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Film reviews

Arthur the King Review

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A film with Mark Wahlberg doing what he can to fulfill a dream is one that resembles a role that fits him faithfully in Arthur the King. With Wahlberg (in real-life) as one who works out consistently and so multiple times a day, the perseverance path of success is the enthralling fragment of Arthur the King. Its foundation has moments of repetition and faith along the lines of athletics and being a winner. The other half of the film tends to fall to a blur. The personality of Wahlberg’s character, determined and frustrated for achievements remains in staying persistent in Arthur the King. The film does have inspiration in terms of personality. It is just the pattern of connection in achieving a dream is not as patriotic.

The film is based on the non-fiction novel Arthur-The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home. Wahlberg plays Mikael Lindnord. Mikael is set to establish a dream of completing a race that is over four-hundred miles long along the Dominic Republic. A race of obstruction of treacherous dangers. Mikael believes that he can do this race. His wife Helena (played by Juliet Rylance) supports Michael’s dream. With Michael’s past of not having the best race results, sponsorship begins as a struggle for him. With luck though, his friend Liam (played by Simu Liu) teams up with Mikael and they do embark on this perilous adventure of a race—a competition of physical damage and many loops to complete. With the race having its moments of hardship and aggravation, a dog follows Mikael. The dog saves Mikael and his team from moments of dangers the dogs alertness keeps the endurance of Mikael to accomplish his ethics. Mikael names the dog Arthur. That is why the film is titled Arthur the King.

Once the dog enters the theme of the film, there is that interpretation that the dog is the full-on hero of the race. That is true in some circumstances. The approach of Arthur though, does not enter the film until later in the film…much later that the film even makes its audience forget that it is the title is geared on a dog. The film goes through the hurdles of the rough terrain of competition than emphasizing Arthur. The moving parts of adrenaline and endurance navigate the faith of winning over Arthur’s presence. Expect a lot more excitement from Wahlberg’s performance over having empathy for Arthur the dog.

The film is in the context of a race for sacrifice, and a race for connection. There Mikael finds empathy for Arthur in the moments of the dangers of the competition. I felt more empathy for Arthur over the film’s main character. That is more because I felt sorry by the lack of presence that is put into the focus of Arthur in the film. Too much Wahlberg finding his moments of achievement over the dog being the hero. The hero of the film is the neutrality of how its continuity flows. That is because with the lacking characterizations I found there must be praise for both the dog and Wahlberg.

The film does leave the trail of deep thinking. Who is more important? Mikael or Arthur? Who is a true hero making it to the finish line properly? There is not much of a king premise, more of a get through a situation premise. One that finds its components to think poetically and is rushed for an empathetic path. It does not do justice, but there is inspiration in the eyes of Wahlberg’s performance. Two out of four stars for Arthur the King.

Film reviews

Knox Goes Away

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A film written by Gregory Poirier is likely to be thorough and in-depth. A film directed by and starring Michael Keaton is likely to be subtly serious and realistic. Knox Goes Away begins with the sound of a ticking clock which indicates that time is of the essence. In the story, a man’s success with criminal activities is about to hit a breaking point. This provides the motive to figure out a solution quickly.

Keaton plays John Knox, a man who has made a career as a contract killer. He has always remained under the radar and accomplished many detrimental missions. This all changes when he visits a doctor who informs him that he has a form of dementia and “There is no treatment.”  His dementia causes him to have various thought patterns and mood shifts. He continues his dirty work with the intent of stopping. This all hits a plateauwhen John fails at a crime job where there are many accidental deaths. On top of that, his son Miles (played by James Marsden) comes into his life and begs for his help. Miles finds himself in a difficult situation after accidentally killing a man to protect his daughter.

John was ready to stop making messes, but then his son createsthe most mind-boggling and life- threatening mess which needs to be cleaned up. John tries to retrace any aspect of the crime that could put his son in jail. He visits the crime scene, does a clean sweep, and deletes data from the security hard drives. Is John able to dispose of the evidence? With a detective named Emily (played by Suzy Nakamura) putting the pieces together, time is limited. John finds himself reaching out to his friend Xavier (played by Al Pacino) for assistance.

