film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Matt Conway

  • Fall: The BRWC Review

    Fall: The BRWC Review

    Fall Synopsis: For best friends Becky and Hunter, life is about conquering fears and pushing limits. However, after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now, their expert climbing skills are put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights.

    Two thrillseekers find themselves stranded in a rickety radio tower that stands thousands of feet above ground in Fall. Survivalist thrillers like Scott Mann’s latest death-defying effort are a Hollywood mainstay, often defining their distinct landscape into a sinister adversary stalking its unknowing inhabitants. Jaws morphed the vast sea into a hellscape haunted by menacing sharks, while the claustrophobic thriller Buried found audiences uniquely ensnared in a coffin buried belowground.

    With Fall, Mann and co-writer Jonathan Frank trap viewers on a flimsy tower platform that sits isolated amidst the heat-scorched skyscape. The results are a welcomed surprise. As a piece of late-summer escapism, Fall finds Mann and company crafting a breathless, edge-of-your-seat thriller from familiar mechanics. 

    Mann deserves significant praise for evoking his setting with profound impact. Dynamic drone cameras maneuvering the sky and intimate go-pros bolted on the tower’s sleight platform enrich the uneasy atmosphere of the high-wire environment. If you are afraid of heights like me, Fall does a great job of provoking those fears through its immersive visceral scale. Mann makes every creaking tower noise and mighty gust of wind feel impactful as effective world-building tools. It’s an impressive cinematic feat as Mann ingeniously crafts a film that conjures extravagant summer entertainment on an economical $3 million budget (the film looks ten times better than the $200 million The Gray Man). 

    Once viewers find themselves stuck on the tower, Fall ups the ante in breathtaking ways. Whether it’s the presence of lurking vultures or the challenging parkour feats our protagonists perform to survive, Fall evokes gasp-inducing thrills and breathless excitement in ways few thrillers can match. Mann’s ratcheting of tensions and the inventive situations of Frank’s screenplay combine to make a non-stop roller coaster ride during the tightly-pace 107-minute runtime. 

    On a narrative front, Fall is more of a mixed bag. Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner admirably depict the gradual wear-and-tear Becky and Hunter endure while sharing lived-in chemistry as life-long friends. I found the characterization most impactful when digging into the philosophies that motivate these characters in their quest for audacious thrills. Hunter becomes an especially intriguing presence as a YouTuber commodifying an indelible spectacle for her viewers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa5MXOMN1lM&ab_channel=MovieTrailersSource

    Other plot elements fall flat in their stilted execution. For example, a melodramatic character revelation and an all-too-predictable plot twist try too hard to raise tensions when they don’t need the narrative padding. Neither plot element lands with the humanity or nuance required to sell the intended impact. The script here is often efficient but rarely rises above the level of your typical genre thriller. 

    A few narrative missteps still don’t prevent Fall from providing a compelling survivalist story. The film will serve as a tremendous crowdpleasing yarn for theater-packed audiences. 

    Lionsgate releases Fall in theaters nationwide on August 12. 

  • Easter Sunday: The BRWC Review

    Easter Sunday: The BRWC Review

    After being defined in Hollywood by a thankless beer ad, stand-up comedian Joe Valencia vies for his chance at a breakout role. Joe eventually tests for a cable pilot – although the casting process reaches a pause as Joe finds himself returning home for his hectic Filipino family’s Easter celebrations. The seemingly simple one-day tip with his distant son turns into a journey of self-discovery for Joe in the studio comedy Easter Sunday. 

    In an era where studio comedies are a dying breed, this star vehicle for Chelsea Lately staple Jo Koy provides a refreshing breath of fresh air for the theatrical marketplace. Easter Sunday also represents a Filipino cultural backdrop that rarely receives recognition from mainstream offerings. The idea of a comedy exploring family and career challenges from an overlooked perspective possesses undeniable promise. 

