March 2019 Streaming Corner, the 2nd part
Triple Frontier
I’d fully recommend this movie. It gets five out of five Bens on the Affleck Aging Heartthrob Scale (trademark pending). The title is a reference to the three South American countries where the action takes place, but can also be understood as a symbol for the different stages the key players experience as they sally forth on their adventure. Every element of this movie shines, in a restrained sort of way. Fine actors doing workmanlike jobs in the leads and supports. A villain who barely has dialogue and isn’t overwrought like so many Latino kingpins in Hollywood productions. A misleading trailer emphasizing an action set piece which is resolved in the first act. Morally ambiguous acts which are not easily glossed over, are debated over down the road, and which the main characters feel genuine remorse for but still end up suffering consequences. The filmmakers try their hardest to maintain a high level of verisimilitude. Only the climactic sequence strays from military procedural into silly action movie territory, and there it only sticks its toe in the water, so to speak (you’ll recognize and hopefully appreciate my wordplay when you watch it). It’s low-hanging fruit for Netflix subscribers to harp about the hit-and-miss nature of their original programming, because all movie studios have hits and misses. They just don’t collect all their content in one easily accessed place. It’s harder to recall to mind a dozen flops over the course of a studio year than it is to see them all placed in the prominent spot of your subscriber menu. Plus, they are making enough money to throw piles of cash at quality movies like this without having to rely on widespread box office success to continue. Credit.
John Wick
Had to see what all the fuss is about. I guess this is a passable movie. But Keanu Reeves, despite his ageless physicality, is really limited in the acting department. It’s also clear that the men he takes on in this movie would have to slow themselves down significantly in order to give him a fighting chance. The action is over-the-top at parts, downright silly at other times. Sure, it’s sleek and stylish, but if you’ve got boring heroes and boring villains, sleekness only makes so much hay. I appreciate the world-building involved. Clearly the world of assassins in the Wickverse has rules and interesting premises, but we’ve all seen the over-competent lone wolf takes on the mob genre done many times before. Monologuing villains who should just kill the hero instead of leaving it to anonymous henchman are such a recognizable and tiresome element of this genre, Austin Powers parodied it twenty years ago.
High Noon
The other performances must have been terribly weak when Gary Cooper won Best Actor Oscar for his role in this movie. I don’t care to look up his competition, as I’m boycotting Google right now because…I forget why, but hey, you gotta boycott something, right? I mean, this movie is a fine anti-western, and a wonderful allegory for the blacklisting era and the climax is that workable combination of restraint and high tension. But Cooper is simply dreadful. He’s wooden and one-note the entire way through. I don’t understand people sometimes.
The House
I don’t understand the horrible reviews this movie got. Many of Will Ferrell’s movies have one or two good laughs before completely faltering in the third act in a weak attempt to be heartfelt (Kicking and Screaming). Or, they have a brilliant concept completely wasted on trite jokes (Holmes & Watson). Ferrell is best in the farcical genre (ex. Anchorman, Talledega Nights, The Other Guys). This movie treads the boundaries of farce and heartfelt comedy. I feel like with some of the hints the editing and script make that they at first were leaning towards the latter (like the money the bumbling heroes make being exactly how much was stolen from the town by the councilman). But this movie doesn’t flounder at the end and shoots high with its physical comedy and absurdist humor (“I don’t know why I love this!” is a particularly well-placed line during a female MMA bout). Add to that a great cast of Ferrell’s friends who are all well characterized and developed as much as the script needs them to be and you’ve got a flop that shouldn’t have been.
The Meg
What a travesty of a movie. Not once does Jason Statham uppercut or roundhouse kick the shark.
Christopher Robin
This is glorious movie. Reduces me to tears (happy tears) every time. I don’t know that a movie has so perfectly encapsulated devoted and pure friendship while striking a balance between comedy, heartfelt moments, and childhood wonderment, all while bringing forth award-worthy performances from its actors. I don’t call this a kids’ movie. There are too many stinkers in that genre to tarnish this movie by association. This is a movie for everyone. Everyone except all of China, come to find out. Their leader has a problem with people comparing Winnie the Pooh’s face to his. And we thought our leaders had thin skin. Add banning Winnie the Pooh to the every growing list of human rights violations in that country.
Our Idiot Brother
Can a movie float by almost entirely on the effortless charm of Paul Rudd? Possibly, but it shouldn’t have to. Fortunately, this movie has so many typecast character actors in roles perfectly written for them it doesn’t need to. The plot of a cheery slacker fumbling through adult life has been done before, but a complete retread this is not. Rudd’s always a delight, but other high points of the movie include Elizabeth Banks as a control freak in high heels and Catherine Hahn as a passive aggressive organic farmer.
Overlord
Don’t. Just don’t. I appreciate Uber-geek J.J. Abrams’ art as much as the next fanboy. But just don’t. For reals. Movies this silly need to be fun. Fun this one ain’t.
