I sit with Deb Hutton on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and movies playing in theatres. We talk about actors covering musicians, how Matthew McConaughey trademarked likeness, voice, famous catchphrase to squash AI fakes, why Pamelas Anderson doesn’t want to sit next to Seth Rogen and a quick review of “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join the CTV NewsChanel to talk about the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire” and the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join the Bell Media Radio Network national night time show “Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift” to talk about the first animal ever nominated (and then to win) in a major acting category typically reserved for humans, the nexty season of “The White Lotus,” and two David Bowie stories to make fans smile. Then, on Booze & Reviews I have a look at “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” and suggest some drinks to enjoy while watching the movie.
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire” and the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: The fourth installment in the post-apocalyptic “28 Days” film series, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” picks up with young Rage Virus survivor Spike (Alfie Williams) joining cult leader Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) notorious gang. Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) bonds with a figure from the infected world. These alliances raise an important question: who should we fear, the ruthless survivors or the infected?
CAST: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry. Directed by Nia DaCosta.
REVIEW: A mix of brutality and compassion, and laced with dark humour, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” finds empathy amid chaos in a smart horror film heavy with subtext.
When the action picks up, soon after the events of last year’s grisly coming-of-age story “28 Years Later,” twelve-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), cut adrift in the Rage Virus infected mainland after the death of his father, is a reluctant member of a sadistic gang called the Jimmies, who model their look on notorious predator Jimmy Savile.
Led by sadistic cult leader Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (“Sinners” star Jack O’Connell), the self-proclaimed “favorite son of Old Nick,” the band of post-apocalyptic marauders—who all have names like Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), Jimmy Fox (Sam Locke), Jimmy Snake (Ghazi Al Ruffai), Jimmima (Emma Laird)—make the Droogs of “A Clockwork Oranges” look like do-gooders.
As they slice-and-dice their way through the world of the infected, inflicting their twisted ritualistic torture on anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path, elsewhere, former GP Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) discovers a kernel of humanity inside Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) the Alpha leader of the infected.
In Kelson’s Bone Temple, a wooded area decked out with skulls as a loving tribute to the dead, the Jimmies’ cruelty and Kelson’s indelible humanity collide.
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” features many gross and gory images. Samson scoops brains out of the skull of one of his victims with his fingers, and several folks are flayed alive in one particularly unpleasant sequence, but it isn’t the horrific bloodletting that will stick in the memory. The gruesome stuff is effectively done and highlights the inhumanity of the situation, but it is one bravado sequence, laden with heavy metal swagger, that imprints.
No spoilers here, but Iron Maiden has never looked so cool or so threatening. After the sequence, and you’ll know it when you see it, the audience I saw this with cheered and burst into applause like they were at a rock concert.
Laced with commentary about empathy over evil and extremism, about the double-edged search for purpose—one that leads the ruthless Jimmies down a path to savagery, while Kelson chooses a more benevolent journey—and the power of connection, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” paints a vivid picture of moral complexity in troubled times. That it provides thrills, one fiery, knock-out sequence, and manages to make Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” seem poignant, are added bonuses.
Rich in tone and story and propelled by terrific performances from Fiennes and O’Connell, it engages the head and heart.
SYNOPSIS: The third film in the “28 Days Later” post-apocalyptic horror franchise, “28 Years Later” takes place, as the title suggests, thirty years after the Rage virus devastated the UK. A small group of survivors lives in isolation on a fortified island accessible only by a causeway connected to the mainland. When one of the islanders and his son goes to the mainland, they discover the grim reality of the outside world. “There are strange people on the mainland,” says Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). “That’s why our home is so precious.”
CAST: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Erin Kellyman, Edvin Ryding. Directed by Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland.
REVIEW: A grisly coming-of-age story, “28 Years Later” has elements of graphic horror, but director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland focus on the emotional travails of its twelve-year-old protagonist Spike (Alfie Williams) to provide the film’s bleak tone. A mix and match of pulse racing action scenes and earnest introspection, it’s as much about the horror of growing up and learning about the harder edges of life as it is about the terror of the infected zombies.
