BadRoosevelt Reviews

One Night in Miami... (2020)

Powerhouse debate in a drab motel suite

[9/10 · 27 May 2024]

Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, James Nathaniel Brown and Cassius Clay (before he changed his name to Muhammad Ali) convene at an unassertive motel suite in Miami. What follows is an impassioned, often heated and ultimately poignant discourse over what each one's respective role is in impacting the historic change that was on the horizon in 1964. The four men agree on basic goals but clash repeatedly over their philosophies and plans of action, and their outlook on both their own demographic and white society.

Kingsley Ben-Adir gives a committed performance as Malcolm X, one that is much more reserved than Denzel Washington's portrayal in the 1992 (the film pays homage to the Spike Lee joint). Eli Goree is gregarious and boastful in his depiction of the victorious Clay who fresh off his championship round is seeing Islam as his next path in life. Aldis Hodge is eloquent and charismatic as the NFL player who sees Hollywood as the real route to influence and power. Leslie Odom Jr. Portrays Sam Cooke, but bears little resemblance to Cooke and is probably the only performance in this film that struggles to convince.

Director Regina King gives a film that looks modest on the surface, but provides a rich, substantive insight into the psyche of those we know about from the history books but who grappled with their own grievances, second-guessing, grudges, all the while with the ultimate goal of achieving lasting change. With mush respect, strongly recommended.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

Whimsical film is only briefly fascinating; novelty wears off very quickly

[5/10 · 22 April 2024]

A premise can be sweet, cute, endearing and sincere. But sometimes that is not enough. It also has to be interesting and insightful. An allegory is meant to stand for something. But is an allegory really good at standing for something when it's too peculiar, muddled or off-kilter in itself? That's a good question when to ask as you're watching this twee film about a tiny shell that copes with a diminished existence when its community is upended by a change in the living situation of the young couple that lived in the house the shell calls home and the world.

It tries to be philosophical but gets stuck in some weirdness. It's at its best when it touches on the phenomenon of rapid social media fame. The idea of a shell as the subject and protagonist of a homemade documentary by an airBrB visitor only goes so far. The film tries and tries to strike a chord and only connects some of the time. This shell's story soon becomes an odd thing to get invested in and before long, you'll be wondering where it's even going, if you still care in the end. Given the critical hype, I'm going to ring this up as a misfire.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Very loose and funny Thor chapter

[9/10 · 14 April 2024]

Comedy is Taika Waititi's strong suit and he brings his best offbeat humor to this fight for the survival of civilization between Thor and Hela, goddess of death. Thor is not known for being humorous but here we see the best version of him. Cate Blanchett feels right at home in a Marvel film, another testament to Waititi's craft. But it's Jeff Goldblum who almost steals the film with one his most likeable performances ever as a reserved but greedy despot who rules over a whole dimension and has taken Hulk prisoner and has made him the biggest exhibition in the world.

While the Marvel franchise has never been a passion of mine, this film is a must-see for almost anyone. There's a good chance that when future generations look back on the Marvel repertoire, this film will be among the most highly regarded and celebrated. We should be thankful that Waititi put his stamp on Thor. The end result is fun, excitement and a riveting battle between good and evil. Highly recommended.

Return to Seoul (2022)

Poignant journey of a lost soul who goes completely off the rails

[9/10 · 7 April 2024]

A young Korean-born woman who was raised in France and has been estranged from her native parents and culture goes to Seoul and gradually develops the resolve to locate her biological parents. What apparently starts out as a simple visit turns into a winding road that stretches years, one which changes this young woman in that timespan. By the end of the film, she's barely recognizable, but with some hard-earned wisdom.

Park Ji-Min elevates this fascinating portrait of youth gone adrift. Regardless of your upbringing or culture, it's a provocative depiction of coping with wrenching family demons as one navigates the demands of early adulthood. It's such an all-encompassing saga that it might warrant more than one viewing to appreciate the character arc here. During these years of discovery and introspection, this woman finds friendship, anguish and everything in between, all of which is portrayed with superb subtlety. Highly recommended.

EO (2022)

Donkey's very strange odyssey through Europe

[7/10 · 25 March 2024]

A donkey is happy working in a small circus in Poland, then by chance, slips through the owner's fingers and through one detour and stroke of luck after another, navigates his way through Europe. He falls into the hands of militant soccer fans, watches the slaughter of his fellow animals in the forest, crosses paths with strange men of divergent circumstances. All the while we see it from his vantage point.

