Archive for May, 2024

THE GREAT ESCAPER: 3 ½ STARS. “not a gritty film, but gritty in the way it expresses itself.”

LOGLINE: Based on a true story, in “The Great Escaper,” a new Michael Caine-Glenda Jackson movie now playing on theatres, a World War II veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

“He has done it before,” says wife Rene (Jackson) of her husband’s trip, “but then they were shooting at him.”

CAST: Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Will Fletcher, Laura Marcus, John Standing, Jackie Clune, Danielle Vitalis, Brennan Reece, Wolf Kahler. Directed by Oliver Parker.

REVIEW: This stranger-than-fiction story has all the hallmarks of a British against-all-odds, stiff-upper-lip drama, but transcends the “cheeky chappie” stereotypes and platitudes of those kinds of feel-good films with the performances of the late, great Glenda Jackson and eternal favorite Michael Caine. The story of a sprightly old codger cutting loose is deepened by the characters, a wartime couple who have rarely spent a moment apart since the end of WWII, and the film’s examination of loss, survivor’s guilt and screenwriter William Ivory’s celebration of growing up and growing old.

It’s heartfelt, but not sentimental. Jackson, who passed away months after filming, and Caine, who says this will be his last film, bring with them the lived-in mannerisms of a lifelong couple, people who have weathered life’s ups and downs, devoted to their lives together. It’s mostly in the subtext, but is summed up, touchingly and succinctly by Rene. “We have never wasted one second of our time together. We’ve only done, normal, little everyday things, but, by God we did them well. And we still do.”

Even though Caine and Jackson spend most of the film in separate countries, and are rarely ever in the same frame, their bond is the glue that holds “The Great Escaper” together.

Also touching, but again, not overly sentimental, are the interactions between Caine and fellow veteran Arthur (John Standing). The pair are strangers who meet on the way to the D-Day anniversary, but their common experience as soldiers, and shared psychological pain, give them a unique connection.

“The Great Escaper” uses the story to make a comment on the futility of war, while paying respect to those who perished. “What a waste,” Caine says, standing in a French soldier’s cemetery, as the camera pulls back to reveal hundreds of soldier’s graves. It’s a chilling and powerful show-me-don’t-tell-me moment that effectively uses images to make an impact.

“The Great Escaper” could easily have traded on nostalgia to tell its tale, softening the portrayal of the aging leads, but instead takes a much more realistic approach to make broader points about the lasting effects of war, our treatment of veterans and the risks of glorifying combat. It’s not a gritty film, but there is grit in the way it expresses itself.

EZRA: 3 STARS. “the movie thrives off the small details.”

LOGLINE: Bobby Cannavale plays Max Brandel, a stand-up comedian struggling to co-parent his autistic 10-year-old son Ezra (William Fitzgerald) with ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne). Since the divorce Max has spiraled, his once thriving career is in tatters. When he isn’t on stage oversharing about his personal life, he’s living with father Stan (Robert De Niro), a plain-spoken man, nicknamed Pop Pop, who Max barely tolerates. “Pop Pop,” says Max, “that’s appropriate. He’s like two gunshots, one to the head, one to the heart.”

When a doctor suggests treating Ezra’s impulsive behavior with medication and special schooling, Max uses an audition for a spot on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as an excuse to take Ezra, without Janna’s permission, on a cross-country road trip from New York to Los Angeles.

“I don’t want him in his own world,” Max says. “I want him in this world!”

CAST: Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Rainn Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel, Tony Goldwyn (who also directs).

REVIEW: This fractured family story, while episodic in nature, is bolstered by two stand-out lead performances and a strong supporting cast. Fitzgerald, who is neurodivergent, delivers natural work without the precociousness that sometimes mars the performances of younger actors.

As Max, a jittery comic with a short fuse and a big heart, Cannavale hands in career best work that both captures the cadences of a seasoned stand-up and the desperation of a loving father who makes bad decisions.

Together, their work feels honest and raw, a perfect match with the film’s weather-beaten tone.

Outside the main performances, the movie thrives off the small details. The way Vera Farmiga, as Max’s childhood friend, greets him after not seeing him for years, is all warmth and cuddles. Byrne’s gentle interactions with Ezra provide welcome tender moments, even when she is faced with the difficult decisions surrounding the institutionalization of her son.

Less effective is the story’s tendency toward emotional exploitation. The film’s road trip may be its liveliest portion, but as it winds through to its conclusion in Kimmel’s studio, screenwriter Tony Spiridakis and director Goldwyn, unleash a cascade of emotionality that threatens to wash away the more interesting, perceptive family drama that came before.

The result is a somewhat manipulative, but heartfelt look at the extremes parents will go to get the best for their children.

BACKSPOT: 2 ½ STARS. “choppy examination of the pursuit for excellence.”

LOGLINE: DJ, drummer, writer, director, and web series creator D.W. Waterson makes their feature directorial debut with “Backspot,” the story of a cheerleader (Devry Jacobs) whose perfectionism manifests itself with compulsive behavior. When she and her girlfriend (Kudakwashe Rutendo) are selected to be part of an elite squad, under the eye of an uncompromising coach (Evan Rachel Wood), the anxiety attacks intensify.

CAST: Devery Jacobs, Kudakwashe Rutendo, Evan Rachel Wood, Wendy Crewson, Shannyn Sossamon. Elliot Page is listed as one of the film’s producers.

REVIEW: Like a riff on “Whiplash” set against the rigors of elite cheerleading, “Backdrop” is a choppy examination of the pursuit for excellence. With a restless, jittery camera, Waterson captures the “no apologies, no fear” intensity of the training sessions and the frenetic excitement of the cheerleading performances, even if their fondness for close-ups over establishing shots gets in the way of showing those performances to full effect. But it’s in the actual storytelling where the film fails to stick the landing. Issues of respect, body image and abusive relationships are broached, but never meaningfully examined. Instead, the movie skims along the surface, leaning into its maximalist style, entertaining the eye, at the expense of engaging emotionally.

NEWSTALK 1010: “WIRED” ASKS “IS THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER DEAD?”

I joined NewsTalk 1010 guest host Deb Hutton on The Rush to respond to the “Wired” article “Shockbuster Season: Why the Death of the Summer Movie Is a Good Thing.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 19:50)

BNN: HAS Streaming has devalued the theatrical experience?

I joined BNN Bloomberg to talk about the weakest Memorial Day long weekend in nearly three decades.

Watch the whole thing HERE!