Mockingbird In A Blizzard

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: IMDB

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Ciarán Hinds, Connie Nielsen.

After introducing DC's holy trinity that is Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, DC is bringing out the big guns for its latest superhero fest: the Justice League. Guess what? It's quite the ride.

Following the events of Batman v Superman, the world mourns their fallen hero Superman, who, by the end of Batman v Superman, sacrificed himself to defeat Doomsday. Bruce, who promised Superman that he would not fail him in death, unites a team of powered individuals with the help of Diana Prince for the upcoming invasion, that would later be known as the Justice League.

Justice league has to carry the weight of introducing new characters such as Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash, and boy, they delivered. It's in no way, the glitzy here's-everything-you-need-to-know-about-them introduction that Suicide Squad attempted, but terrifically failed at. In fact, the drama between them and the people in their lives, as well as their history added so much more to what could have been an oversimplified story. It's also elevated by the performances of Momoa, Miller, and Fisher respectively. The added lightheartedness to the characters was certainly a well-needed aspect, especially when you have a character like Barry Allen, whose portrayed with an equally needed vibrant charm by Ezra Miller.

Image source: IMDB

Justice League, like Wonder Woman, finally realizes the most prominent thing they should have focused on a long time ago: the story they're telling now. It doesn't lay its future plans straight to the table as a quick reminder that it's a thing that they're actually doing like Batman v Superman. Instead, it lays what it has done, not what they're currently doing or what they're about to do. If you were to compare the DCEU with how a meal is brought to the table, then Batman v Superman is the appetizing main course that's already a complete meal on its own, but because the cook wants to impress his guests, he cooks up a lot more than he could chew, leading to the guests feeling full and unable to take more food. Suicide Squad is the loaded fizzy dessert that explodes and covers the entire table with its uneven bright colors. No matter how colorful the table gets, it's still a downright mess. Wonder Woman, followed by Justice League, is the complete meal on the table that is served with just the right portion for the guests to feel satisfied.

Justice League has gone through some troubling production over the course of filming, and while it went through quite a difficult process, it's obvious that despite its flaws, there's still a labor of love that goes into crafting these characters, particularly the team dynamic. Yes, it's a little slow in the beginning. After all, there was no team yet. What makes the team's dynamic even more interesting is that it was almost similar to the Avengers, how the team had grown into a full team after the belated members had seen the threat directly, and were affected by it. Justice League follows a similar format, as Steppenwolf's appearance that affects each of the heroes becomes a driving force for them to become a team. However, there is a downside to this dynamic. Even when Steppenwolf's appearance becomes this driving force for the team, it doesn't feel as earned as it was in The Avengers. This was because of how unstable DC's universe has been. Other than Wonder Woman and Superman, other heroes haven't gotten the chance to establish themselves, particularly Batman. So when they become a team, it feels too rushed to the point where it doesn't feel as genuine as they'd probably hoped it would be.

Image source: IMDB

Justice League still has aspects that need improving, especially with how it handles some of its many arcs. It still suffers the same fate as Batman v Superman: too many things happening at once. To hammer this right home, it somehow manages to be generic both in terms of the action and plot (you have to hand it to BvS for having the upper hand on avoiding a generic plot). However, Justice League handles its pacing far more well in two hours than BvS had in their over two hour runtime. The action on the other hand, was something else. With the exception of The Flash (whose effects and action sequences are exceptional), there's not much else that stands out. It's all a huge CGI fest that lacks any real punch or even a sense of urgency, as all you're seeing on screen is an obvious CGI overload.

In the midst of all of this, it's the villain that becomes the film's biggest downfall. The villain was nothing but a cardboard cutout, thin and empty. Steppenwolf's presence is neither frightening nor memorable. He's right up there with the other "I just want to destroy the earth for no particular-reason other than I hate humans" villains like X-Men: Apocalypse's En Sabah Nur and Ultron from the second Avengers. The CGI doesn't do any favor either, as Steppenwolf ends up like a walking game animation from Injustice 2 between the human characters. Detailed, but hardly able to blend in with its live-action aspect.

