Thursday, November 9, 2017

Riske Business: In Case You Missed Them

by Adam Riske
Let’s talk about all the new releases audiences mostly rejected.

These are ranked from my least favorite to favorite of what I saw.

Battle of the Sexes – After a somewhat meandering first half, Battle of the Sexes snaps into focus when the spotlight is put on the titular tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, played well by Emma Stone and Steve Carell. The best performance, though, comes from Austin Stowell (Bridge of Spies, Whiplash) as King’s husband. It’s a type of role that gets overlooked but I wanted to give it some props here. The movie is well-meaning and topical and works as a sports film, but there’s a nagging feeling that this story should have been told differently and landed with more of an emotional impact. I think it’s because Battle of the Sexes is trying to do too much at once and ends up giving the short shrift to both the central premise and an extra-marital romance between King and her hairdresser (played by Andrea Riseborough) that the movie also explores. There is a clear line where you could have made two separate movies out of Billie Jean King’s life during this period and merging them together is an awkward fit. Overall, Battle of the Sexes is good, but I wish it were better.

Rating: 3 out of 4 Riskes.
Blade Runner 2049 – I am frustratingly mixed-positive towards Blade Runner 2049, which is not where I ever imagined I would be as a big fan of the original. The sequel is maybe the best made movie of the year from a technical level (the production design and cinematography are sensational) plus there’s a sweet romantic subplot between Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas that gives the movie an emotional center. But intellectually, the film is a lot more surface level than I was expecting (or I’m just not getting it subtext-wise) and I wish we followed Deckard (Harrison Ford) the whole time or not at all and just went with Gosling’s character. The film is a solid (although unnecessary) continuation for the characters of the original Blade Runner, with some interesting new additions but also overlong and slightly disappointing based on its pedigree.

Rating: 3 out of 4 Riskes.

LBJ – A pleasant surprise and my favorite Rob Reiner film in a very long time. This biopic, about President Lyndon Johnson during the late ‘50s to mid ‘60s (focusing primarily on the Civil Rights Act and not the escalation of the Vietnam War), is well-written and very finely acted, with Woody Harrelson disappearing into the role of the Southern deal maker and born politician. There are great supporting performances in the film, too, from Richard Jenkins as Senator Richard Russell and Jeffrey Donovan as JFK and Michael Stahl-David as RFK. I appreciated the old-fashioned reverence for the presidency Reiner displays in the movie, which feels a lot like the tone he brought to The American President. LBJ is going in, though, with a giant Achilles heel, and that’s the makeup, which is about as problematic as it was in the movie J. Edgar. I don’t know how they didn’t see a makeup test of Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Lady Bird Johnson nose and didn’t just say “Maybe we’ll do it without the makeup.” Don’t let that distract you from an otherwise interesting film.

Rating: 3 out of 4 Riskes.
Thank You for Your Service – Before Fantastic Four, Miles Teller was my boy, but then Get a Job, War Dogs and Bleed for This happened. He’s back after Thank You for Your Service, turning in another terrific dramatic performance in a very moving film about how difficult it can be for U.S. soldiers to integrate back into civilian life when they get back to their families after war. I picked on Brawl in Cell Block 99 last week for its portrayal of masculinity, and a movie like Thank You for Your Service helps me feel better making that case because it portrays these soldiers as very masculine but also not invulnerable. The first half of this film is a bit stronger than the second (it feels too much like Courage Under Fire), but that initial hour is so strong it carries the rest of the film. Just as good as Teller is Beulah Koale as a fellow soldier suffering from PTSD and memory loss. It’s a performance that, in a just movie world, would get awards consideration. He’s heartbreaking. An impressive directorial debut from Jason Hall, who wrote American Sniper and followed it up with a much better film in my opinion.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Riskes.

Marshall – This biopic, about one of the early pivotal cases in the career of NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall (later the first African-American Supreme Court Justice), is a total crowd-pleaser that makes heroes out of real-life African-American and Jewish lawyers fighting on the right side of history. On top of that, Marshall is another great courtroom movie, which I’m always in the mood for. Chadwick “Vontae Mack No Matter What” Boseman continues his historical figure biopic reign as the title character and this is the film where I think I’ve moved from a fan to him being one of my favorite current working actors. Rounding out the terrific cast is Josh Gad (who is getting better and better as a film actor), the great Sterling K. Brown from This is Us and American Crime Story, Dan Stevens playing Cary Elwes, Roger Guenveur Smith (who rules), Kate Hudson, and the always watchable James Cromwell. A welcome return to feature directing by Reginald Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang).

