This very well may be the shortest review I’ve ever written. Juror #2 (2024), Clint Eastwood’s most recent directorial effort (he also co-produces), very much leans on several legal dramas and thrillers from the past, most notably the classic 12 Angry Men, to great effect. Twisting the above mentioned film in clever fashion, in some ways, recovering alcoholic Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a stand-in for Henry Fonda’s Juror #8, as he too stands up for the man being charged with murder... the only difference is, he soon realizes that he knows a bit more about the case than the rest of the jurors (and even he originally thought). Though this is not a twist filled feature (à la Usual Suspects), much of its entertainment comes from watching it unfurl as it goes along – hence why very little of the plot will be disclosed here. It is also worth noting that, unlike 12 Angry Men, screenwriter Jonathan A. Abrams opens the story wide, allowing us to hear testimony, explore the crime scene, and discover actual truths we never got to see in the 1957 motion picture.
Following in the footsteps of movies like the Taken franchise, Mel Gibson’s most recent film (I am sure some of you are surprised to hear that he has a new flick) is a formulaic, yet entertaining action thriller that hits the right spot. Titled Blood Father, the motion picture is directed by Jean-François Richet (who made the underrated remake of Assault on Precinct 13 and the sadly overlooked Mesrine movies) and starts with a young woman buying an abundance of ammunition at a superstore – enough that we know that she is up to no good. Her name is Lydia (Erin Moriarty) and she soon joins a gang of thuggish looking men in the car, with her being attached to their slimy leader Jonah (Diego Luna). A player in the cartel, he has a number of stash houses being run by ordinary looking people – one of which has stolen from him. In too deep, Lydia is forced to tag along, as she has also gypped them, though she denies it. After an egregious mistake, the girl flees, luckily escaping the group’s long, hard grasp.
Taking characters from the classic western and transporting them into the modern age, Hell or High Water has its requisite share of cowboys, Indians, and cops and robbers, though it cleverly pairs the cowboy and Indian as two Texas Rangers hunting down a pair of outlaw bank robbers. Written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David Mackenzie, the story follows brothers Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby Howard (Chris Pine) as they travel through small Texas towns, robbing bank after bank as they go. Tanner, the older sibling, is a wild card criminal who has spent ten of his thirty-nine years behind bars. The brains of the operation, however, is Toby, a charming, clever man who meticulously plans each robbery. He has a melancholic aura, as the death of his mother, as well as a strained relationship with his ex-wife and two sons, has left him flapping alone in the wind.
Guillermo del Toro has quickly elevated himself to the level of super-stardom. The horror leaning director crafts loving stories that revolve around the monsters that haunt our nightmares, concocting vivid worlds that both touch our hearts as well as stop them – using stunningly crafted eerie atmospheres and shocking spectacles to succeed. So, I thought that I would reflect back on the director’s first motion picture, 1993's Cronos. Written and directed by the horror maestro, the film contains many of his staples that we have come to know and love – including rich characters, gothic horror elements, a fix of Ron Perlman, as well as countless other things.
In September we will mark the seventh anniversary of the death of Patrick Swayze. Becoming a powerhouse star of the 1980's and 1990's with classics such as Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Road House, Point Break, among others, the man left an indelible impact on the film industry. So, as a tribute here today, I am going to write about one of his last movie roles that can be found in the small, rarely seen 2005 British comedy Keeping Mum. Directed by Niall Johnson, the story follows a married reverend, Walter Goodfellow, played masterfully by Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), his wife Gloria, Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient), and their two children, as their lives become more and more impacted by their new housekeeper Grace, the endearing Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall from the Harry Potter franchise).
Tomorrow, the St. Lawrence International Film Festival will be putting on a special gala (in Potsdam, NY) where they are screening the Audience Award winner (for best Narrative Picture) from the Tribeca Film Festival – the dramatic horror movie Here Alone. One of the best little glitches that occurred at last years St. Lawrence International Film Festival was when I sat awaiting the showing of The Corpse of Anna Fritz. Instead of the foreign flick beginning, the projectionist mistakenly began to screen Here Alone director Rod Blackhurst’s 2014 short film Night Swim. Thankfully, the festival worker did not stop the compact flick, allowing it to play out before starting the full length feature.
Words are funny (and I don’t necessarily mean ha ha funny). Let me explain by way of an example: if I were to say, select the highest number between 5 and 8 – half of you would likely say 8, while some others would choose 7 (or 7.9), depending on how you perceive the word between. I use the word perceive, because perception is equally as fickle. Three people witnessing an automobile accident can sometimes see three very different things. Words and perception are used in clever fashion to exhume bloody humour in the 2010 comedy/horror flick Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Co-writer/director Eli Craig (as well as second co-scribe Morgan Jurgenson) flip our perception of what ‘should be’ from the very beginning. Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are two, for lack of a better word, hillbillies. . . but not those of horror past who enjoy slaughtering local travellers.