    If only the final product could match the underlying potential. Easter Sunday ultimately squanders its feel-good energy in an overstuffed and underdelivered holiday comedy. 

    I still applaud Koy, director Jay Chandrasekhar, and screenwriters Kate Angelo and Ken Chang for what they attempt here. Easter Sunday exhibits its most promising traits when defining itself in the textures of Koy’s personal journey as an emerging stand-up. Joe finds himself in a complex balancing act, wanting to make it big in Hollywood without having to sell himself short in roles that morph his ethnicity into a stereotype. The creative team here admirably reckons with that reality as Joe tries his best to prosper in Hollywood and remain true to his family roots. 

    There are glimmers where the film’s family-centric approach and authentic depiction of Filipino camaraderie elicit an undeniable charm. The talented ensemble cast helps imbue much-needed vitality to the familiar studio comedy formula. Koy emanates an affable spirit as the struggling Hollywood comedian Joe, while Lydia Gaston, Eugene Cordero, and Tia Carrere have a blast playing into the humorous eccentricities of Joe’s vibrant family. Tiffany Haddish also steals the show as usual in a cameo role as a former flame from Joe’s past. 

    Unfortunately, Easter Sunday distracts itself from engaging with its promising thesis. Angelo and Cheng adhere too much to the formula of contrived studio comedies, including adding a bizarre crime subplot that feels like leftovers from another screenplay. The needless conflict adds nothing but busy energy to a film that modulates from being pleasantly down-to-earth to a played-out sitcom episode throughout. In hindsight, focusing more on Joe and his family’s dilemmas would resonate with greater impact if those arcs received additional screentime. 

    The decision to rely upon standard issue devices severely limits the film’s comedic potential. Gags rooted in humorous cultural observations and combustible family dynamics register with some success, but a bevy of jokes centered around dated pop culture references and flat slapstick bits end up overwhelming the experience. It’s also disappointing to see Chandrasekhar settle into the director-for-hire mold despite his vast comedic experience. The Super Troopers helmer struggles to enhance the material through his competent yet flavorless directorial choices. 

    I can’t fully recommend Easter Sunday, although I don’t think the film deserves some of the vitriol it’s receiving. Koy and company bring some charisma to the table before the film eventually suffocates under its standard-issue design. Still, it would make for a decent-enough watch for comedy fans scanning streaming services a few months from now. 

    Easter Sunday is now playing in theaters.

  • Marcel The Shell With Shoes On: The BRWC Review

    Marcel The Shell With Shoes On: The BRWC Review

    Marcel and his aging grandmother undergo a quest for connection after a sudden separation from their community of shell peers in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Ironically enough, Marcel himself is experiencing a similarly momentous journey from his 2010 short film origins to a feature-length debut. The adorable short film and its respective sequels represented a passion project from writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp and star Jenny Slate. 

    The series also became an internet phenomenon, with early YouTube audiences falling in love with Marcel for his wistful worldview and distinctly sleight stature. Fleischer-Camp and Slate are now collaborating a decade later for Marcel’s big screen treatment, and while the final product comes with some blemishes, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On ultimately radiates feel-good sincerity where it counts most. 

    As a kids film with backing from indie darling A24, Marcel thankfully ignores the aggressive bombast of most modern family outings. Fleischer-Camp instead adheres to a low-steaks approach reminiscent of Marcel’s gentle personality. At its best, the project registers its most affecting tugs at the heartstrings through its sleight yet impactful revelations on family, community, mortality, and discovering one’s voice. 

    Fleischer-Camp’s humanistic visual eye and the upbeat score by Disasterpeace also capture an environment glowing with whimsy and life under its ordinary home setting. I give Marcel the Shell with Shoes On props for reenvisioning a familiar environment into a playful sandbox brimming with possibilities. These choices allow viewers to get lost inside Marcel’s wide-eyed perspective. 

