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Film reviews

The Apprentice Review

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The story of one man’s rise to power moves swiftly in The Apprentice. Directed by Ali Abbasi, the early days of Donald Trump are looped in with political factors as well as greed on the road to success. The movie is filled with over-the-top humor and egotistical tones which drive home the idea of someone who wants to be more than what they are worth The Apprentice does not highlight the presidential days of Trump but highlights the era when he was creating businesses and buying buildings. The strategies he employed to navigate systems and rotate the cards is what The Apprentice is all about.

Sebastian Stan plays Donald Trump in the days when Trump was discovering the building blocks for his own success. With a family to support him and high aspirations, Stan does an excellent job portraying the egotistical attitude Trump displayed to boost his own worth above those around him. Trump has housing and real estate plans that he wants to move forward with, but many of them are complicated due to taxes, licensing, and other issues. Playing by the rules and obeying the letter of the law do not come easy to Trump. He hires Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong), and from that point on, the era of Trump’s ability to make money by pursuing many different avenues turns into his hallmark.

The film is funny while also maintaining a serious vibe. With Strong in the role as Cohn, he presents an attitude that is never willing to accept defeat. He also rides all the political tides and finds tactical ways to get around obstacles and the law. The box of tricks he teaches Trump creates the pinnacle of an ego that will always find a way to rise to the occasion. With many events in the film being based on true stories, some viewers may find The Apprentice appealing and some may despise it. The main political parts, however, are focused on Trump’s early days inbusiness and the development of his properties. The film also delves into his relationship with Cohn and their shared determination to win at any cost. Both Stan and Strong give believable performances of men striving to the point of no sacrifice.

Trump’s backstory is a bit rushed, especially when it involves moments which include scenes with Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova). The scenes in The Apprentice showing Trump wanting to grow faster, richer, and even feel more powerful are done masterfully. He is clearly one-of-a-kind. Although, his ultimate rise to the presidency is not covered in the film, the foundation for what lies ahead is put in place. Stan shines as Trump and Strong shines as Cohn. Their egos cause them to battle, but The Apprentice also relays back to Trump battling himself and his merits when he is dealing with more than he can handle. The Apprentice gets ugly and may receive all kinds of mixed reactions due to the mind-boggling details of what happened in Trump’s early days. Three-and-a-half stars.

Film reviews

Small Things Like These Review

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From director Tim Mielants and based on the book written by Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These is an adaptation with heart about a situation involving layers of uncertainty. The story is woven in a way that is thought-provoking. It weighs the choices a man must make when faced with secrets. The film is set in areas around County Wexford and County Wicklow in Ireland. The season of the film gives off a chilly feeling and thecinematography feels cold as well. There is a sense given the subject matter that there are complicated moving parts when it comes to choices that have serious consequences.

The film’s main character is Bill Furlong (played by Cillian Murphy). He is a father to many daughters with his wife, Eileen Furlong (played by Eileen Walsh). He works hard daily to feed his family. With a job as a coal merchant, Bill prioritizes his family. Even though he is presented as a family man, the dark era of his early days being raised by a single mother come back to him.

When part of holiday celebration doesn’t go as planned, and other eerie moments occur, Bill still behaves with a heart. He meets Sarah Redmond (played by Zara Devlin), a teenager whois pregnant. He finds her in a shed in drastic and cold temperatures, suffering in a way that Bill cannot accept. The place where this takes place happens to be a convent, run by Sister Mary (played by Emily Watson). This presents a portrait of what seems very inappropriate in the operations of the convent where the nuns belittle Sarah.

Small Things Like These creates a representation of a small town with very few places to hide. The writing and pacing are focused primarily on the intentions of Bill as he struggles with the harsh secrets and realizations regarding the convent. Small Things Like These transitions to scenes in Bill’s past, and then jumps back to the present. It shows him living life with his family and delves into his thought process about what he should be doing to help Keep Sarah safe. The artistic aspects of Small Things Like These illustrate the risks of doing a good deed, i.e., aiding Sarah in finding safety. Murphy’s performance is impressive as a character who demonstrates loyalty and respect in his efforts to break down barriers.

This film is a poetic force of a drama that is both dark and often unnerving. The drastic way lighting is used to illuminate specific moments of confusion and frustration experienced by lead character, Bill, is what especially dazzles during Small Things Like These. The past may not be able to be undone given the difficult reminders of prior hardship. Going forward, however,Bill’s dedication to being a father motivates him to do what is right. Using the small-town setting to help deliver a deeply emotional vibe, the film’s power lies in creating a nervous mentality that swerves vigorously. Three out of four stars for Small Things Like These.

Film reviews

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Review

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This is one of those Christmas flicks true to faith. It is also one where tradition and meaning come with class and attitude. Dallas Jenkins’s version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever presents meaning in the context of joy. To an extent, though, I found the film to drag in instances. There are emotional and joyful characterizations. Its form seems to feel like a Hallmark Channel movie.

The film centers on a mother and a father, Bob (played by Pete Holmes) and Grace (played by Judy Greer). They are just two parents trying to navigate the Christmas holidays for the sake of their children. The monumental event in their town is a Christmas Pageant. There is a family known to bring problems to the table. They are the Herdman family. They consist of a group of six kids. They are known to cause conflicts among others. They like to feel they own the town set in the film. Grace is the one taking on the direction role of the pageant. The film is narrated by an older version of Beth (one of the child characters). The narration is done by Lauren Graham. It is a dynamic with a Christmas tradition that brings in importance while also having frustrating plateaus.

I do feel that it fuels its positive side. That is because there are moments where the performances of Holmes and Greer try to remind young ones of acceptance and good spirits. “Good spirits” go in limbo repeatedly in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The connective side of the film is its pattern of trying to adapt to the acceptance of others. This is around the difficulty of the Herdman family. The film’s direction focuses on their negative energy, and it keeps looping back to the pattern of tolerating them. “Tolerating them” as in others trying to help them find the goodness in them.

When it comes to being present with community and holiday joy, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever does an excellent job at keeping the emotions of that alive. It continuously keeps that positive faith thriving high. The characterizations and the setup are a little much for the theatrical scene experience, but it is one for families to get wrapped up in. The narrations of moving parts and the plateaus of communities (among a pageant) remind its audience how Christmas tends to have unexpected obstacles. “Unexpected obstacles” on the fact that individuals cannot change others.

As mentioned, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever feels like a Hallmark Channel movie. To clarify, it has more cinematic qualities for that type of experience. This means that it is one of those that may be worth the time spent at the cinema. Some may not feel like that with its aspects. However, with its context, family patterns, and holiday spirit, it is a holiday flick to get cozy (together) and families to enjoy together. The sensation of the love that keeps spiraling through the film is what makes me appreciate The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Not an exhilarating, but a loving level. Three out of four stars for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.