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!

  • Work It: Review

    Work It: Review

    An awkward eighteen-year-old girl named Quinn Ackerman (Sabrina Carpenter) achieves near-perfection by sheer hard work. She vows to transform her gawkiness through dance, and refine her skills until she competes at a competition.

    Right from the opening scene of Laura Terruso’s Work It, you can feel the good vibes and happy-go-lucky tone of the movie seeping right out of the screen. It’s an extremely breezy watch with tons of brilliantly choreographed dance sequences that are sure to put a smile on anybody’s face, whether you are heavily into dancing or not.

    This is a coming-of-age story with an interesting premise. We are so used to seeing movies in this genre where a girl or boy is going through some hard times at school and in their personal life and has to overcome their challenges to learn to love who they are, faults and all. This film doesn’t go for that, though. It’s definitely a journey of self-love but it’s so much more than that. Quinn Ackerman is a high achieving student at school that never gets anything less than an A on any sort of school paper.

    Her whole life is basically devoted to studying for various tests and taking several extracurricular courses to ensure that she will be accepted into the university of her dreams – Duke. Her late father attended the school, and as a result, Quinn feels an unbreakable connection to the place. She says that she could definitely look into applying to other colleges or universities such as Yale or Harvard, but feels a deep connection to Duke.

    When she goes to apply though, things don’t go one-hundred percent as planned when the hiring manager starts to find Quinn a tad bit boring. What does Quinn do? She makes up a lie and says that she is a dancer at her school which manages to intrigue the hiring manager. She says that she will be attending the school’s upcoming Work It dance competition, which causes Quinn to think fast and plan on starting her own dance team – the TBDs.

    The journey that Quinn goes on was extremely heart-warming and incredibly fun to watch. What started off as her dancing simply so she could have a chance at being accepted into her dream university eventually turns into a genuine love for the art. She isn’t just dancing to impress people anymore – she actually really loves it. At first, though, she isn’t the best dancer and it’s quite noticeable. That’s when she enlists the help of a former dance choreographer that used to attend her school named Jake Taylor (Jordan Fisher).

    The chemistry that actress Sabrina Carpenter and Jordan Fisher have with one another is some of the best I have seen all year. Really, the whole entire dance group has terrific chemistry. If you were to tell me that these actors actually did have a dance group in real life and were all best friends, I wouldn’t question you for even a second. Carpenter in particular though is remarkable here. I have been championing her work for years and I’m glad that more people are starting to take notice of her with every new project she works on whether it’s a brand new song or a new movie. She truly never disappoints and this is certainly no exception.

    Work It is not one-hundred percent perfect, though. It does suffer from having an unfortunately predictable storyline that the majority of its viewers are going to see coming a mile away. There aren’t many surprises in store and screenwriter Alison Peck doesn’t really do anything to drastically change up the game, but sometimes following a tried-and-true formula isn’t a bad thing. This is a greatly enjoyable movie with tons of cheery, upbeat dance moments with a heartwarming dynamic at its center with its dance group. It may not be the most game-changing coming-of-age tale out there, but it is one that put a massive smile on my face and made me appreciate the art of dancing a whole lot more.

    Work It is an infectiously fun and heartwarming coming-of-age story with a variety of excellently choreographed dance sequences and strong chemistry amongst its cast.

  • Made In Italy: Review

    Made In Italy: Review

    Some projects can elicit a more cathartic experience for actors than others, with Liam Neeson’s latest endeavor Made in Italy being a prime example of a star gravitating towards material that resonates on a deeply intimate level (Neeson stars alongside his own son Micheal Richardson). Despite its stars’ connection to the film’s premise (they lost their respective wife and mother Natasha Richardson back in 2009), Made in Italy fails to register a notable impression.

    Made in Italy follows Jack (Richardson) an art exhibitor whose in the midst of a divorce that threatens to take away his gallery. To buy his gallery back, Jack and his accomplished, yet distant painter father Robert (Neeson) travel to Tuscany to sell the home they inherited from the family’s deceased matriarch. In the process of repairing their former home, the two are confronted by their lingering demons as they try to repair their disconnected relationship.

