Film reviews

Death of a Unicorn Review

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This is one of the craziest retro films I have seen. It is full of colors, wonders, and quirky revelations all centered around a unicorn. Death of a Unicorn is one bonkers ride filled with elements of surprise. Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, The Death of a Unicorn is a film where one incident loops in theories and leads to silly outcomes. For a new director, it is visionary yet achieves more fantasy than value. Scharfman utilizes his directing skills to bring audiences on an invigorating adventure in Death of a Unicorn.

The film focuses on Elliott (played by Paul Rudd) and Ridley (played by Jenna Ortega), who play a father and daughter. They are in route to visit a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO when they hit a unicorn. They hide the unicorn in their vehicle which leads to an unimaginable ride once the unicorn goes bananas. It is a bizarre but enticing foundation because the unicorn has power. Once someone touches the horn of the unicorn magic is revealed which impacts each individual in a unique way. With the dynamics between the father and daughter who are visiting a wealthy family, lots of questionable judgment ensues. Egos collide which causes the fun to spiral and plays a key role in the massive joy in this film. It is especially entertaining when the middle-class tries to impress the upper-class and neither class knows what hit them Death of a Unicorn.

The story is a suspenseful ride that borders on insanity due in part to the wealthy family in the film. The family includes Odell (played by Richard E. Grant), Belinda (played by Tea Leoni), and Shepard (played by Will Poulter). Their butler is Griff (played by Anthony Carrigan). Elliott makes it his dream to satisfy this family, but when he brings the chaos of the unicorn tragedy to them. To an extent, it is clever that he cares so much about sucking up to this family because their silliness is over-the-top. They act like the world is in their hands, but the unicorn’s destruction puts an end to that. The wrath of vengeance unleashed in magical moments is out-of-this-world. Scharfman knows how to create new comedic trends in Death of a Unicorn.

There are special effects in the film that are worth noting. For example, touching the unicorn’s horn creates a world that looks like a Neil DeGrasse Tyson space. Those who touch the horn end up in a mind-boggling space-like universe. Effects like these are correlated with behaviors that make Death of a Unicorn feel interactive.

Overall, the film feels a bit cheesy perhaps because it tangles chronological events. The story starts with hitting the unicorn, then visiting the wealthy family, and then the unicorn wakes up. From that point on, more realizations and chaos evolve. Death of a Unicorn offers more than what audiences might anticipate.Some (i.e. members of the wealthy family) think there is a benefit to the presence of a dead unicorn, and others (i.e. Elliott and Ridley) see it as a bad sign of more destruction. In the end, the film is a jousting climax of unicorns, millionaires, and plenty of mesmerizing moments. Three out of four stars for Death of a Unicorn.

Film reviews

The Ballad of Wallis Island Review

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Two musicians who have lost what was once a positive vibe finds a path of empathy and redemption in The Ballad of Wallis Island. The film is directed by James Griffiths and it is written by Tom Basden and Tim Key—Basden and Key are also the leads in the film. Basden plays Herb McGwyer and Key plays Charles Heath. This is one of those unique tales that has a subtle path in forming continuity. A lost musician finding his path backis where The Ballad of Wallis Island is artistic in its form—the artistry is its main musician finding his roots to feel the success he once had. 

The setting of The Ballad of Wallis Island is on a remote island. Charles Heath is the host of the island, and he has won a lottery. His prize is getting a private performance by his two favorite musicians. Herb McGwyer is one of them and Neil Mortimer (played by Carey Mulligan) is the other. Herb is frustrated thathis musical career has had downfalls and he is hopeful that this gig will get him back on his feet. He ends up having a close relationship with Neil though and with both of them present on the island, many revolving doors begin to open.

With the writing focusing on hardship and starving artists having an opportunity to thrive, The Ballad of Wallis Island presents astructure of continual improvement. Herb and Neil actually find themselves in moments where they feel most lost. They arelooking to experience a revival of the talent that they once hadonce had.  “Revival” is a key point of connection in The Ballad of Wallis Island. With the setting of solitude, the pieces of Herb and Neil keep fueling moments of their positive past into the present.