    Marcel himself becomes a wonderfully distinct character thanks to Jenny Slate’s expressive voice-over performance. Slate conjures an infectious cadence to draw viewers in, but her performance is by no means a gimmick. Under her affable delivery, Slate unearths Marcel’s insular struggles with a deft emotional touch. 

    Marcel the Shell with Shoes On ranks as one of the year’s early critical darlings. Unfortunately, aspects of the film’s execution squandered some of its dramatic potential for me. I understand why Fleischer-Camp, Elisabeth Holm, and Nick Paley opted for a faux-documentary approach with their screenplay. The framing device attempts to reflect on Fleischer-Camp’s connection to Marcel’s real-life journey in the zeitgeist while also mirroring his character stand-in Dean with Marcel’s journey of self-discovery. 

    I found the documentary approach to be an unwarranted distraction. The way Fleischer-Camp acts off of Marcel only works to cheapen some of the film’s charms as the writer/director/co-star serves as a needless audience cipher. At other points, the format awkwardly overexplains plot developments and thematic ideas with unsatisfying results. I wish the film trusted the strength of its more subdued moments versus uneven attempts at crowdpleasing. 

    Critiques aside, I am not heartless to Marcel’s undeniable charms. Marcel the Shells with Shoes On still drew me into its endless positivity despite some inconsistencies. I am happy to see a niche indie film of this nature find an agreeable wider audience. 

    Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is now playing in theaters. 

  • Prey: The BRWC Review

    Prey: The BRWC Review

    Prey Synopsis: Naru, A skilled Comanche warrior (Amber Midthunder), protects her tribe from a highly evolved alien predator that hunts humans for sport, fighting against the wilderness, dangerous colonizers, and this mysterious creature to keep her people safe.

    The lurking Predator finds a worthy foe when invading a Comanche tribe in Prey. I’ll concede my bias – I am a bit of a Predator superfan. The 1987 original is one of my favorite byproducts of the 80s action movie heyday, seamlessly meshing the era’s penchant for verbose violence with sly comedic and intellectual bite. 

    Opinions may vary on the Predator sequels, but I don’t think there is a terrible film in the bunch (although I wouldn’t necessarily call 2018’s tonally wonky The Predator a success story). Predators 2 is supremely overlooked in its deviation from sequel formula in favor of an intriguing genre fusion set amidst the sweat-induced hell of a Los Angeles summer. Even 2010’s Predators, which bares the most resemblance to the original, still discovers a distinctive and atmospheric voice from its ensemble of cutthroat protagonists. Each film keeps the franchise’s hunter-verse-hunted backbone intact while embracing its own appealing aesthetic flavor. 

    With Prey, Director Dan Trachtenberg and Screenwriter Patrick Aison transport the ominous Predator into 1720s America – an era defined by dividing ties between colonizers and the native tribes inhabiting the land. The duo’s intriguing change of pace pays enormous dividends as Prey elicits another wonderfully gnarly genre exercise for the Predator franchise. 

    There is a certain elegance in the simplicity Trachtenberg and Aison maintain throughout Prey. Instead of feeding futile exposition to viewers, the duo wisely entrench their barebones narrative in the allures an intensely atmospheric mood. Trachtenberg, who accomplished a similarly impressive feat with IP material in 10 Cloverfield Lane, plays to the series’ strengths while defining his distinctive frequency – often cloaking his woodsy Great Plains setting in oppressive mist and ominous shadows. The lingering unease commands a stranglehold on viewers as the Predator begins his descent onto the valley. 

    I appreciate how much Trachtenberg and Aison let their visual profile speak volumes about the series’ defining thematic characteristic. Trachtenberg reinforces ruminations on the hunt-or-be-hunted dynamic motivating Naru and her tribe through several other forces, whether it’s the unstoppable rage of a grizzly bear or the looming presence of cynical colonizers. This clash between nature, man, and the haunting Predator exhibit the shared hunter’s code buried beneath the character’s primal acts of violence. 

