dennisdmcdonald Reviews

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

A gorgeous tragicomedy

[9/10 · 1 January 2023]

Be prepared for a character study that focuses on poverty, despair, friendship and its dissolution, social isolation, leaving home and family, and late blooming ambition.

Also be prepared for drop-dead gorgeous photography, terrific music, and world-class acting.

Colin Farrell, in my opinion one of the most accomplished actors working in film today, plays his complex role with amazing subtlety. Brendan Gleeson provides another example of his impressive versatility. Kerry Condon portrays a balanced view of the long-suffering sister who must choose between her own needs and those of others.

Given the time (1923) and the setting (isolated island off the coast of Ireland from which gunshots of the ongoing civil war can be heard) there are many directions the film could have taken: social commentary, black comedy, farce, cute rural adventure, broad Irish stereotypes, etc.

Writer/director Martin McDonagh instead focuses on individual characters as opposed to all-out social or political commentary. Gleeson's character one day decides he doesn't want to be friends anymore with Colin Farrell's character. The results of this falling out take a tragic turn that many will find neither entertaining nor appealing (and certainly not funny).

Some might call this a "black comedy" but that's an overly simplistic label. "Tragicomedy" is probably more accurate. I did find myself laughing in a few spots, but these are few.

This is a character study that lays bare complex human relationships set against a time and place whose impacts are still rippling today.

Were I to compare this film's emotional impact to others I would probably select Paul Schrader's FIRST REFORMED or some of the films of Yasujiro Ozu, but BANSHEES OF INISHERIN stands on its own.

The Platform (2019)

Allegorical, Pretentious, and Absolutely Fascinating

[8/10 · 25 June 2020]

This not-for-the-squeamish movie screams FILM FESTIVAL:

• high concept
• inscrutable
• daring
• unforgiving
• pretentious

It's also beautiful to look at in a dark and hellish way - assuming you can look past the blood and gore.

The only thing close to it in my memory is another prison horror-fest, "Brawl In Cell Block 99." That film revels in violence but is more traditional with its story and relationships.

This film makes no excuse for being allegorical, symbolic, and pretentiously thematic as we follow prisoners in a vertically stacked prison through which a large platform passes laden with food.

Those on the top levels get first pick of a sumptuous meal. As the table passes down through the levels the bounty shrinks to the point where those at the bottom get nothing but an invitation to unguarded cannibalism. Pleasant, huh?

Like "Snowpiercer" and "Parasite" we have a no-holds-barred illustration of class warfare with haves pitted against have-nots. The movie walks a fine line between obvious symbolism and faux profundity interspersed with bloody violence and cruelty. In its original Spanish, the English subtitles are well done and include cryptic gems like:

• "Relax, we're just passing through."
• "The Administration has no conscience."
• "The important thing is the message."

How allegorical you want to take all this is up to you. I saw it as less allegorical than as someone with a very strong sense of cinematic style tackling class warfare and selfishness in a brutal, angry, and very original way.

Love, Death & Robots (2019– )

A mixed bag.

[6/10 · 15 April 2019]

While the animation and CGI are consistently entertaining and at times impressive, the story quality and acting vary widely in this anthology series. At times I was reminded of reading issues of HEAVY METAL magazine and SLOW DEATH underground comics back in the day with its mix of sci-fi-infused sex, violence, and gore. Except now, production values are substantially enhanced via modern CGI and technology.

My favorite episodes: SUITS, GOOD HUNTING, ZIMA BLUE, and ALTERNATE HISTORIES. Otherwise, the quality varies with violence and gore substituting for story and characterization.

If you are like me a big fan of sci-fi animation as I am you know that if you spend enough time cruising VIMEO and YOUTUBE you can discover a lot of really clever and imaginative sci-fi and fantasy short films. What Love, Death & Robots does is put together a bunch in an easily binge-able collection. Still, I must admit my interest in endless chases and gratuitous violence and cruelty has diminished over the years. Nowadays my interests are more attuned to creativity, cleverness, humor, and characterization.

Captive State (2019)

Not just another "alien invasion aftermath" movie.

[9/10 · 27 March 2019]

This is one impressive "alien invasion aftermath" movie. We seldom see the aliens themselves. We do see first hand what their rule has done: create a sharply divided society where the "haves" who work with the aliens to rule live in relative luxury compared to the squalor in which the rest of the population is concentrated.

