Review originally published on 11/14/13 at Awards Circuit. In the few Xavier Dolan films I’ve had the chance to witness, he’s often his own worst enemy. AFI Fest selection Tom at the Farm, sees the director at perhaps his most commercially viable and yet still contains many of the problems that have plagued his other
What do you make of the beast that is the new Fantastic Four film? The movie which is currently getting savaged across these interwebs is certainly a film that’s not good. I mean, its not worst movie I’ve ever seen terrible, nor is it 9% on Rotten Tomatoes terrible. What this film is, my friends, is a jumbled mess that provides minimal entertainment and a whole lot of questions about its creation.
There’s a moment in the musical Wicked where Elphaba looks around and wonders if the encounter she had with Madam Morrible really just happened but it seemed so strange. I, too, found myself wondering if that really just happened, but rather than wondering if I had a talent that could help me meet a wizard, I was amazed that once again Channing Tatum and company managed to make Magic Mike XXL, a wholly enjoyable film about lovable strippers that rises above expectations.
Last year I remarked that watching Foxcatcher was like having your spirit in a vice grip. I was unsure a movie could top the oppressive nature of that film, but then along came The Tribe, a beautifully rendered film, which proves to be just as corrosive to the soul. Unlike that previous film, this movie beckons you to join its sadistic pleasures, from its alluring long takes to the fact that there are no subtitles for the sign language. Try though you might, you can’t but help lean into the film, even as the sheer bleakness provides no recourse.
Profound films come a dime a dozen for Pixar, a studio who has been so successful that when they make good movies it’s seen as taking a step back. But of the profound films and subjects they’ve touched on, Inside Out provides the studio with one of its most challenging attempts at trying to succeed. Thankfully I can report that the film more than earns its profound status and a place amongst Pixar’s beat.