The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - 9 stars out of 10

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - 9 stars out of 10

"The Balled of Buster Scruggs” is an anthology Western with every bit of wit and dark humor that you expect from the Cohen Brothers.  Is it one of those rare movies that I finished and wanted to immediately start watching again.  Each vignette is completely memorable in its own way, which provides a diverse viewing experience that feels cohesive because of its unified tone and setting.  It has been trendy to rank the vignettes so I will do the same:

1. All Gold Canyon

2. The Gal Who Got Rattled

3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

4. Meal Ticket

5. The Mortal Remains

6. Near Algodones

Honestly, a ranking probably isn’t fair because they are all so good.  As a whole, the collection of stories work well together but I would have much preferred to see the order adjusted so that the film ended with All Gold Canyon or The Gal Who Got Rattled.  After five poignant conclusions, the ending of the final vignet seems rather anticlimactic, though I can’t fault the Coen Brothers for choosing to end the film with one of their original stories instead of one of the two that was based on someone else’s work.  I love the incorporation of traditional songs into Carter Burwell score (particularly "Mother Machree").  The violence is a bit graphic but it fits with the Western setting.  I found this to be one of the more entertaining films of 2018 and I’m glad that it was acknowledged with Oscar nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, and Original Song.  Hopefully this will encourage Netflix to continue producing content that is worthy of the Awards circuit.  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” might seem a little highbrow for some but I feel that it is accessible to most audiences.  Each story lasts about 15 minutes and you’re on to the next one if it didn’t appeal to you.  Anyone with a subscription to Netflix is missing out if they don’t give this one a shot!

[Pictured: This film is highly entertaining even if you aren't a fan of Westerns]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 10 stars out of 10

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 10 stars out of 10

I approached “Spider-Man: In the Spider-Verse” with much skepticism.  It seemed too soon considering how busy Spidey has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  And is there even room for an animated Spider-Man film in an oversaturated superhero market?  I wrote this film off until it won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and my curiosity was piqued.  There was no way that it could be better than “Incredibles 2” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” right?  But I am now a believer.  “Into the Spider-Verse” is unquestionably the best animated film of 2018 and I would argue that it is the greatest Spider-Man movie ever made.  The film is a 3-dimensional comic book, combining realistic computer animated characters with speech bubbles and split screens that resemble a comic book page.  The film utilizes quick cuts along the lines of “The Big Short,” though we can’t refer to this as “film editing” because it is animated.  It has a completely unique visual style that sets it apart from every other film.  Aside from the unforgettable visual presentation, the story is well-conceived and profound in its use of parallel universes.  The parallel universe concept allowed the writers to create an Avengers-like crew comprised of Spider-Mans (Spider-Men?) including Miles Morales, Peter Parker, a less refined Peter Parker, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and my favorite: Peter Porker/Spider-Ham.  It is genius.  This could often be viewed as a gimmick but it fits perfectly in the context of Kingpin's evil plan.  I was especially amazed at the texture variation and physical depth between multiple characters in a single shot.  They were each rendered differently depending on which universe they were from.  The film has the perfect balance of comedy, drama, and action.  The only problem is that Sony probably cannot ever match this film.  It is doubtful that they could conceive a better story and mimicking the style of this one would be just as disappointing as trying do something inferior.  “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a cutting edge animated film that may change the way that studios approach superhero films.  It is a great reminder that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

[Pictured: This has to be the first time that a film has created a superhero team out of several iterations of a single superhero and it is incredible]

At Eternity's Gate - 3 stars out of 10

At Eternity's Gate - 3 stars out of 10

“At Eternity’s Gate” didn’t resonate with me.  I suppose that it is appropriate to take an artsy approach to the final years of Vincent Van Gogh’s life but it left me craving a clear narrative.  This film is more about painting a picture than telling a story.  A series of one-on-one conversations reveal Van Gogh’s perspective of the world.  These are sandwiched between extended POV sequences of him walking through various landscapes.  It just reads as a very boring 110 minutes.  The main draw of the film should be Willem Dafoe’s Oscar-nominated performance but this was the biggest letdown of all.  He is a consistently great actor and this comes with a very high expectation.  When you throw in an Oscar nomination that bumped out Timothée Chalamet for “Beautiful Boy,” the expectation rises even higher!  It was amazing to watch Dafoe recreate Van Gogh’s masterpieces but his acting was just average.  I much prefer last year’s animated “Loving Vincent” to this film and feel that it better captures the essence of Van Gogh’s life.  “At Eternity’s Gate” will probably fall into obscurity after Dafoe misses out on the Oscar and that’s okay.  Even though I love his artistic style, I would never have a desire to watch this one again.

