Film reviews

Strays Review

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There is the saying that dogs are man’s best friend. That saying takes a massive turn for the worse in Strays, a talking dog comedy that is not so funny, and often disgusting and repulsive.

Strays gears on a small dog named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell). Reggie thinks he is connected to his owner, Doug (voiced by Will Forte), but Doug is a jerk and a slob of a dog owner who just sits and gets high and actually hates Reggie to the max. Reggie, however, views all the hatred as love (that is how messed up this movie is). Doug abandons Reggie, and Reggie assumes Doug is just playing a game. Before long Reggie meets another dog named Pug (voiced by Jamie Foxx). Pug is a dog with a gangster attitude who leads a group of bad dogs. As in really bad dogs, who only get worse.

Pug introduces Reggie to his group of dog friends, all of whom have very bad judgment, including Maggie (voiced by Isla Fisher) and Hunter (voiced by Randall Park). Ultimately, Reggie figures out that Doug abandoned him and decides that he wants revenge.

With all the bad directions Pug takes his gang, Strays has tons of quirky and crude moments, including dogs urinating in odd places and performing all kinds of crude acts. On top of that, the dogs get drunk from alcohol they find in garbage bags. Some of it seemed funny at first, but there were moments where I felt like I was going to throw up. Constant repulsiveness does not make for a fun and humorous ride.

To add some light to this bizarre and crazy experience, I will say that there were a few worthwhile moments. The dialogue between Ferrell and Fox as dogs was clever at times. And Strays does have a few hidden gems, moments that relate to other dog films. The first thirty minutes were not completely terrible, before it went down a rabbit hole of grossness and mediocrity. But thirty minutes at the start doesn’t make up for the never ending repulsiveness.

But probably my biggest problem with this film was its obsession with private parts. Dogs talking very graphically about wanting to hurt humans’ private parts, and a lot of talk about sexual scenarios. It all really is just too much. The sexual references and crude humor made me realize that this film was just poorly written and presented. Instead of fun, as Strays went on I just found more moments where I felt like I was going to vomit (again).

This talking-dog comedy crosses boundaries, as a lot of good comedies do. But this is not a good comedy. What is the point of the film—that dogs have freedom and seek redemption? Is that hilarious? The language is crude, the gross factor is high, and while the film feels hysterical in very brief fragments, the volume of ridiculousness skyrockets and it ends up being a waste of time. One out of four stars for Strays.

Film reviews

The Adults Review

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Growing up and accepting the realities of life is a challenge for every human being. There are tough choices to be made, lots of critical thinking to do, and even frustrating people that we must put up with. The Adults covers aspects of these essential challenges and presents a full range of human and sibling emotions. It takes viewers down and then lifts them back up. The film serves as a reminder to keep the ones we love close. The Adults is a dark comedy, but the darkness serves a key role in the film’s central element because of how it lingers through the film’s dramatic rhythm of emotions. The pot is stirred withmixed feelings which results in a one-of-a-kind drama representing sibling life.

The film introduces us to Eric (played by Michael Cera). He comes home to visit his sisters in the suburbs of New York. Eric is a man of a few words who suffers with a gambling addiction. His sisters are Rachel and Maggie (played by Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis). Rachel remains living in their deceased mother’shouse. Maggie lives local to Rachel and struggles to get her act together. Eric is back home trying to reconcile with his sisters. Sadly though, he is still engaged with his gambling habit. During the day he spends time with his sisters, and at night he plays poker games. The siblings each experience highs and lows as they all stumble and make errors. The film begins to go down a dramatic hole when Eric realizes the many mistakes he was previously unaware of involving his sisters.

The Adults is a story about how difficult it can be to come to terms with reality. The world and all its complications is not pretty for Eric, Rachel, and Maggie. Their mom’s passing has taken a toll on all of them. Eric, however, has been relatively dismissive of the many challenges that Rachel and Maggie have been dealing with. Frankly, it is more a case of extremely poor communication between the three of them. Being communicative serves a purpose in The Adults and it also serves a vital purpose in a successful life. The disagreements in the film’s script are handled in a stellar, very effective manner in The Adults. It is a vivid and realistic film where sibling love goes a long way.

After watching The Adults, I realized that the film made me feel good, even though it was melancholy. I believe that feeling came from the fact that Eric tries to reconnect with his sisters. Despite his gambling addiction and his ego, he still cares about them andit is clear that Rachel and Maggie care as well. It is just that their own frustrations and past problems continue to create a mental block due to the sadness they’re suffering. There is a light in The Adults. What do the siblings need to sacrifice to find it? Can they remain close? Find out in The Adults. Three out of four stars.

Capsule Reviews, Film reviews, Revisited classics

Oldboy 20-year Anniversary Restoration Review

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In 2003, director Park Chan-wook brought the world Oldboy, an in-depth film full of psychological suspense and mayhem. Its presentation is rapid which is the result of a grandeur of revolutionary directing. With Oldboy restored and back in cinemas for its 20-year anniversary, audiences are in for a treatwhether they’ve seen the movie before or are experiencing it for the first time. The setting of South Korea is dark as is thestoryline in this thriller. Park Chan-wook’s faithful direction of every fragment of the film is excellent. The film focuses on a man named Dae-Su Oh (played by Choi Min-sik), who has been kidnapped and spends fifteen years being imprisoned by captors. He made a mistake which led him to be locked up for many years with no windows and fed only dumplings. Once he finds a way out, he must find the pieces to explain why he has been locked up for so long. The audience can feel the tension of Oldboy through the vast narration during Min-sik’s performance.It is said that the motto of his character, Dae-Su Oh, is, “Just get by the day quietly.” However, there comes a storm of unexpected vengeance.

The poetic art of portraying frustration is mesmerizing because of surreal directing. The storyline is spellbinding throughout Oldboy. Once Dae-Su escapes, the film is a montage of monumental revenge. It is like an orchesis of building climaxes with technological and cinematic effects. In the film it is said, “Vengeance is healthy,” but how healthy is it for Dae-Su to put together the pieces of himself which were locked up for many years? Oldboy is a masterpiece two decades later and its restoration is one that deserves appreciation. Four stars.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!