Tag Archives: Darren Aronofsky

Film reviews

Caught Stealing

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This film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, whose directing always has an eye for capturing moments that are mentally challenging. At the same time, he is able to master the craft ofconjuring awareness and fear. As the many events unravel in Caught Stealing, his approach to humanistic dynamics becomes immersive in a compelling light. Caught Stealing is a work-of-art incorporating twists and turns that left me breathless. When one incident goes wrong, a past unravels, bringing in a bigger portrait with mesmerizing and unforgettable terrors with exhilarating components. Aronofsky is not afraid to bring out what his mind can envision as a director.

 The film focuses on a former ex-baseball player named Hank Thompson (Austin Butler). He works as a bartender in Brooklyn in the 1990s and has lot of weird and bipolar tendencies in his life. Along with that he has a tragic past that he cannot put behind him, as he once had everything he dreamed for and it was all stripped away from him. Everything changes when a normal day becomes one where he finds himself in a criminal underworld. Thanks to his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith), Hank must utilize his mind to navigate the bad crowd he has fallen in with. This  all starts with Hank agreeing to watch Russ’s pet cat.A strange cop named Roman (Regina King) questions Hank and two Jewish gangsters named Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully(Vincent D’Onofrio) who are also involved in the mix. A big crime boss named Colorado (Bad Bunny) also enters into this batch of bad people not much different from Hank.

Throughout the film, there is a tone of arrogance and misbelief through the eyes of Hank. This is because much of the writing presents itself make his character feel like he is in a karma mode. The volume of awry keeps turning the dial up to the extreme repeatedly in Caught Stealing making this film very enticing. What is even more compelling is how fatalities come and go in strange ways. Aronofsky creates deeper and deeper troubles that are spellbinding in Caught Stealing. He crafts a world that seems mafia-like and at the same time flies just below the radar.

Caught Stealing made me think a lot about the characterizations of Hank. Primarily, because he  leaves the impression that he is in territory that is not so new to him. With a past of some danger (it is written and seen in the film), there is a clear eye to why everything happens for a reason in Caught Stealing. As much as it should not be Hank’s responsibility, it is a landscape of rough roads that he lands himself in and must navigate. Due to Russ, Hank’s world is turned upside down with all kinds of peril. The world of treacherous environments thrives on a high level from the mind of Aronofsky in Caught Stealing. This is a one-of-a-kind sensation that blew me out of the water. Can Hank find out what is right and figure out who to trust? The 90’s world of threats and uncertainty takes the directing of Aronofsky to a new level. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

The Whale Review

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Brendan Fraser delivers one of his best performances in years in The Whale. His performance displays human emotions to the core. Director Darren Aronofsky has an eye for directing brilliant films based on honest feelings. The Whale is Aronofsky’s most humanistic film, and it will touch his audiences.  The message of how time is of the essence in our one precious life truly resonates.

The challenges of obesity and health problems play a major role in The Whale. Some moments in the film may seem repulsive regarding this difficult subject matter. With Fraser as the lead character who struggles with weight problems, he plays the role of suffering and feeling alone brilliantly. The Whale is a race for the one who is obese to find light in his life. The light may not have the best anticipated outcomes, but it serves to benefit others in the film.

In The Whale, Fraser plays Charlie, a remote English teacher in Idaho. Charlie chooses to work from home because of his morbid obesity. His caretaker is his friend Liz (played by Hong Chau). She helps Charlie with his meals and other essential tasks. Charlie cannot do a lot by himself because he is dangerously overweight. He also continues to eat unhealthy foods and has been in a bad mental state of mind for some time. There is one thing Charlie cares about which is his daughter Ellie (played by Sadie Sink). Aronofsky’s directing is superb in displaying the disconnect between father and daughter. Ellie resents Charlie because he abandoned her, and Charlie resents himself. The Whale is a landscape of Charlie’s errors, and his obesity is the epitome of his struggles. Aronofsky is not afraid to direct films with deep emotions.

Charlie’s suffering in his home is filled with difficult feelings. The audience can see each fragment of his unhealthy life. They also see his struggles with Ellie and Liz. Will Charlie ever find a way to get his act together? Will he ever try to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle?  Many of these questions are hard ones and the film covers many hard health-related situations caused by poor life choices. As someone who has had issues with my own weight and mental health, The Whale hit close to home for me. Yet, I felt quite moved by the film.

In the end, I thought The Whale was deep in human emotions. Fraser’s performance was spellbinding, and the directing was filled with raw feelings. The Whale is a triumph, a ride of brilliance and love. Three and a half stars.