Category Archives: Mystery

Sirat

Sirat       4 ½ stars

At the opening of Sirat we see the words on the screen telling us that Sirat is the path between heaven and hell and that it is narrower than a strand of hair and sharper than a sword. These words serve as a warning for what the viewer is in for. Sirat, by Spanish film director Oliver Laxe, is the most slow-burning and harrowing film I have seen in a long time. As it progresses it becomes a test of endurance for the movie goer. The movie starts with hands building a large stack of speakers somewhere in the desert. Eventually, they are in place and the music starts. The sound we hear is that of loud rave music with a steady beat and non-melodic sound with over a hundred people seen dancing. They are some where in the Moroccan desert next to a mountain range. Luiz (Sergi López), a middle-aged Spanish man is wandering through the crowd with his young son, Estaban and their dog, showing a photo of his daughter to people asking if they have seen her. His daughter has been missing for months, and she was known to frequent these illegal rave events. Then a truck carrying armed soldiers appears, stopping the event and forcing the dancers to leave. As the crowd starts to drive away, a quintet of rave followers who are part of the crew drives off on their own path and Luiz decides to follow them in the hope that he may learn of the whereabouts of his daughter. There is another rave to be held in the desert in a few days, and they intend to get there driving through the desert. (They are driving a large truck and an RV, but Luiz and his son are in a mini-van that is not equipped for the rough roads.) We hear radio reports making vague references to there being a state of war. Later, they see troop convoys making their way through the desert. This movie is not about the search for a missing daughter, but something much more ominous and existential. Initially, it may look like a road trip movie, but it isn’t Thelma and Louise or even Mad Max. These travelers find themselves in one of the most isolated and unforgiving places imaginable. It is a place practically devoid of human or animal life. The mood of the film changes to something more ominous and is aided by a loud and hypnotic sounding score like nothing I have heard before. There are long stretches of the film showing the voyagers driving through the plains and on dangerous mountain roads with quiet rest stops along the way. As they make progress one gets the feeling of dread and heightened tension while wondering where the film is going. Then the sudden shock comes at the most unexpected time leaving the viewer completely stunned. The film may be described as an obscure arthouse film, but it is absolutely devastating and will not be forgotten. Besides López, all the cast are non-professionals who Laxe found among actual rave goers as he has followed the rave scene for the last six years. Thus, the actors are very authentic. Sirat is nominated for Academy Awards in the Best International Feature and Best Sound categories and is deserving in both categories. Of the nominated foreign films I have seen, I find only The Secret Agent to possibly be superior to this extraordinary film. You are warned though that this one is not for everyone.

Scream 7

Scream 7              2 stars

It has been four years since the Ghostface killer appeared once again in Woodsboro to continue his murderous spree on the local teenagers and others, who are related in some way to Sidney Prescott (Neve Cambell), the original victim of the knife wielding Ghostface going back to the nineties. But then, the very next year he showed up again in New York City in search of more victims, (only minus Sidney since she moved away to an undisclosed location (in Scream VI)). This perpetual killer did not let that stop him though. By now you know the formula. Ghostface makes a sudden appearance in Woodsboro, going on his usual rampage killing victims that are in some way connected to our heroine, Sidney. Some local sleuths come up with theories about who the killer or killers may be (Usually there are more than one.) Then there is a final confrontation where the mask comes off and we discover the identity of the real killer who gives a speech on why Sidney deserves to die, only to be killed by one of our heroes in a thrilling climax. Scream 7 has arrived in theaters and it is much the same story as we have seen in the previous six movies going all the way back to 1996. This time around Ghostface has tracked Sidney down in a different town, only now it is Sidney Evans’ daughter, Tatum (Isabel May of 1883) that he is after. The name is Evans now since Sidney is married to the local police chief, Mark Evans (Joel McCale of Community). In Scream fashion we get an opening scene where a young couple goes on a tour of a house built to recreate the original crime scene complete with Stab movie posters and a Ghostface mechanical figure, only to face their end at the hands of the costumed killer. Ghostface goes on to make threats to Sidney over the phone using that familiar, sinister voice, then follows through by stabbing some of the local teens to death who happen to be friends of Tatum. Then the reporters show up to get the story including the famous Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox returning for her seventh appearance) and her two minions. The rest is basically a repeat of the time-tested routine, when the killer’s identity is discovered and we get the same result. The writer of the original Scream movies, Kevin Williamson returns, this time as both writer and director to bring us this seventh of the series. The earlier directors of the franchise were Wes Craven, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. But there was an actual variation in the latest movie. In what can be called Ghostface meets AI, things get more complicated for poor Sidney with the creation of AI videos showing previous killers thought long dead reappearing on screen to make more threats. Thus, we see once again Dewey (David Arquette) and Stu (Matthew Lillard) making appearances on screen. The use of AI (without actually using AI in the movie) is an added twist that does nothing to add to the story. In my review of Scream VI, I said that it was time to call it quits on the franchise, but the filmmakers didn’t listen to me. My guess is that there will be a Scream 8 one day. But remember, Shoot ‘em in the head!

