Happy Death Day
Dir. Christopher B. Landon
When I think "independent cinema," the images that form in my head are typically heavy social dramas, quirky comedies, or documentaries about impoverished farmers shot in black and white that play in two theaters. But strangely enough, one of the few companies that sells independent films to mainstream, big studios is Blumhouse Productions. Run by Jason Blum, the company has become famous for turning low-budget horror flicks into big hits - like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge, Split, and Get Out. They're pretty much the "Marvel" of horror right now, with a brand name that is starting to represent new and interesting fright flicks. Their latest, released on lucky Friday the 13th, is more or less Groundhog Day-meets-Scream, and again proves that you don't need a big budget to make a fun movie!
While Happy Death Day likely won't be on the ballot for Oscar voters, I was shocked at not only how fun this movie turned out to be, but how well-drawn its characters were and how "tight" its plot felt. Tree's journey to discover her killer runs parallel to her inward discovery of how she's acted like an entitled jerk-face to everyone around her. She comes to terms with her own issues and makes a surprisingly affective character arc by the end of the film. While it's more "hip" to like films that leave lots of artistically undigested loose threads to mull over, admittedly I'm a sucker for a "full circle" narrative that is wrapped with a nice bow by the end.
I also thought the movie does a great job satirizing "sorority"/Greek culture and how dangerous it can be; after the whole Penn State incident and the Brock Turner case, disturbing incidences of real life horror at colleges is unfortunately too common as of late. That being said, Happy Death Day doesn't feel heavy - it's filled with humor and a light touch to equal out the scares. Jessica Rothe perfectly balances her performance between a "Scream Queen" and a straight-up comedy role that felt like something out of Mean Girls.
Because it's a low-budget "B-movie" and has a god-awful title, Happy Death Day probably isn't going to get heaps of critical accolades. But I think it's an entertaining, fun movie that knows exactly what it is, winking at the audience without being overly smarmy or "meta" (a problem I had with Cabin in the Woods). I don't know what magic is in the air at Blumhouse, but between Split, Get Out, The Belko Experiment, and now this - they've made 2017 one scary year at the movies!
Rating: B
Goodbye Christopher Robin
Dir. Simon Curtis
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At some point as a child, most of us have run into Winnie the Pooh. Many in my generation grew up with the Disney cartoon, while others might have read through A.A. Milne's classic picture books before bedtime. But one thing that most people don't realize is the origin of where Pooh and his friends came from (no, not the toilet). Milne, suffering from PTSD after the First World War, wanted to write a hopeful story for his son, Christopher. Using his son's stuffed animals and the neighboring woods as inspiration, Milne created some of the most beloved children's characters of all time. The problem, however, was that Milne also capitalized on his own child, writing him into the stories as "Christopher Robin." Once the books' popularity swept around the world, his son became an unwanted celebrity. Goodbye Christopher Robin dramatizes that fascinating story in as saccharine a movie as you'll find this side of the Hallmark Channel.
Goodbye Christopher Robin is such a low-key movie it might be easy to miss the strong performance at its center. Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) has the thankless task of playing a character who represses his emotions, and impressively brings Milne's alternately warm and cold fatherly presence without a whole lot of dialogue or intense plotting. Making matters more complicated is the film's PG rating; in a more adult film, we could witness his wartime experiences more explicitly to inform his reservedness, here we only get brief, bloodless flashes, making Gleeson's expressions all we get of any true sense of "horror." His son, played by Will Tilston, however, gives way too dimply and smiley a performance to register as authentic; he seems less like a real kid than a machine prodded by his parental units to get that big audition.
The main problem with Goodbye Christopher Robin is that there seems to be less story here than is necessary for a 100-minute Oscar-hopeful. There are sparks of real emotion here and there (I particularly liked Kelly Macdonald in a small role as Christopher's nanny), but overall, this movie was a little too much "Pooh" when it could have used more "Eeyore."
Rating: B-
The Florida Project
Dir. Sean Baker
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In 2015, director Sean Baker turned heads when his beautiful, LA-set transgender drama Tangerine made a splash at Sundance. The movie's main claim to fame: it was shot entirely on three Apple iPhone cameras. While I'm sure that film's low-budget, "DIY" aesthetic will inspire future generations of independent filmmakers, his latest movie, The Florida Project, eschewed the iPhone gimmick for good, old fashioned film.
The story follows the comings-and-goings of a budget motel in Orlando, the "Magic Castle," managed by a stern but compassionate manager, Bobby (Willem Dafoe). To keep the place running, Bobby often has to put on tons of hats, including "father figure" to some of the residing families, many of whom are homeless. Included among them is a precocious six-year-old, Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinai). This documentary-like drama is a vibrant slice-of-life that examines the unseen side of Florida lurking in the shadow of the "Big Mouse."
While many movies of its type play as morose and depressing, The Florida Project balances its heavier emotions with the joy of childhood. Moonee and her friends have no idea about the "adult" problems she and her mom are really facing - to her it's just another summer spent hanging out with her best pals. In a way, this movie feels like a mature version of Rugrats from Nickelodeon, with the kids and adults living in their own, separate realities. I loved just about everything about this movie - it looks amazing, the performances are incredibly realistic (with a mix of veteran and "fresh" actors), and it brings to light some social issues that are all too relevant. While Tangerine was solid, this definitely proved to me that Sean Baker is a filmmaker to watch out for. The Florida Project is easily one of my favorite movies I've seen this year.
Rating: A
Lucky
Dir. John Carroll Lynch
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I think we all want to go out on a high note. For actors, the "final film" can mean a lot - I mean no one wants to wind up like Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 from Outer Space. That being said, I think Lucky is possibly the greatest "swan song" for an actor of all time. Character actor Harry Dean Stanton, who passed away this September, starred as "oh, that guy!" in nearly 200 films and TV episodes over a career that spanned six decades. He was in everything from Alien to The Avengers, and always brought a kind of quirky Southern gruffness to his parts (his best role is in Paris, Texas). Lucky marks his final appearance on screen, and it's the kind of note I imagine every actor wants to go out on.
The story follows a 90-year-old atheist in a podunk little desert town where everybody knows everybody. "Lucky" (Stanton) has outlived and outsmoked all of his friends, and he's pretty much resigned to his independent life of routine comforts until his clock runs out. A true character piece, Lucky shows a man's search for meaning in a meaningless world, coming to terms with his age and the inevitability of death. I don't want to give much away, but I thought the movie tackled its existential themes beautifully; Lucky is one of the best movies about "old age" I've seen in a long time (probably since Pixar's Up).
RIP Harry Dean Stanton, you will be missed!
Rating: A
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