    Unsurprisingly, Neeson and Richardson make for a compelling pair onscreen. After playing an onslaught of straight-edged action heroes, its refreshing to watch Neeson tap into a damaged persona as a jaded artist. Bringing Robert to life with a gravely aloof charm, Neeson embraces the character’s wry presence while unearthing genuine pains seamlessly. Richardson also offers a strong effort as everyman Jack, infusing the character’s familiar framework with agency and emotional depth. Made in Italy is at its best when it allows its stars to explore the deeply-seated pains behind its premise, with the third act packing some moving instances of reflection and growth for our lead characters.

    Given the actor’s unique perspective on the film’s ruminations, it’s baffling to see how little James D’Arcy’s script engages with its dramatic ideals. Much of the first two acts ignores dramatic beats to fixate on cloying indie cliches, whether that be a thinly-written relationship dynamic or a plethora of forced comedic bits that fail to land (numerous jokes made about the house’s decaying state felt more appropriate for a family comedy.) It doesn’t help that D’Arcy’s directorial debut fails to interject a personable voice to enhance these trappings, relying on a preppy score and passable imagery to begrudgingly push the narrative forward.

    It’s a letdown that Made in Italy’s auspicious nucleus renders a paper-thin exploration of grief and familial detachment. The third act offers glimpses of painful truths, including a confrontational moment between Jack and Robert that sings with honesty and emotional heft. However, D’Arcy’s screenplay ends up feeling too inert to convey the character’s sizable open-wounds, wrapping up its plot threads in a clean fashion that largely betrays the film’s core ideals. It all reads as far too safe, going through the narrative motions rather than intimately digging deep into the character’s turmoil.

    While admittedly pleasant, Made in Italy’s milquetoast delivery severely undercuts its promising set-up.

  • Sócrates: Review

    Sócrates: Review

    By Thomas White.

    Produced by a young crew from low-income at-risk communities in São Paulo, Sócrates reflects the circumstances under which it was conceived. Set in a dynamic environment, in which poverty and aspiration sit side by side, it is a coming of age drama which incorporates themes of grief, loss and marginalisation. 

    The film opens with an arrestingly powerful scene, where a young teenage boy, the titular Sócrates, discovers his dead mother in bed. Clearly distraught he vainly attempts to revive her. From here we follow him as he walks the streets in search of money, help and a safe place, with the threat of being put into care. It is a struggle not made any easier by the fact that he is still a minor, constantly faced with bureaucracy, resentment and ostracisation. 

    A major reason for this last hurdle is to do with his homosexual orientation. This revelation came rather out of the blue, considerably far into the established premise, that one might be forgiven for questioning its relevance to the narrative. 

    As it turns out there are pivotal moments on which the issue relies, or rather the homophobic reactions and attitudes of others towards it. At one stage Sócrates befriends a youth who offers him work, their sexual tension between one another hints at a more physical relationship which is, at first, manifested by homoerotic aggression. The subject of homosexuality is still particularly taboo in many sections of Brazilian society, even today, and so I did wonder why this additional element of adversity was introduced so late, with the story already well underway. 

    Christian Malheiros plays the lead with an emotional truth and sensitive authenticity. Immediately engaging, his benign countenance gives little away while at the same time conveying all of the emotion. 

    Many of the roles were played by non-actors, and a special mention should go to Rosane Paulo, who plays one of the late mother’s co-workers. She resembles something of a self-appointed mother figure, giving him at one stage, quite literally, a shoulder to cry on. A simple, wordless gesture of maternal sympathy allowing a moment for him to express and share his grief, and a rare occasion where he is shown some genuine kindness and compassion. It is testament to the maturity of Alexandre Moratto’s competent direction. A promising talent, he confidently employs space and understatement when needed. 

    For a film which deals with teenage hardships, grief and bereavement, it does not appear as visually bleak in its aesthetic. João Gabriel de Queiroz’s cinematography represents the rundown poverty-stricken locales with a certain amount of optimism, radiating colourfully underneath the bright Brazilian sunshine. The handheld camerawork keeps the film grounded in reality, reminding us of the instability of the environment we are in. Whereas other films of this category might choose to exploit the more life threatening, criminal aspects of youth forced to survive in conditions of precarious vulnerability, for instance Héctor Babenco’s Pixote or Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, Sócrates focuses more on inner conflict and emotion. It makes for a more ambiguous and aspiring storyline, a credit to the hugely ambitious and talented young crew. 