The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch    2 ½ stars

The Goldfinch is the film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name about Theodore, a boy who suffers through the death of his mother in a terrorist attack on the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  There is a lot to pack in to this story in two and a half hours, but the story unfolds very slowly before certain secrets are revealed.  The film has several time jumps as the story goes from the time the boy is a teenager being cared for by his mother’s saintly friend (Nicole Kidman) and his uncaring father (Luke Wilson) and then to Theodore as a young man (Ansel Elgort) working with an antiques dealer (Jeffrey Wright).  The movie takes an extremely long time for the story to come together and it hits us again and again with its symbolism such as the red headed girl Theo is fascinated with.  If you watch this one don’t do it too late at night or it may put you to sleep long before reaching the end.

The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent             5 stars

A favorite genre of mine is the political thriller and if you share this feeling, you should not miss Kleber Mendonca Filho’s extraordinary movie The Secret Agent. The setting is 1977 southern Brazil, a time of extreme authoritarianism and oppression that feels appropriate for today. Early on we meet Marcelo (Wagner Moura of Civil War and Dope Thief) who is driving a bright yellow VW Beetle through desolate country and stops at an isolated gas station to buy gas. There is a dead body that has been lying on the ground for days with the attendant explaining that he tried to rob the place and got what he deserved. They are still waiting for the police, but the police have their hands full as Carnivale is in full swing. (It is mentioned that there have been 91 deaths reported during Carnivale so far.) When police car does show up, they are only interested in trying to shake down Marcelo for some cash. This movie packs a lot in its 2-hour, 41-minute runtime. There are corrupt cops that engage in killings and disposal of bodies (and body parts), a loose knit organization that protects people in trouble by hiding them and giving them new identities, discoveries of body parts inside the stomachs of sharks, a corrupt businessman who will let no one stand in the way of his greed, a pair of professional hitmen and a mysterious dismembered “hairy leg” that attacks people in a park. What I really like about the movie is the way the story is told. The characters are introduced slowly, and we don’t get much background to start with. Marcelo finds a room to stay, in a house belonging to an old woman who seems to have a lot of connections. He has a young son who is staying with the boy’s grandparents. Other characters are introduced, such as the corrupt police chief, but we don’t know how they are related to Marcelo. Eventually, we learn more using flashbacks and learn that Marcelo was a researcher at a company with government funding. The pacing starts out very slowly, but builds as the characters are developed and the relationships become clearer. Finally, the tension rises to a fever pitch as the paths of the characters finally cross. But that is not enough. The director has added scenes at the end that take place decades later that deliver the message that time does not heal all wounds. This is the way a good thriller is supposed to be made. A nice tough is seeing how communication was done in the age before cell phones and the internet. Everything was land lines and telegrams. There is little doubt about why The Secret Agent was nominated for the Best Picture, Best Actor, Casting and Best International Feature Film Academy Awards this year. Filho has made many other well received films, but as they are from Brazil, I have not heard about them before. He is getting some major recognition this year.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse                 4 stars

The Lighthouse is a very dark moody horror film that follows the interactions of two lightkeepers who must work together on an isolated island somewhere in New England in the 1890’s.  This film is by the horror movie master, Robert Eggers who made The Witch a couple of years ago.  This movie may not have quite the supernatural elements that that excellent horror movie did, but certainly scores on its hopeless mood using black and white filming, a smaller screen and some very mournful music and sound effects.  The two actors portraying the lightkeepers give us amazing performances.  Willem Dafoe is the aging experienced man who gives the orders, instructing the younger worker, Robert Pattinson in some of the worst back breaking, miserable work you can imagine.  Both give us haunting and masterful performances.  If there were an Oscar for the best curses uttered by an actor, Dafoe would win easily.  The story centers on the conversations and interactions between the two men as they alternate from hating each other to showing genuine concern for one another.  But ultimately the movie is about a slow descent into madness with a few fantasy elements thrown in.  It is up to the viewer to interpret what these fantasy scenes are about.  And since it is a horror movie there are some very unsettling scenes involving human bodily functions and sexual images.  This film is definitely a downer about humans in a deteriorating situation, but does it in a most impressive manner.  It is not a movie for everyone.

