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Film reviews

The Shrouds Review

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From director David Cronenberg, comes a unique masterpiece where science and technology create a new form of suspense. The Shrouds is by far one of the most invigorating portraits where evolutions of technology are in advance of greater things. The writing and setup are so clear in its context of an environment of artificial intelligence and a lot of connectivity that is out of this world. Cronenberg has always had an eye for making films that are ahead of their time. While creating his many projects he always develops a twist or multilayers for perspective…everything happens for a reason. Karma is woven into a theme of growth that mingles with other detrimental factors—The Shrouds is unstoppable.

I have had many of my Cronenberg experiences on the big screen. They were moments that were meant to be in that format. I felt I was in the TV world of Videodrome at the Music Box Theatre. I felt like I was in the many car scenarios of Crash at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and I came face-to-face with a restored print of A History of Violence at Doc Films Chicago. All these moments were ones restored in 4k or presented in film. Cronenberg’s eye for directing  have always unveiled cinematic wonders for me and reminded me to remember to go into his films with an open-mind. A very wide “open mind” is essential with The Shrouds.

The Shrouds brings the viewer many years into the future. Its main character is Karsh (played by Vincent Cassel). He is a widower and owner of a graveyard company called Grave Tech. He sells his clients grave sites and tombstones to view the remains once they are buried. Karsh overlooks the remains of his deceased wife, Becca (played by Diane Kruger). He examines her body decaying and her bone structure. This is his coping mechanism to help him deal with his loss. While moving forward he looks to expand his business as the world evolveswith the growth of different technologies. His sister-in-law is Becca’s twin sister, Terry (also played by Kruger). His other family connection is Maury (played by Guy Pearce). As Karsh is grieving, he is also working to utilize his grief to better his business at Grave Tech. 

The scientific blend of continuity is top-notch and surreal in The Shrouds. The lines of new generations are in the works when suddenly everything changes when Karsh’s cemetery is attacked. With Maury, he tries to put together the pieces of technological elements to find the answers.  Maury is adept with coding and decrypting aspects. The Shrouds becomes a search for conspiracy while also maintaining professionalism. However, Karsh’s ego and loss begin to alter his choices, especially when it comes to how he puts his own technology to use. 

The search for answers is where the film becomes a thrill ride of connectivity and rivalry. Cronenberg pushes the aspects of ownership to the extreme in The Shrouds. With the technology of Karsh being altered to observe his deceased wife, he begins to backlog who he is associated with to paint a better picture of what happened. He wants to get an understanding of what he might be dealing with in a time when the minds of professions and politics are altered. Cronenberg presents the pattern of self-creation and entrepreneurship to fulfill a destiny of peril.

There is the saying in the film which goes, “visceral urge!” This is saying is one that I felt throughout The Shrouds. I felt this perspective in a tone that is two-sided. One side had me wondering about Karsh’s grief, and the other about who he is associated with. Becca’s death impacts him in a subtle yet enticing matter. On the other hand, he has many political factors to take into consideration of what he might be dealing with. The connection to countries such as Japan, Iceland, and others playsa political role in his partnership aspects. His grief is one that is presented to bring modernization to more places. Deep down though, there are a lot of other problems he may not be aware of. The Shrouds has a pattern of questioning its characterizations  ina haunting direction.

With all the underlying factors weaving suspense in a universe far into the future, this is one of the most resource-focused films I’ve seen from Cronenberg. Many questions will surface throughout this extraordinary and thought-provoking journey. What is right about Karsh’s choices? How trustworthy are Karsh’s actions? What resources have stronger correlations? Cronenberg’s writing creates depth in the character of Karsh being determined to make science come alive through the heart of lost ones and create an existence of connectivity.

The Shrouds is one of the most abrasive and vivid works of creativity that I have seen from Cronenberg.  The grieving aspect is what is abstract, because science and evolving technology (after the death of a loved one) turn the tables rapidly. Its writing generates a feeling of disconnect which fuelstones of something sinister. A lot of this is portrayed through the performances of Cassel, Pearce, and Kruger—they are the ones at the center who are connected most to what is bound to be impacted.  The Shrouds is a story of a race for answers in a world where politics and many professions are blindsided by the pace of technology. It is a thriller where the moral is to trust no one, and do not look back. Four out four stars for The Shrouds.

Film reviews

Sinners Review

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This is a film in which segregation and vampires contend for a new maker. From the visionary mind of Ryan Coogler, he brings his audience on a journey where power comes first and then an all-around battle leads to the climax. Moments of the film may be silly, quirky, or odd—still, Sinners is a stellar adventure. A vast ensemble of actors takes the cake. Michael B. Jordan plays twins plays Smoke and Stack. They are in uncharted, daring territory that Coogler explores dramatically in Sinners.

