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Film reviews

Night Nurse Review

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What is the point?  I played that question repeatedly in my head while watching Night Nurse. I have worked in a variety of settings with customers in hospitality and facilities and to me Night Nurse presents a strange form of connection in a retirement setting. It is both unnerving and interesting at the same time, yet the execution of it drags. It’s attempt at being creative as well falls flat. The film surrounds an old man in a home and prank calls to make bank. The twist though, is the nurse is also his assistant and part-time lover. The storyline is bizarre and kept me wishing for a stronger show of decent writing to appear.

 

The film’s main character is Eleni, played by Cemre Paksoy. She takes a job at a retirement community. She is assigned to take care of Douglas, played by Bruce McKenzie. Douglas presents bad forms of dementia, but also strange characterizations. He has Eleni make a fake call for him, she goes for it and soon they become con artists together. He also has another nurse named Mona, played by Eleonore Hendricks. The head doctor at the retirement community is Doctor Mann, played by Mimi Rogers. The scenario creates a rapid dynamic where cash and wrong connection to get more money keeps floating around in a matter that is quirky. I had a hard time trying to put my serious face on with Night Nurse.

 

It is interesting that Eleni gets addicted to the pattern with Douglas. It is like the film was written to look at someone taking a job at a retirement community to help overcome daddy issues. Her “daddy issues” are clearly those of not having enough attention around her.  At the same time, she jumps into that unexplained romantic vibe too easily.  Douglas’ brain is surelynot in the right mind, yet he still manages with his malevolent prank calls and blindsides people. When there is a man living in a retirement community creating loving moments with nurses and driving them around in a convertible, audiences know instantly this is a silly thriller. Just in that context alone, it is hard to present elements to be considered of importance.

 

The peril presented here is the chance of these calls going wrong. That is because they target others around the retirement community—another aspect of poor taste. The concept of those already suffering with health issues being preyed upon as victims gave me a weird feeling that I struggled with to be entertained.  Douglas is clearly “cheating” the system at his retirement community, and Eleni helps him with this. So does Mona. The consequences do not show up well in Night Nurse. Watching Night Nurse felt like working a shift where you keep asking yourself repeatedly when the shift will be over. This one is very poorly written. Three con artists in a pod that lacks fulfillment. Night Nurse is so strange yet enthralling. Not enough to feel enthusiastic about though. Two out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Faces of Death Review

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Grisly murders have a way of catching the attention of audiences, especially those who can handle gory scenes. Violence sells, but one must take into consideration what appears real and what seems fake. Faces of Death loops in popularity and context which combine in a horrid nightmare. The graphics are mesmerizing, yet the characterizations are somewhat sloppy at times. It is technically a remake of the film Faces of Death from 1978. The twist, however, is the murderer finds inspiration from that 1978 flick. The narration in the film fuels his rage. The aggressiveness in the story is eerie, but the film relies on oozing violence to appear realistic. In the end, I found it more funny than spooky. 

The film focuses on a lady named Margot, played by Barbie Ferreira. She has a day job moderating content online. She is also getting over a horrid event involving a train accident. So, disturbing imagery comes to her attention frequently since her brain is wired to notice when something looks wrong. She begins to moderate videos by a man named Arthur, played by Dacre Montgomery. Arthur is a man who has a normal life with a day job, but outside of work, he tracks down victims to broadcast them in his murder videos. His numbers, his fanbase, and the 1978 version of Faces of Death is his inspiration. Margot begins to utilize technology to track him down.

There is a vengeance that is greedy in Faces of Death. The film’s writing provides context that shows how human errors lead to increased determination. This is achieved through the characterizations of both Margot (the hero) and Arthur (the antagonist). When Margot feels no one is helping her, she abuses technology. When Arthur feels his vengeance is not enough, he continues to find more disturbing tactics for demolishment. There is more fuel for danger and treachery than meets the eye in Faces of Death.

Unfortunately, the film is a bit sloppy. Arthur as a murderer does not fit the bill well although Margot fits the hero role very well. I felt more terror from seeing Margot tracking down Arthur, than Arthur in his killing mode. Faces of Death is like a horror of reversed psychology where the writing does not have the characterizations properly in tune. Both characters have egotistical minds that work differently. There is so much running, and so much hurting. The film’s writer didn’t seem to know when to throw in the towel. The oozing graphics grow as do the numbers of Arthur’s crazy social media followers. There is no stopping his trends.

This is a B-/C+ horror remake primarily because the seriousness lacked. The characters were intermittently off key as they came in and out of tune. While the violence was great, the characters did not roll well with it in my opinion. Perhaps audiences will appreciate the context and rank it higher than the disturbing elements. Overall, though, this is a films that I can only give two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Baltimorons Review

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A gem where connections are found in unlikely places. A masterclass of comedy about finding meaning after loss. The Baltimorons is a Christmas miracle from the mind of Jay Duplass. Co-written by Michael Strassner who is also the lead In the film. The Baltimorons relies upon the formulaic approach involving someone trying to grieve and cope with disconnect on Christmas Eve. I have long admired Duplass. In this film, he showcases the ability to thrive in spite of what had been lost. The Baltimorons is a film I adore for its focus on someone trying to cope with his many frustrations while also trying to bring happiness to others.

This brilliant work-of-art takes place in Baltimore. The main character is Cliff who has a life filled with many struggles. He is dealing with sobriety, past issues with depression, while also trying to deal with the fact that his career in sketch comedy writing fell apart. Cliff is on the way to spend Christmas Eve with his fiancé Brittany (Olivia Luccardi), and her family. However, a dental emergency brings Cliff to the dentist. He meets Didi (Liz Larsen). Cliff overhears that Didi is having issues of her own, and after the dentist’s appointment, he talks her into going on many Christmas Eve adventures. During their time together they engage in conversations about life which lead to an interesting journey and mutual feelings of connection. The chemistry between Strassner and Larsen makes the film a success. Both characters are dealing with a loss of touch and wanting to feel warmth again.

Didi is a single, unhappy mom and Cliff is a depressed, frustrated soul. Duplass is amazing at creating this dynamic duo in an unlikely place at an unlikely time. He brings cinematic wonders exploring humanistic values to The Baltimorons. The conversations between the two are spot-on. The frustrations they encounter on their many adventures are witty and goofy. Duplass is so skilled at pulling off scenes of a mischievous nature. His talents allow him to transform the disconnect many people experience during the holidays into holiday cheer in The Baltimorons.

Throughout the unexpected trips which occur in The Baltimorons, the brilliant scenes warmed my heart and made me feel sentimental. The movie makes you think about how good it feels to have someone looking out for you…even if it is for just a few moments. The Baltimorons is by far one of the most cheerful, creative, and positive films I have seen this year. Although there are some elements which are for mature audiences, the theme of self-acceptance and working through problems shines deeply in The Baltimorons.

Duplass does not disappoint and neither does Strassner who steals the film. His persistence playing someone who is jumping over various hurdles makes viewers cheer for him as if he were working his way up to the finish line. The ultimate “win” would be for him to take advantage of the positivity that his new friend has shared with him and hope for it to turn into something fanciful. Four out of four stars for The Baltimorons.