But by the end of the day, I had a good time with Justice League, despite it not being as memorable as I hoped it would be, now that I think about it. It was a few steps up for the DCEU, especially in terms of how it handled most of its pacing. My friend who saw the film with me, went into this film with low expectations, having been disappointed by DCEU's previous installments. He came out of the film astounded by how good it was. My reaction greatly differed from his, but it was nice to see someone really enjoy it. In some ways, the DCEU has learned from some of its downfalls. I believe that the DCEU has so much potential, it's just that they haven't fully grasped it. There's a lot to be enjoyed in Justice League, especially if you're a sucker for DC Easter Eggs. While Justice League isn't exactly DCEU's best, there's still hope for the DCEU to find its footing once again.

Stars: 2.9/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: IMDB

Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban.

In what might be Marvel's biggest gamble since Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok takes the biggest risk that in the process, succeeds a little more brilliantly than Marvel's previous entry, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Ragnarok opens with a humorous monologue from Thor that eventually leads him to have poke around with the devil Surtur, and a great opening fight set to Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. It is then with the arrival of Hela that leads to Thor's banishment and leaves him stranded in the planet of Sakaar. With the help of his companions, old and new (the incredible Hulk most definitely included) Thor sets out on a mission to prevent Hela from taking over Asgard and cause Ragnarok, the end of everything.

Ragnarok is possibly a rather big gamble for Marvel, but one of the biggest payoffs is that they let Chris Hemsworth's Thor be the wise-cracker, the sass-machine, and the genuinely humorous hero. Waititi's direction and script is one of the reasons why a wise-cracking God of Thunder (mistakenly dubbed Lord of Thunder at one point during the film) works so well, but it's also Hemsworth's genuine performance that adds so much more to what could have been a forced performance. His fellow companions, the return of the always cunning Loki, the innocent Bruce Banner, and the fierce Valkyrie are all great additions that complete the team of misfits that in a way, are the alternate Guardians of the Galaxy.

Image source: Imgur

This of course, is very much a Marvel movie, but it is also, a Taika Waititi film. If you're familiar with Waititi's films, then it wouldn't be much of a shock to see how much of his familiar absurdity is placed in Thor: Ragnarok. Taika's films brims with brilliant humor that feels genuine and have become something that's of his own. No one else could do Waititi's humor better than Waititi himself, and a lot of that is seen here in Ragnarok. You could say it's a Taika Waititi film dressed in a superhero garb. But that's what made it stand out. Marvel took a chance with Waititi, just as much as they took a chance with James Gunn for Guardians.

Waititi's small yet memorable presence as Korg also adds to the absurd dynamic of the humor, adding great humor that's elevated with the Kiwi accent that makes it so much funnier than it would in a standard American accent. It's fitting to see how Korg could be a reminiscent of Waititi's previous roles as Alamein in Boy, given how his constant relaxed way of speaking could remind those of how Alamein tells his misadventures to his son in Boy, or some parts, his Priest speech in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Thor: Ragnarok is loaded with eccentricities, and it's not a sin for anyone to relish in its eccentricities. Taika brings in his oddball magic into the world of the God of Thunder with joyful proportions. The previous two films went for the typical Marvel humor, and a grounded story, but Ragnarok is the firecracker that should have been lit up a long time ago. When it goes into an all-out colorful oddball space quest, Ragnarok doesn't just dip its hand, it submerges its hand in a bowl of mixed candy melts. And boy, does it fit with its equally bright palette. Ragnarok is a deliciously colorful candy bowl that bursts with color and flavor in every bite. It's Marvel's very own neon Disneyland. Every brush from its palette is a trippy wonder that is similar to that of Doctor Stange's, but slightly trippier. It's the eccentric space romp that still strays much further from the tone of the Guardians, as it is its own comedic space romp with its own eccentric aspects. Ragnarok doesn't need to go much into specifics, if it's weird, let it be.