Divided into two expeditions as Spike ventures into the mainland on a rite of passage with his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) to learn how to kill the infected—“The more you kill,” Jamie tells Spike, “the easier it gets.”—and later, as he goes back on a journey of discovery with his mother Isla (Jody Comer), the storytelling is episodic but bonded by the study of death in all its forms.
In a kill or be killed world, death is around every corner, and young Spike learns to process the existential idea of death as necessary to his own survival. His lessons deepen when death becomes personal and he learns to find meaning in loss, something that transcends the primal urge to survive.
Through death and loss, he learns about life and resilience. It’s this exploration of personal growth that separates “28 Years Later” from the previous films in the franchise which leaned into survival and systemic failures over emotional evolution.
“28 Years Later” features some unforgettable imagery. Partially shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras, Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle adopt a guerilla style that adds a frenetic intensity to the action sequences.
An abandoned Shell petrol station with a sign missing the “S,” is a playful reminder of the terrible situation that transpired as the Rage virus turned the area into a living hell.
Later, a long sequence in Dr. Ian Kelson’s (a terrific Ralph Fiennes) “Memento Mori,” a wooded area decked out with bones as a loving tribute to the dead, infected or otherwise, is visually stunning as an eerie reminder of mortality.
Despite some choppy storytelling, and a sequel ready ending, “28 Years Later” is a welcome addition to the franchise. More reflective, it is both intellectually and emotionally intense.
SYNOPSIS: In “Sinners,” a new Southern Gothic now playing in theatres, Michael B. Jordan stars in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, World War I veterans who came of age as part of Al Capone’s gang in Chicago. With a bag of Capone cash, some illegal prohibition hootch and a hope for a new beginning, they buy an old sawmill in their Southern, Jim Crow-segregated hometown with the intention of opening a juke joint. When Remmick (Jack O’Connell) shows up at their door, they are exposed to an evil like they’ve never experienced before. “You keep dancing with the devil,” says a preacher, “one day he’s going to follow you home.”
CAST: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, and Delroy Lindo. Directed by Ryan Coogler.
REVIEW: Rich in detail, ambitious in its themes and knee deep in blood, “Sinners” defies easy categorization. Director Ryan Coogler calls the movie mashup “genre fluid,” and even that clever descriptor doesn’t come close to capturing the width and breadth of the story.
What begins as a portrait of brotherly ambition in the Jim Crow South broadens to become a story of building community, the spiritual impact of music and racism filtered through a Southern Gothic lens. That it is also a kickass vampire flick, with overtones of African folklore, doesn’t feel like an overstep. Great speculative fiction is never only about the scares or the monsters; they are comments on the society in which they are set. Coogler’s vampires are bloodthirsty predators hell bent on consuming the cultural identity of Smoke, Stack and their Juke Joint customers.
The film’s climax, (SLIGHT SPOILER) a battle between humans and vampires isn’t simply a blood splattered way to bring the movie to a close. In context, it’s a fight for survival, both physical and cultural. The vampires are, of course, supernatural creatures, but the threat they represent feels all too human.
It’s heady stuff wrapped up in an entertaining package. Coogler regular Michael B. Jordan—their previous films include “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed,” “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—impresses in the dual role of twin brothers. As Smoke he’s hardened, quick to temper. His take on Stack reveals a softer, more hopeful side. In totality it’s seamless work that doesn’t feel like a gimmick.
“Sinners” is ambitious, audacious and while it may rely a bit too heavily on flashbacks and feels like it goes a step or two too far to find its resolution, the boldness of its filmmaking delivers on both the pulpy and poignant aspects of the story.
LOGLINE: The Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela) biopic “Back to Black,” now playing in theatres, details the chaotic relationship with husband Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell) that inspired the internationally best-selling album “Back to Black.”
CAST: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Matt Greenhalgh.
REVIEW: With all the depth and curiosity of a Wikipedia page, “Back to Black” attempts to tell the tale of a complicated artist who left a mark, but who left us too soon. Painted in the broadest of strokes, this sad story of sex, drugs and jazz is buoyed somewhat by Marisa Abela, who looks and sounds like the late singer, but instead of becoming a well-rounded character, Winehouse comes across as a walking, talking attitude with an impressive beehive hairdo and an alcohol problem.
