagonists in the film, he can be oddly sympathetic in some scenes, as he fights for Harding’s attention in the midst of her career.

However, the real villain is Golden. Janney plays her hard and straight, leaving little room to somewhat sympathize or like the character. While Golden does push her daughter to become one of the most successful figure skaters in America, she is also responsible for Harding’s low self-esteem outside of skating, as well as her premature career. Janney does have her funny moments, though during the “interview” segments, usually with a bird perched on her shoulder.

The choice of turning Harding’s story into a hybrid of comedy, drama, and mockumentary was an odd choice, but it works in Gillespie’s and writer Steven Rogers’ favor. They turn “I, Tonya” from the typical biopic into a fun, energetic, funny, and devastating film of someone who the world has long forgotten. However, there are times when the silliness could have been left out, such as a scene where Gillooly is abusing Harding.

Cinematographer Nicolas Karakatsanis should also be recognized for his work on the skating sequences, which are shot beautifully. One of my favorite moments in the film is Harding’s triple axel performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Robbie, (and her stunt double), are graceful on the ice, which is propelled by the tracking shots that capture the skater’s every move. After playing the scene at normal speed, the moment where she lands the triple is shown again, this time in slow motion, as Harding recounts what she was thinking at the time. The moment perfectly captures what the skater had been longing for: true happiness.

Grade: A-

[everythingentertainment]

Movie Review: The Shape of Water

Photo Credit: The Huffington Post 

When I think of fairy tale movies, the first things that usually come to mind are Disney classics, like Cinderella or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Both heroines live a quiet existence until a stranger appears in their lives, or in Snow White’s case, seven. Cinderella’s evil stepmother and stepsister, as well as the evil queen, try to prevent the women from experiencing happiness in their lives, but Cinderella and Snow ultimately ride off into the sunset with their Prince Charmings. The results of these films are romantic, whimsical, and at times, dark.

The Shape of Water has all of these characteristics and more, only in a more adult form. The Guillermo del Toro tale features one of the oddest love stories I have seen on screen yet, but is also one of the brightest gems of this year’s awards season.

The film follows Elisa, (played by an outstanding Sally Hawkins), a mute woman in 1962 Baltimore. She works as a nighttime janitor at a secret government lab with her friend, Zelda (Octavia Spencer). One day, a mysterious, fish-like creature, (Doug Jones), is brought to the facility for research. While the monster’s body is covered in blue-green scales, he is also human-like, with his four limbs and slender build. Elisa instantly becomes curious about the lab’s newest addition, sneaking off on her work breaks to play jazz records and bring boiled eggs to the creature.

Meanwhile, “the asset,” as workers in the lab call him, is being studied by Dr. Hoffstetler, played by Michael Stuhlbarg. At a time where the Cold War was at its peak, the scientist is also a Russian spy in his free time, sharing his findings with powerful men from the Soviet Union.

While Hoffstetler may be trading secrets with the enemy, his superior, Richard Strickland, is way scarier, played by a menacing Michael Shannon. Strickland was the one who captured the fish man in the Amazon and brought him to the lab, but lets his scientists do all of the observing. He is portrayed as the sole “All-American Man” in the film, as he has a wife, two children, a nice split-level house, and drives a Cadillac. You do not want to get on Strickland’s bad side, though, as he is quick to pull out his favorite accessory, an electric cattle prod.

Another person in Elisa’s world is Giles (Richard Jenkins), a close friend who lives next door in their apartment building. A struggling artist, Giles attempts to pitch his creations to an advertising agency to no avail. He also faces troubles in his personal life as a closeted gay man.  

Director and writer Guillermo del Toro and co-writer Vanessa Taylor juggle a lot of material in The Shaper of Water, but the finished product manages to tie everything together without feeling overstuffed. Even though the love story between Elisa and the fish man is the main focus, all of the supporting players each have their own chances to shine.

Not only does del Toro masterfully handle the various subplots, but he also seamlessly blends genres that don’t normally go together without a hitch. One minute, The Shape of Water is a monster movie in the form of the film’s biggest influence, Creature From the Black Lagoon, a 1950s film about a fish man discovered in the Amazon rainforest. The next, it’s a whimsical comedy in the tone of Amelie. The rest of the time, it's a fairy tale romance similar to Beauty and the Beast. The film even pays homage to Old Hollywood, complete with a black and white musical number.

Hawkins adds to the film’s charm. Like what Audrey Tautou did for Amelie, Hawkins plays Elisa with a quiet elegance. The heroine is an innocent, yet self-aware woman who knows she will forever be an outsider in a world where verbal communication rules over nonverbal. Since Elisa cannot speak, Hawkins conveys what the character is saying and feeling through sign language and facial expressions. Pulling off a non-speaking role is no small feat, and Hawkins does it to great effect. Her quiet moments with the fish man are endearing and romantic, showing that you don’t always need words to understand what the other person is communicating.

Spencer gives a great performance as Zelda. While I wish she had more screen time, Spencer does well with the material she is given. She plays Zelda as a dedicated friend who will always be there for Elisa, even when she falls in love with a sea creature. While most of Spencer’s scenes consist of her interacting with Hawkins, she does have a compelling scene when Strickland makes an appearance at Zelda’s home.

Jenkins’ performance is also engaging. His role is heartbreaking, as Giles is a man that wants to find a love of his own, but can’t, because his sexuality is still seen as a mental disorder.

While audiences may be hesitant to see a film about an interspecies romance, del Toro does a good job of making sure the love story is magical and otherworldly rather than strange. The Shape of Water is an enchanting fairy tale that will stay with you long after leaving the theater.

Grade: A

[everythingentertainment]

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Hi to the 6 followers who still follow this page! I know, it has been months since I’ve posted anything here, but I promise I’m going to start adding content on a regular basis. First, I am going to post a bunch of movie and music reviews that I wrote when I was a staff writer for my school newspaper. They’re from earlier this year, but they still deserve to be on the blog.