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Film reviews

Blink Twice Review

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Blink Twice is cast with an all-star list of talent with Naomie Ackie as Frida, Channing Tatum as Slater, Alia Shawkat as Jess, Christian Slater as Vic, Simon Rex as Cody, Adria Arjona as Sarah, Haley Joel Osment as Tom, Geena Davis as Stacy and Kyle MacLachlan as Rich. Directed by Zoe Kravitz, I felt the party was heated with many lines that keep the twists of the Island party hopping. Blink Twice is unique in its style. There is the setting of paradise where people are encouraged to cut lose and be free. There is a penalty with that freedom though. It is one of those films where it is set to have a catastrophic episode on a nightly basis…its continuity keeps its momentum steady.

In the film, Frida and Jess are two close friends who livetogether. They find themselves working a catering job that keeps them in the dumps. Frida is praying for an escape to have a therapeutic break from all the mental aggravations in her life. She is obsessed with Slater. This is because he is an icon of wealth. As luck would have it, Frida and Jesse are invited on a getaway to his private island, a place with no technology and a lot of weird natural resources. The trip also includes a group of people displaying some bizarre behaviors. The dismissal of technology on the island creates a strong attention to the reality of the circumstances and situations presented. Is it truly what Frida and Jesse think the adventure is though?

The film finds its points of being questionable though when moments of drug use kick in. This is where the behaviors of many of the guests begin to have a form of confusion, especially with Tom and Vic. They are weird ones. Other questionable characters include Stacy and Rich who throw in some odd dynamics. There remains an aspect of wondering what the truthreally is in Blink Twice.  All around there is a threat of danger. Slater may be wealthy, but what is he hiding? The depths of the getaway going downhill is where my mind kept finding its thrills. “Thrills” to the extent that all actions have consequences, and that despite how funny or serious the setting—there will be an outcome one or way the other.

Tatum is the party host who has that laid-back attitude, and he is also very welcoming. Does he know how truly crazy he is though? Does he know the dangers of the Island? Is everyone so drugged up on so many substances that they are totally oblivious to danger? This is a trail ride of questions where Blink Twice brings on buckets of sweat as the anxiety heightens. The party does not stop. No matter how dangerous or out of hand it gets.

A throbbing whirlwind of exhilaration, the party does not stop until the authorities get involved. How can the authorities make it on the Island when it is so remote with no technology? The island creates its own outcome with irresistible and psychological suspense. It is a comical party which keeps moving in a detrimental direction. The range of the problemspresented here leave questions with multiple choice answers. Is the island the risk? Is the host the risk? Are the guests the risk? Find out in Blink Twice. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Crow

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The original version of The Crow (released in 1994) is a guilty pleasure of mine. The director of the 1994 version was Alex Proyas. In this newest edition, its director is Rupert Sanders. Redemption and power do not meet mesmerizing expectations in this current version of The Crow. There are depths of it that try with revenge and love to create a form of meaning. The background and characterizations of The Crow are meaningless.

The two characters are Eric (played by Bill Skarsgard) and Shelly (played by FKA twigs). They escape from prison, fall in love, and build their universe of romance. The enemy onto them is Vincent Roeg (played by Danny Huston). Vincent targets them both. Shelly is deceased. Eric seeks the power to bring her back. A mental state of mind brings Eric to the universes of the present and dead. The one who guides him on how to use his powers is Kronos (played by Sami Bouajila). Can Eric save the love of his life?

The beginning is Eric and Shelly having a life in prison. From there, they make their own life after escaping. The Crow has issues with its pacing. It will focus a lot on Eric and Shelly’s unconventional relationship. It will then transition to the mayhem of criminality coming down around them. Both are at the height of it, but one gains the power to do more detrimental things. With Eric having a love for art and words, his visions mean more than just love. The writing, however, is sloppy.

