Film reviews

Open-A-Eye Review

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There is no easy way to define the experience of Open-A-Eye. This film takes itself to the building points of personal moments connecting and disconnecting. Written and directed by David Ash, the question that lingers is how much AI can take over daily life.  This become especially concerning when one resorts to it just for companionship. Open-A-Eye feels transformative in that the introvert mode of its characters has a heavy presence before the technological components kick in. 

 

I appreciate all that technology offers, but even AI frustrates me. That is because I know deep-down it cannot truly replace a real human to feel connected. The approach of Ash’s directing is in her portrayal of a woman relying on a bot. A function that she feels gives her fulfillment in parts of her life where she lacks satisfaction. Surreal and stressful, Open-A-Eye is a portrait of reality, that is mind-boggling. Scientific with purpose, as the deeper into the AI relationship she goes, the riskier her personal choices become. 

 

Jodi, played by Bethany Ford Binkley, is the main character. The film begins with her sitting in her office and talking to a text-bot. She is trying to write a novel. Jodi has a background in writing, but her life seems to be in a holding pattern. She is pregnant and her husband, Alex,   who is played by Matt Bailey, quits his job to make a movie. That leads to be a pattern that does not go well. They spend their time in separate rooms. Jodi spends much of the time in her office, and she just focuses on screen-time. This becomes a point of concern. In a time when a lot of the world looks at screens for much of their day, Open-A-Eye creates a curiosity between reality and the world technology creates.

 

Jodi decides to join an app called Companion Chat. She can go in and select settings and personality modes. This creates an AI bot for her talk to. Her creation is a man named Ryan. He is played by Barrett O’Brien. They begin to have a relationship that goes deep, as Ryan seems to be making Jodi happy. However, she finds herself curious about how meaningful the relationship is.  She knows Ryan is not real. Also, with the relationship originating from a computer and an app, there are other factors of risk to be considered.

 

The tension in the film is quiet, yet intense. Primarily because the emotional aspects that come around throughout Open-A-Eyeare humanistic. There are moments where conflicts are linked between real adults, then it transitions back to Jodi and Ryan. With Ryan as an AI bot, the question of real and fake keeps lingering. There are a lot of emotional hurdles combined withconfusion, and a spiral of wonders leading to the curiosity of what is true happiness.

Alex tries to make his movie while dealing with the tension with Jodi. Jodi keeps trying to be in her world of fake happiness with Ryan. There are many binds that keep Open-A-Eye flowing. The quiet conflicts make us think to just shut the screens and talk to who is present. A project where there is more to reality than just relying on technological advancements to fulfill happiness. Dark and blurry at times. Overall truthful and faithful. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

 

Film reviews

Spades Review

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Written and directed by Johnny Yong Bosch, the direction of thisfilm loops in hurdles that keep the sensations going. Spades hasa brutal start, in a positive context in that it lends itself to the story. It is a path of terror that leads to the present, and a journey that is relentless. When there is a detective race against time, the clock starts ticking. Spades is vibrant and terrific. Filled with brutal violence, the film does have moments that key into why it comes out that way. 

 

The main character is James Bishop, played by Jason Narvy. He is a war-veteran who works nights as a detective. His wife is dead, and his connections with his daughter Lana are limited. Lana is played by Maya Brattkus. James has a partner on the job, Walt Mackland, played by Henry Roe. James suffers from traumas that linger after years of war, and when he is on the job, his vengeance lingers. He soon finds himself on a trail of murderers, traffickers, and a masked vigilante by the name of Spades. Spades is played by Bosch himself, the director, playing the vigilante on both sides of the law. However, he does so in a gritty way.

 

When there is a crime, Spades tells his victims at the scene to choose a card. Many times, that choice leads to death. He has a past that he cannot forget, much like James. However, James finds himself in the scenario of dealing with a crime boss named Saito. Saito is played by Nobuaki Shimamoto. He partners with his son Keiji in all kinds of crimes. Keiji is played by Kaiji Tang. They kill a crime boss to take a bigger piece of the pie, and James is the detective trying to put the pieces together to hold them accountable. As he keeps getting closer, Spades interferes. Spades hurts those who are bad, but he is just as bad as he aims to murder instead of turning criminals into the authorities.

