“Ben is Back” Review


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This has been a big year for Lucas Hedges. He has done a variety of brilliant performances this year. Three independent films that have all been Oscar-worthy. From “Mid 90s,” “Boy Erased,” and now “Ben is Back.” “Ben is Back” held me on the edge of my seat. The film is fearless, touching, and definitely one I find to be one of the best films of the year. Julia Roberts plays a mother that will do anything to protect her son.

The film follows a nineteen-year-old named Ben Burns (Hedges), a boy who has struggled with drug addiction for quite sometime, but has decided to go spend time with his family for Christmas. Holly Burns (Roberts) is convinced that her son is doing alright, but she is not too sure. As the 24 hours progresses, Ben’s negative pasts starts to come back and haunt him with negative acquaintances and damage being done on his families properties. Ben wants his past behaviors behind him, however, Holly believes she must help ben pursue who is after him and what has to be done to be sure he is safe.

When I saw “Ben is Back” at Landmark Century Centre Cinema downtown, I found myself feeling the emotions as everyone else in the auditorium with me. We were all deep in thought with the film. Jaws were dropped and some people started to cry. Especially in a moment where Roberts asks Hedges, “Where do you want me to barry you,” that created an emotional setting that was quite deep for the people watching the film and myself.

Hedges does a really good job at trying to explain to his mother and his family that he wants to be a sober kid. By doing so, he does all he can to not be aggressive, violent, or deceitful. However, as his negative actions slowly start to come back to him, his urges start to build up again. The director Peter Hedges (Lucas’s real father) does a good job with this directing element as he is also the writer of “Ben is Back.”

The director also directed “Pieces of April” (2003), “Dan in Real Life” (2007), and “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” (2012). When connection I found with “Ben is Back” connects to both “Pieces of April” and “Dan in Real Life.” That connection being parents wanting to reconnect with their children after being estranged or have struggled with past issues. “Ben is Back” definitely takes the cake with that element as Roberts is truly heroic.

“Ben is Back” was probably a film that I could only watch once. I left the theater amazed, but also slightly saddened by it. However, I give “Ben is Back” four stars.

“Vox Lux” Review


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I walked into “Vox Lux” with different expectations, overall, this film was something else in a positive way. It is a psychologically and visual ride with where the narrator (narrated by Willem Dafoe), will take viewers into a dark, yet unexpected journey. A journey of violence, pressure, and fame. I feel this is the type of movie that fits Natalie Portman after her performance in “Black Swan” (2010). She seems to play the roles of people that are about to perform in front of crowds well. Jude Law is also brilliant, however, Portman and Law are not the big focus as the trailers make it seem.

 

“Vox Lux” follows the story of a young girl Celeste (played by Raffey Cassidy), someone who experiences a tragedy, but after her tragedy, she unexpectedly becomes a huge pop star with an incredible career ahead of her. Her agent (Law) puts somewhat pressure on her. to succeed. There is young Celeste and old Celeste. The older one being Natalie Portman. Things start to spiral out of control as they realize different global events happen as their tour is on the road. From that point on, things get more pressuring and out of control for both the Celeste characters and for the agent. Dafoe’s deep, narration voice plays into the psychological suspense of the film.

 

The director and writer Brady Corbet is still fairly new at directing but has some memorable acting careers ranging from all kind of films. Films ranging from “Thirteen” (2003), “Funny Games” (2007), Force Majeure (2014) and many more. However, I will say he does a fine job at directing an intense thriller and drama like “Vox Lux.”

 

My attention was grasped from the very opening shot to the very ending shot of this film. I was reading the cinematographer for “Vox Lux” was done by Lol Crawley. Crawley did the cinematography for a melodrama I really like called “45 Years” (2015). One element I noticed though, was in “Vox Lux” he really darkened the choreography moments with Portman. That is an element that definitely plays an importance to the darkness of “Vox Lux.”

 

Overall, “Vox Lux” is a film worthy of multiple viewings. I wish I caught this movie at the Chicago International Film Festival this year. It has a limited release, but it is playing around the Western Suburbs of Chicago. If viewers want to be in for a dark, yet entertaining treat, “Vox Lux” cannot be missed. I also give a lot of credit to the young actress Raffey Cassidy. The last movie that I really enjoyed her in was “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017). That was similar to “Vox Lux” Cassidy is talented at playing young actors in pressuring scenarios.

 

Three and a half stars.

“The Lobster” Review


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Sometimes human beings wonder how it would feel to be an animal, and sometimes they want to be a specific animal. The animal that would be wise to choose is one that has many freedoms and certain abilities that humans do not have. That is like birds fly and humans do not.

“The Lobster” focuses on a lonely man named David (Colin Farrell). He checks into a hotel where relationships are the focus. The rule is that the hotel guests have to find a romantic partner in a time span of forty-five days. If that does not happen, that causes guests to be transformed into beasts and sent off into the wilderness. David’s animal is, of course, a “lobster.”

David is in an odd place. In the hotel he is the only normal guest where as two others have fairly odd backgrounds. There is the Lisping Man, and there is the Limping man (John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw). They are guests have quite poor impulse control and end up suffering consequences for not following orders of the hotel. I will not elaborate on this, because “The Lobster” is a film full of quirky surprises.

David meets the Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), and he pursues her. The chemistry between the two characters lacks. I believe the lacking is so that audiences can focus more on David. Not specifically about him, but why he would want to be a “lobster.” If viewers watch the movie, they will understand the full context of why a “lobster” is important to David. Is it because a lobster pinches? Is it because a lobster swims? Or is it because he is in love with the animal? There are many unanswered questions that will require a viewing.

When I watched “The Lobster,” I was really intrigued by the cinematography aspect of the movie. The color and lighting seems faded. Faded to a point where audience feel there is emotional elements bound to occur in the movie. Cinematographer, Thimios Bakatakis worked on with the director Yorgos Lanthimos (director of “The Lobster”) on films before “The Lobster” and did the cinematography for him. Bakatakis used natural light for a majority of the film and only certain lighting for night time scenes. I believe that was done to make the film heighten the tension of the characters, the plot, and the particular settings in the film. I guess negative lighting can work well for a comedy now in this day and age.

“The Lobster” is not amazing, but it is well crafted and charming. Also, for Farrell I believe he fit the role well for a depressed man. I wonder now what kind of animal I would be. I would not be a “lobster” though, I would be a bird. That would be because if I was one I would be able to fly all the time and experience what the world has to offer. “The Lobster” may make viewers wonder how to think of their future and what they hope to find in terms of love and friendship.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!