This film, although endearing and poignant from a distance is sometimes tough to watch, if you care at all about the donkey and his well-being. It drives home the point that animals live under constant stress and uncertainty when they're on their own. A peculiar soundtrack dot this film, sometimes it conveys joy, other times skittishness. But hats off to the director for giving us something offbeat and oddly affecting. Recommended.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

Impressive and dynamic third chapter

[10/10 · 25 March 2024]

Marked for death by the High Table after he broke their rules and hunted by every assassin in the world, John Wick begins this new chapter in a tight spot. He turns to an elder for a chance at redemption and is given the assignment to take out one of his oldest allies, the owner of the Continental. But what has the High Table done in the mean time? They've not only put an open contract on Wick's life, but are quietly eliminating anyone who gave aid and comfort to Wick during his flight to safety.

This sequel is quite long but also immensely satisfying and also arguably the best John Wick film ever. Some fight scenes are interminable but here more than any other chapter, is the High Table depicted as a powerful entity that you simply don't mess with. In the first two films, they seem more like an afterthought, but here, they are personified by the steely-eyed Asia Kate Dillon, who is their adjudicator who personally enforces the High Table's directives against Wick. Bloody and ferocious, but also recommended to the highest degree.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Least of all the John Wick films and still pretty darn good

[8/10 · 25 March 2024]

Being forced back from retirement has reverberating repercussions for John Wick, as he now has to battle a rogue assassin whose desire for power is almost boundless. Wick ends up having to go to Rome after reluctantly agreeing to do a hit job but he soon discovers that his new employer cannot be trusted.

Unlike the other John Wick films, this one might warrant watching twice so that it sinks in, but it's still a kinetic urban adventure, with tons of twists and turns, including Wick's alliance with the Bowery King and his ongoing battle with a determined assassin played with conviction by Common. This is the John Wick that reminds everyone not to mess with the rules set by the High Table. Strongly recommended.

John Wick (2014)

A gritty, workmanlike thriller, the start of something big

[7/10 · 24 March 2024]

Not many would have guessed when this film came out that it would be the beginning of one of the most successful and revered action film franchises in history, but every now and then, the zeitgeist does have tea leaves. This film had those in spades: A compelling storyline and revenge thriller with excellently defined characters. The powerhouse presence of a resurgent Keanu Reeves. A film that was not afraid to take risks.

The irony is that even though this first John Wick film would be surpassed by its sequels, it still has something none of the sequels would have themselves and that would be a memorably detestable villain played by a convincing Alfie Allen. This spoiled and spineless wastrel makes his mark as Wick's antagonist and I dare say that no subsequent villain has been nearly as memorable. Enthusiastically recommended.

The Souvenir: Part II (2021)

Superb sequel, where artistry and recovery intersect

[9/10 · 17 March 2024]

The first Souvenir film might have left you devastated. The second one leaves you chastened, but also hopeful. Still grieving over the death of her troubled boyfriend, a young film student discovers a new angle in her filmmaking repertoire and turns it toward her final project in order to graduate, much to the dismay of her instructors. She puts all her heart and soul into making this film, even when there's discord and frustration among her cast and crew.

Some might regard the film's conclusion as meandering or puzzling, but I actually think it rescues the film from a mediocre finish and instead chooses to bend the line between life and an artist's vision. More to the point, it underscores the hard-earned journey from loss to grieving to renewal. Our protagonist suffered a tragic loss, but in the end, is still young and starts to look at everything that lies ahead. It's a tantalizing second chapter and a flawless way to follow up. Grandly recommended.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Low-grade, 7-11 quality thriller, annoying much of the time

[5/10 · 25 February 2024]

A group of friends go to a remote mansion for an overnight bash right before a hurricane is about to hit. When one of them ends up dead, that's when their paranoia, mistrust and latent grudges start to percolate. If you need a film that offers a Cliff Notes version on how the younger generation acts under pressure, maybe this would be it.

The kids in this film spend most of their time berserk with panic, sparring over their perceived loyalties or fighting like hell for survival. If that kind of arcade mentality and one-note narrative is what you look for in a film, maybe this is for you. The ending is only briefly thought-provoking and cannot elevate the material too much. Not recommended.

