Orphan Black “The Collapse of Nature” Review (4×01)

15 Apr

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“Is this my life now?”

What a fascinating way to open a new season of Orphan Black. When the new year starts, you expect to get advancement of the present-day narrative and answers to lingering questions, but “The Collapse of Nature” defies expectations, instead choosing to delve into the backstory of Beth Childs. We already know her story–to an extent–through pieces of information that we’ve gleaned throughout the first three seasons, but that story has always been filtered through the eyes of Sarah Manning…and by extent, through the eyes of the other clones. Here, though, we get the backstory front and center, and it’s a great way to reintroduce us to the perfection that is Tatiana Maslany.

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Hardcore Henry Review

7 Apr

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This is pretty much a 90 minute video game, the only difference being that at least some video games have competent storytelling capabilities. Hardcore Henry wants you to believe that it has some depth, its nonstop barrage of action occasionally broken up by Flashback Tim Roth saying “pussy” and references to a half-baked storyline about bioengineering soldiers. Story and characters obviously aren’t the focuses in a movie like this, but without anything compelling to keep me watching, then what’s the point?

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Demolition Review

6 Apr

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Demolition is good enough for most of its runtime, its somewhat flimsy narrative bolstered by yet another great Jake Gyllenhaal performance. As an investment banker whose wife dies in a car crash, Gyllenhaal convincingly navigates the character’s post-accident life, his face a blank slate at one point and a cathartic frenzy at another, his dynamic with Judah Lewis’s Chris enjoyable enough to keep things watchable. Watts is solid, but she plays such a strangely conceived character that I’m not sure why Karen Moreno exists or what to think about her. Nevertheless, there are some interesting ideas in this movie about ennui, adulthood, and grief, and the movie builds up the illusion at first that it wants to explore those ideas in a slightly unconventional manner.

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Banshee “Something Out of the Bible” Review (4×01)

1 Apr

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“Remember, Hood, you’re not the sheriff anymore.”

“I never was.”

And thus returns the most badass show on television. The image above is a perfect encapsulation of this show in all its glory, and the fight scene that follows features the show’s typical impeccable camera work and choreography. It’s just all such a thrill to watch unfold, and although I’ll certainly miss these types of scenes after the series concludes, I’m simultaneously glad that Tropper and co. know when they want to end. Like Spartacus–the show that evoked the most similar response in me as this one does–Banshee is intent on going out with a bang, and I look forward to seeing Clay Burton lay waste to the entire world.

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Everybody Wants Some!! Review

31 Mar

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Everybody Wants Some!! is a free-flowing, testosterone-fueled display of college life. Booze is consumed, girls are admired, and country/punk/disco music is blasted as the last few days of summer wind down, and the guys on the baseball team are enjoying every second they have left before they have to sleep their way through classes again. Originally conceived of as covering the entire freshman year, the film narrows its scope to several days, yet still manages to encapsulate what feels like an entire college experience.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

28 Mar

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When I went to see this, there were six trailers that played beforehand, but I left the theater having seen another five or so during the actual movie itself. What this bloated, 150 minute slugfest seems to want to communicate is that other DC characters exist and that many movies can be constructed for them from the colossal burning carcass of a project that was Man of Steel. Get excited, because we have a big Marvel universe competitor on the market, led by the venerable Zack Snyder and his subtle hand. This is a man unscathed by his own dumpster fire of 2013, the rusty keys to the DC Universe in his hands as desperate studios throw money at his feet. This is a man unafraid to take the perfection that is Amy Adams and proceed to shit stupidity all over her storyline. This is a man who will doggedly pursue the best end product possible, even if it means sacrificing a coherent story and interesting characters and a competent editing job…you know, fluff like that.

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The Americans “Pastor Tim” Review (4×02)

23 Mar

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“I’m not who I was.”

One of the strengths of a great show like The Americans is its ability to develop its characters, to constantly have past experiences in mind as it crafts their present day storylines. In the quote above, we see a Nina who has come to terms with who she used to be and who she is now, and because of that, we can look at her note smuggling decision in a new light. This is slightly different from Philip and Elizabeth, both of whom I feel are still struggling to work through any connections–or disconnects–between past and present. However, bit by bit, things are coming together for them even as everything seems to be unraveling. Overall, the show tends to find these quiet moments of connection among the chaos, and that’s why it resonates so much for me.

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Krisha Review

21 Mar

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Krisha could very easily be a cliche-ridden, self indulgent home video fest that prioritizes style over substance. Fortunately, it avoids that description at almost every turn, telling its story with a ferocious intensity and a real understanding of an addict’s world (which is understandable considering the actors themselves were involved with the true story the film is based on). There’s a heart-wrenching personal story under the stylized surface, and it rapidly takes form through Krisha Fairchild’s incredible leading performance; every scene of hers is fraught with conflict and tension and anxiety, her face speaking volumes about what may be concealed and what may be about to burst onto the surface. It’s a difficult role that Fairchild nails perfectly.

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Midnight Special Review

17 Mar

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One of the treats of Midnight Special is its use of visual storytelling. The film takes its time in setting up its world and characters, letting images linger as mysteries swirl around in the twilight air. It’s about the journey more than the answers, and each development raises additional questions that Nichols is content to leave hanging. More important is his focus on the love a father has for his son, the love a mother has for her son, and the uniting belief in something greater, in something that inspires wonder and keeps us going. It’s this sense of science fiction wonder balanced out with the focus on family intimacy that drives the film, and this approach results in the evocative moments that Nichols-directed films can craft.

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The Americans “Glanders” Review (4×01)

16 Mar

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“I guess you never really know a person, do you?”

Since the beginning, The Americans has tackled the idea of identity from all angles. Its premise is already a treasure trove for that particular theme, and over the last three seasons, it has built a complex web of lies and deceit, slowly unraveling it all in season three with several big revelations. “Glanders” turns the show’s focus inward, delving into internal struggles raging in the minds of Philip, Paige, and Martha. It’s a premiere that kicks off the season in style, and it previews a season that is sure to be one of the best on television this year.

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