film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Matt Conway

  • Pig: The BRWC Review

    Pig: The BRWC Review

    Pig Synopsis: Rob (Nicolas Cage), a truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness, must return to his past life in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped. Alongside Amir (Alex Wolff), his vapid young truffle buyer, the two discover deeper purpose from their straightforward mission.

    Most recognize him for his manic energy, but don’t be fooled by Nicolas Cage’s wildcard facade. While his dynamic performances grab the audience’s interest (who doesn’t replay clips from Wicker Man or Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans?), Cage can often exhibit subdued nuances from even the most underwritten characters. Some directors have masterfully utilized the actor’s more delicate persona, with recent indie breakouts Joe and Mandy illustrating the immense talent lying under Cage’s eccentric surface.

    Writer/director Michael Sarnoski’s meditative debut Pig finds itself embracing a similarly solemn aesthetic. Clashing the intimate wonders of our natural world with the self-absorbed glitz of modern society, Sarnoski draws a compelling, albeit inconsistent, change up from typical genre formula.

    Sarnoski and co-writer Vanessa Block certainly aren’t afraid to delineate from audience’s hard-wired expectations. Where most would repurpose the film’s revenge plot thread into a mindless actioner, the duo wisely opts towards soulful poeticism. Pig‘s meandering pace and gentle character beats effectively dig at the heart of Rob and Amir’s life-altering quest.

    Both may exist on opposite ends of social standards, but the premise intelligently analyzes their shared emptiness. The character’s stark environmental juxtaposition serves as a powerful motif for humanity’s longing for meaningful connection, with both characters’ dissident realities compensating for their broken histories. For a tight 91-minute narrative, Sarnoski and Block exhibit impressive poise while skillfully balancing their challenging thematic high-wire act (the central message is dour, but it’s always balanced with a semblance of hopeful progression).

    Pig excels as an intricate performance piece. Without much in terms of dialogue or dramatic emotional swings, Nicolas Cage unearths potent textures from even the slightest of frames. The actor consistently imbues commanding gravitas into Rob’s solemnly worn face, elevating the character’s arduous state into something deeply profound. Cage’s firm presence dominates the film, yet Alex Wolff’s assured supporting work stands just as tall. As Amir, Wolff represents the film’s largest evolution as a socialite growing past his oppressively superficial tendencies. The actor’s sincere chemistry as unlikely kindred spirits helps the script’s simmering emotions reach a full boil.

    Still, Sarnoski’s first offering suffers from a few familiar debut falterings. The script rests its laurels on thematic idealism, a decision that can occasionally leave the characters with sparse dimensionality. It leaves a lot of heavy lifting to the talented leads, and while they are well-suited for the task, the well-orchestrated character beats could have landed an even higher impact with more specificity.

    Pig is delicate and deeply empathetic at its best. Sarnoski, Block, Wolff, and Cage work to explore personal sentiments in a moving portrait of human fragility.

    NEON releases Pig in theaters nationwide on July 16.

  • The Tomorrow War: The BRWC Review

    The Tomorrow War: The BRWC Review

    The Tomorrow War Synopsis: An ordinary family man named Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) is recruited by time travelers from 30 years in the future to fight in a deadly war against aliens. Alongside his estranged father (J.K. Simmons), a timid scientist (Sam Richardson), and a captain from the future (Yvonne Strahovski), the small-knit team must fight to save the world.

    Blockbusters used to be genuine events savored by summer audiences. Now, the Hollywood marketplace is rampant with grandiose event movies, so much so that there isn’t enough room for all of them on the big screen. Netflix has produced its own competitive wave of big-budget tentpoles (Army of the Dead and The Woman in the Widow), while Amazon Prime continues to purchase studio’s forgotten projects from the scrap heap (Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse and the upcoming Cinderella were acquired from Paramount).

    Prime’s grandest tentpole yet, The Tomorrow War, boasts all the right elements. With a marquee movie star and an inventive sci-fi premise in tow, director Chris McKay crafts his live-action debut in the straightforward mold of 90’s blockbusters. There’s ample promise brewing in the film’s throwback delivery, but The Tomorrow War sinks under its oppressively flavorless design.

