"Don't worry, it's just a pack of wolves."
Jumanji (1995). Welcome to the 23rd edition of The Reel!
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Estimated reading time: 5m 56s.
New year, new me.
No more getting up early and exercising before work.
No more 10k runs while learning a language on Audible.
No more sobriety.
Those are all definitely habits I had for 2020, but no more I say!!!
One thing Iām hoping wonāt change, however, is bewildering movie scenes somehow making their way into major Hollywood releases.
From the blog that brought you this Brad Pitt masterpiece (featured back in The Reel no. 8), I present to you whatever the shit this is:
Again, I ask you, how many people had to sign off on this before it was filmed? And then edited into the final product?
I donāt know what they were going for, but I donāt think it was comedy (which they got).
Time for some reviews!
This week:Ā Ā Magic wishes, metaphysics, and unfortunately, old Robert De Niro.
šøĀ (More than) Acceptable in the 80s.
Wonder Woman 1984Ā (2020), film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
Poor Gal Gadot.
After a challenging 2020 where she created and performed with the cringiest celebrity supergroup of all time, the oft-controversial Israeli must have been praying for a box office smash with WW84.
Unfortunately, having a financially successful film during coronavirus is about as likely as me ever learning what āstar aniseā is.
A pity, as the latest celluloid appearance of the Queen of Themyscira is her best yet.
WW84 is a bombastic, barmy, bordering-on-batshit adventure romp that is as colourful (and unrealistic) as the comic books on which itās based.
The filmās extravagance is embodied by Pedro Pascalās megalomaniac caricature of a villain, Maxwell Lord. Between Lord and Kristen Wiigās relatable yet quite frightening Cheetah, WW84 easily has the best antagonists of any DCEU film to date.
The corny tone and whimsical plot do occasionally grate. Itās hard to feel like the stakes are high when āwishesā (of the magical variety) are central to proceedings.
But if you want some old-fashioned, over the top escapism, then grow out a mullet and sit on some synths because you are travelling to 1984!
Look out for:
The āAmazon Gamesā competition that opens the film is breathtaking (unfortunately the CGI is downhill from there). Keep an ear out for John Murphyās perenially epic theme from Sunshine which plays during an especially rousing, superheroic moment.
If you liked this:Ā Ā
DCās cinematic output over the last 10 years has wavered between average and embarrassing, so thereās not much better than this (aside from the decent first Wonder Woman). Iāve high hopes for the Margot Robbie/Harley Quinn-led The Suicide Squad, out later this year.
Rating:Ā āāā
š·Comin' to ya, on a dusty road.
SoulĀ (2020), film, directed by Pete Docter.
Soul is the most recent āmade-for-kids-but-will-emotionally-devastate-adultsā animated feature from Pixar.
This tweet is incredibly apt:
This time itās not toys, or dinosaurs, or superheroes.
(Incidentally, what is the opposite of a glow up? Because The Incredibles to The Incredibles 2 is a perfect example of a reverse glow up.)
In Soul weāre talking soul, baby. Our protagonist is middle-aged teacher and jazz musician Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who falls down a manhole in New York City and finds himself in a quasi-afterlife.
He must get his āsoulā back to his body, and help another troublesome afterlife dweller (voiced by Tina Fey) do the same.
Itās not the best Pixar film, or the funniest, but by God is it moving. And not in a āfriendship is importantā way ā in an existential, metaphysical, āwhat do I truly value in lifeā kind of way.
(Again, see tweet above.)
Couple the philosophical bent with predictably jaw-dropping animation, and Soul firmly ranks in the upper echelon of Pixarās portfolio.
Now if youāll excuse me, I have daily minutiae to appreciate and social media notifications to IGNORE.
Look out for:
If youāve seen this film then you know what Iām about to say here. Weāre talkinā Graham. Weāre talkinā Norton. Weāre talkinā cāmonnn Ireland. Everyoneās favourite chat show host voices a minor role with great aplomb.
