All posts by Tarek Fayoumi…The Paterson of his Craft!

I am someone who strives to become a professional critic. I watch and review many movies. I view the eyes of movies as something as an art form. I have followed many critics over the years, but once I was thirteen I knew writing film reviews was going to be my passion. I learned from watching multiple episodes of Ebert And Roeper in my teen years, and then in middle school I began writing film reviews for a newspaper club. I am also an avid fan of the arts of Chicago including Theatre, Comedy, and music. Films, however, are my primary focus.
Film reviews

Junction Review

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This film is focused on medicine and pharmaceuticals, as it explores the modern-day opioid crisis which is a continuous crisis in today’s world. Junction is directed by Bryan Greenberg, and he is also one of the leads. Greenberg not only directs a thorough representation of the flaws of pharmaceutical operations, but also successfully plays a character with severe withdrawal problems. Junction is one of the most realistic and descriptive experiences I have witnessed this year. The film opens with elements of suspicion and anxiety which carry on throughout the film. Junction is filled with multiple moving parts which find themselves misconstrued politically and ethically. The writing stays on point though in dealing with this controversial hot bed of a topic.

The film opens with Lawrence, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, played by Griffin Dunne. He has multiple lawsuits building against his operations and foundations. His son Jacob, played by Ryan Eggold, is his assistant in his operations. Lawrence is a man of prestige and believes his operations are accurate and run with integrity. What he does not realize though, is that the opioid crisis has brought on loopholes in the law. Therefore, he falls responsible for many damages based on how his operations have impacted other states with distribution and costs. Junction is faithful in its portrayal of Lawrence’s attitude of superiority and his assumptions of his image. It is what distracts him from looking at the bigger picture…that fatalities and hospitalizations keep going up in many states.

The writing continues with a trend of suspicion and aspects relating to the era of opioid crisis. It goes deeper with intense subject as it shifts to Michael. Michael is played by Bryan Greenberg. Michael is one who is suffering from withdrawals from oxycodone. It impacts his life in a terrifying way. He is distracted by how focused he is on finding ways to get oxycodone. So distracted that his business fails an inspection check. In this story, Michael is impacted the most by feeling withdrawn without oxycodone. Michael and his addiction to oxycodone marks the revolving door of troubles in Junction. His ex-wife Allison (played by Sophia Bush) tries to be a help to him for the sake of their child, but is her help enough to save him?

With Junction strongly focused on errors with opioid troubles and oxycodone, its other character of focus is Katie (played by Jamie Chung). Katie is a doctor that is trying to follow the rules of medicine within the CDC and FDA. She gets a slew of patients trying to abuse the system. Many of which will say they are having trouble sleeping—the common problem where patients feel is an easy way to be prescribed medicine so they can abuse. Katie realizes that her patients come back often and it raises red flags. Katie is at odds with herself and her practice as she feels the rules are complicated when it comes to meeting the needs of her patients. There is only so much she can do.

The three characters of components of the troublesome scenario in Junction are Lawrence (the CEO of a pharmaceutical company), Michael (an individual that has drug-seeking behavior), and Katie (a doctor that cannot determine the right steps for her patients). The moving parts of medicine practices and laws are always on the track of transparency—the profits are the bigger factor than the actual problems that need thorough attention. The fact that Michael is plateauing from not having oxycodone, medicine is expensive, and healthcare workers are at odds as well. The obstacles of stressors are what create Junctionto be an intense experience on how finances and medicine abuse can have a mental toll on those who do not go by the rules.

This film is a politically driven rollercoaster ride of anxiety-provoking elements. The phrase, “misbranding of oxycodone,” goes a down a long and daring rabbit hole in Junction. There is moving parts where politics and operations face big risks—there are failures to reach agreements, doctors becoming irresponsible, and more fatalities due to prescription drugs being so accessible. The film’s writing focuses in the direction of time for change being lost— settlements are halted, overdosing among individuals worsens, and nothing is being done to limit fatalities or hospitalizations. The sophistication of Junction is its eerie depiction of the negative impact of pharmaceutical drugsbeing abused—once the withdrawals start, it is hard to find the means to help it subside. The foundation of the opioid crisis isdepicted in a very real and raw way in Junction. The truth hits hard. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Argylle Review

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This film by Matthew Vaughn is close but no cigar. The premise of Argylle appears to involve a captivating sense of an adventure. Somehow the movie falls off topic and does not deliver to the extent that its audience expects. The film opens with an author imagining her book franchise’s main character like a movie. The author is Elly Conway, and she is played by Bryce Dallas Howard. The character she creates, Argylle is played by Henry Cavill. The story is about an accomplished author who cannot figure out a cliffhanger. The writing about the adventure she embarks upon is inconsistent throughout Argylle.