Image source: IMDB

The film isn't flawless. It has its faults, despite being covered up in its colorfully lucid palette. As soon as the opening fight sequence ends, the problem begins. The first ten minutes or so of the film that continues after the opening sequence with Surtur could be a little fast-paced, with characters suddenly figuring out what the other had done with no clear explanation other than "I just know it", a sudden arc to a certain character that seemingly came out of nowhere, and the appearance of another familiar face that, while being a very fun sequence; went a little too fast to the point where you question why it's even there. But that's only during the beginning. It does continue to go on its merry way right after. Another lies within the villain itself. Does Hela solve the Marvel villain problem? Unfortunately, no. While Cate Blanchett relishes her chance in playing the Goddess of Death (and it clearly shows in her performance), Hela's presence becomes less threatening the more we see her (which we really don't), that even then when the stuff in Sakaar ends and transitions to her in Asgard, it becomes an entirely different film, and it's easy to forget that she's even there.

Yet in the end, Thor: Ragnarok pays off, big time. Since it's coming from a director who has his own unique brand of comedic tone, Ragnarok's gamble with tackling humor becomes one of its greatest aspects. There's a good amount of substance and heart, too, that grounds its eccentricities, but not entirely as to screech it to a halt. Great chemistry is had between Thor, Loki, and Banner that become the cherry on top and adds more to their dynamic as work partners and as friends (or frenemies, in Loki's case).

Whatever Thor: Ragnarok was going for, it works, in nearly every single possible way, whether it's in the action, chemistry, and the overall tone. As soon as that opening fight sequence rages to the Immigrant Song, the tone is set: it's going to be one hell of a ride. Thor: Ragnarok is the most fun I've had and in the best possible way, the widest smile I've made while watching a film in a long time.

Stars: 4.3/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri


Image source: IMDB

Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton, Liu Tao, Charlie Murphy, Katie Leung.

Having a similar kind of revenge story as this year's American Assassin, The Foreigner takes what American Assassin lacks and elevates it a little more than what the previous film did, once you overlook a couple of its flaws.

Based on Stephen Leather's novel The Chinaman, The Foreigner is a story about Quan, a former special forces operative who loses his daughter in a terrorist attack. Desperate to find the group behind the attack, and with no help from government officials, Quan takes it upon himself to seek revenge for the death of his daughter.

Jackie Chan, a known master of stunts in the acting world, lays his comedic chops aside for a more serious role that no doubt, takes him on another level. When Chan's Quan loses his daughter, his sadness and desperation becomes a wicked tour de force that easily seeps through the screen. It's a hard-hitting moment when Quan is overcome with grief from his daughter's death, and becomes a driving force for Quan to eventually take revenge upon the people behind the attack. Chan manages to hold his parts splendidly, albeit some slips to when his Quan returns to his former assassin-like demeanor that on some parts, aren't as engaging as the film goes on.

Pierce Brosnan as politician Hennessy, however you want to put it, is neither a bad guy or a good guy. When Quan confronts him to the point where his assassin-self awakens in order to find answers, Brosnan's Hennessy becomes distressed with having to deal with a father who's revealed to be a former special force member, and even his constant pleas for Quan to drop the subject makes a blurred line between which of his actions are for the greater good, and which one is the complete opposite. Brosnan's performance is a fine one, but is watered down by the script, the arc that his character has to follow throughout the film.

Image source: IMDB

The film itself however, is a different kind of story. While Chan's performance elevates what could have been an utter mess of a convoluted film, the film is pretty much guilty of relying on a couple of action-film tropes: a staggering mess of intervention from local authorities, government, and a plot twist involving someone from the side of the law that anyone could see from a mile away, you name it. What's more, whilst The Foreigner might be seen as Quan's story, it is also Brosnan's. There's a cat and mouse chase that goes around between Quan and Brosnan's Hennessy, which the film really should have left the story at that; and a whole other array of complications. Not to say that it's a complete mess, but it's too focused on making its plot as complicated as possible, when really, it should have settled for a simpler execution. What we're left with is a tangled mess of interweaving plot points that either make no sense or serve no point for the story.

