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Film reviews

Elio Review

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This is a space adventure that works to find meaning. Elio has a variety of hurdles which made me feel like I was continuously trying to establish connection. Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi are all directors of Elio. Their new approach to animation made for some Toy Story moments especially given the space focus. Overall, it is full of steady, family-friendly grandeur even though the pacing has components that are lacking in fulfillment.

The film is about a young boy named Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who is fascinated with space. He keeps thinking that he must go to space. However, he finds himself in a mode of disconnect. His aunt Olga Solis (voiced by Zoe Saldana) is trying her best to make life easier and joyful for him. Although he is prone to outbursts, Elio is creative at utilizing smart tactics to find his way into space. Unfortunately, reality throws many obstacles in his path which make it challenging to make his dreams come true.

On the positive side, there are space resources available to Elio, because his aunt works in NASA-type operations. Elio is just too young to take full advantage. The foundation of the story is about trying to fulfill a dream which keeps the love of family front and center in the film. Slowly, some fun things begin to evolve. For example, Elio sits on the beach and writes the wordsin the sand, “ALIENS ABDUCT ME!”  Negative thoughts aboutthe planet paint a clear portrait in Elio but deep down it is part of the adventure in this film.

The dream eventually comes true in Elio. Yet, he finds himself in a galaxy which is much more stressful than he expected. Still, at the same time he is captivated. Elio finds himself with new missions and an alien friend named Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). The galaxies create a surreal landscape that keeps audiences feeling the fun in Elio.

There is an enemy in the story named Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett). This character is a major component in the Toy Story feel mentioned above. In Toy Story 2, the world of the franchise goes to new depths when Zurg the enemy of Buzz Lightyear comes in. In many ways, this addition felt more meaningful to the continuity of the story. There is well intendedmeaning in Elio, but the reality of what is happening between earth and the galaxies struggle to find common ground.

Overall, I felt the movie had many missed opportunities to feel different or mesmerizing. In some scenes it succeeds, but some of the background seems jaded. Often the animations looked rushed, and the writing seemed predictable. All around the galaxies, the film struggles to find its way to a massive homecoming which would have marked a significant achievement. This is one of those films where my star rating is a challenge. While I really wanted to be enthralled by this movie, it just didn’t deliver as expected. Two out of four stars for Elio.

 

Film reviews

F1: The Movie Review

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There is a blasting that makes the heart pulse. The start of F1: The Movie sounds like the engines revving up for a race to begin. Only it is not one race, it is multiple races. There is competition that spirals with resilience in F1: The Movie which makes it exhilarating. Director Joseph Kosinski has not lost his touch for sound quality. Given that I’ve experienced these events in real life, F1: The Movie had me sold not only due to the plot, but also due to the way it incorporates politics and collaboration. Teamwork thrives in a spellbinding fashion in F1: The Movie.

The film’s focus is on Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a driver who has won many kinds of races. However, he stopped racing in Formula One at one point in his life. His friend, mentor, and colleague recruits him to race in Formula One again. That man is Ruben (Javier Bardem). For Sonny, the race is about politics and feeding his ego. But for his new team, Formula One is a race in new territory that is more uncharted than he expects.

The story is all about Sonny learning the new course that has been put in front of him. F1: The Movie brings in the different components of training. Sonny has a teammate named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) who is a young rookie building a name for himself and trying to develop his own audience. The competitiveness of the races is heated and grows rapidly. The dynamics between Sonny and Joshua are complex as racers who strive for success and do not want to share their growth or their wins with each other. 

The races are where the true colors and competitive side of the racers shine in F1: The Movie. The different outcomes of the many races create an interesting trail which keeps the audience curious as each race carries a new result. The loud volume of the film also adds to the impact. The political dynamics make their way to the track repeatedly in F1: The Movie. The uncharted territory tests the skills of the drivers and leads to some unexpected results. The film’s continuity shows the characters’egos. The brewing rivalry helps the audience feel the engines as they get faster and louder as does the anger which adds fuel to this sport.

Throughout the races and the various outcomes, the dynamics of the story remain faithful. Pitt, Bardem, and Pearce alternatively encourage each other and resent each other. The director effectively portrays the many mixed feelings which are displayed prominently in F1: The Movie. The thrill of winning and the harshness of sharing a championship creates the ivory towel feeling in F1: The Movie. The frustration shown in the characterization of Pitt’s performance paints an important picture. The fact that it takes much repetition to learn the steps when driving a new vehicle along with the attention of the press, expectations of the fans, and the excitement of the races…all heat up and accelerate to full speed in this film. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Materialists Review

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Celine Song is a director with an eye for relationships finding faith. After the success of Past Lives, there is a sense of experimentation with her newest feature, Materialists. The perception of the film feels like a blur, but at the same time the characterizations have various conflicting dynamics. Despite those obstacles, it is stellar in its continuity and keeps its focus on what the hearts of the main characters want. Theinterconnection of flaws and frustrations weaves poetically because Song knows how to portray acceptance with Materialists.

The film’s main setting is New York city and the main character, Lucy (Dakota Johnson), is a matchmaker. She makes a living by matching individuals with their potential new mate. She assesses candidate’s chances by taking into consideration multiple characteristics—age, occupation, salary, and purpose. Lucy relies upon trial and error in her work but seems to maintain a healthy lifestyle although sometimes loneliness gets to her. She also experiences ups and downs with her friend Sophie (Zoe Winters).

Fortunately, she believes she has found luck with a wealthy match named Harry (Pedro Pascal). However, her biggest challenge remains mending her relationship with her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans). John is a waiter and a struggling actor. The film weaves together moments of their relationship from the past along with how it is in the present. At the same time, Lucy is trying to navigate the hurdles of being a matchmaker and figure out if her heart is set on Harry or John. The life of a matchmaker is an interesting process when trying to find one’s own true love.

The scenes alternate between finding momentum and then feeling dry. At the same time, the film maintains the pattern of a thought process for its audience. Song successfully creates an atmosphere for her audience to be inspired. The humanistic approach of Materialists carries the hope of happiness waiting to be found which is explored through the performances of Johnson and Evans. These two characters are the primary ones struggling even though one of them is one making bank by helping others find love. Money does not buy happiness. This well-known fact has a sensitive side that builds on the connection between reality and true love and is portrayed with a fulfilling light of aspiration in Materialists.

Materialists is relevant to real-life especially because it is set in the current era where finding love is harder than ever in a world full of advancements and easy distractions. The evidence of distress is clearly displayed by Song in the film. The collaboration between a woman helping people find love, a struggling actor, and a wealthy businessman is complicated. The question of whether each person can find happiness is handled vividly in Materialists.

This is not the greatest film from Song, but it is a solid steppingstone. Past Lives is still her most mesmerizing project. The brilliance of her style is within the dynamics that weave back and forth. Overall, Materialists achieves an experimental form of continuity. Three out of four stars.