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rookie-critic · 1 year

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Rookie-Critic's Film Review Weekend Wrap-Up - Week of 4/10-4/16/2023

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006, dir. Justin Lin) The franchise wouldn't really skyrocket into success for another couple films, but Tokyo Drift is the beginning of that change. For starters, it introduced the character that I most often hear as people's favorites, Han Lue (if we're not counting director Justin Lin's great 2002 character study Better Luck Tomorrow), played brilliantly by Sung Kang. It's also the first film in the series to be directed by Justin Lin, who would go on to direct the following three FF films. Lin's style fits the Fast films like a glove, and you really see the identity of what these movies start to shape itself in Tokyo Drift. The aesthetic of this one, while still of that "hyper-color" sensibility as the first film, seem to fit the streets of Tokyo better than it did for LA. The acting is good, for the most part, Lucas Black's southern accent can be a bit much sometimes, and I'm not sure Bow Wow should be acting in anything, but in a way, it almost fits the B-movie vibe that these early Fast & Furious films have. It's not the greatest this franchise has to offer, but Tokyo Drift is a very entertaining entry that has the best races I've seen in any of the films so far.

Score: 7/10

Currently available for rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios.

Fast & Furious (2009, dir. Justin Lin) This has been easily my least favorite of the Fast films so far. The Toretto clan is back, but without any of the good 'ole schlock-y fun that we had in the original. We meet a few major players that would return to better effect in future installments, including Gal Gadot's Gisele Yashar as well as the dynamic duo of Leo and Santos (the oft forgotten, but effortlessly funny twosome played by rapper Tego Calderon and reggaeton singer Don Omar), and the villain in this one is one of the better-played and interesting ones in the franchise so far, but the film is so self-serious you even kind of gloss over all of the good things about it because for most of the first half of the film you're just, kind of, bored. I think the thing the creative crew for this one forgot when they were making is that the thing that makes these movies work is that it is, inherently, goofy, and they work better when that is leaned into. The think that saves Fast & Furious from being completely without merit in the franchise is that, like almost all of these early entries, once you get into the second half of the film, the set pieces and action sequences involving the cars are incredibly entertaining. The cave sequence in this movie is really cool, and even though this is one of the weaker entries, that sequence is still one of the most memorable. It's been the weakest film so far, but not all is lost, and it's still required viewing if you want to binge the franchise like I'm currently doing.

Score: 5/10

Currently available for rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios.

Paint (2023, dir. Brit McAdams) I'm not sure why director/writer Brit McAdams felt the need to invoke the image of Bob Ross in his quirky script for Paint, but he did, and here we are. I mean, I know why, the story is centered around a middle-aged painter hosting a painting show on public broadcasting... and he has an afro. He might be soft-spoken like Ross, but Owen Wilson's Carl Nargle has very little in common with beloved PBS painter: he's selfish, fairly uncaring towards those around him (especially the many women that are fawning about him), a womanizer, and hasn't painted anything other than the same mountain for what I believe the film said was around a decade. I think the thing that frustrated me the most with it was that it didn't seem interested in making Mr. Nargle confront any of these wrongdoings in any meaningful way. If anything, it seems like we're meant to sympathize with him when all of his misdeeds and character faults start to catch up with him. That being said, I think I enjoyed Paint more than I thought I would after it was all over because, for all of its faults, it is absolutely hilarious. It's shockingly well-written as a comedy, and it's a brand of comedy that you don't really see often anymore; almost like a film that was made off of a recurring SNL character (something I've seen many other reviewers say, I just happen to completely agree). I found myself laughing quite a bit at the one-off gags and oddball humor the film dishes out throughout its 1 hour and 36 minutes. It's not gonna be for everyone, and I think as a society we might be past this kind of comedy (not necessarily this style of humor, but a film that seems content to not analyze the actions of its characters), but sometimes it's nice to drop in for a 90-minute sketch every now and then.

Score: 6/10

Currently only in theaters.