    If there’s a positive to take away from the bloated 148-minute runtime, it’s McKay’s assured work behind the camera. The LEGO Batman Movie helmer and his skilled team choreograph an array of kinetic setpieces, utilizing a wide range of extreme locals and swift camera movements to convey the carnage at hand. Some blockbusters throw money at the screen without conveying monumental scale. McKay, on the other hand, relishes in every cent of the film’s excessive 200 million dollar budget. From the creative creature design to the onslaught of roller coaster thrills, McKay does his best to imbue enthralling momentum across the busy narrative.

    McKay ensures some excitement, but a majority of The Tomorrow War mindlessly travels through the motions. Much of the film feels like a blah amalgamation of superior actioners (the Edge of Tomorrow comparisons are numerous), lazily incorporating tentpole influences without a genuine means of repurposing them. In terms of screenwriter Zach Dean’s narrative and delivery, there’s no magic sparkle igniting the formulaic devices. It all feels factory-assembled in the most cynical, studio-mandated way.

    Dean’s screenplay isn’t without promise. The narrative’s intriguing twists open the door for moments of tender emotionality, while the core plotting connects seamlessly with our current world struggles. It’s just a shame that the film never engages with those foundational elements. I’ve heard several cite The Tomorrow War’s plotting as video game-esque, but frankly, that’s an insult to modern gaming’s evolving nuances. There’s nothing to take away from the slapdash screenplay other than a series of poorly formulated contrivances.

    Oddly enough, The Tomorrow War’s largest blemish lies in virtually every frame. Chris Pratt’s attempts at smoldering action hero charisma fall woefully flat, with the A-list actor lacking the dynamism and gravity to carry the narrative on his shoulders. Movie star roles like this are designed for actor’s distinctive presence to command the screen. Pratt’s form of machismo bravado is ironically just as generic as the film he’s starring in. A talented supporting cast only makes the issue more apparent, as supporting players Yvonne Strahovski and Sam Richardson consistently upstage Pratt through their sheer talent (I am loving the Summer of Sam Richardson, his effortless charm would’ve made him a far more affable lead).

    The Tomorrow War feels more like a soulless product than a cinematic blockbuster. Despite an endless budget and nuggets of worthwhile ideas, there’s little to distinguish this feature from a long line of failed blockbusters.

    The Tomorrow War is available on Amazon Prime.

  • No Sudden Move: The BRWC Review

    No Sudden Move: The BRWC Review

    No Sudden Move Synopsis: In 1954 Detroit, Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle) and Ronald Ruso (Benicio Del Toro) are hired to steal a document. When their heist goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them — and for what purpose – sends them wending through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.

    In a storied career spanning three decades, director Steven Soderbergh has embraced a remarkably formless sensibility. Few can shift between stark genre changes with such ease, with the director crafting a cerebral take on the sports world (High Flying Birds), claustrophobic, iPhone-filmed horror (Unsane), and a reflective female ensemble (Let Them All Talk) in the last 5 years alone. No matter the genre, his calculated eye always feels like a proper match for whatever world he embraces.

    Soderbergh’s latest No Sudden Move finds the director shifting the heist genre’s high-steaks thrills into the grimy muck of 1950’s Detroit. Imbued with potent textures and a dynamic verve, Soderbergh continues his dominant streak with one of his finest offerings to date.

    Audiences are used to seeing Soderbergh operate within heist film’s bustling machinations, whether he’s extracting luxurious opulence from the Ocean’s trilogy or embracing southern-fried cheekiness with Logan Lucky. With No Sudden Move, Soderbergh repurposes his refined techniques into an entirely new connotation. His work may still zip along with his usual fervor, but under the surface lies a far more prominent reflection of the dog-eats-dog American experience.

