film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Matt Conway

  • Call Jane: The BRWC Review

    Call Jane: The BRWC Review

    Call Jane Synopsis: Housewife Joy is overjoyed with the news of her pregnancy — until she learns it poses a threat to her own life. She has nowhere to turn until she meets an underground group of women who risk everything to provide people like her with a choice.

    Living amidst the trials and tribulations of 1960s America, Joy spends her days as a dedicated housewife content with her existence. A sudden pregnancy seems like another milestone moment in her life, but she quickly learns that the birth could potentially kill her. With nowhere else to go, Joy soon finds herself embedded in an underground abortion operation in Call Jane.

    No one could have predicted that director Phyllis Nagy’s period piece project would contain extra pertinence following its Sundance 2022 debut. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June shifts Call Jane’s depictions of illegal abortion rings into an uncomfortable reality for several states across the United States. Call Jane also joins a recent collation of inspired films that spotlight the pro-choice issue, such as the coming-of-age comedies Plan B and Unpregnant.

    While Call Jane doesn’t add new sentiments to the pro-choice conversation, the film illustrates a well-meaning and compelling ode to the boots-on-the-ground voices fighting for crucial civil liberties.

    As a director, Nagy guides her narrative story with deep sensitivity. Her patient storytelling approach thoughtfully embeds viewers in Joy’s shoes – showcasing a woman shattering out of her deferential housewife existence in favor of a grander purpose. I appreciate the tact Nagy displays throughout; she never overworks sentiments with forceful gimmicks or maudlin score choices. Screenwriters Roshan Sethi and Hayley Schore also deserve praise for forgoing traditional histrionics in favor of a character-driven yarn. The duo articulates their worthwhile messages in a way that never cheapens moments for crowdpleasing cheers.

    Joy’s dynamic personality comes to life through star Elizabeth Banks’s emanate talents. Banks commands the screen with captivating authority, shining an affectionate light onscreen as Joy gradually becomes a supportive activist in the abortion operation. I am glad filmmakers are starting to realize her gravitas onscreen, with Call Jane and the underrated Love and Mercy tapping into an underutilized skillset for the actress. Charismatic performances from Sigourney Weaver, Wunmi Mosaku, and Kate Mara help round a robust supporting cast.

    Call Jane is soundly executed, but the final project can’t help feeling limited in its delivery. The material presents an advantageous opportunity to capture a diverse group of women working to ensure their peers’ personal freedoms. Unfortunately, the film’s finite focus on Joy prevents a more well-rounded perspective. I really wish the supporting cast received more room to breathe and develop substance onscreen considering the sparks they add in limited screen time.

    Still, Call Jane effectively sounds the alarm on an all-too-relevant issue. It’s too bad the film is getting lost amidst the award season flurry. I expect it to find a supportive audience somewhere down the line.

    Call Jane is now playing in theaters.

  • The Good Nurse: The BRWC Review

    The Good Nurse: The BRWC Review

    The Good Nurse Synopsis: Suspicious that her colleague is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths, a nurse risks her own life to uncover the truth. 

    Dedicated nurse Amy Loughren serves as an empathetic light to her slew of patients. The arrival of a new nurse, Charles Cullen, brings some much-needed support to Amy’s personal and work life as she manages a potentially fatal heart condition. When a series of patients die under mysterious circumstances, Amy finds herself face-to-face with an uncomfortable truth about Charles in The Good Nurse.

    Based on a shocking true story of murder and medical malpractice, The Good Nurse possesses a narrative thread that is almost too compelling to ignore. The final product offers an effective, albeit simplistic, thriller that unnerves and underwhelms in equal measure.

    The creative team here deserves praise for approaching tricky subject matter with a thoughtful touch. Director Tobias Lindholm turns Netflix’s typically sterile visual identity into an asset for his feature. The drained color pallet and patient framing choices work as potent tools to accent the inherent dread lurking behind each suspicious circumstance. In the wrong hands, The Good Nurse could have sensationalized its premise to tasteless oblivion, but Lindholm steers the narrative ship with proper tact. His directorial choices are most effective when meditating on the underlying human cost generated by Charles – and the callously corporatized medical executives – sinister actions.

    In her adaption of Charles Graeber’s hard-hitting novel, screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns thankfully pays some attention to the slew of medical facilities that let Charles remain unpunished for his actions. Viewing medical executives as part of soulless business entities focused on profits over patients is a thoughtful idea, although it’s a concept that her screenplay places on the back burner. Instead, the film’s second half dedicates itself entirely to the true-crime nature of the source material. While The Good Nurse produces a mildly engrossing exercise from its tense pursuits, the film ultimately reduces any profound reflections into far too streamlined sentiments.