    Much like the Greek philosopher’s namesake, Sócrates remains somewhat of an enigma. Ultimately he is faced with having to let go of his attachment to his mother, quite literally. An effective resolution yet slightly wanting, I felt the opportunity was there to further explore his own character development, as he approaches adulthood. There was no indication as to if and how his life’s course might take a different direction. 

  • The Secret Dare To Dream: Review

    The Secret Dare To Dream: Review

    In 2006 The Secret launched as an hour and a half video documentary entailing how the secret to life was visualising your success. Later that same year Rhonda Byrne published a book of the same name and on the same topic that Hollywood has now decided was worthy of adaption into the feature film “The Secret: Dare to Dream”. What a long way to go for so very little. 

    I want to start by saying that the most egregious part of this entire film is the very fact that it even exists in the first place. It should go without saying, but self-help books should never be adapted into feature films, Mean Girls notwithstanding, it has never worked. These books are not there for the benefit of moviemaking, nobody is asking for it, and every single time it happens, it feels like shameless money-grubbing from authors milking the limelight. 

    The movie itself is totally harmless and fine, at times, even moving. However, it lacks any real conviction to convincingly express the thought process behind the hit book. Ultimately the titular secret only amounts to, “think good things will happen, and they will”  a rather unimpressive mantra. That is not to say living by “the secret” is not a positive way to live. However, that is to say, that it one, does not always work, and two, is simply the basic process of self-affirmation spun to sound more grandeur than it really is, which is precisely this adaptions greatest sin.

    The story is about single Louisiana mother of three, Miranda Wells (Katie Holmes), who is struggling to get by five years after her husbands’ death. On the same day we meet her she is lucky enough to meet Bray Johnson (Josh Lucas), a university lecturer who unwaveringly subscribes to the secret way of life, and who comes brandishing a manilla folder to give to the Wells’. However, Miranda crashes into the back of Bray’s car before they can officially meet, setting in motion a series of events that see Bray hold off on sharing his reasons for being in town because he believes he is heading down a far greater path. 

    It would be putting it lightly to say this is about as clichéd as it gets, but that did not have to be a bad thing. Small town love against the odds is overdone and always will be, but that does not mean it is impossible to put a unique spin on your interpretation. Unfortunately, Andy Tennant decided not to add any flair and instead produced the single most stock standard effortless motion picture I have seen in a long while. There is no risk here, and there is no excitement or vulnerability. All there is are predictable plotlines smothered in sap and southern accents.

    To make it all the worse, the performances from Holmes and Lucas are both effective. Lucas, in particular, makes for a perfect obnoxiously positive person. He does his part in convincing you this philosophy is worth believing in, thanks to his innate charm. The only issue is the sheer silliness and improbability of the things he is supposedly making happen by just believing that they will. For example, pizza arriving right after the children describe the exact pizza they want or finding the perfect piece of plastic to fix a roof because it was floating in the river he happened to be walking by. It is hard to imagine anyone reading the script without many an audible groan.

    The Secret may preach to dare to dream, but it fails to dare to be anything more than another failed attempt at translating self-help to the big screen.

  • All The Pretty Girls: Review

    All The Pretty Girls: Review

    Ncube’s All The Pretty Girls is the story of prisoners of war in Rostock, MeckPomm, in the late 70s. It blends docu film and fiction, in its exploration of what to do with the problem of evil. 

    The film is very personal and adopts a unique tone and style. The director presents the film, telling the story of its origin as a play, and the sociological and political context for the film.

    It is definitely a film of passion and a unique one at that. It definitely feels more like an art film rather than a documentary or a narrative piece. The process is deconstructed by Ncube, showing scenes and characters that he has cut, and sharing ideas about his process. 

    70% of the film is effectively Ncube’s play, on screen, in chrome, with a vignette on it, in 16:9 ratio. It is well acted and has a good script, but the whole thing does feel incomplete and difficult to actualise outside of its original theatre setting. It’s rare that a film set in one room is effective, let alone one where the actors and room don’t match the setting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcaXSW8EOE

    A very difficult subject matter which was very bold of Ncube to deconstruct and tell his story. It would be nice to see this idea developed further with a bigger budget and as a full feature some day, as I think it will permeate audiences a lot easier.