[Pictured: If only the entire film could be as captivating as every sequence in which Dafoe paints]

Can You Ever Forgive Me? - 8 stars out of 10

Can You Ever Forgive Me? - 8 stars out of 10

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is a completely unique film that follows a writer forges letters written by famous writers in order to make ends meet.  The story is fascinating and the fact that it is a true story is an added bonus!  And yet, the most impressive part of the film is that it defies our expectation of a Melissa McCarthy film.  She has made a career off of shock-value humor and silly characters (even earning her an Oscar nomination for “Bridesmaids”).  However, McCarthy transforms herself into a bitter, unhappy writer that is truly unrecognizable in comparison with the rest of her body of work.  Her performance is very good but it is this contrast that will leave an impression for anyone that has seen her in any other film.  This could be a turning point in her career as she has successfully proven herself as a serious performer, particularly with her emotional monologue toward the end.  She is complimented by fellow Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant.  Their love-hate relationship has great chemistry and helps to make each of their characters multi-dimensional.  The screenplay adds just enough comedy to keep this crime caper from becoming too serious.  “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” probably won’t bring home any Oscars but hopefully the nominations are enough to put it on film fans’ radars for years to come.

[Pictured: This film is a great combination of lightheartedness and intensity, particularly this scene which will make your heart pound]

Bohemian Rhapsody - 9 stars out of 10

Bohemian Rhapsody - 9 stars out of 10

I am thrilled with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a film that properly honors my favorite rock band of all time.  The film has been criticized for historical inaccuracies and watering down some of the R-rated escapades of the band but everybody needs to cool their jets.  It was meant to be a tribute, not an expose, and if it’s good enough for Brian May and Roger Taylor then it’s good enough for me.  Remi Malek’s Oscar-worthy performance as Freddie Mercury is stunning.  Every movement and line of dialogue carefully considers the way that Freddie would have done it.  The place where I’m torn is the singing.  The Live Aid concert sequence is epic in proportion and the integration of Queen’s music into every scene makes it a strong contender for the Best Sound Mixing Oscar.  There’s just one problem – the voice that we are hearing is a combination of Malek, Mercury, and another singer.  I find it disingenuous any time that an actor lip-syncs because there are enough great singers out there that they should have to, but I’m torn in this particular situation.  Freddie had such a unique voice that it would have been impossible to find an actor with the correct ethnicity, flamboyancy, and a voice that could even come close to mimicking Freddie.  When combined with the fact that Malek would have been lip-syncing to his own voice during these sequences anyways, I would have been more upset if the vocals didn’t sound like Mercury than I am that they incorporated his original vocals into the final product.  Even though this film is about the band, it is clearly focused on Freddie as the rest of the band members receive virtually no character development or depth.  But these actors deliver where it counts, and that is in the many musical sequences that occur in arena, recording studios, and at home.  Gwilym Lee is a literal clone of Brian May as he shreds the famous guitar solos, Ben Hardy has the most depth as drummer Roger Taylor, and Joe Mazzello is mild-manner like the real-life John Deacon on bass.  To me, the true standout of the film is Lucy Boynton.  She stole the scene every time that she was onscreen and I probably would have given her a spot in this year’s fairly weak Best Supporting Actress category.   I'm happy that it received an oscar nomination for Best Film Editing.  There are so many musical sequences that they could easily get boring but each one is filmed with its own unique energy that keeps the film moving as we learn the history behind many of Queen's greatest hits.  There have been many complaints that the only way to explore Freddie’s exploits is with an R-rating but I greatly appreciated the tastefulness used in telling his story.  “Bohemian Rhapsody” takes a few historical liberties with the band’s story but it drives the main point home: Freddie Mercury was a visionary who died too young but made an impact on the musical world that will never be forgotten.

[Pictured: These actors emulate their characters so perfectly that you'll think that you are watching archival footage of the actual band]

The Favourite (2018) - 4 stars out of 10

The Favourite (2018) - 4 stars out of 10

"The Favourite” irked me.  This historical film portrays Queen Anne’s intimate relationship with two women with plenty of graphic content but there’s a problem… it is a very slim chance that this is actually true.  I understand taking a historical liberty here and there for dramatic effect, but it is an issue to center your entire plot around a likely historical inaccuracy and pretend that it is fact.  At its core, this is a story about two influential women taking advantage of their friendship with the queen in order to control Britain.  It’s a fascinating tale of female empowerment but it gets completely muddied by Deborah Davis’ concoction of a love triangle.  She conveniently left out any mention of Queen Anne’s close relationship with her husband, not even showing him as a character at any point in the film.  I’m actually pretty surprised that a woman wrote this screenplay.  The presentation of the story is disrespectful to women from start to finish and the entire film was predicated on shock-value dialogue.  Davis was passing out crude language like it’s candy.  Despite the shortcomings of the script, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone all put on masterful performances.  Each one brings depth and emotion to their character and it’s no surprise that they all received Oscar nominations.  It was also deserving of Oscar nominations for Production Design and Costume Design, but its nominations for Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing should have been split amongst the many superior films.  Overall, Yorgos Lanthimos’ direction didn’t impress me.  I liked the Tarantino-esque chapter stylization but it didn’t add much to the storytelling.  The best part of the movie was probably the score, which was a clever series of Baroque classics to transport us to the 1700’s.  In my opinion, the content of “The Favourite” makes it unwatchable.  I hope that it is somehow shut out at the Oscars so that it doesn’t receive any validation for its crude content.  I can’t think of a circumstance when I would ever want to watch this celebration of shock, even with its impressive acting and interesting “The grass is always greener on the other side” message.

[Pictured: Acting, costuming and set designs were great, but it was like putting lipstick on a pig when you consider the horrible screenplay and frustrating historical inaccuracy]