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Film reviews

Opus Review

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Mark Anthony Green takes his audiences to a world where an icon has secrets. Opus revolves around a daring subject matter that correlates to some of the conflicts with artists today, similar to the many controversies surrounding Sean Diddy. Opus is a fictional approach to these topics; however, it has that cult aspect tied into the film extremely well. The navigation of getting a story into a world darker than one anticipates is a daring journey in Opus. The dark personality is shown through the eyes of Alfred Moretti, and he is played by John Malkovich. The calm aura of Malkovich’s performance is what makes Opusmore anxiety-provoking than audiences realize.

The film begins with a journalist named Ariel Ecton (played by Ayo Edebiri). She gets assigned to cover Moretti. It is a big story because he has been off the face of the Earth for ages. This is a massive opportunity for Ariel; however, it is one that goes much deeper than she assumes. She travels with her colleague, Clara Armstrong (played by Juliette Lewis) and her superior, Stan Sullivan (played by Murray Bartlett).  When they arrive at Moretti’s home there is already a bizarre setup—one that looks to have orders and rituals that all have glaring red flags attached.With his home being off the beaten path, there are bound to be a lot of mixed signals in Opus.

The notion of a journalist trying to get the real portrait of who an artist is keeps going underground, as in the pattern keeps evolving to be questionable and loses a sense of normalcy in Opus. The result is plenty of strangeness to the core. Somehow it exceeds its surrealness in the characterization as Malkovich portraying an emperor artist with an egotistical nature. Edebiri captures the elements of what makes one iconic and the true answers are of a disturbing nature. It is like a world where an icon has a level of fame like Michael Jackson and then introduces his own version of Neverland Ranch. The difference here is that it is more like an Eyes Wide Shut type dynamic. 

Opus carries a massive weight, because it challenges a fictional scenario that is based off events going on today with artists–especially when it comes to extreme behavior. The portrait it paints leaves the audience curious as to how one would feel if they were on the same journey as these journalists. The curious and surprising thing is that the shock values will have more humorous factors over horrid factors.

With the performance of Edebiri, I felt she is the hero of this awkward premise. Especially as she is trying to get her feet wet while attempting to capture stories that grasp the world. Her performance leaves a track of the risks that come with writing about the truth. The truth of Moretti is one-of-a-kind. Opuskeeps the momentum high as it swerves in motions of uncertainty as the journalist tests the waters to get the real story in this film. It delivers its risk-taking attitude with many punches that are more to bear than anything.  Cheesy, but vibrant with intense excellence in the persona of Malkovich. Three out of four stars for Opus.

Film reviews

Mickey 17 Review

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Bong Joon Ho has navigated territories that are hard to overcome as a filmmaker. He is from South Korea and has directed films that have blown audiences out of the water, especially with Parasite winning many awards in 2020. It was one of the first international films to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards that year. From that aspect, the success of his work is how he ties themes together to create a purpose. Mickey 17 has that direction and approaches being monumental. The surfaces though, have tangents. It is a film based on the novel Mickey 7, written by Edward Ashton. Ho wrote the screenplay of this film and for those who know the foundations of his previous films, they will see the fantasy world through his eyes with Mickey 17.

Ho’s directing trait is that of having diversity among genres. Mickey 17 blends that aspect with the use of space and fantasy settings mixed with dark comedy layers. The film’s main character is Mickey Barnes, played by Robert Pattinson. The year is 2054 on an isolated planet orbiting in space. Pattinson’s voice is the narration of Mickey 17. It feels two-sided because his character is in the pattern of living and dying multiple times. Going forward, Mickey is used as a tool for high-risk endeavorswhere his many odd deaths come into play, simply because he is reusable. Under a strange and egotistical commander named Kenneth Marshall (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Yifa(played by Toni Collette), Mickey must try to reassess his memories before his usage is thrown in the wrong direction, as itfrequently is. With the help of a friend, Timo (played by Steven Yeun), Mickey has does have some hope of accomplishing this. The mission though, is one that is bound to have many repeats.

The direction of Ho is bound to find its humorous aspect the purest form in Mickey 17. It is not as mesmerizing, but it is a film that feels like a video game or a sitcom on acid. This is especially true in modes where Pattinson is repeatedly talking to another version of himself, as it makes audiences curious as to which version is the brighter one. The various levels of seeming “brighter” go down a rabbit hole of catastrophic adventures with the planet and the orbit being at risk. Pattinson’s voice fuels the film with the narration providing continuous dialogue. For Ho, it is clear that he wants the full-on characterization on Pattinson.  The shifting of gears with conflicts and the world around Mickey 17 is a foundation that is complex and not always easy to follow. However, it is still a stellar film with great entertainmentvalue based upon its moving parts and qualities that endure throughout.

With Ruffalo and Collette in the roles of superiors, and Pattinson as the protagonist, it is a world that navigates its tracks by hovering over the surface. Their performances are not serious, but they build a well-crafted foundation for expectancy of a joyful ride off course. Ho is known to create disasters for cinematic effect, but I felt this time he did not accomplish much of that on the levels of his previous films. Still, Mickey 17 is well done and rapidly paced. Pattinson as one who is repeatedly disposed of and revived is where the volume of humor and contempt hit the fan here.  Mickey 17 is a universal voyage with many joyful turns that are unforgettable. Three out of four stars for Mickey 17.

Film reviews

Last Breath Review

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When it comes to a film at the depths of below the water, it is a world where many revolving doors come into play. Different environments, oxygen only by tanks, and communication—Last Breath is based on those elements to the extreme. It is a true story that captures the essence of how serious a situation can get. Last Breath is not technically amazing but is a portrait of capturing what is impacted and prioritized to ensure safety and survival. Director Alex Parkinson prioritizes detrimental water conditions to claustrophobic heights to lead-on with mind-boggling suspense.

The film focuses on three diving colleagues/friends. They are Duncan Allock (played by Woody Harrelson), Dave Yuasa (played by Simu Liu), and Chris Lemons (played by Finn Cole). They are all bound to embark on a journey that is hundreds of feet into the ocean. The setting is around the Scotland, Uk region. Once they are submerged in the water, the moving part for peril comes through. It is not an easy journey.

The cause of the conflict is the conditions and storms. This is what makes the film one of the obstacles to hazardous safety. That opens the door for teamwork. The thoughts (which came to my mind) was sacrificing and times for quick-thinking—that is because one of the divers is stuck below with limited oxygen. From above the surface his diving friends must keep navigating the tracks to help him remain alive. It is many feet away from safety, and it is many feet away to bringing someone back.

The dive is the treacherous part of the film; however, it continues to fulfill its tracks (of being suspenseful) with just moments of the journey being rocky from above and below the surface. There are written words to keep the audience in tune with safety. I felt that direction gave an emphasis on how to help the audience think about the peril in front of them. The words, “Time without oxygen” is the scarcest part of Last Breath. That is because the more time lost, the less likely saving a life decreases. The waters and natural causes are the heat of the film’s core adventure for survival.

It is one of those films where teamwork and the buddy system go hand in hand. It is looped in from the top of the film (on dry land) and below the waters. Even though the pattern of the film is predictable, it captures the characterizations in a profound and appealing matter. It displays that it is what is counted on in Last Breath. As one who is not so well-versed with diving, the film makes me scared to even consider trying a diving expedition. I do not even intend to do diving classes. This is not a representation or an encouragement to not do this activity (FYI), just how I felt after the dive excursion and mission of the film. It is one where the eyes are the limit. What the main characters cannot see, the audience cannot see either—there are lurking corners of darkness that do not go unnoticed in The Last Breath. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.