film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Category: REVIEWS

Here is where you would find our film reviews on BRWC.  We look at on trailers, shorts, indies and mainstream.  We love movies!

  • Monster Force Zero: Review

    Monster Force Zero: Review

    A.I. (Adam Singer) and his friends, Kadabra Couture (Dalena Nguyen), Ammorama (Aeon Cruz) and Squatch (Greg Farinelli) are all enthusiastic cosplayers and comic book fans. A.I. writes a comic book series himself, Monster Force Zero and like most people who cosplay, they secretly dream of having the powers that the characters they dress up as possess.

    Then while at a local comic-con they meet The Janitor (Pat Tanaka) who introduces them to his alien friends who imbue the powers onto them that they always wanted. However, they also have The Destroyers of Destruction (a rival cosplay team) to contend with led by Gunns Lazer (Heath C. Heine) and they had better learn to use their powers fast because they may be the Earth’s only hope.

    Monster Force Zero is a crowdfunded movie which at first glance has an interesting set up. A group of cosplayers get to live their dreams by becoming the heroes they portray is a good hook and has worked for many cartoon and live action shows of the 80’s/90’s, however, the problem is with everything else from the script and special effects to the acting.

    The idea may have been there, but there just isn’t enough for anybody to enjoy, even if they didn’t mind the bare bones of the plot and total lack of characterisation.

    What could have been a lovingly written parody of the lives of comic book fan and cosplayers instead feels like a cynical attempt at throwing what they could at the screen with enough cameos and bright, flashing lights to distract its audience from the quality.

    Even an unexpected and out of place cameo from Garret Wang (Star Trek: Voyager) can’t lift the movie out into a place of ‘so bad it’s good’. It just seems that the movie was thrown together with little thought and whoever they could grab at the time to be in the movie.

    Monster Force Zero’s premise, unashamedly bright and sparkly special effects plus a finale which may as well have come out of the mind of a ten-year-old may very well speak to the child in all of us. However, with so much else on offer along the same lines, it may be a better use of your time to watch something else.

  • The Opening Act: Review

    The Opening Act: Review

    The Opening Act is the latest comedy to take an intimate look at stand-up comedians milieu (Funny People and Dolemite is My Name stand out). Starring Jimmy O Yang, a stand-up turned actor with a surging career path after roles in Silicon Valley and Space Force, this low-key hangout comedy elicits a personal reflection on stand-up’s rocky road to self-actualization on stage.

    The film follows Will Chu (Yang), an aspiring stand-up stuck in the doldrums of his miserable insurance job (boss played by Bill Burr). When he’s recommended by a peer Quinn (Ken Jeong) to MC for the famed stand-up Billy G (Cedric the Entertainer), Will quits his job to pursue his longtime dream.

    Much of this narrative rests on the shoulders of Jimmy O Yang’s central performance. Thankfully, Yang is up for the task, with the comedian imbuing his charismatic comedic persona to enhance the character’s archetype conception. His act has an earnestness that resonated with me, as he’s unafraid to poke fun at himself and the pre-conceived notions people have about him. Yang also portrays the character’s roller-coaster journey with emotional sincerity, thoughtfully weaving his own experiences on the road to becoming a stand-up figure (the closing credits share personal reflections of the star’s first sets).

    The Opening Act is admittedly shaggy (director Steven Byrne‘s visual style lacks dynamic traits), but the film is crafted with an infectious adoration for its subject. Involving an array of acclaimed stand-ups, Byrne’s film is at its best when the focus delves into the delicate process of a comedian finding their voice. The script doesn’t sugarcoat the journey with superficial pleasantries, finding a comfortable balance between the aspiration and despair upcoming talents come to terms with. Supporting players like Cedric the Entertainer, Bill Burr, and Ken Jeong personify their roles with their distinct personas, with Cedric portraying the old-timer Billy G with an assured swagger.

    This film is rarely unpleasant, yet it also never pushes the audience’s expectations. Byrne’s screenplay incorporates B-plots the lack static development, including Will’s girlfriend and friends who merely stand as supportive staples. The lack of ingenuity is further marred by the mixed track record of laughs. When the film steers away from its stand-up material, overly-scripted gags often land with an awkward thud (a bit involving an awkward date goes nowhere).