What makes up for the film's lack in its story, is eventually the action that brings the most out of the film. Unlike Blade Runner 2049, marketed as a sci-fi action flick, but is eventually something deeper with minimal action; The Foreigner packs in plenty of punches, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the film's best aspects, because it is, especially when it's Jackie Chan that's doing the action. Chan is known for doing his own stunts and is at his best once he fights. He's up for the job and he does it superbly, proving his worth once again with an equally strong performance. The action is brilliantly choreographed, and while it doesn't break barriers, it's still something to behold. Moreover, it strays from one of the worst tropes in an action film: shaky cam, if done the wrong way. While The Foreigner utilizes a couple of handheld shots, it does at times use shaky cam the same way the Bourne series does: shaky, but doesn't intervene much with the action that ensues; except for how some of its scenes were transitioned.

Image source: JoBlo.com

The Foreigner is no Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. For the most part, it doesn't overuse its action film tropes the way the last Resident Evil installment did with its horror tropes, despite seemingly steering towards that particular direction and even falling into it at times. The Foreigner has its share of fun and sense of engagement in its action to make up for the film's faltering execution in its story. It's watchable, to say the least, once you overlook the story and settle for its action-filled ride and great performances.

Stars: 3/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: Manchester Evening News

Director: Mark Gill
Cast: Jack Lowden, Jessica Brown Findlay, Laurie Kynaston, Adam Lawrence, Jodie Comer, Katherine Pearce, Simone Kirby.

"How's the world gonna remember you?" A character asks in the film. If you've followed Morrissey's career, the answer is clear, and the world now certainly remembers who he is by it. Based on the true story of Smiths front-runner Steven Morrissey, England is Mine sets its sights on a particular era of Morrissey's life before he became the front-runner of the indie band that he is known for during the 1980s as well as today.

England is Mine tells the early life of Smiths front-runner Steven Morrissey as he navigates his way around life, forming new bonds whilst breaking old ones, and his struggle to make it to the spotlight as the singer that the world knows now.

Lowden, a promising talent, has been since 2016 crime drama Denial as well as this year's war epic Dunkirk; plays the quite yet passionate singer with some delightful intruigue. Unlike his friendlier and more open roles, this one is like a fizzle in a fire. It's charmingly quite, but in an endearing way. Is he a socially awkward and at times, a mopey jerk? Yes, and the film has moments where his sulky attitude causes his only friend to abandon him, or when he cuts his friend off as she tries to console him by stating that her "Life is too short," saying is a cliché; but listens to artist Linder's "Be yourself, everyone else is taken," advice as if it wasn't the same thing. But it's where his buried hatred for people becomes his way of artistic expression that makes him interesting. There's something quite poetic in the way he remarks about life, particularly when he states of life as, "the factory for father, and the kitchen for mother". Through the course of the film, Morrissey becomes bored of his ordinary life to the point where he's frustrated as to why no one ever takes notice of him and why they see him as the odd one out.

Think of Morrissey as Danny Boyle's depiction of Steve Jobs: brilliant, yet filled with ego. What creates a distinction between this depiction of Morrissey with Boyle's Steve Jobs is that Morrissey is shown as an introvert, mumbling about how life isn't as fair as he wanted and how tedious everyone is; whilst Jobs wastes no time telling people that what they're doing is wrong straight to their face. It's a rather odd comparison, but what makes them one and the same are that despite their seemingly egotistical ways, they have the ability to create something that the world was soon able to see.


Image source: Twitter

Jessica Brown Findlay as Steven's enigmatic yet open companion Linder Sterling steps alongside our lead and graces the screen, eventually threatening to grab the spotlight from our lead. Linder is one of the few people Steven opens up to, and is comfortable with. Though she is one of the few that Steven considers as a friend, she is the opposite of Steven. She is more driven, more open, and as the biggest threat to our lead: more interesting.

Following a visual palette that uses color and cinematography the way J.C Chandor's A Most Violent Year did, England is Mine plays with the era that the story is set in, with its visual palette being bright, yet muted. The cinematography is also stunning, from luscious wide shots of a gloomy 1970s Britain to a medium frame depicting Steven in his own bedroom, either bored out of his mind or creating a set of his own written works on a typewriter (or a personal favorite of mine: one where Morrissey stands outside a door, his blurred figure visible from the inside of the house). It's a wonderful piece of visual feast for the eyes, as its shots are no doubt aesthetically pleasing.