There are many stressors caused by the persistent dangers in this thriller. Most criminals have a strict discipline of keeping materials organized, but discipline becomes a blur in Knox Goes Away. The dementia echoes in John’s mind which is an indicator that the disease is progressing. John’s inevitable decline makes for a daring race to find answers and make things right.

Poirier’s writing is high caliber in Knox Goes Away. John’s thinking hits plateaus as he tries to navigate his evolving dementia. The crime scenes are staged by John, but his memory is weakening. The plot is an inventive puzzle. The messes and the fatalities caused by the botched crimes add to the suspense. 

There is also a calm feeling in the film which is enhanced by the playing of smooth jazz. The audience is left wondering…Can Miles keep his behavior straight? How serious is John’s dementia? The trail involves things getting worse before they get better.

The scenes featuring the detective stir the pot. Emily is bothsurreal and yet realistic. She goes deep with the evidence, the facts, the dynamics, and anything crucial to the case. She traces the events in order which proves the chaos will not go away in Knox Goes Away. The film has thrilling components that lead to a slippery slope that is as treacherous as a black-diamond run. Knox Goes Away’s writing reveals answers to a risky puzzle caused by someone with dementia who also a killer.  The perseverance in this movie is riveting and spellbinding due to the performances of Keaton, Marsden, and Pacino. Knox Goes Away also contains a backstory that is relentless and clever. Four stars.

Film reviews

They Shot the Piano Player Review

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The focus of music flows with a jazz melody in the introduction of They Shot the Piano Player. The film lays out its investigative foundation in the form of an animation docu-drama. Directed by Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba, the latter is the main writer of They Shot the Piano Player. The film has a direction of narration where one’s attention about jazz music is captured by abackground of interest and diversity. It is set during the Latino musical movement around the Bossa Nova style. A true period piece where the pieces flow smoothly for an articulate purpose.

This animation is one-of-a-kind as it introduces its audience to Jeff Harris (voiced by Jeff Goldblum). Jeff is a music journalist. He dives deep into the evolution of music and cultures and others that inspired how diversity in the genre began grew over the years. His writing and research shifts when he come across the story of Francisco Tenorio Junior, a Brazilian samba-jazz pianist. An artist with a lot going for him who vanished in Buenos Aires in the spring of 1976. The story is one that Jeff gets hooked on.

The film evolves into the creation of fascination when Jeff does interviews for the story. Many of the characters are the real people doing their own voices. The reality of the individuals taking part in the film adds value to the film—it heightens the lavish feel and surrealness of the many moving parts that Jeff comes across. Jeff interviews Malena Barretto (who was close with Francisco), Gilberto Gill (a musician who Franciso knew well) and many others who use their real name. The facts, the research, and the deep digging direction of the film are inspiring. Is there a form of lightness or darkness in the story of why Franciso disappeared though?

They Shot the Piano Player is animation with high quality artwork. Francisco is dead, and Jeff dives deep trying to figureout how he came to his demise. I found that the enticing factor was much of the glamour of the jazz world blended with aspiring animation. Jeff narrates each introduction to many of the moments of his research in this very moving picture. The amazing voice of Goldblum and his delivery of the facts is in tune with the investigative narrative of They Shot the Piano Player.

The focus of what the outcome might be tends to be misconstrued though as the film goes into musical history, cultural backgrounds, and continues to trace back to Francisco. This makes the film feel two-sided. Is the musical research the bigger picture or is it the death of Francisco? There is a track of too much information digging deep where the mind of its audience may feel altered or confused on some levels. Still, it maintains its breathtaking flow of the artistic and the divine. The many political vibes in the era of the Jazz movement and the international background go back and forth and the cleverness of the story is on point. Three out of four stars for They Shot the Piano Player.