    It’s easy to gleam subtext from the film’s unique time period. 1950’s Detroit stands as a stark reflection of the country’s unjust racial and class standards, with the location’s booming automobile industry only prospering the wealthy fat cats in charge. Curt is well-aware of these broken standards, which sets the course for his hail mary play to extract revenge against his oppressive foes. Soderbergh and screenwriter Ed Solomon’s potent ideas reach full boil thanks to their eye for realistic textures. Anytime audiences expect the narrative to shift towards Hollywood pleasantries, Soderbergh subverts back to the harsh realities of our inequitable landscape (the ending is a gut punch in the best possible way).

    That’s not to say No Sudden Move operates solely as a dour enterprise. Soderbergh’s direction is vivid and precise, percolating unnerving tension that crackles within each slow-burn frame. There’s no one better in the industry at crafting compelling capers, with the director utilizing swift camera movements and David Holmes’ rhythmic score to keep viewers on their toes throughout. While I can understand critics’ qualms with Soderbergh’s detached voice, to me, it’s that exact choice that allows the director to pull off his tricky narrative high-wire act (Soderbergh is a master of atmosphere and subtle character beats).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GRDLX3a-IE

    The director wisely entrusts a star-studded ensemble to bring his distinct universe to life. Don Cheadle wears Curt’s worn wisdom through a plethora of subdued techniques. In a film defined by enigmatic characters, Cheadle’s gravitating presence provides a crucial center point. Benicio Del Toro is a hoot as Curt’s wildly and borderline incompetent partner-in-crime. Brendan Fraser is nearly unrecognizable as the gruff and imposing crime boss Doug, while the other supporting players (Jon Hamm, Julia Fox, and David Harbour) catapult tertiary roles through their dynamic abilities.

    No Sudden Move is an utter delight, with my only real gripe centering from audience’s inability to see Soderbergh’s magnificent work on the big screen. It’s truly awe-inspiring to see the director continually reinvent himself despite his assured status in the industry.

    NO SUDDEN MOVE is now available on HBO Max.

  • Dynasty Warriors: Review

    Dynasty Warriors: Review

    Dynasty Warriors Synopsis: Warlords, warriors, and statesmen wage a battle for supremacy in this fantasy tale based on the hit video games and the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

    Amidst a busy array of video game movies (the last eight months alone has brought us Monster Hunter, Mortal Kombat, and the indie darling Werewolves Within), Netflix has quietly purchased the rights to an international adaptation of the cheeky Dynasty Warriors games (the streaming juggernaut spent eight-figures alone for domestic rights). I’ve always had a soft spot for the hack and slash series, which puts players in control of superpowered soldiers battling an endless array of enemy rebels. The games are enjoyable in their inherent mindlessness, presenting over-the-top carnage with dynamic reckless abandon.

    A mixture of grandiose action setpieces and bold stylistic choices would seemingly make the game franchise ripe for shameless entertainment. While the film extracts some colorfully cartoonish charms, director Roy Chow Hin-Yeung largely oversees an overproduced and undelivered rift on the game’s spirited energy.

    Still, Hin-Yeung certainly presents a pulse on what fans of the franchise want to see. The director’s earnest feature embraces every chance for bombastic thrills, taking the game’s action-driven approach to heart with an endless onslaught of busy confrontations. Hin-Yeung skillfully infuses supernatural sparks and bold choreography to spice up the eastern action formula. Compared to the games, Dynasty Warriors also makes a more sincere effort in the storytelling department. Following a band of famed warriors plotting their revenge against a boorish rebel leader, Chi-long To’s screenplay scores points for its reflections on soldier’s personal responsibilities amidst days of government division.

    Sincerity can only take middling material so far, as Dynasty Warriors suffers from the same noisy emptiness as its interactive counterpart. I can appreciate the difficult task of turning the game’s ample historical inspirations into a succinct narrative, but To settles for far too many flat devices. The narrative is equally bloated and meaningless, dully plodding along exposition that is never given much in terms of weight. It all takes place across a needlessly convoluted two-hour runtime, with the film drifting between busy plot mechanics despite the narrative’s simple approach. Seriously, why does the film value window dressing semantics rather than providing a simple rooting interest? The flat characterization and routine performances prevent audiences from ever investing in the carnage on display.

