elwynchofmann Reviews

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Entertaining, thought-provoking, and endearing biopic

[9/10 · 17 September 2021]

I'll start with the obvious: Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain absolutely disappear in this film (especially Chastain). This is due to their amazing performances as well as the amazing costume, makeup and hairstyling teams. They both deserve to be nominated as do the cosmetic team.

And what about the film itself? I'm usually not a huge fan of biopics, but this is a damn good film. It didn't villainize the Bakkers. Instead, it shows how they began with honest and innocent intentions of spreading love and joy but got caught up in the greedy world that is televangelism. It never condemns or disparages Christianity. Rather, it simply raises questions and issues that can arise when religion and society are forced to coexist and what that looks like for the people involved.

It raises so many interesting narratives and thought-provoking questions (sometimes to its detriment): When does a church cease to become a church and, instead, become a business? Can preachers have nice cars? Can they even sin? Is it vain for a woman preacher to wear a ton of makeup and want to be the center of attention? The dilemma of homosexuality and Christianity.. Those are just a few of the many issues I found tossed around.

And that's what I love about films like this: they ask questions, not answer them. They don't try to force a dogma or agenda down your throat. They simple pose a question and let the audience debate among themselves.

Of course, it is a biopic, so you also feel an intense amount of empathy and care for Tammy Faye's character. I teared up multiple times in this film watching her deal with all her internal struggles while simultaneously having to put on this holy facade for millions around the globe everyday.

I have a couple of minor nitpicks. It would have been best to leave out one or two subplots for the sake of narrative cohesion and tightness. I also would have liked to see how they reacted to their exponential climb toward wealth and fame in the early stages. They kind of brush over it quickly for the sake of time (understandably so), but you never get to see them grapple with this sudden stream of luxury and celebrity.

This is a really important and intimate while also very entertaining movie, and I really hope that it and the crew behind get some recognition at the Oscars.

Cruella (2021)

It's not changing cinema, but its full of style and a fun time

[6/10 · 28 May 2021]

Cruella is full of style and a pretty good time. Emma Stone does great in the titular role, and her presence really ups the enjoyment. Starting off with the good: the production design, costuming, hair, and makeup are so great in this film. Emma Stone gets to rock a ton of different hairstyles, and the period-piece aspect gives opportunities for the costuming team to really show off. The architecture is beautiful, and it does a great job of transporting you to this period in London. I definitely anticipate this film to get some love at the Oscars in those categories. The film is also very colorful and vibrant at times, which was fun. The first act was a bit slow but after about 45 minutes it starts to pick up nicely.

Where the film faltered for me was definitely the script. It's not a bad script by any means, but it definitely could have been polished up. Some of the villain's motives are completely nonexistent, and the screenplay makes no attempt to try to explain them to the audience. It was a bit jarring because I thought it would get cleared up in the third act, but they just gloss right over it. The film also doesn't pack any big emotional punch, which isn't a bad thing or even necessary - it just holds it back from being anything great. The film has a good use of licensed music that adds a lot of style to the film, in a similar vein to Joker. However, this did lead me to be a bit underwhelmed by Nicolas Britell's original compositions, which left little to be remembered.

Cruella honestly surprised me, and I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's not changing cinema, but it's fun, stylish, and great time back at the theater. Definitely one of Disney's better live-actions, and I definitely recommend seeing in a theater if you can!

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

Pretentious? Yeah. Still Good? Yeah

[7/10 · 6 February 2021]

So that would explain why the critic reviews were so low..

Malcolm and Marie is so beautifully shot. I love the black and white and the grain of the film. The jazzy score also serves the story greatly. John David Washington and Zendaya kill it - that scene were Zendaya had the knife made my jaw drop. That's how you subvert expectations. The film teaches about the importance of showing gratefulness in a relationship and being appreciative for the small things your partner does for you which, personally, is something I need to be reminded of often. Some people just assume your partner knows your appreciative, but some people want you to tell/show them. I really appreciate the film for spreading that message.

However, the film is not without its flaws. Because the movie is very much dialogue-driven, it can a bit exhausting at times. My bigger problem with the film, though, is the lack of nuance and subtlety it carried with the multiple anti-critic monologues. The first one, I didn't mind, but the second one lasts about ten minutes, and it may have been better off if Sam Levinson just walked on set and gave a spoken word. The whole message just does not work within this film and felt so fourth-wall breaking. It doesn't ruin the movie for me, but It definitely took me out and, unfortunately, holds the film back from being much greater than it could've been.