Fast Five (2011, dir. Justin Lin) Now this is what I'm fucking talking about. I'm not sure what revelation Justin Lin & Vin Diesel had between 2009's Fast & Furious and this, but I'm forever grateful for it. This one sees most of the franchise's major players coming together for the first time (Michelle Rodriguez's Letty was absent from this entry) and sees the introduction of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Luke Hobbs. I was almost in total bewilderment at just how much better this was in every conceivable way from the first four films. You've got the Torettos and Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner bringing the heart, you've got 2 Fast 2 Furious' Roman Pierce & Tej Parker bringing the humor (as well as Fast & Furious' Leo & Santos in that department), and rounding everything out, you've got Tokyo Drift's Han and FF4's Gisele bringing the level-headedness and cool-factor. This crew together is what makes this work. The action and the crazy car stunts are always going to be entertaining, they've never not been entertaining, and a good FF film is going to be a little schlock-y, but Fast five knew how to incorporate all of the best pieces from the previous four films and inject just the right amount of new stuff in there to make it one of the more entertaining action films of modern memory. The script is solid, every cast member is at the absolute top of their game, and the film just works. I don't think I was uninterested or critical of a single aspect of this, and think that making your way through the more lackluster aspects of the first four films (five if you count Lin's 2002 film Better Luck Tomorrow, which I whole-heartedly think you should) is absolutely worth the payoff this entry brings.

Score: 10/10

Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios.

The Innocent (2022, dir. Louis Garrel) The best comedies have great dramatic weight to their stories, and the duo at the heart of this French comedy/heist film are two characters coping with the death of a shared loved one in two very different ways that often puts them at odds with one another. The main plot centers around Abel, our protagonist, and his obsession with his mom's relationship to an ex-con that he believes may not be as "ex" of a con as he says he is. The back and forth and endless bumbling by Able during these pieces of the film work decently well, but I really think the heart of the film belongs with the relationship between the two friends, Able and Clemence (who is played by the wonderful Noémie Merlant). I normally don't go for the obvious "person falls in love with the best friend of their former partner" trope, especially in the case of this film when the former partner is deceased, but I found Abel and Clemence's relationship to be very naturally and sweet. They bring out the best in each other and they're written in a way that doesn't cheapen their romance or ignore the dead best friend/wife-sized elephant in the room. The comedy has its place and it works well, but it never sacrifices a beautiful dramatic moment for a joke. There is a diner scene between the central duo in which they "act out" a scene as a couple fighting that occurs during the film's climax that is almost more rewarding to the audience than the actual "climax" of the film that happens immediately after it. I've said this in the past, but I will always make time for the smaller, less-advertised, indie and foreign-language films that come out, because often I am rewarded with a satisfying film experience such as this.

Score: 8/10

Currently only in theaters.

Renfield (2023, dir. Chris McKay) How could this not be at least good, right? Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Nicolas Hoult as Renfield, Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz? All signs point to hilarious, and it is. Cage is the true highlight here, and he delivers a fantastic performance as the Count. Not just from a zany, Nicolas Cage-y performance, but from an actual, genuinely, intentionally funny place. Hoult, Awkwafina, and Schwartz all deliver on their strengths (although Awkwafina's performance is surprisingly restrained when compared to her other comedic roles) and turn in fantastic performances of their own, but Cage is the scene stealer. So much so that I think the film could have benefitted from way more of him. The entire film is decently funny, but Cage is just delightful. Another thing to note is that, while the digital effects are laughably sub-par, the practical effects, specifically the makeup done on Cage, is exquisitely executed. There's a ton of good here, and while I genuinely enjoyed it, I think it didn't quite reach the highs that I wanted it to. It's sad, because I feel like the same thing happened in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It's a very enjoyable viewing experience, but I feel like they could have pushed the Cage of it further, although in Unbearable Weight I did want more of that zany Cage, and in Renfield I just wanted him on screen more because he was making an already decent film into a fantastic one.

Score: 7/10

Currently only in theaters. Be on the lookout for a full review of this one later this week.