Essentially, England is Mine feels more like a character study than it is a story. England is Mine becomes a ravenous grip that pulls us in to get to know their enigmatic line of characters, particularly Steven. It's an interesting look into the people that Steven meets in his life, and a more intriguing look into Steven himself. It's as if Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption was about Steven Morrissey. Morrissey, when it comes to the way the film portrays him, is poetic and admittedly brilliant, but an arrogant introvert whose moments of arrogance and social awkwardness creates a fine line between eliciting a laugh and an eye-roll from viewers. He has subtle humor, and one he probably would never expect to elicit a laugh from anyone who listens, but it is enough to cause a chuckle, with one scene having someone he seems to despise ask him what he wants to eat, to which he responds, "I don't care, as long as it's poisonous."

Image source: RTE

Despite that, when you consider the story and the way it falls together, it is sadly, rather bland. Since it is an unauthorized biopic of the Smiths front-runner, it's unclear whether the story depicted is what actually happened to the real Morrissey (though biopics tend to divert themselves from the reality of the story by making their own version), but its way of telling his life story, especially as it chooses to focus on Morrissey's pre-Smiths era; is not as intriguing on screen as it probably was on paper. As an insight on the life of a man who would become the front-runner of the Smiths, there's not much to grab a hold of in terms of story, especially during the first and second act. Not to mention some of the film's rapid pacing, switching from one scene to another with no clear resolution for some of its scenes.

It does however, pick up when Steven befriends Linder, before eventually falling flat again for the remainder of the film. It's not until the third act of the film where Morrissey spirals into a black hole of depression and utter misery that is different story altogether, and one where the film finally picks itself up again. It is also where Lowden's performance becomes the elevating element of the film.

I'm not familiar with Morrissey or the Smiths myself, but the film depicts him in a captivating way, though the real Morrissey might not be too fond of it, especially when he never approved of the biopic. England is Mine can be dull in story as well as a glum affair to the point where its state of despair passes on to the viewers themselves, but it's uplifting at times, mixing its gloomy palette with a dash of humor that for the most part, lands gracefully. If it weren't for its witty dialogue and enigmatic characters, England is Mine would have fallen completely flat on the floor. Fortunately, it doesn't, and that's the best aspect that the film manages to achieve.

Star: 3/5

Trailer

England is Mine premiered during the UK/ID Festival 2017 as the opening film of the festival.

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: nerdsite.com

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong, Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges.

When Colin Firth's Harry Hart states "Manners maketh man," before engaging in a bar brawl, Kingsman: The Secret Service places its foot on a pedestal and sets its sights on a lavish and all out fun ride. Its sequel, The Golden Circle, boasts no less of them.

After becoming an official Kingsman agent, Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton) is greeted by an old foe that leads to a fight and an array of new complications ahead. When a criminal organization by the name of the Golden Circle attempts to wipe Kingsman out, Eggsy and his remaining Kingsman companions seek assistance to their American counterparts, the Statesman.

Taron Egerton's second round in the role of Kingsman agent Eggsy is still as fantastic as in the first film, but in here, there's really not as much of a development here as it was in the first film. It probably has something to do with the fact that being a spy is the highest development he's ever going to get, but it doesn't offer as much range and depth that the first film had. His companion, Colin Firth's Harry Hart, once an equal front man with Eggsy in The Secret Service; takes a backseat in the sequel, albeit still impeccably entertaining during his presence with his dry humor and compelling action scenes.

Image source: Allocine

The Statesman, being the Kingsman's new addition, adds in big names with some having wittily fun action sequences and some good humor, but that's about it. There's nothing much else under the surface for them. Halle Berry's Ginger Ale makes an intriguing companion alongside Mark Strong's Merlin. However, it's not until the very end that she truly gets the opportunity do something exciting for a little while. Channing Tatum's Agent Tequilla, the Statesman's resident bad boy, has a great entrance with a two-on-one brawl and a Southern accent to boot, but backs out from the rest of the action for most of the film's portion. Pedro Pascal, an ultimate charm who has played eccentric characters in Game of Thrones and Narcos; gets the biggest amount of screentime and action out of the rest of the Statesman. Even so, it doesn't entirely compensate his muddled motivation that doesn't seem to pan out as well as it could have. Ultimately, his character felt like a wasted opportunity, which is unfortunate, since I was already a fan of Pascal prior to this film, and his involvement made me even more excited for it than I already was.