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Riskes.
American Made – Just when I was starting to worry again about Tom Cruise (because The Mummy), he goes and turns in one of the best performances of his career in American Made. I loved this movie and I hope Cruise and director Doug Liman continue their collaborations. American Made feels like Blow, but I found it much more entertaining and interesting as Cruise’s part leans on his early career charm and makes him into a total narcissist uncaring about the repercussions of his actions. And yet he’s charismatic the whole time making the film’s heavy themes (about militias, arms and drug cartels) feel light, like in Catch Me if You Can. This is also the movie that confirmed I will now laugh out loud at the arrival of Caleb Landry Jones in any movie. He has replaced Ben Foster as the peak weirdo in modern day film. Every time I see him I just think “Oh, no. He’s going to ruin everything.” and I perk up in my seat because he never lets me down.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Riskes.

Have you seen any non-horror releases from the fall movie season you want to recommend? Let’s talk about them in the comments!

13 comments:

  1. Leave it to Hollywood to wait until Scary Movie Month to release their quality dramas. I'm surprised you aren't a little higher on Blade Runner 2049 (gtfo with that title btw, just call it Blade Runner 2). I thought it was really emotionally and intellectually all around. I did, however, find it's extreme length a bit unearned. There's a scene, spoilers, where Gosling uncovers a doll from a furnace, and it takes like 2 minutes, even though everyone knows what he's going to find. Cut that shit down Denis. So far, it's my favorite movie of the year (most years it wouldn't be, but my god 2017). But nonetheless a worthy sequel to one of the best movies ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a movie I'm curious to see a second time. I think expectations had a lot to do with my first viewing reaction. I was thrown off a bit that the mystery was what really mattered (at least I thought) in 2049 whereas it was revealed to be not the important thing in the original Blade Runner. It's a good movie though, no doubt about that.

      Delete
    2. I'm looking forward to seeing it a second time too. I was just floored by how big and beautiful everything I was hearing and seeing was. Funnily enough, I didn't find it long at all. I would have sat there all afternoon for more. I sat all the way through the credits, wishing there was more.

      Delete
  2. From the trailers, Thank You for Your Service struck me as a pro-military propaganda film (like Act of Valor). Maybe this was due to the nauseating Shania Twain music video that played before many of the movies I've seen in theaters this year where she refers to herself simply as "Shania." You've swayed me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was a bit guarded about seeing it. Then I was early for a different movie and watched a few minutes of it and thought it was really good so I went back for the whole thing. It's not jingoistic. Very pro-troops and humane about the situation for veterans.

      Delete
  3. I didn't even know that LBJ was released yet. I've wanted to see the film but it probably won't play anywhere near me. Same with most of the films listed here besides American Made and 2049.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with you on Blade Runner, although after talking with my mom, who just saw it, I was reminded of all the parts I liked about. Definitely want to revisit on blu-ray.

    What did you think about LBJs ending? It sort of felt like it was missing a third act and by ending where it does, makes the movie more about Kennedy than LBJ. Either way, I think the movie glosses over the more interesting parts of him as a person and as a historical figure.

    American Made was definitely the most fun I've had at the movies post summer and it was cool to see Cruise hamming it up. Doug Liman is an underrated director.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ending is not the best part of LBJ so I understand what you're saying. I think the movie is a lot like Lincoln so I didn't mind it being more about JFK's legacy than LBJ. I think that's the part of the LBJ story Reiner is interested in most and wanted to tell. More specifically I think it is meant to mirror how politics should be (compared to how it is today). E.G. A incoming President concerned about the legacy of the previous one and not trying to undo that person's accomplishments. Also, I thought the Richard Jenkins subplot was interesting because it reminded me of the Freedom Caucus recently and how powerful subsets of a political party can be in terms of passing through legislation.

      Delete
  5. Your thoughts mirror mine on Battle for the Sexes. It is telling two or three stories adequately instead of telling one story well.

    As for Blade Runner 2049, it is in the running for my favorite film of the year right now. I don't know if I can justify that. It is gorgeous and just kind of worked for me all around. Also, it solidified that I am at least as attracted to Robin Wright now as I was when I was watching Princess Bride 20+ years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Miles Teller was my boy too, but from Fantastic Four on, nothing but crap, Get A Job was so average/bad, War Dogs disappointed. I skipped the boxing flick, idk, I'll catch it when it's streaming. When I saw some previews for Thank You for Your Service I was not excited, I said to myself well it's about that time of the year for an awards bait war drama, but based on your take Adam, I'm actually looking forward to checking it out.

    Battle of the Sexes is right up my alley but it never played at our local multiplex, just unreal, how does that not play here with those stars, it's not like we're mid-summer. We only have 10 screens, but still. I would have happily paid to see it.

    My excuse for not seeing Blade Runner 2049 was that I haven't seen the original yet (I know). I was so caught up with Scary Movie Month that I never got around to watching the original, and trying to watch the correct version since I know there are varying opinions on which one to watch.

    Things are going to pick up soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think most people agree that the Final Cut version is the best. The differences are slight, except for the original version which had a voice-over. I haven't gone back to watch the original version, so can't really compare. But the Final Cut is an amazing movie! I watched it immediately after getting back from Blade Runner 2049.

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much, Final Cut it is!

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete