SYNOPSIS: A thoughtful retelling of Mary Shelley’s gothic science fiction novel, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” now streaminng on Netflix after its theatrical run, is an ambitious story of what it means to be human.
CAST: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Lauren Collins, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
REVIEW: Bold, bombastic and beautiful, Guillermo del Toro‘s “Frankenstein” is an emotionally charged story of father and son, of beauty and beasts and literary romanticism.
Del Toro is faithful to Shelley’s novel. He frames the story as Victor Frankenstein’s (Oscar Isaac) dying confession aboard the ship of an Arctic explorer, keeps Shelley’s empathetic take on The Creature (Jacob Elordi) and allows “the monster” a voice and the language to eloquently describe the heartbreaking tragedy of his life.
(MILD SPOILER ALERT) The most significant change comes at the end as del Toro opts for understanding over nihilism.
The Creature has always been a sympathetic character, but del Toro and Elordi humanize him in a way unlike any other portrayal. The hulking Creature is seemingly indestructible physically, but emotionally he’s a soulful character in search of family and love.
It looks like a Gothic horror movie but can’t rightly be called a traditional horror film. The horror of the story comes not from violence or gore, but from the abuses foisted upon the Creature by Victor his creator, but certainly not his protector. “If you will not reward me with love,” the Creature says to Victor, “I will indulge in rage.”
Victor’s existential quest, fueled by his sense of powerlessness over his mother’s passing, drives him create a life to defy death. In his success, however, comes the ultimate cruelty; the creation of a life, complete with deeply felt human emotions, but one unable to make a human connection.
It’s here, in this philosophical, reflective film, that del Toro amps up the empathy, weaving in notes of hope and questions about existence and one’s purpose in the great big world. The director loves monsters and that affection is infused in every frame of the film.
At 149 minutes del Toro allows himself the time to dig deep. He balances the story’s existential aspects with a touching sequence involving a blind man (David Bradley) who shows the Creature kindness, some adventure, colorful characters and even some superhero style action.
Del Toro’s movie is “Frankenstein” on a grand scale but in its reanimated heart, it is a simple story of father and son, of connections and family ties.
SYNOPSIS: Ron Howard’s “Eden” is a star-studded—Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Jude Law and Daniel Brühl— story of backstabbing, ego and survival set against the unforgiving landscape of a deserted Galápagos Island. Based on a true story, it’s a heart of darkness tale done on an operatic level.
CAST: Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace and Richard Roxburgh. Directed by Ron Howard.
REVIEW: Based on a true story, “Eden” is an ambitious psychological thriller from director Ron Howard about a utopia that echoes the savagery and societal collapse of “Lord of the Flies.”
The film begins in the early 1930s with Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby) leaving the chaos of post-World War I Germany behind in favor of the solitude of Floreana Island in the Galápagos. Ironically, the misanthropic Ritter spends his days writing a philosophical manifesto about the betterment of humanity.
His dispatches to Europe attract the attention of the open-hearted Heinz and Margaret Wittmer (Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney) who, much to Ritter’s annoyance, arrive with the hope of creating a community on the remote island.
Ritter’s solitude is further interrupted when the flamboyant Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas), and her two lovers land on the island with the idea of opening a luxury hotel on the beach.
A tale of survival, jealousy, betrayal, and violence, “Eden” is about the collapse of idealism. Director Ron Howard and screenwriter Noah Pink explore human nature through a jaundiced lens. The film takes its time escalating the power struggles that eventually erupt into violence, building tension as it does so, but a lack of energy in the film’s first half, as jealousy, deception, and betrayal blossom, makes our introduction to the story a bit of a slog.
Despite Jude Law’s full-frontal nudity and grotesque infected tooth, things liven up considerably when the larger-than-life Baroness and entourage show up. It’s a reset for the staid storytelling of the first half. Not only do her hedonistic ways alienate the island’s occupants, but she actively attempts to pit the Friederichs against the Wittmers. Her actions are the match to the powder keg, leading to the film’s more sordid aspects. The Baroness’s luridly glamorous presence adds some much-needed zip and Ana de Armas steals every scene she appears in with a deadly mix of charm and menace.
There is much to recommend in “Eden.” Gorgeous cinematography by Mathias Herndl and a tense score from Hans Zimmer go a long way to sell the story, but slack storytelling mars what could have been a fascinating trip to Floreana Island and the human condition.
SYNOPSIS: A thoughtful retelling of Mary Shelley’s gothic science fiction novel, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” now streaminng on Netflix after its theatrical run, is an ambitious story of what it means to be human.