If there's one thing that the film manages to really do brilliantly is its action, and despite relying half of its weight on CGI; it's pretty remarkable, and bloody, too (not a surprise, there.) There's a great action sequence involving Egerton's Eggsy in a cab fight around London with an old foe that starts the movie on a promising note. When it comes to the rest of the action afterwards, whether it was the fun rehash of the infamous bar fight scene from The Secret Service with an Indiana Jones like twist, or the color popping vicious brawl set to Elton John's Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting; it keeps its promise. Kingsman's humor and eccentricities are as expected, absurdly good, which isn't much of a surprise, but it is dialed up more here than it was in the first film. From a cussing Elton John to killer robo-dogs, a Kingsman film is not without its eccentricities, and The Golden Circle is no different.

Unfortunately, The Golden Circle, despite its glorious action sequences and wickedly colorful palette, overstuffs itself a little too much with its many ideas being plunged in all it once. Most of the concepts are brilliant, but it's so much to take in, that it feels like a Jenga tower that's slightly tilted, and nearly, just nearly; on the verge of falling. Only difference is, a Jenga tower could only fall if a couple of its blocks are removed. The Golden Circle, on the other hand, could been more solid by removing a small chunk out of its runtime (particularly on a scene that takes place in a music festival that doesn't really offer anything to the story other than to amp its vulgarity) and give a couple of minutes to process the things that just happened instead of running rapidly from one act to another.

Image source: Slash Film

Think of The Golden Circle as a roller-coaster. You're about to embark on a roller-coaster with your friends, and once the ride starts, the only thing you're focused on is the ride. Once you get off, all you remember is that sense of fun. Everything else, the people, all the twists and turns, are mostly blurred out, because your focus will be on how fun and exciting the ride was. That's Kingsman: The Golden Circle as a whole: all fun on the action standpoints, but a little forgettable on everything else, especially when it comes to its villain Poppy, who despite her devious plan of wiping out most of the Earth's inhabitants by her drug cartel and punishing her henchmen in gruesome ways; doesn't bring as much to the table as Samuel L. Jackson's Richmond Valentine did in The Secret Service.

There's something odd about The Golden Circle. When you look back and revisit the film, there's that sense of peculiarity from the film that doesn't quite sit well. It's eccentric in all the right ways, but some seem misplaced, as if they shouldn't really be there. For a sequel to a film that paints an entirely new slate to the spy genre, The Golden Circle doesn't feel as solid or memorable as The Secret Service, rather the opposite. It's still a fun ride that boasts a witty charm, and the action scenes are brilliantly boisterous, but that's probably the most memorable thing that you're going to get from it.

Stars: 2.5/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: avclub.com

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Anthony Mackie, Jason Mitchell, John Krasinski.

As Kathryn Bigelow's latest film, Detroit is an active detonator. It doesn't open with a bang, it opens with an inevitable spark of blazing fire that leads to days of riots, and days of full-blown war-zone.

It's 1967. All is peace and quite in the streets of Detroit. All is normal, but it's later proven to be the spark in what came to be the 12th Street Uprising, and the oncoming days of riots and relentless retaliation (including a vicious barging from the police at the Algiers Motel).

Detroit sets its story through multiple characters, particularly of John Boyega's Melvin Desmukes, a private security guard who is introduced when he is ordered to protect a grocery store, and offers a cup of coffee to fellow officers nearby before all hell breaks loose at the Algiers Motel. Torn between his loyalty to his job and his need to protect the people who are wronged and falsely accused, his performance brings Boyega to a whole other level, proving himself once again in another stellar role. Along with Boyega, Algee Smith's Motown singer Larry tears through the spotlight with a soulful and captivating performance.