    Dynasty Warriors rarely elicits much in terms of excitement. Even with his efforts to adhere to the game’s formula, Hin-Yeung’s film seems deathly afraid of the game’s preposterous roots. The CGI-laden action rarely backs up its creative visuals with dynamic framing (the few occasional gimmicks aren’t presented with enough craft), while the well-intended stuntwork still falls short of the series’ gonzo action flair. A satisfying last-ditch climax feels like too little too late for viewers who likely have started to tune out by the time chaos ensues.

    I’ll always be first in line for any video game adaption, but Dynasty Warriors falls short of the source material’s unique edge in the gaming sphere. What works in gaming isn’t always best for the big-screen, but I would still give any future adaptation of the franchise a chance considering the brand’s lovably grand persona.

    Dynasty Warriors is now available on Netflix.

  • Zola: The BRWC Review

    Zola: The BRWC Review

    Zola Synopsis: Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, is seduced into a weekend of stripping in Florida for some quick cash — but the trip becomes a sleepless 48-hour odyssey involving a nefarious friend (Riley Keough), her pimp (Colman Domingo), and her simple-minded boyfriend (Nicholas Braun).

    From a Twitter thread to the big screen, writer/director Janicza Bravo (who co-wrote the screenplay with Tony-winner Jeremy O. Harris) undertakes an intriguing risk with Zola. Bravo descends alongside her titular protagonist into the seedy underbelly of America’s toxic bigotry, extracting a vibrant and socially provocative tale that ranks among 2021’s finest offerings to date.

    Some would consider Bravo’s transformation of segmented tweets into a succinct cinematic experience impressive enough, but the writer/director never rests on those laurels. Her second feature is equally fearless and astute, with Zola standing for far more than a sensationalized series of occurrences. Bravo intelligently crafts her protagonist’s journey as a twisted fairy tale through dreamy montages and whimsical score choices (she and Cinematographer Ari Wegner skillfully embrace subversive imagery as a means of juxtaposing Zola’s seedy environment).

    Peppered with a flurrying wave of tactful phone notifications, Bravo crafts pulsating electricity as Zola’s initial unease builds to downright fear. I give Bravo credit for incorporating several bold techniques while never overworking her material. Aside from a few tricks that oversell the film’s simmering ideas, the director rarely misses a beat in incorporating thoughtful and artistically inventive imagery. I particularly enjoyed how Bravo juxtaposes Zola’s empowered sexuality versus the grotesque perversion of her creepy male clientele. She aptly views Zola’s esteemed presence while humorously critiquing the people who attempt to commodify her.

    Thematically, Zola is bursting with worthwhile conceits. Bravo and Harris intelligently analyze the conditions behind our protagonist’s bizarre odyssey. The journey from Detroit to Florida brings Zola into an environment charged with racial prejudice and toxic masculinity, both of which work to turn the sex worker’s world into an uncomfortable reality of oppressive objectification. Zola impressively challenges societal standards without bluntly spelling sentiments out. A well-calibrated script from Bravo and Harris ranges from sharply-timed satire to downright disturbing revelations, with the duo’s deft touch marrying the dissident tonalities into a cohesive experience.

    All of these potent ideas form a great canvas for the talented cast to shine. As the self-assured Zola, Taylour Paige delivers an impressive breakout performance brimming with nuance and vitality. In a film full of boisterous characters and strange narrative detours, Paige’s defined presence provides a much-needed center. Riley Keough’s take on Zola’s trashy “friend” could have easily slipped into caricature territory, but the actress skillfully represents the fictitious veneer behind Stefani’s posturing persona. Nicholas Bruan and Colman Domingo also stand out in their supporting roles, with Domingo, in particular, imbuing erratic energy that constantly keeps audiences on their toes.

    Zola represents everything I love in filmmaking. Bravo crafts an artistically brazen and thematically rich tale full of intrigue and depth, catapulting the film’s simple roots to meteoric heights. I am very excited to see where Bravo, Harris, and the talented cast go from here.

    Zola is now playing in theaters nationwide.