Film reviews

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review

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Why would there be the title The Strangers: Chapter 1? There were The Strangers, directed by Bryan Bertino, and The Strangers: Prey at Night, directed by Johannes Roberts. Bertino’s making of The Strangers remains the best one to this day. The Strangers: Prey at Night already takes the idea from the original and is mediocre. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is even more of a mess. It is a complete repeat of Bertino’s direction with some shifts. The “shifts” are drastic. The franchise finds its roots in silliness.

Bertino made use of his limited budget with his direction of The Strangers with his limited budget. He was also the original creator and writer. He had a mind to shock his audience. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is scares beyond the limits of predictability.

The film takes place around Oregon. A couple is going on a getaway. They are Maya (played by Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (played by Froy Gutierrez). Their vehicle breaks down. They find themselves staying in a rented cabin in a remote forest. There are shady characters around the cabin. A night of romance becomes a night of a nightmare. It all starts with someone coming to the cabin and asking for someone who is not home. After that, three masked killers are on to Maya and Ryan. One is wearing a scarecrow mask, another is wearing a doll face mask, and the third is wearing a pin-up mask. 

As I have said before, it is a repeating feature. Poorly captured. I kept thinking back to moments from Bertino’s version. I would ask myself what direction is this trying to satisfy. In reality, it does not “satisfy” anything. It only fails to keep finding its roots in a drastic horror film. 

In its entirety, there is no clear line to finding the good in The Strangers: Chapter 1. Its writing and directions pick itself to fall in despair. The vibe of creating a horrific sophistication is one where “vibe” flaws. It does with a lack of structure in building the moving parts. In the moments when Ryan and Maya try to find their means of survival, there is no feeling of captivation. There are thoughts for its audience on how it is ripping off the original project of Bertino.

Is there a cabin in a forest? Yes. Does it start with someone knocking on the door? Yes. Do Ryan and Maya do all they can to fight back? Yes. Would it be better to revisit The Strangers from 2008? Absolutely. If the audience plans to watch this version, they should refresh their memory from the realism of the one from 2008. That one still had shaky moments that are hard to dismiss. 

The Strangers: Chapter 1 may be entertaining if people get a kick of horror. If fans have The Strangers from 2008 and then The Strangers: Prey at Night in 2018, The Strangers: Chapter 1 may be an easy pass. It is very hit-or-miss. There are no new gems to create something more terrorizing than the previous two in The Strangers: Chapter 1. There are moments to pick up on. That is all because of its goal to try and seem more appealing and start from the beginning. It does not accomplish anything of a revelation. One-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Back to Black Review

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The film adaptation of Amy Winehouse’s story is unsettling.While the film about her life seemed compelling, it spiraled downhill just like her life and left me with mixed feelings. Back to Black is written by Sam Taylor-Johnson and I had faith in her ability to direct this adaptation. Given her direction of Nowhere Boy in 2009, I felt Taylor-Johnson had the track record to make this type of movie a success. Back to Black is interesting, yet somewhat inconsistent. It is a deep and thorough look into the complicated life of Winehouse. The pacing is what causes it to not exactly hit the mark.

Marisa Abela plays Amy. She has the voice, the attitude, and the personality that sends electricity through the screen. Eddie Marsen plays Mitch, Amy’s father, who always looks out for his daughter. Jack O’Connell plays Blake, Amy’s husband, and the love of Amy’s life. Amy has people in her life who provide much support. Her life, however, is condemned because it is fueled by pressure, attention, and alcohol and drug abuse. Amy’s mentality fluctuates with the many hurdles of her instability.

The beginning of Back to Black features the happy moments of Amy’s life. This approach takes away the realistic point of view that the film could have had and jumps quickly to fame. The background of the Winehouse family is explored with in-depth writing, but Amy’s drug use is the hidden secret in Back to Black.

The pacing is what caused my mind to wander during the film.There was so much of the film focused on Amy’s musical fameand accomplishments, and then the spiral down to personal tragedies. The story picks itself up when her relapse into drug abuse begins to hover over her head. When that happens, Back to Black feels like an overwhelming array of overly done dramatics which does not work in the film’s favor.

The style of filmmaking does not do the story justice and is not as captivating as it could be. Amy says, “Music is my rehab.” Those words prove she was in denial about her addictions. Why make her addictions the primary focus?  The story could have had more layers by also focusing on art and empathy. Amy was such a deep character and reflecting that in the film’s writing could have led to an improved result.

My level of respect for the film was boosted by how managed to capture the reality of who Amy was. While she was growing popular, she was throwing it away. The movie painted a clear picture of her journey with addiction. People love Amy for her music but find it harder to accept the conflicts she fought within herself. While her story has some happiness, the downward spiral of sadness is pervasive.

Back to Black does reveal the extreme difficulty people face when fighting to overcome addictions. It also shows how fame becoming someone’s new normal can have negative consequences. The themes of addiction and fame are authentic in Back to Black, but I still give the film just two out of four stars. 

Film reviews

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Review

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Directed by Guy Ritchie, audiences know there is a structured treat from his filmmaking. A film by Ritchie tends to be cheesy. That is the way that it works. In The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the title is “cheesy.” The structure of it is also. The “cheesy” moments create a pattern of hilarity with inventive outcomes. The “inventive outcomes” are the depths of genius punchlines. The film consists of characters that appear to be amateur 007 soldiers. The lead soldier is Henry Cavill. Cavill is the king of witty gems throughout The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

I would define this film as a lighter version of Inglorious Basterds. It still has tons of mayhem and vulgar humor. It just is toned to the right amount. The setting is 1939, in the World War II era. Cavill plays Gus March-Phillips. His task is to assemble a team. Their mission is to take down the enemy lines coming from Germany. The men on his team are Anders Lassen (played by Alan Ritchson), Geoffrey Appleyard (played by Alex Pettyfer), Henry Fayes (played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin), and Freddy Alvarez (played by Henry Golding). The two spies on the outside are Marjorie Stewart (played by Eiza Gonzalez) and Heron (played by Babs Olusanmokun). The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a true story. It is a film with the steps towards what created the modern black operations. The reason why March-Phillips is the one assembled is because he does not follow orders. The risk-taking soldiers are what is needed to take on the unexpected mayhem. Ritchie knows when to be explosive.

Is the film serious? It is with the mission. With the humor, it is spot-on and fun to laugh and vibe with. It is a spy operation foundation that has the galore of explosive dissipation. Infiltration is key. It is with classifications of egos. With Cavill as the captain, he has got that attitude that he is undefeated while also keeping that sarcastic mindset. 

To return to the elaborations, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare surrounds the objective of U-boats and warships. Boats and places are the targets in the World War II era. The founder of the operation is Churchill (played by Rory Kinnear). The other commander-in-chief is Brigadier Gubbins ‘M’ (played by Cary Elwes). The superior characters are ones of knowledge and risk. The attitudes and the dynamics have a chemistry of knowing the risks of the mission and creating moments of sanity that are to die for. 

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had me in thoughts of history. Was there accuracy to the film? Was there inaccuracy? Regardless, it kills with mind-blowing misdirection. The writing of the Allies keeps its flow. It stays focused. With a team of a force that goes by no rules, giving it their all is what the audience will find joy in with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Each team member has a mind-boggling quality. Richie gives his characters something to be remembered by before the action happens.

Will the mission go according to plan? What are the risks? Who is more skilled? The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a firework ride of history with killer personalities. Three out of four stars.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!