Film reviews

Babylon Review

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Director Damien Chazelle’s films create worlds like no other. Babylon is about the movie industry and it has lots of fictionalized characters who are fueled by drugs and glamor. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie play the leads, and they are two who will definitely tango. Babylon will make viewers’ heads spin, but it may also challenge their gut with its repulsiveness.

Babylon is set in the 1920s golden days of Hollywood, when sound was just being introduced to cinema. Jack Conrad, played by Pitt, is a cinema tycoon, and he is one crazy party animal. Nellie LaRoy, played by Robbie, is the next big female actress talent, but she has drug problems. Manny Torres, played by Diego Calva, is an assistant for the projects involving Conrad and LaRoy. We first meet Manny when an elephant is being delivered to a party being thrown by Conrad, and it only gets crazier from there. Another quirky character is James McKay, played by Tobey Maguire. He’s in a supporting role, but one with some secrets that the audience will find surprising.

Babylon actually has many surprises, including a scenario where someone is fighting a snake in front of a party. Expect lots of drugged up mayhem, nudity, and all kinds of bizarre situations from the mind of Chazelle. But it becomes repetitive, and sometimes just plain silly. There are some amazing performances, but the frequent parties tends to be boring, especially in a film that’s just over three hours long.

Despite the moments of boredom, Babylon manages to weave some joy between the accomplishments and mayhem of its characters. But this is mostly just Hollywood movie people going insane with danger and fierce competitions for success. Conrad is Hollywood royalty with fame and money. LaRoy has the looks and the talent to rise through the star ranks, but will she be able conquer her drug addictions? It seems that everyone is out of control in Babylon.

Babylon is a film with some cinematic energy but, overall, I would call it just all right. It’s a film that is certainly not perfect, and I have some serious issues with it. I felt at times like Chazelle was almost trying to make Babylon seem like a Martin Scorsese film, and I think that its writing is over-the-top in places. It isn’t for everyone, and I personally found it rather overwhelming. Two and a half stars for Babylon.

58th Chicago International Film Festival, Film reviews

Nanny Review

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Nanny is a film that weaves emotions of the past, present, and future. It displays a juxtaposition of what is right and wrong when dealing with tough situations. Nanny is filled with positive vibes in its opening. Just moments after that though, it begins to heighten with disagreements. The anxiety of the characters in Nanny become strong and harrowing mental terror is visually portrayed. Nanny soars with tension in various moments. The film, however, is not great because its continuity is miscalculated.

Nanny’s plot is played out in New York City. The film introduces us to Aisha, played by Anna Diop. Aisha is an immigrant who is hired to be a nanny by Amy, played by Michelle Monaghan, and Adam, played by Morgan Spector. They put her in charge of watching their daughter Rose, played by Rose Decker. Aisha loves her job taking care of Rose. It distracts her from the many troubles of her own past. The mood for Aisha starts to shift when Amy begins to fall behind on paying her. Aisha finds herself having to talk to Adam behind Amy’s back. As the miscommunication starts getting out of hand, Aisha’s own reality begins to tarnish. Her tensions remind her of the past, and she finds herself mentally losing control. As disagreements begin to intensify with all the parties involved, the more the terror evolves.

Aisha’s frustrations with Amy and Adam are what causes her anxiety to spin out-of-control. It is the same way for Amy. As Amy keeps putting off the payments for Aisha, Nanny gets more vivid with strange illusions. The scary imagery of Aisha’s past keeps haunting her, and it begins to impact her job performance with Rose. The outcomes Aisha’s behavior become irreparable and surreal. Nanny proves its point of consequence by creatively showing what is in Aisha’s mind. The trail of Aisha’s past is not forgotten, so Rose may be in danger under Aisha’s care. Nanny lures its viewers by utilizing tracks of strange imagery tied to Aisha’s emotions. I found this utterly gnarly.

Nanny is an invigorating film with a captivating plot. I found it lacking because of how over-done Aisha’s mental images are. For example, there is a moment where she envisions something horrific in a swimming pool. Was this supposed to be an evil mermaid-type of omen? Isthis a psychological movie trying to be a version of The Shape of Water (2017)? If so, its fantasy moments like this were unappealing to me.  The execution was mediocre and not of importance to Nanny’s central problem.

Despite the strange mermaid moment, Nanny makes sense thanks to its underlying tensions. It is the mental horrors where the film crosses the line. Perhaps the goal was to make the audience feel like it is a fantasy.  Unfortunately, it is not one. Instead, it is a film about a lady trying to make an income, while also trying to get her life together after a harsh past. Sadly, the creative process causes this film to go way overboard.

My explanation to help put this film into context is that Nanny falls under the genres of horror and thriller. It is more psychological terror mixed with exaggerated emotions. The film does not know when to stop adding more elements. The over-exaggerations are what causes Nanny to be just mediocre and make the movie not make sense in certain moments. Two and a half stars for Nanny.

Film reviews

Avatar: The Way of Water Review

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Thirteen years in the making. Many rewrites and considerations. A budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars. And most importantly, a film directed James Cameron. And it is finally here, Avatar: The Way of Water.

Cameron has absolutely maxed out Avatar: The Way of Water out, bringing cinema to new heights. A truly breathtaking experience, it tops the brilliance of the first Avatar film. The technology behind the film is absolutely beautiful with many amazing concepts. Cameron makes each fragment of Avatar: The Way of Water have meaning.

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) has a family now with Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). Jake has lived the Na’vi lifestyle after the events of Avatar, and he has adapted to the Pandora rituals. Their children are Neteyan (played by Jamie Flatters), Loak, (played by Britain Dolton), Tuk (played by Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), and Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver). The enemy Quaritch (played by Stephen Lang) makes his way back into the realm and has returned for payback, putting Jake and his family at risk. They must find a place to keep safe. Jake and Neytiri meet other creatures like them and their habitat is the new home for Jake and Neytiri and their children. Their new friends are Tonowari (played by Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (played by Kate Winslet). But to survive Jake and Neytiri and their family must learn to live in this new environment—the sea. Hence the title Avatar: The Way of Water. Their new underwater life is exhilarating, but can Quaritch reach them in their new home?

Avatar: The Way of Water is a continuation film that is done faithfully and correctly. Cameron’s use of technology and his writing prove that he is a master filmmaker. His directing takes his audience to a vibrant world underwater, the most immersive experience yet: one with sea creatures, new worlds, new possibilities, and new connections.

The visuals with the character relationships are where Avatar: The Way of Water is the most magnificent. Jake has been with the Na’vi for a while, and he has grown to be true to the world he accepted in the first Avatar film. Also, with being married to Neytiri he has raised his family to be warriors like her. Avatar: The Way of Water makes its audience feel the vibe of protecting the ones we love in Cameron’s imaginative world.

The action sequences in Avatar: The Way of Water feel very real, thanks to the technologies surrounding the film. Cameron uses high frame rates in many moments that are above the standard limits for films, and it’s done perfectly. Cameron puts his directing to the test, and he passes with flying colors. Avatar: The Way of Water is pure adrenaline.

So the time that fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. Avatar: The Way of Water is here in all its 3D grandeur. The film can be seen in either real D 3D, Dolby Digital 3D, or IMAX 3D, and 3D is definitely the only way to go to get the full feel of Avatar: The Way of Water. I saw the film in Dolby Digital 3D, and I felt like I was scuba diving for hours. All these years I’ve waited I knew that Avatar: The Way of Water was going to be one amazing adventure, and it was well worth the wait. It was the most spellbinding and amazing experience I have had in ages.  Four stars for Avatar: The Way of Water.  


 

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