Image source: amsterdamnews.com

On the opposing side is Will Pouter's Phillip Krauss, a ruthless officer who feels that his acts are righteous ("You believe this is USA?" he remarks in disbelief during one scene), is a force to be reckoned with. Poulter's performance snaps full attention as he runs around using his weapon to full use. He's seen shooting an African-American male heading out from the grocery store, then went on to claim that he "missed" when he's accused of it; another has him commencing his own game of judge and jury to try and get the assumed suspects at the Algiers Motel to confess, only to end in blood spills and Krauss acting like nothing ever happened. A character that one can easily hate the moment he steps in, but also a character whose presence warrants the outmost attention.

Detroit's visual palette is anything but clean. It's viscerally raw, and it's as real as it gets. Detroit begins with a party that turns into a riot of African-American citizens asking the police force what they did wrong to be granted injustice among them. The riots and the retaliating force of the police have turned Detroit into war-torn territory, or "No Man's Land," as one character calls it in the film. The majority of Detroit's African-American citizens are assumed to be a threat, and even one scene has the police force mistaking an innocent citizen peeping through a window for a sniper.

Image source: newsweek.com

Detroit's approach to the 1967 riots is like a vice grip, it holds you captive to see the brutal riots and unsettling injustice until it seeps its point right through the screen. We as the viewers are the witnesses who are trapped among the riots. In some cases, Detroit is like a walking trap filled with bombs that detonate once you step on the wrong plate; and in some parts, it may even feel like a documentary, given how its realism outweighs dramatization. The more settling parts can be seen as more of a dramatization, albeit still engaging enough.

Detroit sizzles with raging fire and relentless force. It has its moments where the spark fizzles, but it's when Detroit detonates and goes in full guns blazing that becomes the centerpiece of attention and sends its message straight to us. There is no better time for Detroit to tell its story on screen than now, when history has seemingly repeated itself in present day. Once Detroit sends its message, it's loud and clear, and once it's out, it becomes a lingering trail of smoke in the aftermath of a fire that doesn't go away.

Stars: 4/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image Source: Movie Pilot

Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast: Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgård, Finn Wolfhard, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lilis, Chosen Jacobs, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer.

There's an eerie yet brilliant coincidence that It's Pennywise awakens every 27 years in Stephen King's novel. Tommy Lee Wallace's It was released in 1990. 27 years later, It reawakens for the new generation.

Based on Stephen King's novel than spans of more than 1,000 pages worth of story, It takes place in the Summer of 1989 in the town of Derry, where after the disappearance of some of the town's young citizens, a group of young outcasts that go by the name of the Losers Club; decide to act upon finding the figure behind the disappearances: a mysteriously terrifying dancing clown named Pennywise.

Like Christopher Nolan's World War II blockbuster Dunkirk, It boasts fresh new faces in its ensemble. It's main lead Bill, played astoundingly by Jaeden Lieberher; is a stutterer, but a determined and passionate character at heart. His fellow friends in the Losers Club, all with different personalities; complete a compelling ensemble that provides the film of its many heart and humor. Most importantly, we care about them. Their daily lives are already a living hell for some of them, and the appearance of Pennywise becomes a bloody icing on a demolished cake. Another particular standout aside from Lieberher can be seen from the Club's loudmouth, Richie Tozier, played by Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things, who is the occasional comic relief with his humorous remarks.

Image Souce: IMDB

As It's villain, Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise is a fascinating yet immensely horrifying figure with an infectious smile that's meant to kill. From his childish laugh to his eerily cheery delivery of "Beep beep, Richie," notably one of It's most famous lines; Pennywise has a child-like demeanor that's both captivating and revolting, and Skarsgård's performance creates a fine line between the two. He can be humorous when he needs to, but mostly sickening and gruesome once he shows how terrifying he really is.

It feels like a homage to a classic horror, from its way of muted coloring, tilted camera work to further emphasize the eeriness of the already creepy atmosphere, to Benjamin Wallfisch's score that ranges from the most eerie sound of a violin to an occassional haunting piece from the piano. It has the power to scare, to frighten, and at its worst way of making it the best it ever can: to terrify. It's horror is so familiar yet so new. The jumpscares are more frightening than annoying, and not a single one is a false jumpscare. It's a horror cliché done right and used to its true potential.