If you liked this:Ā Ā
Youāve probably seen every Pixar film ever, but are you au fait with their shorts? 2013ās Lifted is a five minute masterpiece in animated, no dialogue comedy. Animation student Jacob Frey managed to out-Pixar Pixar with 2014ās beautiful The Present, which he created for his thesis.
Rating:Ā āāāā
ā© Quickies
Short and snappy reviews for a short and snappy time:
Palm SpringsĀ (2020, film, dir. Max Barbakow): āāāā
That itās being touted as an Oscar contender is testament to both this filmās quality and the severely diminished releases this year. Not a Best Picture winner in any man/woman/childās book, but an immensely enjoyable, clever, Groundhog Day comedy.
Little FockersĀ (2010, film, dir. Paul Weitz): ā
The Reel has not been kind to Robert De Niroās late career performances. Little Fockers changes nothing. Ben Stiller and his father-in-law are on good terms at the start of this Meet The Parents/Fockers sequel ā but it doesnāt last! Trouble is brewing! Prepare for laughterā¦ and boners! Weak to woeful, from everyone involved.
The Midnight SkyĀ (2020, film, dir. George Clooney): āāā
George Clooney stars and directs in a post-apocalyptic tale about the last person left on earth, at an observation outpost in the Arctic. Clooney, playing a terminally ill scientist, looks and sounds the part (and what a grim, elderly part it is). Can be a tad boring and unfocused, but absorbing enough to warrant viewing.
š Quote of the Week(s)
Dorothea: āI heard this story about a fish. He swims up to this older fish and says, "I'm trying to find this thing they call the ocean." "The ocean?" says the older fish. "That's what you're in right now." "This?" says the young fish. "This is water. What I want is the ocean.".ā
[Joe just stares, bewildered]
Dorothea: āSee you tomorrow.ā
This anecdote from Soul appears to be based on a story by Jesuit priest Fr. Anthony de Mello called, admirably, āThe Little Fishā.
I wonāt lie, Iām not entirely sure what it means. But it did cause me to stop and think, and you wouldnāt get that from your bloody TicTacs and Facegrams now would you!
š
Previously, in pop cultureā¦
Landmark events from the last two weeks in film and TV histoire:
Jan 1Ā - āTimeās Upā is announced in 2018, an initiative of 300 Hollywood women set up to fight sexual harassment in the industry.
Jan 7Ā -Ā Hollywood, nay the worldās greatest enigma, Nicolas Cage, is born in 1964.
Above (Simon Helberg): The Big Bang Theory actor and comedian delivers one of the best Nicolas Cage impressions (and dissections) youāll find.
Jan 12Ā -Ā Jiminy jillickers! The iconic 1966 Batman TV series, starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, debuts on ABC.
Jan 13Ā -Ā Jiminy serial killers! Less iconic but criminally (š) overlooked HBO series True Detective debuts in 2014.
ā
Th-th-thatās all, folks.
Thank you very much for reading!
My thanks to Jack āMagic Lampā Hennessy for sharing the clip in the intro (which is from the film Kong: Skull Island).
Do you take umbrage with the opinions in this blog?
Did Soul leave you dispirited?
Is Little Fockers your Citizen Kane?
Please ket me know! I always welcome feedback, comments, and movie/TV suggestions. You can find me onĀ Instagram,Ā LinkedIn, and you can reply directly to this email. š¤
If youād like to share The Reel, you can find all the relevant links by clicking the button here:
Thanks again, and Iāll see you in two weeks!
xxx
Previous Reels:
š Jan 4 -Ā Milkman, Where the Crawdads Sing, Blood Meridian.
š¬ Dec 23Ā - The Holiday, A Bad Moms Christmas, Fred Claus.
š¬Ā Nov 25 -Ā The Crown, Bewitched, Saving Mr. Banks.
You can find a catalogue of all previous editions of The ReelĀ here.