It Was Just an Accident

It Was Just an Accident                  4 stars

It Was Just an Accident, by the noted Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panahi is a revenge movie but is deeper than that as it questions the cost of revenge. I have never seen any of Panahi’s other films, but I understand that he has many productions to his name and is well regarded. A minor accident at the beginning of the film sets in motion a series of events that will have a lasting effect on the lives of several persons that were held captive in a notorious prison run by the oppressive Iranian government. Vahid is a mechanic who one day hears the sounds of a customer in his shop who is being served by his partner. He thinks he recognizes the customer’s limp as the prison guard who tormented him using “enhanced interrogations” while he was being held in prison years earlier. The man is Rashid, a man with a family, who walks with a limp because he has an artificial limb. Vahid schemes to find Rashid’s home, follow him and kidnap him, then sets about trying to bury him alive in the desert. But Vahid’s problem is he can’t be absolutely sure he has the right man since he was always kept blindfolded while in prison. So, he sets out to find other people who were also held prisoner and tortured by the same guard, bringing them all together to identify Rachid and confront their own past nightmares. They have heated arguments about the situation discussing whether to let him go or execute him. Things get even more complicated for them when they find out that Rachid has a wife who is in desperate need of medical aid and they must help her and the couple’s daughter. They find that given the chance for revenge, the cost to their being and sanity may not be worth any satisfaction they may receive. The ending is very powerful and not what I expected. Jafar Panahi was himself held prisoner by the authoritarian regime and was prohibited from making more films, but he hasn’t let that stop him. You can understand why the Iranian government doesn’t want him to express his views. He made this movie without the knowledge of the government using amateur actors and what could be termed as low production techniques, filming it all in Iran. Nevertheless, he has produced a powerful film, one that achieved critical success and won awards at the Cannes Film Festival last year. I was lucky enough to find it in the theater where I saw the full effect of the drama. Don’t be surprised to see it mentioned in the Academy Award nominations in a few weeks. It happens to be the official Academy Award foreign film submission from France.

The Good Liar

The Good Liar                    3 ½ stars

The Good Liar brings together two senior Hollywood legends in Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren for an intricate con game as McKellen’s Roy, an experienced con man seeks to gain the trust of elderly widow Betty (Mirren) and deprive her of her millions in life savings.  We get a steady building story for a while as we learn of Roy’s background as a con man and see how he convinces Betty that he is everything she is looking for after they meet with the help of an online dating service for mature people.  All is not perfect as Betty’s grandson Stephen (Russell Tovey from Years and Years) gets suspicious and looks into Roy’s background.  The viewer gets a good dose of Roy’s character as certain scenes make it clear that he has little regard for the suffering of others.  Things take a turn when flashbacks reveal some of Roy’s true story dating back to the 1940’s.  After this point things start to get a little unbelievable when the characters make decisions that you wouldn’t expect them to.  The movie does have a twist as all good con movies should, but it’s not unexpected as the promotions for the movie have already hinted at it.  This movie gets an A for the acting talents of its stars and C for the story.  It’s best to see this one if you haven’t already seen the previews.
 

Knives Out

Knives Out                          4 ½ stars

One of the best movies of this year has to be Knives Out, the traditional murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie.  Written and directed by Rian Johnson, the renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been hired to solve the murder of crime mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) who has been found in his estate with his throat cut.  There is no shortage of suspects as his entire dysfunctional family seem to have enough motive to do him in.  there is plenty of changes in direction and red herrings as are required in a good mystery.  One such event happens at the reading of the will which points to one particular suspect of great interest.  It is then up to the great Blanc to sift through all of the clues and mis-directions to come up with the real explanation for Harley’s demise.  The movie is filled with stars including Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette and Frank Oz.  This is a very enjoyable film that will keep your interest throughout.

Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman   4 Suns

Promising Young Woman is about a young woman,  Cassie (Carey Mulligan) who seems unambitious working as a coffee barista and living with her parents.  She is a drop out from medical school,  but now she spends her nights going to clubs where she plays out a scheme against any men who would seek to take advantage of women who are no longer in control of their senses.  It turns out that her best friend was a victim of such a circumstance and died as a result,  so this is Cassie’s way of seeking revenge against predatory men.  Along the way she learns new information about those involved in her friend’s case,  and the stakes of her vendetta reach a higher level.  The story is a fascinating one that brings some surprising twists along the way and I must say I did not see where it was going.  Carey Mulligan,  one of my favorite young actresses gives a superb performance.  I first saw her in An Education back in 2009 when she was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award.  I also thought the choice of songs used in the story telling was especially effective. If you are a frequent viewer of tv sitcoms, you will probably recognize several of the supporting cast. 

Lost Girls

Lost Girls  4 1/2 Suns 

Lost Girls is a true crime drama based on a novel by the same name.  Murder stories seem to be a theme this year as this is the third film I’ve seen involving the murder of a young woman.  When her adult daughter goes missing Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) must take matters into her own hands because of a lack of action on the part of the local police.  She traces her movements and last contacts of her daughter to an exclusive Long Island neighborhood where the neighbors seem to all protect one another.  Her daughter’s actions indicate that she was a prostitute getting clients online. The stakes increase dramatically when the police discover an area near this neighborhood is being used as a dumping ground for bodies of prostitutes which becomes the case of the Long Island Killer.  The police continue to mishandle the case causing endless frustration for Mari, her two younger daughters and families of the other dead girls in the case. They appear to be less interested in a case involving dead and missing prostitutes than they would with more important victims. It is only through the constant efforts of Mari to get answers that any real progress is made in the case.  I found it to be a powerful police drama because of a good script and a strong performance by Ryan as the girl’s determined mother. There are also fine performances from Thomasin McKenzie as Mari’s second daughter and Gabriel Byrne as the police commissioner. Sadly,  the real Mari Gilbert died shortly after production on the movie started and did not get to see the result.