There is a lot of dragging. The scary powers take their time to get to their climatic scenarios do not come so smoothly in The Crow. It is even more complex to take Skarsgard seriously as Eric. He has a quiet monotone, and he does not possess tough-guy vibes.

There is a lot of turmoil. The Crow is captivating in a moment where criminality is finding light. Once that “light” finds its way to turn on, the dreads of terror come in drastically bad. It just throws it all in the bucket of vengeance (in Eric). With that, audiences can expect tons of tattoos, weird attitudes, and a strange path of poor writing in The Crow.

It misses its opportunities for invigoration. It is presented in the formality of predictability. “Predictability” of mediocrity. The 1972 version knew how to be on par with its good and bad guys. This version cares too much about making it look like a generic version of a superhero flick. It is not that though, It is just a horror with a poor script and angles. I felt there would be more to this. I had a feeling of moving parts. There were barely any. The Crow displays “moving parts” of flatness.

I do suggest revisiting the 1994 version before seeing this one. I felt lost throughout the context of this remake. It is detrimental and messy. It is a failure within the realms of structure. I do give it credit for trying to encourage its characterizations though. Two out of four stars.

Film reviews

Close to You Review

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Elliott Page delivers a grandeur performance in a role that speaks for itself. In his days as Ellen Page, he portrayed an emotional teen facing a pregnancy crisis in Juno. In Close to You, Page brings the same energy with realistic feelings experienced identifying as a man. Close to You creates anatmosphere with a sense of disconnect exploring feelings that are hard to tolerate. The desire for acceptance and wanting to feel loved spirals in a spellbinding way. Page portrays someone who is depressed, confused, angry, and questioning. Accepting life for what it is comes with many obstacles in Close to You.

Page plays Sam. Sam is going home to visit his family to celebrate his father’s birthday. He has not returned home in years, and the thought of it causes mentally anguish. The silence of his train ride paints a portrait of what he is feeling because heknows many of his family members question the fact that he transitioned to being a male. On the train, he meets an old friend named Katherine (played by Hillary Baack), who is hearing impaired. Sam senses a chance of feeling loved for who he is. Once he makes it home for his dad’s birthday, the atmosphere begins to be uncertain. His mother, Miriam (played by Wendy Crewson), tries to help him remember he is loved. The rest of the family sends odd vibes to Sam.

The film is all about the patterns of family dynamics. It is crystal clear why Sam keeps encountering annoyances when he comes home. His family including Megan (played by Alex Patton-Beesley), and Kate (played by Janet Porter), tries to talk sense into him and not be hateful or resentful. However, her brother-in-law Paul (played by David Reale), is a narcissist and very unaccepting. The different thought patterns of people in Sam’s home cause him to spiral as he struggles to mentally handle what is going on around him. All he wants is to feel loved for how he chooses to be.

The film stays focused on the many obstacles Sam faces and how they make him feel. When his head is spinning and his family is causing him confusion, does he take a stand? The narrative of Sam being the bigger person is an aspect that weighs heavily in Close to You. We see this as Sam puts people in his family on the spot when they take a confrontational tone with him. When Sam stands up for himself, I felt the film displayed honesty in showcasing the timing of when thingsshould be said and how words can hurt.

Is Close to You realistic? Very much so. Is it a happy film? In parts. Does it matter how Sam identifies? No, it does not. What matters is what Sam’s heart wants.

Choices are not always easy. For Sam, his choice created mixed signals for his family. The film includes conversations from a history of past problems involving Sam and highlights personal conflicts with one another. The past still hurts in Close to Youand the story focuses on a complex reunion where trust amongst family members means everything.

This film is incredibly real. It shows Sam facing a reality thatmany deal with every day. Close to You portrays how people can make tough decisions based on what their gut is telling them. The truth may be hard to accept, but it does not mean there is hatred. Life is about navigating how to help those we love most. There is love in Close to You. It is displayed in the layers of Sam’s personal journey and relationships with both his family and Katherine. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.