The plot focuses on Elly wanting her next Argylle novel to have a perfect conclusion. She is struggling with ideas, so her mother Ruth, played by Catherine O’Hara, encourages her to take a trip. Elly gets on a train, and then realizes that there are henchmen after her. The man who saves her is Aidan, played by Sam Rockwell. Elly’s experience makes her feel like she is in her own story, a perilous adventure that she created is nowhappening right in front of her. Aidan must guide Elly on her journey and protect her from the many underground enemies that are after her. It is a film full of misdirection where the concept and the title both cause some confusion about the author and the target. Is what is happening around Elly real? Is Argyllereal? The movie creates a world where the cliffhangers lead to many tangents and colorful espionage abounds. Overall, it is a true Vaughn adventure.

Argylle is two-sided adventure in which the blurred lines do not fade as the story progresses. The suspense takes its audience to France, London, Chicago, and Colorado in an unconventional thriller with a healthy blend of diversity. Despite its strange misdirection, the movie remains exhilarating. Argylle goes into the shadowy depths with interesting discoveries. The enemy is Ritter, played by Bryan Cranston. His role causes the espionage tends to grow. The film then jumps to yet another questionable character, Alfred Solomon, played by Samuel L. Jackson. As these dangerous characters impact Elly’s safety, her writer’s block seems to unfold in mysterious ways. There are more realizations about her personal life and more background revealed about the various theories surrounding her Argylle novels.

Even though the film tends to jump around all over the place, the performances of Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell made watching this film a real blast. Argylle is a unique experience from the creative mind of Matthew Vaughn. The story of an author having to deal with suspenseful scenarios is where the curiosities unfold in Argylle. While the film’s writing shifts gears too frequently for my taste, the storyline and overall experience still sells.

In the end, Argylle is a bumpy ride of misconception and deceit. It is also full of weird tendencies and strange behaviors duringtense moments. Argylle is not that great overall, but its creative direction is still invigorating. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for Argylle.

MAX series Reviews, Tokyo Vice

Tokyo Vice Season 1 Review

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As a critic invigorated to become a stronger writer, the MAX series Tokyo Vice blew me away. Each episode has a new truth and a new puzzle. Everything in Tokyo Vice comes together. The series is based on the true story of the American Journalist and crime reporter Jake Adelstein. Adelstein spent his life during the 1990s in Japan. Adelstein became the first non-Japanese journalist at the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. Today he writes for The Daily Beast, Vice News, The Japan Times, and other outlets. Adelstein wrote the novel Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the police beat in Japan and just published The Last Yakuza.

Tokyo Vice is Adelstein’s journey as he uncovers the dark underworld of crime bosses in Japan. Ansel Elgort plays Jake Adelstein, Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri, Rachel Keller plays Samantha, Rinko Kikuchi plays Eimi, Sho Kasamatsu plays Sato, Shun Shugata plays Ishida, and Ayumi Tanada plays Tozawa. All these characters play a crucial role in portraying the realism in Tokyo Vice. They all carry a piece of the puzzle in the uncharted territory around them. Jake is taking risks to find the hidden truth which is hard to unfold as it lies deep in the infrastructure of Japan’s political scene.

The first episode begins establishing the foundation of what Jake is doing in Japan. He is fluent in Japanese and is questioned since he is an American Journalist. The episode jumps back totwo years earlier when Jake is teaching English to Japanese students and going through the steps to become a journalist. Jake has adapted to the culture of Japan. He does karate and often lacks sleep due to making Japan his playground. Jake says to himself, “Giving up and going home is not an option.” The story of Tokyo Vice is set in motion once Jake becomes a journalist.

The show gets more intriguing as the episodes get deeper. Jake’s boss Eimi feels that he is not doing the stories he is assigned. Jake is determined to do a real story as a journalist in Japan not fake news that is otherwise common. Eimi insists that Jake go by the book and report what is assigned to him. Jake is still determined to follow his own tracks where he meets Sato who isassociated with crime bosses. Jake realizes that Sato is considered a Yakuza which is an organized crime syndicate that is correlated to the mafia. Once Jake puts this piece together, there is a murder with no leads or evidence. The world of corruption in Japan becomes Jake’s guide for reporting on pieces that uncover the reality he discovers.

Jake then meets Samantha who is working in night clubs while also living in Japan. She puts up with shady clients day in and day out. Jake gets to know Samantha as well as her routine.Samantha’s goal is to start her own club but faces some obstacles. Another character is Detective Hiroto Katagiri who is Jake’s guide and connection for his crime reporting. The people Jake meet serve a purpose as leads which help Jake have a stronger voice. In addition, these contacts help find the places and resources to dive deep into the infrastructures behind criminal activity in Japan. The revelations in Tokyo Vice are endless and engrossing because they are both true and thought-provoking.

Tozawa and Ishida are crime bosses who give off protagonist and antagonist vibes. They help Tokyo Vice to connect the dots of hidden business being done so criminals can make money, while also maintaining their risky reputations. They are also connected to the authorities. The story that Jake is tempted to tell is the fact that criminals and authorities are working together. If he tells it, however, his story, his career, and his life will all face consequences.

Is Jake falling into a deadly trap? Is the story worth his life? How deep will his connection be with the bad people he comes across? Tokyo Vice is one of the most spellbinding and triumphant series on MAX. It is a true story where the pieces of the puzzle all matter. There is going to be more for Jake in Tokyo Vice Season 2 coming in February. Don’t miss it!