The dynamic of the screenplay is in the context of friendship and bonding— fulfilling one’s lottery win based on past fame is a chapter with a fresh beginning. The Ballad of Wallis Island is set in a location where the musical creativity comes strongly. The remote island is also a place of resources to be used for good reasons. What captivated me was the process of getting to the island via the boat. I always felt that the boat arriving on land was a moment of friendship to be made. That is how Herb builds his relationship with Charles. With Charles as the host of the island, it becomes a place where quietness fuels musical inspiration. The Ballad of Wallis Island has motivational tracks in that it has the notion of falling and getting back up. It is a story fueled by empathy and characterizations. There is also the concept of keeping promises and a hope to the highest level of faith portrayed in this film.

The style of the music being performed is folk, which gives the film a more precise context. There are some dragging moments, but in the end, they are written to inspire. It is just a film where the taste is acquired—those who have a background in music or any forms of arts will find a sense of loving aspiration with The Ballad of Wallis Island. It is a film that is considered a drama with small additions of some comedy, yet its tracks of two people having a past with musical themes flow vibrantly. I was inspired and delighted by The Ballad of Wallis Island. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Alto Knights Review

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Director Barry Levinson has always captured the dynamics of fulfilling matters. The Alto Knights is a true story that keepsfalling stale. With a 20th century setting, the film builds on the fundamentals of cinematics to tell a story of politics, criminality and connection. Much of this movie relies on the performance of Robert De Niro who plays both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.

The richness of The Alto Knights is in its approach using noir-type writing. Like many other mob flicks, the character development does not sync up with the foundation in The Alto Knights. The only lines that seem straight are in theperformances of De Niro’s characters going up against each other.  Over the years, De Niro has always displayed a loyal attitude with his serious words. Those elements are utilized again, but the continuity is flawed in The Alto Knights.

The plot focuses on both Vito and Frank and their background as crime family rivals. With their various connections and contacts, discrepancies brew below the surface in The Alto Knights. The wife of Frank Costello is Bobbie Costello (played by Debra Messing). Family integrity is presented as critical in a captivating way in The Alto Knights. There are many conflicts and disagreements between Vito and Frank, many related to the mob and previous events. Some issues end of in the courts where more secrets are revealed.

There is no clear line of resolution in The Alto Knights even though there is an attempt to paint a portrait of good and bad. Since both Vito and Frank are criminals, the apple does not fall far from the tree. The dynamics of the story weave frustrating emotions through the film’s central theme which tries hard to fly high. Levinson’s direction does what it can to aid understanding. The execution, however, is mediocre.

The uncharted territory surrounding the mob seems too vast to build an effective storyline. Vito and Frank both look like emperors of the mob. Deep down, the story is about relationships and trust becoming the bigger problem, yet the lines are unclear in The Alto Knights. Unfortunately, the theme of a family sticking together does not sell like it used to. Levinson’s direction this time around lacks to a massive level in The Alto Knights.

On a positive note, the biographical side of the story compelling, especially when related to the evolving era of mobsters and drug dealers. The deep examination of “who one knows” does not reveal any truth but simply adds to a stirring pot that keeps trying to find the pieces. De Niro’s performance is entertaining, yet not amazing because of the script.

Truly, this is one of the most disappointing films by Levinson. I rarely throw movies under the bus and instead try to find the best in all films. This is only the second time that Levinson has directed a mafia flick. His last one was Bugsy back in 1992 and now three decades later, the writing simply got stale when it came time for this film. Deep down, The Alto Knights has a stellar foundation of separating groups from gangs, affiliations, and operations. Frankly, building on this foundation is where all bets are off on any form of achievement this time around. The only real achievement in this movie is seen through the eyes of De Niro. One and a half out of four stars.

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