Film reviews

Teacher’s Pet Review

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When it comes to movies surrounding a classroom, there is always the sense of envious or evil deeds to bring out the best in students. This can be from the side of a student or the side of a teacher. Teacher’s Pet tangos with many complicated aspects. Within the writing of the film is a twisted plot where a teacher will do anything to feel he has power. Directed by Noam Kroll, this is Teacher’s Pet, an indie film of psychological suspense surrounding a battle between a student and a teacher—the level of risks is high.

Teacher’s Pet focuses on a senior named Clara (Michelle Torian). She is growing up in a home that has a blend of domestic and physical abuse, but she is smart and a devoted student. Her new teacher is Mr. Heller (Luke Barnett).  He takes the role of an English teacher and begins to bring out all kinds of strange writing assignments—many of which have weird grading scales and a lot of long and extended pages of composition.  Clara becomes a favorite of his. With that, he tells her that if she works as his assistant, it will help her out with grading and chances for a scholarship. The overpromises and the shady behavior carry layers of moving parts to create a mischievous  scenario.

As Clara begins to go down the road of pushing herself, Mr. Heller becomes more aggressive. He begins trying to get her to bring out her hate in her writing. He also has some hidden secrets that are disturbing. When lines are crossed, the cat-and-mouse game only gets tighter. Mr. Heller begins to punish Clara academically when he does not get what he wants. The film possesses a psychological dynamic that makes the audience wish for some retribution for the teacher.  I will say that I found the film to be eye-opening with much of the disturbing backstory of Mr. Heller. There are more than just strange behaviors in his role as a teacher however, as his dark side outside of the job comes into his working world as well.

Teacher’s Pet is quite stellar. The level of misdirection in the performances of Torian and Barnett is irresistible. The horror and anxiety track feels real. The film does not have hidden gems, as it brings out the horrid truth with overt bangs of terrorthat will surprise audiences. Of course, though the plot may be silly, the execution is well-written. It is a weird formula for success that is smothered with abusive tactics. Then there is a student that draws the line, and from there, she finds even more strangeness. The confrontations go forward from there. Once that happens, the free-for-all between the lines and lies topple like crazy. Teacher’s Pet holds no barriers. It is astounding. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Shelter Review

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I appreciate the many action flicks with Jason Statham in the lead, especially because he possesses an attitude of no empathy and unleashes all kinds of chaos. With his new film Shelter though, it was by far one of the dryest of thrillers. My mind was bored. I felt like I was watching paint dry in increments. It is not horrible, but the pacing is off. Shelter carries the fundamentals of an espionage flick with secrets, however, putting together the parts to execute a cohesive film keeps failing. There is a form of confusion that runs through Shelter. Where is the meaning behind all of the danger? There is little detail about why and how the events unfold.

The film’s main character is Michael Mason, played by Jason Statham. He lives in a lighthouse with peace and solitude. This all changes when a girl falls into his life and becomes his responsibility. Her name is Jessie, played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach. She ends up with Michael because he saves her from drowning. He tries to maintain a low-profile in her presence, because his history is one where there are many people after him.  This is where the pacing is in shambles.

Shelter maintains a strong suit of suspense. Especially in the dynamics of the performances from Statham and Breathnach. It was steady in moments, but overall, the film jumps to conclusions quickly. To elaborate, they go from a lighthouse setting to those who are part of operations of a spy organization hunt them—the solitude of Statham’s performance does not fit. The film opens with a man pursuing vengeance and works to make itself feel like some form of a James Bond movie. In the end though, it is just Statham playing his usual self.

Shelter jumps from authorities being tackled over to traps beingset in place, and continues on a rollercoaster of disaster action. Again, not horrible, but the pacing of trying to be mesmerizing or spectacular is not there whatsoever. The shambles of poor writing are above and beyond with Shelter. I was not sold. With that, my rating falls at two out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Send Help Review

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There is nothing more daunting than having a boss that is way over their head. There is also nothing worse than ending up on the same island with that superior. Directed by Sam Raimi, Send Help is a film where The Office meets Cast Away. Quirky and boisterous—Raimi knows how to feature egos which lead tofearless suspense. Send Help is a unique gem. While it is not mesmerizing, the flow of unexpected surprises makes it funny.

 In an island setting where peril abounds, Raimi knows how to create hate and consequences for humorous effect. Between the performances of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, Send Help is a boxing match for power, shelter, and survival. Survivor kept coming to my mind during Send Help, because Raimi is keen on showcasing one-of-a-kind groovy and sophisticated nature scenes. This time he does it with an employee who isstuck with their boss on an island off the grid.

Rachel McAdams plays Linda Liddle and Dylan O’Brien plays Bradley Preston. Linda tries to go above and beyond, and Bradley is her new boss with a pompous attitude. She displays the go-getter personality, and he displays the belittling personality. Right from the start, he is not fond of her. As they depart on a plane for a business trip, they find themselves stuck on an island. They realize that working together is going to improve their chances of survival. At the same time though, desperation is felt down to the core. With two colleagues and different personalities, the dynamic is nature vs. power. Bradley wants to maintain the power of overseeing Linda, yet Linda is more skilled outdoors. Their quirky interactions are stylized with laughs and crazy scares, especially when it comes to hunting wild boars and limited resources from the land.

This film is like a version of Cast Away for Raimi…with two colleagues. It works because it is a scenario where there are no other options. However, the element of hatred between the characters is built into the film’s writing and leads to many trial-and-error moments in the performances of McAdams and O’Brien. It is well-done from a creative perspective with no boundaries given the unexpected tracks the film journeys down.

The fact that these two colleagues stuck on an island already harbor resentment gave Raimi a door to explore jealousy in route to finding common ground. The film is enhanced by the fact that it takes place in a setting where there is no one to voice concerns. Send Help is a title that speaks for itself, because no one knows when assistance may or may not arrive. It could be days, weeks, or months. The question is how much pot stirring can be tolerated.

The island dangers carry sparks of intrigue where the anger and hatred between the boss and employee dazzle in Send Help. The island is eventually treated like the new normal. One character is equipped with the necessary skills to survive, and the other is not. The role of McAdams is the smart one on the island, and the role of O’Brien is dim-witted. Raimi knows how to successfully make the two interact with messy and clever misdirection. Send Help is astonishingly clever with fuming tones of joy. This is an island adventure with no limits and insanity that is off the charts. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Send Help.

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