Men (2022)

Eminently strange, at times grueling, but also well-crafted

[8/10 · 24 February 2024]

A London woman (Jessie Buckley in a good performance) is traumatized by her husband's sudden death as their marriage was careening toward an acrimonious end. In an effort to escape her grief, she takes an excursion to a lush country house that is being rented out by an eccentric middle-aged local (a creepy Kinnear). Initially, she thinks she has found an idyllic paradise in which she will heal. Instead, she finds a living hell that is oddly inhabited by men all of whom seem to have the same face and share a similarly depraved disposition.

Alex Garland doubles down on his austere but brutal style of filmmaking here. After briefly indicating the feel of melodrama, the narrative creeps into thriller mode and goes on a hellaciously winding road before reaching its undeniably wackadoo conclusion. The core premise remains an enigma. Is this a haunted village? Is it guilt taking on the form of hallucinatory demons? Or just a fever dream of toxic masculinity? Garland seems content to let us decide. Recommended but only to those with a strong stomach.

Bones and All (2022)

Cannibal's sojourn through the heartland

[8/10 · 1 February 2024]

This very unusual love story between two young people who are cannibals is also a jet black horror drama which gives it an eccentric niche in genre-mixing. The protagonist is a girl who embarks on a cross-country journey after she finds herself abandoned. She eventually finds a young man whose nature is similar. Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet give stark, arresting performances as the two lovebirds who have the common ground of being maneaters. She is a sensitive soul who wants to understand herself. He is bloodless and doesn't feel an iota of conscience. Mark Rylance is disquietingly good as the old man who takes an interest in the girl. Michael Stuhlbarg has a very brief scene which is both creepy and funny depending on your point of view.

Luca Guadagnino shows off his extraordinary palette as a director, not afraid to delve into the beautiful and the grisly. The film shows its true nature early on so as to weed out squeamish viewers. It then takes on a gradual pace. Although it at times threatens to lapse into melodrama, it ultimately holds onto its integrity and remains as cold-blooded and challenging as it promises to be. It doesn't always connect as a character study but as cerebral, edgy horror, it will leave a mark. Recommended but only to the strong.

Postscript: Thinking about this film after watching it made me twist and turn in my bed before I finally fell asleep. I cannot remember the last time a film did that.

Dumb Money (2023)

Sharp recap of a rebellion against Wall Street

[8/10 · 28 January 2024]

I'm not sure what's more impressive, the fact that this film about the GameStop stock uprising against the hedge fund industry could portray these events so compellingly or that the film came out so close in time to the events and produced a story that is both cohesive and uplifting. Paul Dano doesn't often present as the ideal standard-bearer for such a scrappy underdog story but he winds up carrying the film effortlessly. Pete Davidson is a joy to watch as his slacker brother. Seth Rogen plays against type as a straight man and hedge fund magnate who doesn't know what hit him.

The film expertly portrays the power of social media and primitive online research as basic tools in harnessing a movement that caught Wall Street completely by surprise and became an inspiration for a new generation of investors looking to upend the entrenched institutional behemoths who have historically dominated the field. It also effectively shows the vantage point of several ordinary people who took a chance on GameStop because they listened to the right voice. Well-played and cheerfully vulgar, this is enthusiastically recommended.

Elvis (2022)

Much more than you would expect

[9/10 · 8 January 2024]

Baz Luhrmann's filmmaking is not for everyone. His style is often built on pyrotechnics and colorful sets which can feel like an assault on the senses often at the expense of substantive storytelling.

Here, Lurhmann tells the story of Elvis' career - from the early days starting from sheer obscurity, to the heights of his popularity and up until the 1970s when he was coping with drug abuse and increasing health problems. In between, we witness his meteoric rise to fame and brushes with southern hostility toward his strong influence from black gospel music. Who is at the center of his early success? An enterprising, but shadowy entertainment promoter Colonel Tom Parker, who becomes Elvis' manager. At first he proves to be an asset to Elvis' career, but he eventually turns into a curse.

What this film did very effectively that I didn't see coming was successfully portraying Elvis experiencing a downward career spiral, something no documentary about him has ever done nearly as well. If you were not around during Elvis' career, you would never have guessed that he was at one point viewed as a has-been or having been relegated to just holiday music. That bleak part of Elvis' career which was in the mid-to-late 1960s is expertly captured here and stays with you long after the film is over.

Austin Butler has simply never been better. He vividly captures Elvis and gives a wonderfully committed performance here. Tom Hanks is also good as Colonel Parker but he's not the main event. Although the film might have benefited from some editing, this is an example of the critics not giving their due. It's a workmanlike biopic that is worth viewing. Highly recommended to everyone.