 

The vision of silent vigilantes is cleverly examined from the mind of Bosch, especially since he is the one playing the ghost himself. He is quite brave being the director to put on the mask as the villain. That is a clever twist with all the vengeance lingering in Spades. Much of the film goes through finding all the pieces, then another majority of it is the investigation. Later, expect a lot of gun violence moments with some levels of explosions. There is always a card that is thrown before something happens though—the moment for a literary device or a connection—which is why Bosch is brilliant with the direction of the suspense.

 

A grade A thriller that loops emotions in with actions to the top. A rollercoaster ride on a track that is broken and does not want to quit until it works right.  It keeps running through the tunnels of suspense for an entertaining run. With a masked suspect, deadly operations, and a corrupt detective, I was very sold with Spades. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Tony Review

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I always admired Anthony Bourdain. I followed his show on CNN Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. I enjoyed following along on his travels and appreciated his inspirational words. He had a unique view of the world that he blended with his own perspective. Throughout the many places he traveled, I was enthralled by his food choices, the places he would visit, and the conversations he would have. Tony reminds audiences of where it all started for Bourdain. 

When he took his own life in 2018, I was heartbroken. At the same time, however, it was a reminder that money and fame do not buy someone happiness. A life filled with food and travel was also a heavy road for Bourdain. Tony feels like the introduction to his journey—one of adventure, curiosity, creativity, but also an ego. Dominic Sessa plays the role of Bourdain very well. He embraces the younger Bourdain’s mindset with a passion that hits deeply.

Tony is set on getting a writer’s fellowship. He is convinced he is chosen. Based on his ego, words, and attitude, having a strong voice is how he shines throughout the film. He gets rejected but still has it in his head that he is on a mission. He finds himself working as a dishwasher at the Flagship Restaurant in Provincetown Massachusetts. His mentor goes by the name of Chef, and is played by Antonio Banderas. Tony’s days of new beginnings come around rapidly. Despite  being very vocal, he finds meaning in the kitchen with those he finds himself surrounded by. I always remember that Bourdain connected with many people around the world, even in the smallest of settings. This side of his character has layers which are portrayed cinematically in Tony. 

Tony also cares about a girl named Nancy, played by Emilia Jones. She is one of the reasons Tony ends up in Provincetown. Tony seems to be on a regular mission to create meaningful moments with someone who catches his eye. He may lie or may not seem like he has an artistic eye, but he has a vision and a purpose that is well-written throughout the film. The desire to be a unique artist is where Tony soars. Sessa is the king of admiration in his performance as Anthony Bourdain. 

Hard ground is also present in Tony. Working for Chef, Tony learns that he is strict about being on time and taking kitchen work seriously. He also cares a lot about quality which Tony needs to focus on to keep growing in the kitchen at The Flagship. When the menu grows, the competition to be a favorite grows too. Tony even finds himself having a  friendship with his colleague Sal, played by Leo Woodall. Sal is both a good and bad influence. Good in the kitchen, but bad on the outside. There are scenes when Tony and Sal experiment with drugs and party hard which leads to some tough times. Still, the characterizations and growth of Anthony Bourdain stays on track and is the primary focus.

Director Matt Johnson has an eye for capturing the human-side of competition. He mastered this with characterizations and dynamics in BlackBerry. He has an eye for showcasing the visuals of someone who wants to feel like a winner, even when the individual has some qualities which are lacking. In Sessa’s performance, it is clear that Tony’s quality involved staying true to himself. Nevertheless, Bourdain fully accepted that years later throughout his restaurants and his TV series. Finding one’s voice and staying motivated to achieve meaningful success while remaining empathetic is what makes Tony astonishing.

Filled with food quotes and conversations, the context of care was extraordinary and surreal in Tony. Audiences can hear it in the words of Sessa in his monumental performance. When he is trying to win the attention of Nancy, there is a time when he tells her, “I like the way I feel when you look at me.” That moment shows deeply that Tony cared about who he was as a person. There is also a scene where he talks about wanting to write. Since he tends to lack skills with words and positive flows of conversation, he presents his approach to writing as, “An idea for an idea.” Tony reminds viewers of the many unique elements of Anthony Bourdain that helped him reach new heights over the decades. The movie is about the kitchen days of Bourdain, and those days are where the special times really soared. Four out four stars for Tony.

 

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