    For all its unique qualities, Prey still maintains the gleeful genre allures of the Predator franchise. Trachtenberg and Cinematographer Jeff Cutter display a capable steadiness behind the camera as they convey a variety of blood-soaked conflicts. The decision to frame most of these duals as close-quarters affairs help escalate the inherent tension embedded in each encounter. I also appreciate Trachtenberg’s creativity throughout Prey as he takes advantage of the period setting’s antiquated technology and nature-based environment.

    Much of Prey’s strengths would not connect without star Amber Midthunder. As the steadfast Naru, Midthunder exhibits expressive subtleties in a largely wordless performance. Her commanding hold of the material helps mitigate some of the screenplay’s notable deficiencies. As much as the film vies for articulating the Commanche perspective, I wish Aison fleshed out his characters and thematic ideals with a little more depth (the colonizer element could have more impact if treated with proper gravitas). Prey also lacks the deft balance of levity and tension that made Predator and Predators 2 such idiosyncratic oddities. 

    Slight missteps aside, Prey works as a fresh iteration and a seamless continuation of the Predator franchise. It’s a bummer this is not getting the theatrical treatment, but I am sure diehard fans of the franchise will still gleam onto the project. 

    Prey debuts on Hulu on August 5. 

  • Vengeance: The BRWC Review

    Vengeance: The BRWC Review

    New York journalist Ben Manalowitz lives as a know-it-all who believes he possesses a pulse on the American experience. When he discovers that a former hook-up of his has passed away, the family reaches out under the impression he was her long-time boyfriend. Ben travels to the backroads of Texas, where the family presents their theory of her death – a murder. The revelation inspires Ben to investigate the case via a podcast in Vengeance. 

    Office star B.J. Novak attempts an intriguing genre mix-up for his first feature-length writing/directorial endeavor. Part murder mystery, part cultural satire, part commentary on American disconnect, Vengeance doesn’t always spin its ambitious elements into a cohesive narrative experience. Thankfully, Novak’s moxie and worthwhile vision define Vengeance as an engaging detective yarn bursting with potent ideals. 

    Don’t let the film’s comedic marketing materials fool you – Vengeance stands as a film with a sturdy thematic backbone. The apparent culture clash between elitist Ben and the red state family he encounters serves as an effective source for some light-hearted gags on American disconnect. Novak doesn’t stop with that familiar conceit, later building upon Ben’s pre-conceived notions of the area as a reflection of society’s penchant to distinguish everyone and everything under stereotypical labels. The character’s podcasting background also spotlights how media truncates reality to fit the notions of pre-conceived classifications. 

    Novak bites off more than he can chew thematically and often relies upon sanctimonious speeches to spell out his ideals. However, his ambitions extract enough raw truth and poignancy from distinctly American concepts. I appreciate the writer/director for avoiding the obvious satirical route he could have taken against red-state culture. Instead, Novak forms Vengeance as an empathetic portrait of well-meaning individuals divided by harsh cultural and political lines. 

    As a detective yarn, Vengeance provides a surprisingly arresting thread to unfold. Novak never indulges in the tense twists and turns of a Hollywoodized thriller, but the narrative’s down-to-earth approach elicits a welcomed change of pace for the genre. Novak’s screenplay balances his distinctive tonal fusion into a well-balanced concoction, while his reserved directorial choices help extenuate the atmosphere of a desolate Texas countryside. 

    A well-calibrated ensemble also adds to Vengeance’s appeals. Boyd Holbrook, Dove Cameron, J. Smith-Cameron, and a surprisingly reserved Ashton Kutcher each imbue detailed textures under their characters’ folksy facades. It would be easy for these characters to feel like tired amalgams of Southern culture, yet the skilled performers and introspective material ably transcends tired cliches. B.J. Novak also provides a sturdy dramatic center as the film’s protagonist and comedic straight man. 

    Vengeance carves a unique position in the Hollywood ecosystem with winning results. I am excited to see what Novack can do in the future, considering his worthwhile ambitions. 

    Vengeance is now playing in theaters.