The uniqueness of Sinners is visionary right from the start. It is shot in 70 MM projection. However, with many cinemas’ digital elements, in some parts the screen shrinks and grows. The shrinking occurs in low-shot moments and the growing in high-end moments. These elements fuel the film with enticing components right from the start. With the setting in the early 1930s, the themes of racism and inequality throw intense punches in Sinners.

The film focuses on the twins Smoke and Stack, two competitive and greedy characters vying for power. They are both trying to start a new life in their hometown in Mississippi and put behind tensions that have left them out of the picture. Coogler writes about vindictiveness in this film and much of the conversation deals with class issues. Many evil deeds come from Smoke and Stack. Jordan is relentless in his handling of the two-sided characterization. Smoke and Stack have other friends joining their clan, ranging from Delta Slim (played by Delroy Lindo), Pearline (played by Jayme Lawson), Grace Chow (played by Li Jun Li), and Mary (played by Hailee Steinfeld).

Smoke and Stack have old friends and old enemies who join their side. The twists in their personalities are golden in this movie, because wrongdoing leads to bigger things. Their egos are on full display, especially during conversations when they display the attitude that everything belongs to them. The world is one creepy place in Sinners which makes the film so intriguing. makes it so invigorating. The issues of racism and inequality lead to more competition involving money and trash talk, but all of this can only go on for so long. 

Greed and racism fueling the fire is what makes Sinners immersive. The film’s writing establishes a context that strives for power. At the same time, the audience knows its an era where no one can do right, and no one can do wrong—unless authorities come in and take it seriously. The outrage created from the competition between the twins is crazy. However, they have no idea what they are truly in for. 

There is also rivalry with Remmick (played by Jake O’Connell), and some tension related to culture and land. The downside is that the twins have power, but also there is a hidden power that they did not plan for. Remmick has a vampire side to him. This opens a door to new wonders in an era where racism and inequality already cause major hurdles. The additional hurdle of a vampire causes things to really boil in Sinners. The rivalry is somewhat like two HBO series, Deadwood and True Blood, combined. That writing is creative and daring. I was spellbound given the crazy scenarios.

There is no going back once vindictiveness has been unleashed and terror has come to life. I felt like I was watching a dark period piece and at the same time my mind boggled with intense excitement. Egos and empires are elements that have always captivated me. The terror layered on top made my head spin even more. This film succeeds by adding fuel to the fire as anew monster challenges all forms of authority. Jordan sells the film as the king of evil that is upon him. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Sinners.

Film reviews

Drop Review

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The title describes the action I would take with this film. The setup is predictable, and the entire movie is filled with flaws. Directed by Christopher Landon, this thriller had ample chances for improvement, however the sloppiness kept the film from establishing any form of suspense for its audience. Drop is one of the most poorly written thrillers I have seen this year. Given the various puzzles and moving parts in the fight for someone’s life, there are far too many hats in the air to allow this film to succeed.

The film is set in Chicago, and is focused on a widowed mother, Violet (played by Meghann Fahy).  She is going on a date with a man named Henry (played by Brandon Sklenar). They are in a fancy high-rise restaurant where the ambience would be the perfect setting for an unforgettable date night. All that changes though when Violet receives anonymous texts and finds herself in a situation involving blackmail. Her date, Henry, and her youngest son are at risk. Many threatening messages continue to come through her phone, and she draws unwanted attention to herself. The writing tries to build anxiety, but the execution fails to produce the desired result. 

Throughout the film, the on-screen chemistry seems silly. The characterizations are a joke because their minds are not on par with the detrimental elements set up in Drop. One bad move leads to another bad move and one bad message sends another bad message. It is a cat-and-mouse game via text with no hope of achieving something more intense. The film is probably supposed to frighten audiences with all the eerie text messages, but that is an epic fail when it comes to Fahy’s performance. Overall, the time spent watching this movie created a mental roadblock that I could never get past. 

Now if there was any redeeming quality in this flawed film, it the dynamic that Violet and Henry have occasionally in some limited scenes. While their chemistry is humorous in the moments where Violet keeps freaking out at her phone, it is not really believable. The direction is simply messy and never improves during the entire film. 

The whole experience was a massive blur which started with the lack of context for why these threats are happening on a date night. There is some evidence of Violet’s harsh past and loss of her husband, but her history is not set up to correlate to other outcomes. The whole film does not have any big revelations. It just continues down a path that starts with a date, some eerie issues, an unlikely surprise, but all forgettable. It is such a poorly written thriller that I felt my eyes were sore as Ianxiously waited for the whole thing to be over. The credits rolling made me feel sorry for the long list of film and production workers who could have devoted their time to a suspenseful adventure that delivered more than what Drop has to offer. One out of four stars for Drop.