    Thankfully, the cast helps ease some of the narrative inconsistencies. Jessica Chastain taps into her naturalistic strengths in her depiction of Amy, imbuing impactful gravitas as a caring nurse thrust into an unprecedented position. Eddie Redmayne is often the subject of divisive reactions due to some of his animated acting choices, but the role of Charles fits his subdued skillset like a glove. There’s a quiet menace in his character’s controlling nature that percolates throughout, even if the film can’t help but include one moment of showy over-dramatization (there’s a scene that’s destined to become meme fodder). Nnamdi Asomugha and Noah Emmerich also elevate their standard-issue roles as detectives following Charles’ trail.

    The Good Nurse likely won’t leave a lasting impact due to its straightforward approach. Still, the film offers a sufficient balance of thrills and dramatic weight for viewers searching for an alarming true story.

    The Good Nurse is now playing on Netflix.

  • Ticket To Paradise: Another Review

    Ticket To Paradise: Another Review

    Ticket to Paradise Synopsis: A divorced couple (George Clooney and Julia Roberts) teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.

    Bickering divorced couple David and Georgia disagree on everything – except for the love they share for their daughter Lily. When the pair learns that Lily plans to marry her new boyfriend and relocate to Bali, they reunite to deter her in the romantic comedy, Ticket to Paradise. 

    It’s no secret that romantic comedies are a dying breed theatrically. The once-overpopulated genre seemingly ran its course as streaming empires like Netflix rolled out a slew of agreeable offerings straight onto viewers’ TV screens. There have been some success stories of late, like this year’s The Lost City, but most studios seem too gunshy to give the genre much space on theatrical platforms. 

    Rallying together the charismatic talents of George Clooney and Julia Roberts is one surefire way to reignite some fervor for the often-ignored genre. While Ticket to Paradise presents the glitz and glamour of an enjoyable romp, the film ultimately reduces into a been-there-done-that affair. 

    I know familiarity is commonplace in romantic comedies – heck, it’s even embraced in many cases. Even with that considered, Ticket doesn’t excel at executing rom coms core tenets. Screenwriters Daniel Pipski and Ol Parker concoct a promising narrative that features a plethora of hijinks, emotional revelations, and loving moments. I just wish the duo could execute that formula with a renewed sense of purpose. 

    Ticket to Paradise struggles to elicit much amusement from its played-out playbook. Clooney and Roberts conjure some laughter from their sheer camaraderie alone, but the film often abandons the talented duo with middling comedic material. Jokes centered on juvenile pratfalls and weirdly mean-spirited moments directed toward the Bali culture come off in poor taste (most of the best bits are already spoiled in the trailer). It all feels incredibly uninspired, often repurposing gags that either worked better in superior films or already reached their proper expiration date. 

    As a romance, Ticket mines equally lifeless territory. Clooney and Roberts possess the charismatic skillset and lived-in chemistry to create some bubbling moments of intimacy. Still, the relationship between David and Georgia never develops naturally onscreen. So much of the movie feels far too rushed and truncated to reach the warm-hearted conclusion it desperately seeks. The reliance upon a few contrived speeches and last-second revelations ultimately burdens the leading pair from truly defining a lived-in dynamic onscreen. 

    Ticket to Paradise certainly looks the part of a great romantic comedy. Parker effectively captures his tropical setting’s effervescent beauty with technical aplomb behind the camera, while the talented cast does their best to inject personability in their archetype roles. Unfortunately, the puzzle pieces never quite come together for this amicable yet entirely disposable romp. Audiences looking for a charming rom-com should check out the criminally underseen BROS instead. 

    Ticket to Paradise is now playing in theaters.

  • The Curse Of Bridge Hollow: Review

    The Curse Of Bridge Hollow: Review

    The Curse of Bridge Hollow Synopsis: A man and his daughter must team up to save their town after an ancient and mischievous spirit causes Halloween decorations to come to life and wreak havoc.

    A neurotic science teacher and his teenage daughter find themselves as the last hope of stopping a nightmarish curse from possessing their festive town in The Curse of Bridge Hollow. The latest Halloween-themed Netflix title continues the well-honored trend of infusing child-like wonder into the typically macabre holiday. Some films conjure creative concoctions from their family approach (Monster House and Casper), whereas others punish viewers with a most sinister trick – stealing their time (Hocus Pocus 2 is the latest culprit).