As is usual in such films an underground "insurgency" has evolved to oppose rule by the extraterrestrials. We follow a police officer (played by John Goodman) as he attempts to snuff out the insurgency. Domestic electronics have for the most part been outlawed and he has monitoring tools not normally available to regular citizens.

On the other hand the insurgency has evolved a mix of traditional and old fashioned means (would you believe carrier pigeons and classified newspaper ads?) to communicate their plans.

Much of the movie is a cat and mouse game between the police and the insurgents as we follow multiple characters in a plot that initially appears chaotic and disjointed. But things are not as they seem. What we end up with is a very tense series of chases and surprises as we move to an unexpected climax.

Some critics have complained about too many characters and a plot that would be more appropriate to a mini-series, but I disagree. It's a pleasure to see a solidly acted movie that focuses on desperate people not on overbearing special effects. This is what happens after the aliens take over and employ the "locals" to help enforce their authoritarianism. We've seen that play out over the millenia here on earth which is one of the reasons why this far fetched adventure film doesn't feel so far fetched after all.

The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Unusual but very worth a watch

[8/10 · 27 March 2019]

I was ready to abandon this film about two murderous hitmen (brothers) pursuing a gold-seeking chemist in Oregon and California during the Gold Rush about halfway through. While the story is interesting, the casting wonderful, and the music intriguing, the way the movie is photographed and edited is at first disorienting and often oddly framed.

But I kept with it and I'm glad I did. The relationship between the two brothers played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix unspools in a recognizable and sensitive way despite the murder and carnage they pursue. One is questioning how long they can keep this up. The other doesn't want to discuss the future. What changes everything is gold but not in the way you might expect. Yes, greed is definitely involved but how its pursuit is illustrated takes the movie in an odd and unexpected direction.

This is definitely worth a look especially if you like the unusual. But be patient. Above all, don't expect a "typical Western."

Prospect (2018)

An Excellent and impressively Produced Adventure

[9/10 · 26 March 2019]

A troubled father and his adolescent daughter descend to the surface of a verdant and primitive planet from a passing space station. In a few days they hope to find a buried treasure about which the father has prior knowledge.

Instead of riches they encounter pain, suffering, and tragedy. The daughter is forced to team up with an unlikely partner to escape the planet before their return home has swung by and left the planet's orbit.

As simple as the story is the execution of PROSPECT is excellent. Special effects are meager but convincing. Sets are few but realistic. Small physical details such as medical equipment, weapons, food packs, and written language are remarkably complete. Photography and color are times lovely, at other times gloomy and foreboding. Costumes, especially the ever present pressure suits mandated by the planet's toxic atmosphere, are amazingly varied and realistically worn-looking.

Most impressive, however, is the acting. The main characters, especially the young girl, are convincing and very well portrayed, despite the chracters spending the bulk of the movie in the aforementioned pressure suits.

PROSPECT is proof positive that a convincing and engaging sci-fi film need not be produced with a bloated budget or the overwhelming effects of a superhero or end-of-the-world cataclysm. The characters here may be accustomed to space travel between worlds but their personalities and back stories are remarkably down to earth.

Dororo (2019)

A superb series

[9/10 · 19 March 2019]

First, some words to describe this anime TV series:

-Sad -Emotional -Exciting -Mature -Terrifying -Grotesque -Artistic -Rainy

Consider that last word "Rainy." In many of this multi-episode series rainfall is frequent and casts a somber pall over the events that run through this medieval Japanese tale.

The lives, deaths, and redemptions of a handful of wandering characters play out against a background of demonic curses, warring factions of samurai armies, and poverty. One main character, a hideously disfigured young man - Hyakkimaru - who is cursed by demons at birth as a result of his father's bargaining away his life, grows up blind and wandering. He seeks redemption and revenge against those demons and the truth of his birth. He is befriended by a young thief - Dororo - who sees through his physical deformities and then accompanies him on his wanderings.

Each episode is a self-contained morality tale. Recurring struggles between good and evil are never clear cut. This is not a feel-good series but one where stress and conflict are constant. Suffering is palpable with little joy being expressed.

And yet... It's beautiful and ultimately humanely serious. For every bloody and nasty action scene or every tragic event there is also growth. People struggle. They also change. Chief among them is the young warrior Hyakkimaru as he tries desperately to claw his way back to normal humanity despite his deformities and tragic a lack of memory.

The animation is impressive. Hand drawn backgrounds replete with trees, forests, mountains, and rice paddies add gorgeous detail even when rendered in muted colors. Realistic character animation of richly costumed main characters contrasts sharply with the young thief who is surprisingly rendered in a "cartoony" style reminiscent of the original Manga author, Osamu Tezuka. Somehow the contrast of character styles works and helps to emphasize the almost classic appearance of the series' rural medieval Japanese setting.

