Film reviews

I Love Boosters Review

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Boots Riley is a master filmmaker who takes quirky ideas and turns them into something of pure imagination. His set-ups may look goofy, but he has the ability to set up his characters’ egos to deliver deeper meaning. After being fascinated by Sorry to Bother You, I Love Boosters places an emphasis on a risky subject matter—shoplifting. In the film, the moving parts include jealousy and surrealism. At first, the context might not appear serious enough, but in the end is mind-blowing in the way it explodes with cinematic colors. 

The film takes place in the San Franciso Bay area. The term “boosters” means shoplifters. The ladies in this boat are Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomie Ackie), and Mariah (Taylor Paige). They have a mission to steal because they want to get back at a high-end executive. This lady in power is Christie Smith (Demi Moore). There are lots of crazy angles in a world of fashion and favoritism that comes crashing together. Corvette is the main lady of focus in terms of her choices. The film focuses on her and the man on her mind, Pinky Ring Guy, played by LaKeith Stanfield. The hurdles to be jumped to achieve power feel like a fantasy of fanciful vindictiveness.

The film highlights the frustrations in the world of fashion and reminds viewers constantly that its characters are in a world of hate. For example, they must deal with an egotistical manager named Grayson (Will Poulter), who always blames conflicts on his staff. However, he is not the worst. Christie is. The gals will stop at nothing to take her down. The writing includes various imaginative revenge scenarios, but the farther the girls pursue payback, the harder it gets. Riley has a strong attitude of never giving up even if it leads to surprising outcomes. At one point, a van drives up and down escalators and into storefronts at the mall. The writing about the fashion scene is filled with amusing excitement and amazingly colorful flare ups.

There is a moment in the film when someone mentions they know the three Fs, i.e., fashion, forward, filanthropy. (Yes, they spell the final word with an f, not a ph!). The desire for fashionin the industry is examined from different angles as the characters pursue their missions. Somehow Riley makes it work because his characters have a diversity of personalities—no one goes down without a fight or by sacrificing their popularity in I Love Boosters.

This film is an invigorating ride where reality is out of this world. It’s a dazzling display of wishes coming true in weird yetfulfilling ways. Stanfield, Palmers and Moore are a cast and ensemble with a purpose. Stanfield has a laid-back and charming attitude. Palmer has bad intentions but also rocks with common alternatives. Finally, Moore. She is the nerd who is never wrong. Despite her glamourous power, her character is written to never lose. Despite all the revenge she faces, she remains the classic queen of evil. Audiences will adore these characters that Riley has used his innovative wonders to create in I Love Boosters. Four out of four stars.

Film reviews

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Review

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The film continues after the events of Season 3 of The Mandalorian. With mixed expectations, the Force maintains its strong suit in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. There are moments of flaws and scenes that feel a bit redundant. Regardless, the galaxy and characterizations still thrive well in this franchise. Directed by Jon Favreau, the adventures of The Mandalorian carry the weight of the franchise as an assigned mission is accomplished. I appreciate the honorable tone of someone keeping their word while utilizing powers for the better with cinematic vengeance in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

After the collapse of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy is still devastated. Pedro Pascal is Din Djarin aka The Mandalorian. He reports to the New Republic. After trying to maintain peace and do the right missions, he cannot keep up with the fallen sections around him. He has a new mission which is to rescue Rotta the Hutt, played by Jeremy Allen-White. White is the voice of the alien character. Then there is Ward, played by Sigourney Weaver. She assigns Din to this task. Din’s small alien creature is Grogu, basically a baby Yoda who does not speak. With the rebels clashing, and much evil resurfacing, Din and Grogu are in for one wild ride.

What I found joyful was how there were many moments whenDin wanted to keep his helmet primarily because The Mandalorian has the desire to hide his identity. At the same time, the helmet protects him. The film goes on an adventure of teamwork and competitions, many of which have deadly consequences, especially when they involve creatures and monsters. There is not so much lightsaber action, but more strategic attacks, which provides lots of fun in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Overall, I found inspiration because of the buddy dynamic between the film’s two main characters, Din and Grogu. This is a film that is continued from a series and follows the right steps to reach its conclusion. It loops in plenty of Star Wars elements and focuses on the most important. It is witty and inconsistent at times, but mostly spot-on.

The galaxies full of adventures leading to conclusions is where the film excels. The performance of Pascal as the king of destruction for a better cause is strong. His loyalty to the New Republic as The Mandalorian provides the “presence of importance” because without him, there is no mission. There is no one to hunt, but all around him there is a galaxy of keys to leaders, threats, and adventures. The moving parts are attention- grabbing in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.  I walked out feeling entertained but not blown away. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Wizard of the Kremlin Review

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Director Olivier Assayas always brings in politics to create intriguing projects which feel either compelling or overwhelming. I have seen this the most in Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria. He is good at creating a narrative where the focus is on an individual becoming a bigger human. However, the outside world is where the layers of conflict interfere. Many moments in his films are bold and daring. The Wizard of the Kremlin brings in falling from power over success. The film takes place in Russia with a backstory that starts with revolutionary dynamics.

The film begins with Rowland, played by Jeffrey Wright. He is a journalist visiting Russia. The narration begins with him primarily covering the landscape in Russia where the dangerous territory is. The story expands when Rowland meets Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano. Vadim has had much success in the arts and producing movies in Russia. However, things get tainted when he partners with Vladimir Putin (Jude Law). As the film moves forward, the scenes in Russia travel back to the past. It goes through the times when Vadim had success, and he explains all of this to Rowland. Assayas’ direction is faithful regarding how politics operate and often collapse instead of delivering anything positive. The politics in Russia continue to evolve and lead to nail-biting. The Wizard of the Kremlin pushes the narrative, yet I felt that the storyline kept sinking from superb to the point where things simply fell out of focus.

This is not Assayas’ best or his worst project. The artistic value and realism simply do not see eye-to-eye. There was phenomenal acting, but the misconstrued ends are too bold. Overall, it is still cinematically enticing given his tight grasp of complicated subject matter. Still, many aspects could have been improved upon. I felt there should have been more historical background provided instead of focusing on the abuse of power to fulfill the narrative. Overall, two out of four stars for The Wizard of the Kremlin.

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