It has been quite some time since I have experienced an enchanting and dazzling medieval suspense flick. Director David Lowery’s The Green Knight is all that, and then some. It is spectacular and grand, artistically spellbinding, and Dev Patel gives a knockout performance as Sir Gaiwan. Nobody could play the challenged yet determined knight better than Patel.
 
The film focuses on Patel as Gaiwan, the nephew of King Arthur, played by Sean Harris. Gaiwan believes he is strong and capable to be honored the respect and title of knight. But to earn that honor he must face a treacherous journey with many creatures and enemies, the biggest one being the Green Knight, a monster that tests the boundaries of his strength. Gaiwan faces many other challenges as well, including the shady Lord, played by Joel Edgerton, and even his love for Essel, played by Alicia Vikander, presents challenges. Gaiwan also finds himself in uncharted territory as he questions his notions of right and wrong.
 
I was so enthralled with this medieval thriller. The film felt more like a theatrical performance than a film. It was set up in acts, like a play, and the setup gave an idea of the conflict that was coming. Lowery also had almost a David Fincher approach to the vast scenery around the forests of Ireland, where the film was shot. By this I mean he sets up some of the scenes with darkness and faded colors to give the viewer a sense that evil is abound or bad things are about to happen. Fincher does that in many of his films, but Lowery uses the technique well in the The Green Knight’s stunning forest scenes.
 
Oscar winning actor Dev Patel, who has already accomplished so much in his career, really steps up his game in The Green Knight, if that’s possible. From his starring roles in many great films, including Slumdog Millionaire (2008), The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015), and Lion (2016), he has shown that he is truly one of the top actors of our time. His acting and the mood he evokes bring a realism to the film that will have viewers feeling the emotions he is feeling as he navigates his journey.
 
The Green Knight may be just a bit slow at times, but it takes the medieval format to an entirely new level. It is destined to be a triumphant hit. Three and a half stars for The Green Knight.

For a while I thought Val Kilmer was trying to avoid the spotlight due to his health problems, but that is apparently not true. In Val, directors Ting Poo and Leo Scott deliver us a faithful documentary on the life of Kilmer. The film is an excellent representation of Kilmer’s talent, success, fame, and waves of both good times and bad times, and much of it is in the voice of Kilmer’s son, Jack. I found myself sinking in my seat with tons of emotions, and they were all positive ones.
 
The film spans 40 years of Val Kilmer’s life, starting from his younger days, and it rotates between the present and past in Val’s life. Although the film shows a lot of Val’s work ranging from his stage acting days to becoming a film actor, it is more than just a recap of his career. Val lost his voice to throat cancer recently, and his story and the structure of the film, with his son Jack narrating much of it and Val voicing others despite his cancer, is very moving. It shows that love for acting, the arts, and life still exist in Val’s life.
 
I found myself thinking back to some of Val’s movies that I loved the most, including Top Gun (1986), Real Genius (1985), Batman Forever (1995), and many other classics that he has starred in. Val’s recollections of his films, by Val himself, were mesmerizing.
 
Overall, Val is a faithful and winning documentary. I learned so much about Val Kilmer from this film, and I loved seeing that Val is not giving up despite his throat cancer. He still has the talent to tell his story, and many people will be touched by it. Do not miss Val. It is a beautiful film with a vast landscape. I give it four stars.

Like director Tom McCarthy’s previous films, Stillwater displays an unpleasant yet intriguing mood. The premise of this dark thriller is harrowing, the plot is gripping, and it is the perfect film to display Matt Damon’s ability to play a complex character.

Stillwater stars Damon and it is set mostly in Marseille, France. The film focuses on Bill Baker, played by Damon. Bill lives in Oklahoma and goes to Marseille to visit his daughter Allison, played by Abigail Breslin. She is in a French prison for murder, and Allison believes she has evidence that would exonerate herself. This puts Bill on a mission to trace the events surrounding the crime. But Bill soon begins his own life in France when he falls in love with a French woman named Virginie, played by Camille Cottin. She had been Bill’s translator and her involvement leads to some dramatic scenarios that put both Bill and Virginie at risk, and make life in prison more difficult for Allison.

Stillwater is emotionally moving and well-acted, but the differences in the law between France and the United States can sometimes make the film confusing. Despite that occasional confusion, the film had me enthralled. And the legal differences can actually sometimes make Stillwater more intriguing, because it gives Bill multiple hurdles to clearing his daughter. The film often feels like a race for Bill to prove Allison’s innocence.

Stillwater is loosely based on the true story of American Amanda Knox’s case and that connection, combined with the disturbing and sometimes depressing realism of Stillwater, had me feeling the pain and frustration that Damon’s character had throughout the film, as well as the pain and frustration of Breslin’s character. Stillwateris not a feel-good movie, but it is a realistic representation of how challenging it can be when life goes awry.

Stillwater is visually beautiful and the cinematography is brilliant. During my 2016 internship at the Cannes Film Festival I had the privilege of roaming much of the vast scenery around Marseille depicted in Stillwater, and maybe that is why I found some light in this dark film. The film could be hard to watch at times, but it was in-depth, moving, and a worthy watch, and it will speak to many people. It just may be a one time watch for many, including me. Three stars for Stillwater.