Be prepared for an animated adventure that is simultaneously violent, hopeful, at times tragic, and ultimately beautiful.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Not your father's Godzilla movie!

[9/10 · 10 September 2018]

SHIN GODZILLA is not your father's Godzilla movie.

When I first saw the glittering Toho logo at the beginning of this 2016 movie I was momentarily thrilled and transported back to my childhood and my love of crazy Japanese sci-fi movies like Ishiro Honda's THE MYSTERIANS that I saw at my dad's movie theater.

But Shin Godzilla is not my father's -- or your father's -- Godzilla movie. Instead, it's a deadly serious and downright frightening modern-day horror/disaster movie which at times extends into political and bureaucratic satire.

The story itself is straightforward: monster emerges from water, monster stomps Tokyo, and an international alliance resists.

Much death and destruction result as Godzilla morphs and displays deadly new powers of destruction. What makes this a movie to be taken seriously is the focus on the Japanese governments ponderous and not always successful decision-making process. Many initial meetings occur where actions are discussed and hashed over relentlessly. These interminable meetings are dominated by men dressed in suits. Very few women-with some key exceptions-are involved at these levels.

But progress finally is made and plans developed for the Japanese to lead an international response with U.S., French, and U.N. support. The complex multilevel response involves drones, bullet trains and railcars filled with explosives, and biological agents.

The incredibly violent battle scenes do not disappoint as Godzilla is attacked. Massive urban destruction results as Godzilla's awful heat rays wipe American B-2 bombers from the sky and effortlessly slice through skyscrapers and office buildings.

It's impossible to watch this movie without being reminded of the real disasters that Japan has faced in the past including the massive 2011 earthquake (18,000+ dead) and Fukushima incident.

When disasters happen, how do we respond? While Shin Godzilla illustrates initial bureaucratic wrangling in the face of massive destruction, we are also seeing an illustration of the perils of disaster response by a country that is fiercely independent and realizes it can't go it alone.

Shin Godzilla ends up being an argument for international coordination for planning how we all respond to natural -- and unnatural - disasters. That's a message that many people and governments around the world continue to resist.

Perdida (2018)

Both Predictable And Entertaining

[8/10 · 10 September 2018]

Perdida is both predictable and entertaining.

It's predictable since plot elements -- disappearance of young girl years before, reemergence of the cold case after many years, potential corruption in high places -- are things we've seen many times before. As mysteries go this one is pretty by-the-book.

But the direction, photography, hand to hand fighting, and acting raise it above its core elements, starting with the performances of the tough but conflicted cop played by Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato and the evil witch played by Amaia Salamanca.

We also get to see arresting views of Argentina and Patagonia that we seldom see in movies. Last but not least, the close-in hand to hand action in some scenes is extremely well done. When some one gets thrown against a wall you really hear and feel it.

But be prepared to guess the plot twists. Also, there's a lot of cigarette smoking in this film. But if you like police procedurals and strong female characters, this film is for you.

Lazy Hazy Crazy (2015)

An Unusually Explicit "Coming of Age" Film

[6/10 · 10 September 2018]

I typically don't watch "coming of age" movies but this 2015 movie is unusual.

It takes place in modern day Hong Kong and is beautifully photographed and scored. It tells the story of three 18 year old girls who spend the summer together following school. They do ordinary things -- argue, pursue boys, share deep conversations about life, battle with caregivers, argue about taking out the dog, are jealous, complain about racial discrimination, ruminate about missing parents, worry about money, etc., etc.

The twist is that all three are part time prostitutes who advertise their services via social media.

They careen back and forth between seemingly normal day to day angst and turning tricks. The movie is supposedly "based on true events." Who knows how seriously to take such a statement.

What's so unusual is how natural the three girls are and how frank they are about sex and what they do to earn money. If you look at this from a parent's perspective you'll naturally be horrified given the dangers the girls are exposing themselves to. While some scenes involving nudity are of the harmless softcore variety, others are surprisingly explicit. Yet, the movie has a veneer of reality that comes from natural acting and possibly because the director is female and may have some personal insight into what the girls are going through as she attempts -- often successfully -- to shock the viewer.