Women Talking (2022)

Few films raise as many questions as this one does

[9/10 · 26 December 2023]

A story as old as humankind, the battle between the sexes, the enthrallment of women in patriarch societies is at the core of this film. The black and white appearance, as well as the clothing of the protagonists suggests this story to be set somewhere in the first half of the 20th century (not just 2010). After ages of enthrallment, the women of this religious community get together to vote on their next steps to ensure a safer society for their children. The talks bring up a lot of the indoctrinated beliefs and a lot of questioning of any possible changes and outcomes. In the end, it is courage that defines the destiny of the women and hope for a better future.

Claire Foy gives the most forceful performance as the enraged mother who vows vengeance against the perpetrators. Rooney Mara gives the most subtle performance by far. Foy and Mara play well off each other, underscoring occasional disagreement but firm understanding between one another. Jessie Buckley is a beleaguered mother whose violent husband has destroyed any trust she had in the men in her community. Ben Whishaw is low-key and tactful as the lone male voice, who is charged with taking down the minutes of this crucial meeting. Frances McDormand has a small role as the community's matriarch and teacher who helps keep the community together.

Superbly directed, this film offers a look into a world that seems inconceivable to many in the modern era or most in western society. The tension level stays a definite crescendo toward the end. This challenging subject matter gets excellent treatment and makes for rich filmmaking. Recommended to everyone, without exception.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Pinocchio with a fascist Italian backdrop

[7/10 · 11 December 2023]

Guillermo del Toro puts a more historical context to Pinocchio, which works quite well up to a point. The film's lush visuals, sterling animation and imaginative characters make this a treat to watch. There are quite a few noteworthy themes at work here, although in the end, some are more fully fleshed out than others.

The joy of childhood and the lasting bond between a father and a son get the most attention from Del Toro and thus form the strongest part of the film's eloquence. What comes away with far less compelling substance is the film's portrayal of fascism. This historical backdrop lacks conviction compared to the rest of what Del Toro is working on and therefore one can conclude that this era in which this Pinocchio version could have taken place was fairly interchangeable.

There are some animation films that stay with me. This one made a nice impression but its mixed results keep it from being one I'll always wish I had seen in theaters. Although to its credit, it's the first film by Guillermo del Toro that doesn't feel claustrophobic or cloistered at all. Maybe animation sets him free. Recommended to those who love Pinocchio and seeing a new spin on this great tale.

King Richard (2021)

Overrated and to be honest, very forgettable

[6/10 · 6 November 2023]

Without Will Smith's subsequent Oscar antics, this would likely be remembered by nobody. I had to remind myself that I watched this roughly a week or two ago and I rarely have that problem with a film. To be very brief, this film is a biographical depiction of how Serena Williams and Venus Williams' father Richard pushed them to reach for greatness, despite their poor background and the deeply entrenched prejudices of tennis as a sport.

Will Smith is exceptional in this, which is a good thing, because without his heft, this would be nothing. He carries this overlong and by-the-numbers film for as long as he can. But overall, I don't think King Richard is a film for the ages and won't be thought of as such in the future.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Lush cinematography, a haunting soundtrack, but... frustratingly slow and surprisingly anticlimactic

[7/10 · 10 September 2023]

Given the very high praise that this film received, I was a bit underwhelmed. It's fair to say that there's a long build-up in the story that this film squanders.

I know that might be harsh given that the film seems to espouse a decidedly progressive point of view when it comes to storytelling in the western genre from an unconventional point of view. But a film cannot be judged alone by its ambition; it also has to deliver on its promise. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee are each superb in this film. No one here lacks conviction in their performance.

However, the where the film goes wrong after theoretically getting its audience invested in a stately morality tale like this one, is a decision to have a conclusion that is bewilderingly nonchalant and half-hearted. A slow-burn film with a milquetoast ending isn't really going to shine incandescently in most people's memory. Some have referred to this as a feminist reply to "There Will Be Blood". I think a poor man's "There Will Be Blood" is more apt.