    It’s allures may be relatively slight, but The Opening Act still succeeds as an agreeable foray into the stand-up scene.

  • Charm City Kings: The BRWC Review

    Charm City Kings: The BRWC Review

    HBO Max is still in its infancy, though the streaming service already seems to be finding its groove. Alongside a bevy of adored classics, the service has started a promising library of original content, including accomplished films like Unpregenant and Class Action Park. The latest film to join that lineage is Charm City Kings, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (it was originally purchased by Sony Pictures Classic, but was sold once COVID began). Painting a deeply authentic portrait of Baltimore’s impoverished community, director Angel Manuel Soto crafts one of the year’s most assured features.

    Charm City Kings follows Mouse (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), a precocious teen growing up in the streets of Baltimore. Still mourning his older brother’s death, Mouse spends his days idealizing the Midnight Clique, a biker gang that imbues life into their community with lively stuntwork. When Mouse gets an opportunity to work under a former member Blax (acclaimed rapper Meek Mill), he’s introduced into the allures and dangers of the crew’s lifestyle.

    Several films have confronted the circular reality of the gangster lifestyle, often initiating members when they are at their lowest financially before being trapped after incurring run-ins for the law (As Blax aptly puts, “you don’t get second chances in this life”). Instead of merely conveying this reality, Charm City Kings observes these conditions with an empathetic eye, imbuing a sense of confliction and self-reflection into the central subjects. Sherman Payne’s screenplay enhances this focus with a character-driven approach, centralizing his effort on lived-in personas over-familiar plot dynamics.

    It certainly helps that Charm City Kings bolsters two accomplished acting showcases. This film rides or dies with Jahi Di’Allo Winston’s performance of Mouse, with the 16-year old being up for the tall task. Exhibiting unheralded poise and nuance for his age, Winston allows audiences to feel the character’s every joy and pain through his dedicated conviction. Meek Mill’s acting debut is perhaps the biggest standout, taping into a potent sensitivity that harkens to the Mahershala Ali’s breakout performance in Moonlight. His arc represents the tight-wire act between living a prosperous life and succumbing to the dangers of the character’s environment, with Mill unearthing a potent paternal strength as Mouse’s supportive role model. Young stars Kezii Curtis and Donielle Hansley Jr. also leave a strong impression as Mouse’s personable friends.

    In lesser hands, Charm City Kings could’ve landed as a run-of-the-mill detour into a community’s lingering pains, but director Angel Manuel Soto thankfully invigorates his film with finite precision. His technical ability propels the narrative forward with a pressing sense of agency, incorporating dynamic framing to convey the character’s unease and personal demons. Soto also has a blast portraying the Midnight Clique’s stylish daredevil act, including a tense bike chase that ranks among the year’s most exciting sequences (the film was originally based on a documentary about Baltimore’s bike gangs).

    Charm City Kings unearths its timeless ruminations with precision and verve, throttling forward a narrative that is equally impactful and enthralling. I can’t wait to see where Soto, Payne, Winston, and Mill go with their already-prosperous careers.

  • Tatev: Review

    Tatev: Review

    By Thomas White. 

    Following the death of her father, a young woman, Tatev (Sona Burnham), ties up loose ends in her current life before planning to return to her native Armenia for the funeral. The film depicts the difficulties of navigating bureaucracy and bereavement in a foreign country, while about to embark on a new chapter in her life. 

    It is not without its faults, most of which are down to a lack of technical refinement and narrative flow. Visually it is attractively composed. Numerous shots of the countryside sit alongside the more urban landscapes and we get a sense of an integrated, ordinary and fairly nondescript suburban environment. 

    Writer, director and cinematographer Tomas Gold chooses to film in stark monochrome with a lilting, high contrast exposure. However, as pleasant as the scenery is to look at, the shots often linger far too long. It’s a distraction, one which could easily cause the audience to lose interest. Whether these shots were held for too long, or if there were simply too many of them, on too many occasions it held back the story, making it feel stagnant when it would have been enough just to keep the narrative moving along. 

