Film reviews

Passages Review

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There are films in which relationships involve tension, confusion, and dishonesty. Then there are films where one’s desire may have irreparable effects. Director Ira Sachs delivers a brilliant and well-crafted drama that is surreal in its humanity.  In Passages, a man’s relationship is tested by sleeping with someone else. Passages was originally rated NC-17, but then was changed to Unrated. This was probably the best rating it could have received, because otherwise the film would not receive the recognition it truly deserves. The movie is a stylized ride of boundaries, which is seductively invigorating.

The film takes place in France and focuses on a gay married couple, Tomas and Martin (played by Franz Rogowski and Ben Whishaw). Tomas is a film director always striving for a successful project. When Tomas experiences mixed expectations of his own progress along with being bored by Martin’s enthusiasm, his attractions begin to shift. He meets Agathe (played by Adele Exarchopoulos), who is a schoolteacher and a colleague of Tomas. Tomas and Agathe begin having a relationship which consists mostly of meeting up to socialize and hook-up. Tomas is open with Martin about the fact that he is seeing a woman, but that causes the tension between the two men to boil. Is Tomas truly in love with Agathe? Does Tomas still have feelings for Martin? Is Martin feeling different about who he truly loves as well? The film is a sexy ride that mirrors reality.  Passages adds fuel to the emotional fire that thrives on the film’s conflict which is caused by lust, confusion, and jealousy.

The concept of separation speaks strongly in the film. The film’s writing is strong in exploring that it appears there is no easy door of departure for Tomas, Martin, or Agathe. However, there is still some strange connection between the three characters.  Martin’s personality helps the film to find calm in spite of the harsh situation that Tomas has created. Ben Whishaw who plays Martin does a fine job portraying an introverted, artistic nerd.  His role as the one dealing with frustrations fits the dismissive side of his character. Also, the part of Franz Rogowski as Tomas effectively displays his character’s boredom. The layers of solitude and quiet help the film’s tensions slowly boil, and then there are moments where tensions explode in upsetting scenes. There are no easy roads in Passages. There are only paths in which problems must be dealt with for the sake of Tomas and Martin, and for the sake of Tomas and Agathe. Who is the happy couple? In the end, happiness depends upon the truth and Passages will make its viewers want the truth.

This film is a unique, artistic revelation. Passages is faithful in portraying how humans want to go with their gut and how humans take risks which impact everyone in their lives. The risks Tomas takes impact the feelings of Martin. Is there a place where their hearts truly lie? Find out in Passages. Four out of four stars.

Film reviews

Sympathy for the Devil Review

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In the beginning of Sympathy for the Devil, there is the presence of a man with struggles which gives a vibe of noir direction. That approach gets the audience prepped for dangerous and unexpected moments. The famous saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” comes to mind as the unsettling tone in the film gets eerie. Sympathy for the Devil is different in the way it finds its terror because it is based on personalities and characterizations which add shock value instead of violence. Evil does reign, however, but is created through the film’s suspense.

The film focuses on The Driver (played by Joel Kinnaman). He has a wife that is in hospital and is due to have a baby. The Passenger (played by Nicholas Cage) gets into The Driver’s car. The Passenger asks The Driver to, “Pick a card,” and when a card is selected, The Driver becomes the new hostage of The Passenger. Viewers know there is going to be some unsettling moments when The Passenger scarily says to The Driver, “I’m your family emergency now!” Cage’s portrayal of the bad guy isenhanced with demonic looks and his attitude causes tensions to rise. The Passenger wants The Driver to drive him from Las Vegas to Boulder City, but there is no explanation to why. This means that The Driver’s life may be on the line. With The Driver being extremely anxious and scared for his life, it is literally as if the Devil has found The Driver. The Devil is Cage himself.

Ominous music plays in the background of this scary journey. The choice of music keeps thae noir vibe in tune and the horror feels more real as it deepens. Cage’s performance as The Passenger ranges from normal to condescending and vicious. The more he talks, the worse it gets. The farther they go, the worse the danger becomes. The Driver is put to the test of survival. Kinnaman’s role is one of perseverance and bravery, but it may not be enough to survive Cage’s role of mayhem and danger.

Cage’s outbursts are surreal and intriguing, which add to the suspense. His performance proves his evil side is no joke in Sympathy for the Devil. The chances of escape for The Driver are slim because he has no idea what The Passenger is capable of until he does something dangerous. Evil is real in Sympathy for the Devil. The tension is not only due to the wicked nature of Cage’s character, but also the stories he tells before each dangerous scenario which all contain something explosive.

In all honesty, there is no sympathy in Sympathy for the Devil. It is just a predictable flick. I do give it credit for bringing back some classic road trip vibes of horror. Otherwise though, the fascination in this film is not all that remarkable. Cage’s performance is the only real place that killer fun lies in this flick. Two out of four stars for Sympathy for the Devil.

Film reviews

Heart of Stone Review

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Actress Gal Gadot is beautiful and she is always cute and adventurous in her roles. Of course, she played Wonder Woman, and she can tackle all kinds of suspenseful roles, whether they’re psychologically suspenseful, violently suspensefully, or mysteriously suspenseful. She also has an aptitude for spy thrillers. But I just wasn’t sold with her role in Heart of Stone, or the film as a whole. The title Heart of Stone and the film’s introduction are almost like a 007 experience—like Gal Gadot in Tom Cruise mode. That may seem like a good thing, but it just doesn’t work in Heart of Stone.

In Heart of Stone, Gadot is Rachel Stone, an intelligence operative for a peacekeeping agency that flies beneath the radar. A mission goes wrong, and there is hacker who is trying to steal a weapon that could threaten the world. Stone has a team of people ranging from Parker (played by Jamie Dornan), to Jack of Hearts (played by Matthias Schweighofer), and more. But choosing sides or figuring out who to trust in Heart of Stone is hard. The concept of the film is for the characters to trust no one, but the film just doesn’t pull it off.

Hacking and artificial intelligence are frequent topics in Heart of Stone. There are some invigorating plot points that revolve around those two elements, but the film doesn’t do justice to either topic. The importance of the hacking and AI is to remind audiences that the peacekeeping agency is discreet. But other than those two elements there is not much to say about the film’s technological components. And even those elements don’t really benefit the film or its plot. Frankly, the film is somewhat of a mess, with many elements that don’t seem to find meaning or connection to the plot.

To further elaborate on my boredom with this film, it is probably more because of how it keeps jumping to car chases, dangerous mountain scenarios, and all kinds of rollercoaster disasters. Those are fun in a blockbuster, but in a spy thriller I want more details and emphasis towards where the danger lies. Heart of Stone struggles to do that. The film just relies too much on explosions and anarchy.

I wish I could be more positive, but it’s not coming easy with this one. Although seeing Gadot in a film is always a positive, and her appearance and performance in Heart of Stone are what is most memorable about it. She didn’t come close to making up for the rest of the film.

This is simply one of the biggest disappointments of the summer for me. A poorly made thriller trying to seem like a 007 movie. More of a nuisance than a great experience. It had some brief, interesting moments in its plot, but the rest, to be blunt, is garbage. Just two out of four stars for Heart of Stone.

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