The Testament of Ann Lee. Directed by Mona Fastvold
The Testament of Ann Lee is not your typical biopic. Instead of it being a summarization of the subject’s greatest hits and/or failures, Ann Lee takes a more distant, yet beautifully sincere look at the life of one of the founding members of the Shaker Movement. Sung in perfect harmony and painted in stunning 70mm film, The Testament of Ann Lee is one of the most beautiful films of the year, held together by a career best performance from Amanda Seyfried, who is riveting, powerful, and inspiring.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Directed by Rian Johnson
At the very least Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is entertaining. The jokes for the most part, land, and the performances from the ensemble, especially from Josh O’Connor, makes it a worthy crowd pleaser. However, once you peel back the curtains what you get is a film that is trying way to be hard to be smart and to subvert audiences expectations. A bigger mystery does not make it a better one as Wake Up Dead Man gets lost in its own story as it barely dips its toes into its gothic setting and tries way too hard to out smart the audience while also spoonfeeding them every ounce of information. Proving that Johnson still hasn’t learned from his mistakes from The Last Jedi.
Rose of Nevada. Directed by Mark Jenkins
Can I explain to you what Mark Jenkin’s latest feature, Rose of Nevada, is about? No. Is it very surreal and strange? Yes. Did I understand it? No. But, did I like it? Yes. Rose of Nevada, is a surreal, time traveling nightmare from Mark Jenkins. Shot on stunning 16mm film, and all sound, including dialogue, was done in post production, Rose of Nevada is a strange trip that you won’t forget, for better or worse. So if you like surreal movies, or just love Callum Turner and Harris Dickenson, this movie is for you.
Rental Family. Directed by Hikari
Rental Family is a warm hug telling you everything is going to be okay. Exploring themes such as found family, and the importance of simply having someone there for you, paid or not, with beautiful, and quiet sincerity. Led by one of the warmest actors in Hollywood, Brendan Fraser, Rental Family is a simple crowd pleaser that is sure to warm your hearts.
Sacrifice. Directed by Romain Gavras.
The only thought that came into my mind while watching Sacrifice was, “we have Ruben Ostlund at home.” Clearly attempting to be an eat the rich satire, Sacrifice falls flat on its face. While the first half is a fun, hot mess, the second half sadly becomes a bad hot mess as it becomes convoluted in its own themes and stories. Despite an A-list ensemble they can’t save it from its confusing and convoluted script as they simply looked lost on screen.
Arco. Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
Beautifully animated, with a harmonious score, and a story that respects the intelligence of families that are watching this movie, Acro was a wonderful surprise. With a surprisingly mature tale about friendship and the consequences of your actions, Arco is a potential dark horse at this year’s Academy Awards.
The Christophers. Directed by Steven Sodenbergh
Despite being an interesting look at the world of high end art, art criticism, art appreciation and depreciation, and asking the question “what makes good art?”. Steven Sodenberg’s The Christophers, sadly falls flat. Despite the impressive performances from Michaela Coal, and especially from the great Sir Ian McKellen, they can’t save the story from its muddled script and directionless direction that makes for a surprisingly boring watch.
Normal. Directed by Ben Wheatley.
Despite having a bit of a slow start, Normal will be one of your dad’s favorite action movies starring the great Bob Odenkirk. With amazing action pieces, funny jokes, and some surprisingly brutal kills, Normal is a fun time. Even though it is a run of the mill, action comedy, it is still a great time and makes for an incredibly fun crowd pleasing movie.
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