    Another downside to this languorous choice of cinematography was that it did very little to indicate or enhance any particular mood or tone. Had there been a clearer sense of rhythm to the camerawork it would perhaps have communicated its intentions more successfully. 

    It was these moments in particular which benefited from the accompanying soundtrack, an ambient score which played underneath from time to time, in addition to the natural sounds of the wind and rustling leaves. With such a sparse script it helped to create a reflective and even regretful atmosphere, echoing Tatev’s despondency and mourning for her recently departed father. 

    https://vimeo.com/388029068

    The music could in fact, I felt, have been used even more frequently. It would have given an effective emotional bed on which the story could have rested. One other technical gripe, which was less easy to overlook, had to do with the dialogue track itself, which was considerably lower in sound level to the rest of the soundtrack and score. As there was considerably little speech anyway it seemed like an oversight which could and should have been easily rectified. 

    Mournful and elegiac, Tatev is a sensitive portrait of introspection and melancholy. Admirably presented though ultimately flawed by its confused and inconsistent technical elements. 

  • Hubie Halloween: The BRWC Review

    Hubie Halloween: The BRWC Review

    Adam Sandler’s track record with Happy Madison Productions has drawn an equal amount of praise and ire from audiences. The former SNL funnyman has curated a dedicated fanbase that flocks towards his zany projects, even though many of them are labeled as woeful missteps by critical pundits (looking at you Jack and Jill). Continuing his streak of Netflix Originals, the Sandman returns to the screen with his latest goofy hangout comedy Hubie Halloween, a flawed, yet agreeable comedy that soundly highlights the actor’s innate charms.

    Hubie Halloween follows Hubie Dubois (Sandler), a much-maligned figure who works to protect Salem, Massachusetts during the Halloween season. While many laugh off his protective ways, the town is turned upside down when some of its citizens start disappearing, leaving their fate in the hands of Hubie as he looks to crack the case.

    Similar to his boisterous comedic heyday, Sandler throws himself into the distinctly bizarre role of Hubie with full force. Spotting a nearly-unintelligible accent and limitless energy, Sandler creates a memorable persona that registers an earnest impression as the town’s outcast (Hubie’s ostracized image cleverly connects to Sandler’s own track record with harsh critical pundits). His ability to push Hubie’s quirks to a comedic extreme while still grounding the character in a sense of humanity plays a crucial role in holding the film’s flimsy narrative together. It’s also just a joy to see him babbling gibberish again with child-like glee, displaying the unique presence that made him a beloved staple.

    Hubbie Halloween may stick closely to the Happy Madison hang-out movie formula, but it does color its contrivances with some much-needed personality. Familiar faces like Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Maya Rudolph, and Tim Meadows effectively tap into the strengths of their comedic personas, with Buscemi’s wildly dedicated turn as a Werewolf stealing several frames. Director Steven Brill does a capable job embracing the film’s seasonal sensibility, working in some devilish jump scares that double as clever comedic setpieces (Hubie’s scared scream always makes for a laugh). Brill marries the holiday’s spooky atmosphere with a playful tonality while exhibiting sturdy visual craftsmanship for a Sandler-led vehicle. There’s also a plethora of loving homages to be discovered throughout, adding a reflective warmth that enhances the film’s easy-going charms.

    While the alluring leads mask some of Hubie Halloween’s issues, there are still noticeable faults throughout. Much of these occur when Sandler isn’t onscreen, with B-plots involving a love interest (played by Julie Bowen) and some of the town’s adolescent characters lacking the comedic verve to register an impression. Herlihy and Sandler’s script seems content to go through the motions, focusing on predictable plot contrivances that rarely feel earned in the narrative framework (I wish the film leaned more into its supernatural happenings). It’s frustrating to see Sandler film’s continued reliance on cheap writing crutches, showing a timidness in embracing the earnest slap-dash nature of Happy Madison’s structural approach.

    Still, Hubie Halloween works as a humorous and warmly-nostalgic entry in the Happy Madison catalog, perfectly suited for the casual embrace of streaming audiences.