Anyway, this movie is not for everyone. Some of the situations are outlandish. Men definitely do not generally come across as alway being trustworthy. The girls seem to know that or at least learn along the way. While they seem at times to be wise beyond their years, though, you can be forgiven if you want to occasionally yell at the screen and say, "Don't do that!"

Oddly, I discovered this film last week on Amazon Prime while searching for "Hong Kong movies." Just now (Sept. 9, 2018) when I checked the details of the film the Amazon Prime that web site notes "This title is currently unavailable. Our agreements with the content provider don't allow purchases of this title at this time."

Ajin (2016–2017)

Despite some questionable animation this is excellent sci-fi

[8/10 · 9 December 2016]

The theme of "special" or "evolved" humans being feared and hunted by society has been done many times before. A. E. van Vogt's novel SLAN comes to mind, as does Marvel's X-Men.

AJIN is a fresh take on the subject. It blends the standard "everybody is against us special humans" theme with terrorism, violence, spectral beings, torture, and Japanese anime's almost standard negativity about Americans.

The basis for the fear of the Ajin is that they cannot be killed and have the ability to summon dark wraith-like spectral beings to do their bidding.

We follow one young man through his self-discovery as an Ajin, his pursuit by the authorities bent on cruel scientific research on his body, and his attempts to separate himself from Ajin that have decided to employ terrorism in their battle against the state's repression.

By now it should be obvious that AJIN is nothing like anime series that focus on adolescent high school pranks, supernatural hi-jinks, and fan service. AJIN is more like an urban war story and morality tale that, for the most part, succeeds. Emotions are raw, characters are very well developed with excellent (Japanese) voice acting, and the story takes some fascinating and at times amazing twists and turns.

Where AJIN falls down is in the animation which mixes realistic settings, vehicles, and weapons with twitchy character animation and an annoying mix of characters with natural facial features with those that possess anime's stereotypical over-sized round eyes.

The twitchy character movement may be related to an over-reliance on character movement control software that doesn't allow for the randomness of normal body movement. When not running, the main characters seem to walk and move around at the same speed with the frame to frame differences in the drawings just barely visible. Key characters like Sato are very naturally drawn, have realistic facial features, yet move unrealistically. It's distracting given how realistically everything else is done.

The other annoying feature I found to be the mix of characters with realistic eye shapes with the exaggerated round large eyes common to so much anime. The mixture of the two styles was confusing for me at first and I was wondering in this particular anime if one of the characteristics of the Ajin is that some have evolved larger and rounder eyes than "normal" humans. I've watched a lot of anime over the years and this was actually the first time I was put off by the large round eyes. I attribute that reaction to the fact that so much of the animation here is realistic and sometimes disconcertingly so in some of the amazing action scenes.

That said, I highly recommend this series if you can get past the violence and some of the animation features. Overall it's quite impressive and an excellent example of how good animated science fiction can be.

Offset (2014)

An Honest and Inspiring Story

[8/10 · 18 November 2015]

Brian Nice, formerly a globe-trotting fashion photographer, is now wheelchair bound having suffered through multiple brain surgeries to remove seizure inducing brain lesions. He cannot walk or feed himself but mentally he's all there and decides to go on a cross- country road trip with the help of family and friends, taking photographs all the way using a low end film based camera. He talks about his condition as do his mom, dad, friends, and his surgeon.

It's an inspiring story but not in a disease-of-the-week-special variety. Brian is stubborn and philosophical about what has happened to him. Especially painful is listening to and watching his mom and dad talk about what has happened.

But it's a pleasure to see a film like this without sugar coating, especially if your family has experienced traumatic medical episodes.

Yes, Brian and his family are fortunate to have the resources to devote to his care and therapy. But what this movie shows is whatever your circumstances, how you choose to address your situation is ultimately up to you.

The photography and editing in this film are superb and show great attention to color and detail. The audio track is skillfully synchronized with what we're seeing on screen regardless of who is speaking. Recommended.

Hermits (2015)

"Are you here, Master?"

[8/10 · 17 November 2015]

This documentary follows a 71 year old American, Bill Porter, to a mountainous area of China. 25 years ago he visited and wrote a book about the solitary monks who live here in the mountains, some in caves. Now he returns to see how the hermits are doing. Some whom he met have died but he finds the area still populated by male and female monks who spend their days in meditation, chanting, and exercise. The camera follows him as he laboriously moves from site to site and talks with different hermits about how they spend their days. The movie is slow and deliberate. Nothing is sudden or sharp. We see the author climb up narrow paths to knock on different doors and ask, "Are you here, Master?"