Once the scares start, It doesn't let audiences take a breath for more than a minute. It begins with a gruesome and eerie note. The events that happen after are no different. Despite that, It somehow manages to be a coming-of-age film that bleeds of horror. Pennywise isn't the only problem that the Losers Club stumble upon, but he's one problem that they're determined to face. What makes It so great is that we're invested in the story. It doesn't lose itself to making each scare bigger than the last, but it wants to make each act more interesting than the last.

Image Source: IMDB

It is one hell of a terrifying ride, but a great one, and one full of heart as well. If there is one thing that one can walk out of the film in true admiration, it's the film's protagonists, the Losers Club. It's a genuine portrayal of young kids barely close to adolescence by incredible young actors. Think of It as The Goonies, but if Mama Fratelli was an embodiment of an entity and ten times scarier. It leaves a lingering trail of eeriness from its villain that is Pennywise, and a spoonful of heart from its main heroes. The aftertaste is one that leaves us wanting more from the Losers and the wicked dancing clown that they dare to face.

Stars: 4.4/5

Trailer

By Nadia Ranaputri

Source: IMDB

Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Eiza González, Jon Bernthal.

After ending his Cornetto Trilogy on a high note with The World's End, Edgar Wright returns with a car-chasing tour de force that puts its bounty of music to good use.

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a getaway driver for a group of heist-goers who drives to the beat of his music collection. Relentless, fast, but filled with a heart of gold, Baby sees a chance to escape his somewhat secretive criminal activity when he falls for a waitress named Deborah (played by Lily James).

Ansel Elgort takes the weight of the lead role, but carries it with great strength and passion that seeps through his performance of the quite yet kind-hearted getaway driver ("A good kid and a devil behind the wheel ", as Spacey's Doc describes him). His fellow supporting cast that boasts the ever familiar names from Kevin Spacey as Doc, Jon Hamm as Buddy, and Lily James as Deborah provide more than just a solid type of performance, but one that threatens to grab hold of the attention from one person to another.

Source: IMDB

Baby Driver is a relentless chase galore with a grounded sense of crazy. It knows its limits, but it knows how to amp things up a notch. As Damien Chazelle incorporates drums for Whiplash to tell his story, Edgar Wright's use of music through Baby's playlist is a story of its own. Car chases are set to exhilirating tracks, perfectly synced from beat to movement, and the more calming scenes are set to some lighthearted tracks, such as where Baby sings his heart out to a new song he had just discovered. As the film opens to a robbery set to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s energy-pumping Bellbottoms, it sets its sights on one of the most standout aspects of the film: its music.

Like the windingly exhilirating car chases, Baby Driver is one heck of a beat-filled ride. Even the film is well aware of how well a song could fit into their scenes, from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Bellbottoms during the opening scene, to an exquisite long take complete with Bob and Earle's Harlem Shuffle. The music plays such a pivotal part to the movements of the film just as much as it plays a part in Baby's life, that even one scene shows Baby's incompetence to start a heist if the movements aren't exact to the beat of his song.

Source: IMDB

Baby Driver also has a heart to it. Baby, the protagonist, has a life outside of his job; and has a desire to avoid getting his hands dirty despite working with fellow criminals. His co-workers, some crazier than the others; are wild cards with unexpected depth that makes them more than just pieces in a chessboard. The love story, while it slightly derails the main story, pinches a little bit of sweetness to the chase galore, with Baby's developing fondness of diner waitress Deborah sparks an everlasting connection through their love of music after he overhears her sing to Carla Thomas' B-A-B-Y on her way to work.

Plot-wise, Baby Driver's story can be a little paper thin on some parts, but its use of music as a character and the passionate dose of heart makes it more than just a conventional type of story. It's as much of a crazy ride as it is grounded by heart. It's a brimming piece of originality that leaves you wondering what songs would make your playlist if you were to create a story of your own.

Stars: 4/5

Trailer

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