Still, I absolutely love the visuals, score, and cinematography of this film. I'd love to see more of these low-budget, small set, limited cast movies that are heavily focused on characters and relationship over big budget spectacle. I love the indie style of this movie and how it was shot during lockdown. Does it compare to Marriage Story? Not even close. Should the critic sub-plot have been left out and just further developed the relationship between Malcolm and Marie? Yeah. But this is the film we got, and it was still a delight to watch.

Rating: 8/10

The Minimalists: Less Is Now (2021)

An Insightful Film About All Our Stuff

[7/10 · 2 January 2021]

This documentary is very insightful and educating for anyone new to minimalism and looking to declutter and be more intentional about how they spend their money. This film questions the traditional American dream and the idea that stuff will make you happy. It is a solid documentary by Matt D'avella and great introduction for newcomers to minimalism.

The Empty Man (2020)

I just wanted to be scared

[4/10 · 25 October 2020]

I hate writing bad reviews. I really wanted to like this movie. Unfortunately, it takes itself WAY too serious and fails to be self-aware. Instead of settling for fun, campy horror, it took a philosophical/psychological route that result in a very boring, unengaging, two hours of runtime. Not one moment of the movie was scary and the ending was unsatisfying. This one hurt to watch, it's obvious why Disney didn't bother marketing the film. Overall, The Empty Man is a very empty movie.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Best Movie of 2020 Thus Far

[9/10 · 17 October 2020]

Great writing, great story, great cast, and great acting. It is a crowd-pleaser for sure, and it is extremely relevant in 2020. A couple downsides to this movie is that there is nothing extraordinary about the cinematography and it also feels a little biased/propogandaish at some times. However, I do think it poses some great questions for the audience to think about and makes some great points in the issue of police violence. I can definitely see this movie being a Best Pic nominee, and I think it's a great addition to Sorkin's resume.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

Educational documentary that show you the dark side of the internet

[8/10 · 22 September 2020]

The Social Dilemma is an educational documentary that does a very good job at showing just how sophisticated the systems behind your favorite social media apps are. It covers a lot of good topics such as cyberbullying, the dangers of mob mentality, and, of course, all the secrets that big tech giants know about you. It is very informative and enlightens the viewer of just how slippery a slope society is on and how a failure to reform the way we use the internet could be detrimental to the world. One thing I disagreed with in this documentary was the stance on the way you are advertised to today. I, personally, find nothing wrong with ads being personalized to your interests. It is beneficial to both the consumer and the vendor. The problem occurs when this same data is used in a way to give to misinformation or skew the truth to fit a certain viewpoint. Also, I wish they would have spent a little more time telling the viewer what THEY can do to improve social media and how THEY can protect themselves online (this was done during the end credits, but most people probably would have clicked off). All in all, a solid documentary and one that everyone should see.

Mulan (2020)

Harmless movie with not much to offer

[6/10 · 5 September 2020]

I appreciate that Disney takes a more serious approach with Mulan and not a shot-for-shot musical remake. It's a solid movie, but it doesn't have much to offer. The messaging is fairly simple. While this film isn't bad by any means, it doesn't excel at anything. It's a very average film that you will watch once and never really feel the need to revisit. The animated version is far superior. My only real complaint with this film is the way they handled Mulan. Bringing in the magical "chi" element made her a sort of "chosen one"; as a result, she doesn't face much conflict throughout the film and doesn't really grow as a character. It would have been better to not include this chi and, rather, have Mulan achieve her caliber of strength and power through hard work as opposed to some magical element. All in all, it's a basic Disney remake that I will forget about in an hour. Doesn't do anything wrong, but it doesn't really do anything great.