An early scene detailing the writing of “What Is It About Men” hints at what is to come. Struck by a bolt of inspiration, she sings, “My destructive side has grown a mile wide.” It’s a shame, then, that “Back to Black” wallows in Winehouse’s self-destruction.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, working from a script by Matt Greenhalgh, tiptoes around many of the story’s landmines—the intrusive paparazzi, the exploitation she suffered by those close to her—to focus on the doomed romance with Fielder-Civil. “I need to live my songs,” she says, and her relationship certainly did inspire many of “Back to Black’s” songs, but the focus on her obsessive love, punctuated by the occasional musical performance, shifts the focus from the joy of making music to the story’s tawdry aspects.
Amy Winehouse was a singular artist, a fearless performer who made her own rules, and dug deep to create her art. So, it’s a shame her biopic is such a standard cautionary tale that skims the surface. Recommended instead is “Amy,” director Asif Kapadia’s 2015 documentary that carefully, and fulsomely, examines the life of a person who, as Tony Bennett says, didn’t live long enough to learn how to live.
“Ferrari,” director Michael Mann’s long gestating look at the summer of 1957 and the existential crisis that plagued Italian motor racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari, both personally and professionally, goes flat out, even when it isn’t on the racetrack.
When we first meet Ferrari (Adam Driver) he is a cultural hero in Italy, but his company and marriage are falling apart. His advisors tell him he must take on a partner, like Ford or Fiat, and
Increase his consumer car sales by four times if he hopes to stay afloat. Trouble is, Ferrari wants complete control of his company, and that means no partner and concentrating on race cars, not street vehicles.
At home, his infidelity pushes his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) to extremes. She doesn’t care if he sleeps around, just so long as nobody knows about it. When he arrives home after the maid has served coffee, Laura expresses her displeasure by taking a potshot at him with a gun she carries for protection. That is, unfortunately, the extent of the passion left in the marriage.
Unbeknownst to Laura, who is grieving the loss of their young son, Enzo has a long-term relationship, and has fathered a son, with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), a woman he met, and fell in love with, during the war. As their son’s baptism approaches, Lina wants to know if the child will carry the name Ferrari, but Enzo has other things on his mind, like the imminent collapse of his company.
His financial advisor Giacomo Cuoghi (Giuseppe Bonifati) suggests entering the grueling, 1000-mile open road race, the Mille Miglia. A win would establish Ferrari supreme over their main rival Maserati, and hopefully encourage sales. “Win the Mille Miglia, Enzo,” Cuoghi says. “Or you are out of business.”
Working from a script by Troy Kennedy Martin, who wrote 1969s “The Italian Job,” Mann’s film feels like two movies on one. On one hand there’s the drama with Laura, Lina and the company. On the other is a piercing look at the dangerous world of racing, circa 1957. “It is our deadly passion,” Enzo tells racers Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), Peter Collins (Jack O’Connell), and Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey). “Our terrible joy.”
The racing scenes are exciting, shot with verve and style, with a couple of unexpected turns (literally) that vividly capture the dangers of racing. But the racing scenes feel conventional when stacked up against the more complex portraits of Enzo and Laura.
Driver plays Enzo as a charismatic man of action, a physically imposing person haunted by the voices of those who have gone before him, his father, his son and racing colleagues taken too soon. It reveals a rich inner life hidden by his stolid façade. Driver doles out Ferrari’s personality in dribs and drabs; the contented lover with Lina, the hard driving boss with his racers and the stoic husband no longer in love with his wife. All aspects of this performance come packaged in the form of a man treated like a deity—a priest even refers to him as a “god”—but prone to real world failings. Driver captures the public and personal to create a complex portrait of a man driven by a variety of forces.
He is at his best when opposite Cruz. Laura is a supporting character in the story over-all, but her agony/rage for a loveless marriage, a son she was powerless to save and a company she co-founded but is unable to have a say in, is palpable.
You can’t make a movie about Enzo Ferrari and not include racing, particularly the career defining Mille Miglia, but Mann wisely keeps the focus on the interpersonal. “Ferrari” has race scenes, several very effective ones, but the memorable moments happen when Driver and Cruz put the pedal to the emotional metal.