But without being harsh to reject it as a misfire, I could imagine this film improves with repeat viewings. Recommended so you can see what's behind the hype.

tick, tick... BOOM! (2021)

Very touching and beguiling portrayal of artistic genius

[10/10 · 10 August 2023]

Andrew Garfield is superb in this incredibly captivating film about Jonathan Larson, a young musical artist who would eventually give us the iconic musical "Rent". As he approaches his 30th birthday, he is trying to the musical that will finally make his career. It seamlessly blends the genres of biopic, comedy and musical into a lush portrayal of the bittersweet lives of struggling artists in New York City, an endearing storyline that shows no sign of becoming dated.

Director Lin-Manuel Miranda takes us back to the early 90s to show little life for aspiring artists in New York had changed and how hipster-dom might simply have not had a catchy moniker back then. This story has some very familiar themes of the young New York life- a stubborn adherence to tenuous ideals, a touch of unhappiness while holding onto a glimmer of hope and the stark reality of reaching a certain age and evaluating accomplishments. All of that is examined through the eyes of this excitable and sensitive young man who makes us think while we laugh, cry and wonder.

Some great films have come and gone and receded from the common consciousness. Hopefully, this one lives on in memory. A sparkling cinematic achievement. Grandly recommended.

Nope (2022)

Edgy and atmospheric, but also could have used some editing

[7/10 · 31 July 2023]

Jordan Peele's homage to the moviemaking of the American west is an ambitious film and praiseworthy for its ultimate intentions. It's a film that touches on western, horror and science fiction and suspense themes. An austere soundtrack is another one of the film's strengths. While it can be described as genre-bending, it's unfortunately also patience-bending. Despite a knack for making haunting, creepy scenes in the middle of the desert and generating paranoia about the threat of extraterrestrial life, Peele simply takes too long to get to the meat of the film, which is the final confrontation.

Solid, committed performances from Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun rescue this from being a modern-day B-movie. Brandon Perea, on the other hand, is an utterly meaningless gadfly whose character gets way more screen-time than is warranted. The always commanding Keith David gets little more than a cameo in the early part of the film. Michael Wincott is effectively creepy as an aging, old school filmmaker. At the heart of this film is Keke Palmer whose fierce, occasionally dumb heroine is fighting to save the world but also make her own contribution to the world of UFO coverage.

Although this was just a workmanlike film in the end, it's a good sign that Peele has not lost his ambition or drive to reach new heights in his filmmaking. I look forward to more of his offbeat work and cutting social commentary. Recommended.

The Northman (2022)

Arresting, ferocious viking saga, shamefully overlooked

[8/10 · 29 July 2023]

Robert Eggers' film about a young viking on a mission for revenge is neither fast-paced nor always action-packed. But it is a remarkably memorable portrayal that makes its mark and burnishes emphatic performances, sterling visuals and a fiery story at its core. Although this film went largely by the wayside, cinephiles will hopefully re-discover it. It would be a shame for such a worthwhile work of cinema to be forgotten so soon.

Alexander Sarsgaard is perfect as the protagonist. He conveys all the anguish and resolve of a man whose family was wronged. His father, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, is the king whose murder he personally watches and escapes but carries with him a resolve for vengeance. His father is murdered by his conniving uncle who has own designs on power and the boy's mother. Anya-Taylor Joy is well-deployed as a female slave whom he meets once he chances to get close to his father's killer and who becomes his muse. Nicole Kidman is somewhat under-utilized, that is until her role in the story becomes fully fleshed out in a creepy, almost demonic scene that I would have remembered even if the film as a whole weren't as good. The bloodshed is intense and unyielding, just to be forewarned. Filmed in Northern Ireland and Iceland, the film boasts lush cinematography to go with the carnage.

A great deal of criticism from viewers seems to stem from this twofold notion that the film goes on too long and lacks a fresh story and thus is too derivative and so on. I regret to hear that people expect something economical and trailblazing every time they watch a good film. Sometimes an old school revenge tale that is well-acted and deliberate in its pace delivers just as powerfully and is therefore all you need. For patient viewers, this be a rewarding experience. Enthusiastically recommended.

Candyman (2021)

Confrontational, incendiary update to a horror classic

[7/10 · 22 July 2023]

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an up-and-coming contemporary artist in a gentrified part of Chicago, where the once-infamous housing project Cabrini Green once stood. He has a strong affinity for art that conveys the struggle of inner-city black America. As long as you check your politics at the door, this film's ideas won't bother you too much.

While this isn't masterful cinema, it's still workmanlike and explosive enough to be a compelling horror fantasy take on the curse of racial injustice and the steep toll of unhealed wounds in society. The film's only noticeable flaw is its unwieldy transitions in between scenes and occasionally incohesive narrative. But again, it's lowbrow horror fantasy, not Shakespeare.