Fast & Furious 6 (2013, dir. Justin Lin) As a follow up to the actually perfect Fast Five, of course it's not as good. As the sixth installment in a franchise that has no right having even 3 installments it's great. Justin Lin and Vin Diesel really just said "What if we took everything great about Fast Five and... just... did it again?" Except this time Michelle Rodriguez's Letty Ortiz is back and Leo and Santos are M.I.A., also they switched out Elsa Pataky for Gina Carano (though Pataky is still in the film). The car stunts and the espionage are cool as always, and the twists and turns of the story never felt contrived or boring, it was just missing that X-factor that Five had. I'm not sure I can even describe it, it just felt like there was an element missing that kept this one from being as beautifully, effortlessly perfect as Five. I will say this, though, this was the first time I've really gotten sad watching these movies and thinking about the inevitability of Brian's absence from the franchise. Paul Walker was such phenomenal actor and screen presence, and I don't care what anybody says, I am of the full opinion that Brian O'Conner is the heart of this franchise. I know that from the fourth film forward Dominic Toretto is kind of the figurehead and face of the franchise, but to me, Brian is the heart and soul of it. I know Fate and F9 are considered good, but it's going to be a hard sell without Brian there.

Score: 8/10

Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios.

Suzume (2022, dir. Makoto Shinkai) Director Makoto Shinkai is probably the most popular name in modern anime filmmaking (or, at the very least, in the top three with Mamoru Hosoda and Masaaki Yuasa) after the smash success of his 2016 film, Your Name. While his follow up, Weathering with You, was quite beautiful, it couldn't recapture the same magic that made Your Name. so special. Suzume, while still not quite as beautiful as Your Name. is (sorry about the period, that's how the title is stylized), is a step better than Weathering. The animation is gorgeous, as always, the voice cast does an amazing job (I saw it in the original Japanese-language version), and the story is very moving and has a great second act climactic fakeout that leads into an adventurous third act. It hits a lot of the same story beats as Weathering with You did, but here everything feels a lot cleaner, like some of the kinks had been worked out and Shinkai was giving this story format another try. I think the biggest pitfall for Suzume, which isn't necessarily a horrible thing, just something that might just not be my speed, is that there are times when he dips a little too far into the melodramatic. Your Name. does this, too, but the story and the whole vibe of that film kind of lends itself to that melodrama and Shinkai works it in the film's favor. To me, Suzume didn't need it, and the film would have slightly benefited from those really melodramatic moments being reworked as a little more subdued. It doesn't take too much away from the film though, and Suzume ends up being yet another plus in the director's filmography, with yet another amazing soundtrack by frequent Shinkai collaborators RADWIMPS. It's a great time, and I feel like everyone should go see it if they can. Anime films can be more than just a niche cinematic experience, and Suzume is a pretty good entry point for families looking to see what the artform is capable of.

Score: 8/10

Currently only in theaters.

Mafia Mamma (2023, dir. Catherine Hardwicke) [tw: attempted rape] I really wanted to like this. I think Toni Collette is a fantastic and highly underutilized actress in Hollywood and, from the trailer, it looked like it would be pretty funny. Sadly, this wasn't the case. Don't get me wrong, Collette was great in it and there were a handful of gags that got a laugh out of me, but overall the film just felt like a mix between a comedy that was trying to hard and a female-empowerment film that felt a tad too insensitive at times for its own good. I acknowledge fully that this could be a case of me not being in the target audience, I take full ownership of that, and I won't argue with anyone that did enjoy it. There is a scene where there is an attempted rape on Collette's character that the men on her Zoom meeting can't hear because they've muted her. While Collette's character in the film does get out of this situation without the help of any male character (which I appreciated), and had a callback to one of the film's funnier scenes from the first act, I felt that the rape aspect of it was excessive and unnecessary. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be played for laughs, but it really felt like that's what they were going for, and personally I can't find the humor in a situation like that. I think the space is wide open for a comedy of this temperament, we need more like it, but there was just something about Mafia Mamma that ultimately didn't sit right with me, Collette and Monica Bellucci aside.

Score: 4/10

Currently only in theaters.

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