    Thankfully, The Curse of Bridge Hollow gets the mystical spell just right. In the vein of playful romps like Halloweentown, the film provides a cheerful dose of earnest, family-friendly entertainment.

    I give much of the credit here to the film’s dynamic cast. Following years stuck starring in lackluster comedies, Marlon Wayans finally re-ignites his personable charm onscreen. The Scary Movie comedic star infuses bubbly comedic energy into the nebbish role of a science teacher who shuns Halloween’s paranormal qualities. Wayans’ expressive reactions and sharp timing help elevate a standard issue role into a fitting project for the usually adult-oriented star. Perhaps a newfound focus on family-friendly vehicles is the start of a welcomed second-act renaissance for Wayans.

    Bridge Hollow also features a rogues gallery of talented character actors. Lauren Lapkus remains a scene-stealer as the town’s eccentric mayor; Rob Riggle parodies machismo bravado with his over-eager neighbor character, while Kelly Rowland and Stranger Things standout Priah Ferguson infuse personability in their central family roles. The cast possesses an easy-going bravado that fits the material’s light-hearted sensibility like a glove.

    For better or worse, The Curse of Bridge Hollow embraces the type of easy-going family formula it wants to achieve. Director-for-hire Jeff Wadlow, whose more infamously known for horror flops Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island, pushes the narrative along with an economical eye for storytelling. As a result, the breezy 91-minute runtime flies by with ease, with screenwriters Robert Rugan and Todd Berger paying most of their attention to lively jokes. Whether it’s spoofs of pop culture artifacts or humorous reflections on family dynamics, the screenwriting duo incorporates a plethora of well-timed comedic flourishes.

    The straightforward approach does come with some limitations. Wadlow is capable enough to guide the narrative along, but the film can’t help feeling lacking in its visual imagination. The array of Halloween-themed creatures that come to life often do so through cheap CGI effects and flat aesthetic choices. A few more innovative decisions could have turned Bridge Hollow into something grander than your typical family-centric offering.

    The Curse of Bridge Hollow still charms where it matters most. Netflix’s latest Halloween offering hits the sweet spot in its attempts to provide spooky entertainment for all ages.

    The Curse of Bridge Hollow is now playing on Netflix.

  • Raymond And Ray: The BRWC Review

    Raymond And Ray: The BRWC Review

    Raymond and Ray Synopsis: Half-brothers Raymond and Ray reunite when their father dies – and discover that his final wish was for them to dig his grave. Together, they process who they’ve become as men, both because of their father and in spite of him.

    Estranged half-brothers Raymond and Ray reunite amidst the passing of their abusive father in Raymond and Ray. A reflective coming-of-age tale where two of the industry’s most charismatic talents – Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor – star as siblings looking to overcome their harrowing past seems too enticing to pass up. Unfortunately, this lukewarm title from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival slate goes through the motions with little in terms of depth and personality. 

    Writer and director Rodrigo García certainly brings good intentions to the table. His focus is not only on coming to terms with trauma and conflicting emotions left in the wake of a problematic family member, but also ruminating on the stagnant dynamics left behind for the survivors of such an experience. Watching Raymond and Ray rediscover their relationship’s fleeting joys and lingering pains while being introduced to a new perspective on their father’s legacy presents an intriguing canvas for a meaningful tale of maturation. 

    Somewhere along the way, Raymond and Ray loses focus on that intriguing ideal. García exhibits competence in his storytelling approach yet rarely digs beneath the pained exteriors of his characters. The simplicity straddles Hawk and McGregor with little to build upon with their characters. While both actors are too radiant and affectionate to mail in their performances, neither can do enough to showcase the complex stew of internalized emotions resting in their characters’ mindsets. 

    Raymond and Ray ends up feeling like your typical, mawkishly sentimental festival film without those nuanced textures. Every detail – from García’s static, washed-out color scheme to the array of supporting characters that only exist to deliver seemingly profound speeches, and let’s not forget the painfully manipulative musical score – lands like reheated leftovers that can’t quite replicate the far superior dish they aspire to. Audiences can practically set their watches to when each unsurprising third-act reveal and moment of forced levity will occur. 

    Raymond and Ray isn’t necessarily a bad film; it’s just a profoundly uninteresting one that wastes the talents of its well-suited lead actors.