Everywhere you look you see the mountains, lush vegetation punctuated by craggy rocks, and at the monks' residences, evidence of their Spartan existence. As the movie progresses we see that, not only does the American know the language, he also has extensively studied and translated Buddhist teachings into English and can carry on conversations with the monks about their own thinking. Some have read his book and that provides him credibility as someone whom they can trust.

Production wise the photography, editing, and soundtrack are beautiful. The mountains are gorgeous and the sounds of insects and birds permeate every scene. Common everyday objects and activities are presented in carefully framed and lit views. But the pacing is slow and deliberate. That will be part of the appeal to the viewer who is curious about these people and why they live as they do; others might be bored. The conversations are not terribly deep but we do occasionally see glimmers of insight into why the hermits cut themselves off from "civilization" like this.

NOTE: This is my personal review of one of the films shown at the 2015 Alexandria Film Festival (http://alexandriafilm.org/); I'm one of the Festival judges.

American Dirtbags (2015)

A brilliantly demented film

[17 November 2015]

At first I thought I was watching an amateurish attempt to create a hybrid between WET HOT American SUMMER and PULP FICTION. About halfway through the themes and crisscrossing characters begin to make sense. By the end I was thinking this is what a morality tale about sex, violence, and drugs would look like were it imagined by the great Zap Comics artist S. Clay Wilson whose tales approached the hallucinatory.

Definitely recommended for late night showings; people unaccustomed to this type of film might be, well, a bit shocked. I would also not recommend seeing this while drunk or stoned -- things get a bit complex as the film progresses and seeing how the threads connect does require some minimum level of sobriety. What a brilliantly demented film!

Forest Born (2015)

Superb representation of what can be done in a short wordless film

[8/10 · 17 November 2015]

FOREST BORN is a superb representation of what can be done in a short wordless film that concentrates on character, movement, and sound to illustrate a magical sense of transformation. Beautiful photography, appropriately ethereal music. Sound and editing are extremely well done.

The first time I reviewed this on a 55" plasma TV my optic nerves were zapped the photography is so incredible. When I missed its first showing during the recent Alexandria Film Festival I asked that it be shown again.

If at all possible, SEE THIS ONE ON A BIG SCREEN in high definition with a good surround sound system. Director Josh Peterson and cinematographer Deniz Demirer attended the Festival, answered all questions, and Josh showed me the pages in his handwritten notebook where he first outlined the story in 2012.

NOTE: This is my personal review of one of the films shown at the 2015 Alexandria Film Festival (http://alexandriafilm.org/); I'm one of the Festival judges.

Kidon (2013)

Entertaining and convoluted

[7/10 · 17 November 2015]

KIDON is an entertaining and convoluted "sting" movie in which an Israeli Mossad team tries to find out who is responsible for the death of a Palestinian agent in diplomatically sensitive Dubai. In the background there's a high-stakes duel between France and the United States for a massive Middle Eastern nuclear reactor construction deal.

But that's secondary. The fast-paced storyline is like a combination of SNATCH and THE USUAL SUSPECTS with a bit of BOURNE thrown in. Plus we get the usual silly computer hacker tricks straight out of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

No matter, we're only here for fun and the story only occasionally veers from caper into the dark side. We are, after all, being entertained by a motley group for whom larceny and murder are supposedly a way of life. But the humor, surprises, and nonstop cleverness take up the viewer's attention leaving little time to consider plot holes and improbabilities. For some another bright spot will be that the Americans and the CIA are not the bad guys in this film!

The Last Great Circus Flyer (2015)

A Fascinating and Personal View of Circus History and Trapeze Artistry

[8/10 · 16 November 2015]

The topic seems at first to be esoteric — a great trapeze artist succeeds early on in doing something "impossible" and then later retires — but the film itself is an extremely well made and at times amazing combination of family and industry history. It never loses its focus on the performers themselves, especially the main performer, the legendary Miguel Vasquez. Several things are appealing about the film:

• The focus on family and personality.

• The interweaving of circus and trapeze history.

• The skillful editing.

• The alternation between seeing the performers as they are now and as they were when young.

• Timely statements by circus historians about the significance of what we are seeing.

• The forthright and honest addressing of the real dangers and tragedies that such a dangerous profession involves.

• Most of all, the pleasure of watching professionals work so hard at something real and physical that combines artistry, athleticism, and intelligence.

NOTE: This is my personal review of one of the films shown at the 2015 Alexandria Film Festival (http://alexandriafilm.org/); I'm one of the Festival judges.