Tenet (2020)

A visual masterpiece that will leave you scratching your head

[8/10 · 1 September 2020]

Christopher Nolan delivers a draw-dropping spectacle. Tenet is a visual masterpiece accompanied by an amazing score by Ludwig Goransson. The acting is also very well done by everyone involved. Besides visuals and sound, this film very much depends on its complex plot revolving around time and "inversion". If you thought Inception was complicated, this will be an overwhelming movie to watch. Personally, I found myself trying to play catch-up with this movie, and just as I was starting to understand something that happened 15 minutes ago, there's something totally different unraveling onscreen, and I just couldn't keep up. The sound mix is also configured to a point where the dialogue is virtually incomprehensible without subtitles. With a film that depends heavily on its plot, its important to be able to hear the exposition when every word is necessary for the audience understand. I found that not being able to understand the plot significantly lowered the stakes for me. With Inception, the stakes were simple: if you die in a dream, you go into limbo. In Tenet, however, time is so complex and confusing that it is hard to understand what the goal of the mission is and who is at stake. The movie tells me everyone is at stake, but I just didn't feel it because I couldn't quite understand it. There is some great moments of foreshadowing that make you think back to earlier in the movie and connect the dots, which is neat. This is definitely a movie that will become more understandable and enjoyable after multiple viewings, similar to lots of Nolan films. I will definitely be getting the blu-ray so I can witness the beautiful sound and images put on display in Tenet... and turn on subtitles. 8/10

Greyhound (2020)

Authentic and cool action sequences, nothing else

[6/10 · 17 July 2020]

I found this movie very similar to 7500 in that it offers primarily intense action and suspense but lacks in other areas. However, I think 7500 is better due to its better character development which actually allows me to care about the protagonist. I didn't care in the slightest about Tom Hank's or anyone else's character, and, as a result, I found it hard to care all that much. Film could have improved much by adding an extra 30 minutes to develop Hank's character and adding some personal conflict or stakes. If you're looking for some authentic WW2 film, you'll get it, but nothing else.

7500 (2019)

Amazing first half, second half drags

[7/10 · 4 July 2020]

I really enjoyed the first half of this movie. I felt like I was in the cockpit with the pilots; the film does a great job of making you feel immersed. Joseph Gordon Levitt is great. The action really grips you, and I felt all the emotional beats. With all that said, the second half is not nearly as powerful and drags quite a bit. Even though the film is fairly short, you feel every single second as you're waiting for something to happen. Overall, I definitely enjoyed myself, but I don't think it has too much too far besides gut-wrenching action. I enojyed, however, so I give it a thumbs-up.

Artemis Fowl (2020)

Hour and a half ill never get back

[4/10 · 12 June 2020]

Never read the books so im not judging as an adaptation, but that was pretty bad. Lazy use of a narrator, tons of bad expodumping, and pretty boring characters. No emotional moments because I just genuinely didnt care about the characters. left a bad taste in my mouth /:

The Way Back (I) (2020)

Great personal, dramatic sequences; all other aspects okay

[7/10 · 3 May 2020]

Ben Affleck is easily the highlight of the film, and the best sequences were the dramatic ones focused on Jack Cunningham's alcoholism. It was a great character study of seeing a day-to-day struggle with addiction, and Affleck portrayed that very well. In my opinion, I found the high-school dialogue a little cringy, and it brought me out of the movie every time. The camera man also seemed a little sleepy in some scenes. As someone who just recently finished high school basketball, I enjoyed that the play styles and phrases used were realistic and didn't feel like cliche, sports movie plays. Overall, solid movie and a good character study.

Extraction (2020)

Great action sequences and visuals but lacking in plot and character development

[7/10 · 24 April 2020]

I thought the fight scenes and choreography were amazing, as were the visuals. Chris Hemsworth did a great job as did everyone else. However, I thought the film lacked in the plot. I didn't really see the motive in the kidnapping when the drug lord is already immensely wealthy, and I thought Hemsworth's character could have used some better character development. It would have been nice to see Rake's motive for the extraction to change from money to love as the film progressed as well as the relationship between Tyler and Ovi. As a result, Tyler's sacrifice at the end of the movie would have packed a much bigger punch than it did. Overall, solid movie that gave me what I expected - lots of action.

The Willoughbys (2020)

Okay movie, just not for me

[5/10 · 23 April 2020]

I had low expectations going in, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what I imagined. The animation and character design was unique and reminded me of a Laika film. However, I did not like the characters all that much and found them rather annoying, but it wasn't terrible. Decent plot, okay movie. Will I watch again? No.