Performances are solid all around, but Colman Domingo nearly steals the film as a downtrodden old school working stiff who grew up in the neighborhood in its bad old days and who knows first-hand the malignant force that everyone in the film comes to fear. Recommended as good, modern horror escapism.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

A mulligan and a potential classic... but also the most disgusting film in recent memory

[8/10 · 3 July 2023]

As everyone remembers, Suicide Squad in 2016 was a ghastly failure with the critics. This go around is a second attempt that yields vastly better results and a film with heart and soul, even if it's not for the squeamish. Fair warning: You will be grossed out at certain points. If you can swallow hard, you'll find a way to enjoy this film notwithstanding. It takes the earlier film's original concept and reinvents it as a geopolitical power struggle with a solidly isolationist point of view. It's a superhero film that morphs into a bristling indictment of America's foreign policy missteps.

Two groups of notorious criminal mercenaries are deployed by the government (some of them as a return engagement) to invade a small South American island and knock off a U. S. enemy whose potential influence in world affairs poses a threat to U. S. standing. The events that follow are full of twists and ugly, at times nauseating, revelations. It's actually a trip watching this knowing next to nothing about the plot. But fair warning, have a plastic bag close by. This is not for the kiddies. The ending is uplifting but also disgusting enough that it subtracts from its greatness.

It's a ferocious, multi-layered and at times hilarious adventure and one that ends up being a depiction of how arrogant America as a superpower can become in taking advantage of its imperial and technological superiority. That's high-minded filmmaking where you'd least expect it. Amid the squalid surroundings and blood-spattered corpses, there's a battle-hardened sense of idealism at the center. In that regard, the film easily exceeds expectations and delivers in a big way. Recommended to those who like an off-the-wall cinematic experience and a film that you have to respect, warts and all.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Brooding, provocative tale on alienation and the demise of friendship

[7/10 · 1 July 2023]

Two dissimilar men, one a bit older and worldly, the other slightly younger and contender for the village idiot have been friends for a long time. But one day out of the blue, things change. Suddenly the smarter one is no longer keen on their friendship and starts to spend his time differently. The simpler man reluctantly and uncomprehendingly watches his closest friend drift away and wonders about his own existence at the same time.

Try watching this without subtitles the first time. It's worth the effort.

This film in the end loses a bit of its potential for greatness. It could have been much more powerful, but it kind of chokes. Nevertheless, it's an incredibly well-acted film and a nice meditation on the peculiar aspects of human friendship and psychology. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play very well off each other. Barry Keoghan is uncanny as the younger, possibly even dumber ne'er do-well whose father is the local constable. Kerry Condon is sympathetic as the younger man's harried sister. The recurring clash of these eclectic personalities makes a small island off the coast of Ireland seem like a lively place to be.

Ultimately a grim but subtle morality tale that will get you thinking and doesn't become too much, this is worth watching if you're a patient viewer. Giving this a very strong 7/10, I gladly recommend this crackling film by McDonagh.

Tár (2022)

Incadescant depiction of the pitfalls of brilliance, told in hushed tones

[10/10 · 24 June 2023]

Cate Blanchett is magnetic and overpowering in this borderline flawless film. She portrays a world-famous conductor and composer whose glittering career and fancy lifestyle with her family in a sumptuous post-modern apartment in Berlin she blithely takes for granted as she prepares for her orchestra for their next live performance. What the world sees as brilliance, we see on the inside the cracks of turmoil. Just when you think the film might be winding down and has played all its cards, it will leave you awestruck again. Supporting performances are also strong; Nina Hoss is sympathetic as her long-suffering wife. Sophie Kauer is excellent as the young pupil who becomes her teacher's newest fixation.

There are so many angles from which to analyze this film as it has quite a lot going on, with a layered, challenging story that in the end has quite a lot to say. The emotional toll of a one-sided relationship. The dangers of ego and gratification in a teacher-student dynamic. The sheer price of failure in extreme endeavor. The fragility of high-flying success. The creeping menace of hallucination. The side effects of fierce concentration... and I could go on.

It's not an easy film to digest by any stretch. This slow-burn, harsh drama will stay with you long after the final frame. Filmmaking this challenging doesn't come along very often. When it does, we can be grateful. Bravo! And whew!