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59th Chicago International Film Festival, Film reviews

The Killer Review

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There are three quotes in the film that have a strong tie to the motive in David Fincher’s The Killer. The first quote is, “Stick to your plan. Trust no one.” The second quote is, “Stick to your plan. Never yield an advantage.” The third and most authentic quote is, “Stick to the plan. Anticipate, don’t improvise.” These quotes are used repeatedly in a structured narrative of brilliant writing from Fincher. The Killer is outstanding from the opening credits with Michael Fassbender as the lead and the narratorthroughout the film. During various scenarios, however, it is clear he is a man of a few words who is just trying to get the job done. The Killer is pure Fincher right down to the smallest detail. Fincher is an auteur of noir direction whose focus in this film is the life of a career hitman.

Fassbender’s character is simply The Killer. The film begins in France where he is setting up an assassination. He has a set of routines as he prepares for an assignment. He does his workouts and sets up space for assassinations.  He wears a Fitbit device to help him track his heart rate because it helps him establish when to act. The Killer narrates every moment of every step of the film. While in France, he experiences turmoil which causes him to go out on a run to find the people he did assignments for so that the traces of his assassinations do not link to him. 

Watching Fassbender play a man who is completely committed to his routines is quite mesmerizing. He has a setup for new locations, new jobs, and even a setup for failures. His routines involve establishing his contacts, including ones referred to as The Expert (played by Tilda Swinton), The Lawyer-Hodges (Charles Parnell), The Client-Clybourne (played by Arliss Howard), and more. He has a tie to each of these individuals and they each leave a trace. The element of error creates an atmosphere that is a spellbinding puzzle of untraceable espionage. There are moments where The Killer must hide in the shadows, and even then, Fassbender’s narration continues. Fincher keeps his audience engaged throughout the entire unexpected journey of The Killer. The film is filled with deceit and surprises that include evidence and crystal-clear thinking about how to avoid getting caught. The Killer will enthrall its audience until the end.

The question that came to my mind was, “How does The Killer manage normalcy?” The answer is routine, practice, and previous experience with law enforcement as well asconnections and technique. That is also why The Killer tries to clear anything that could identify him. A single trace could put him away for life. From his point of view, he is just an individual doing his job. Fassbender delivers a monumental performance of a solitary man carrying the dark secret of being an assassin. His narration adds to the suspense and provides insights into the pieces of the puzzle that the audience is waiting for. Fincher is effective at playing out his vision by setting up the right lighting, the right cinematography, the right angles, the right writing. The Killer has all of that plus Fassbender’s incredible performance of persistence and refusal to fail, despite the negative consequences.

The different locations in the film will enthrall audiences as they offer an in-depth understanding of the variations in The Killers routine. Whether in France, New Orleans, Chicago or New York, there is always an element of surprise. Fincher’s direction has many moving parts, and they come together in the most daring of ways. Four out of four stars for The Killer.

Film reviews

Fair Play Review

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The world of wealthy companies and favoritism is put to the test in Fair Play. Written and directed by Chloe Domont, this psychological drama is chilling. The tension and personality clashes make Fair Play sharp and edgy, yet also gut wrenching. Fair Play is one of the most daring films because of the harsh outcomes. The film makes viewers think about workplace boundaries. The most suspenseful aspect of Fair Play is the tension between a couple who are also colleagues.

The film takes place in New York. The couple who are also colleagues are named Emily and Luke (played by Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehreneich). They work at a hedge fund company that is cutthroat. They are madly in love with each other and have a good life outside of work. Their boss is Campbell (played by Eddie Marsen). Campbell is focused on being successful and making profits. Both Emily and Luke work hard at their jobs and try to keep their relationship a secret. However, once Emily receives a promotion, the tension begins to rise with Luke. Emily is in a position where she has power over Luke and their relationship begins to experience turmoil. With Emily always being on top of her game to please Campbell, Luke’s attitude begins to worsen. His envy of Emily’s success creates the boiling point in Fair Play.

The shifting attitudes between Emily and Luke is where the film takes off on a deadly ride of cat and mouse between the two. Their relationship is in a detrimental place. Luke keeps getting more jealous of the opportunities that come around for Emily. Luke is smart but keeps getting the raw end of the deal from Campbell. Fair Play kept me wondering how much more damaging the dynamics could become as the game gets increasingly harder for the hedge fund company. Emily always seems to have the upper hand which makes Luke feel like he is under-employed. Therefore, Luke begins to start making Emily feel like garbage. The close relationship they had outside their office becomes unhealthy and unstable. Attitudes shift when certain events lead to blindsiding. More opportunities for Emily equal less growth for Luke. The better things go for Emily, the more jealous and hateful Luke becomes.

The egotistical behaviors that are displayed between Emily and Luke is where Fair Playtakes off and becomes an unexpectedly brilliant ride. The conflicts feel real, which makes the film quite haunting. I was worried that Fair Play was going to run into detrimental errors, but fortunately it worked out to be an unexpected masterpiece. The film holds no bars at the hatred caused by the clashes between Emily and Luke.

The fierce competition is the key to the film’s brilliance. Fair Play is a film where fuel is added to the fire in the cut-throat world of a hedge fund company. The cinematography and lighting play into the dark moments between Emily and Luke. Emily is at the center of the story because she is Luke’s boss. She begins to pull back on her support for Luke due to his immaturity which keeps deteriorating. Who will be the success in the hedge fund company? Emily or Luke? Can they still find a way to be in a happy relationship as well as colleagues? Or do they need to cut ties or find an alternative? Find out in Fair Play. Three and a half out of four stars.

Film reviews

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Review

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“Being Jewish” is at the center of this film about a traditional family. The vibe Adam Sandler creates in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is full of relatable personalities in partbecause his daughters, Sadie and Sunny, are in the film with him. Adam Sandler plays the classy father who is faithful to his religion. The film does an average job of resembling a traditional family. However, in many ways the story is about revenge and adolescent life more than family. The traditions which are part of being Jewish play a prominent role in the movie.

The plot revolves around adolescence and the peer pressure which hits in early puberty. The film is centered on Stacey (Sunny Sandler), a middle school girl getting ready for her bat mitzvah. Her parents are Danny and Bree (played by Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel). Stacey also has an older sister, Ronnie (Sadie Sandler.). The family is loving and supportive and will do whatever it takes to make her bat mitzvah special. However, due to a conflict with a close friend, Lydia (played by Samantha Lorraine), the plan for a memorable bat mitzvah begins an ugly downward spiral. Stacey cares about being vindictive and having power over Lydia. From my perspective, the real problem is teenage nonsense which is where the film is relatable for young adults.

The age of peer pressure and popularity cross paths with the various aspects of religious practice in You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah. Culture and tradition hit plateaus for the film’s characters and are demonstrated in the performances of Sandler and his daughters. Being Jewish as opposed to practicing thereligion always comes as a reminder for the harsh actions that sporadically occur in this bizarre comedy. The film itself is notterrible but the writing begins to fade easily, and only shines when there are twists like blindsiding and revenge. In all honesty, the story is a fairly accurate representation of adolescent life with typical frustrations to be navigated.

You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah tries to be consistentlyfunny but only succeeds in an average way. Frankly, some of the comedic moments did not add up for me. I felt that the movie kept trying to jump between dark comedy and real comedy. Overall, it feels more like a real comedy that tries to have a heart. The premise focuses on a teenager experiencing jealousy but wanting to feel empowered. The movie does offer some moments of connection that provide meaning for adults as well as younger viewers.

The era of teen popularity keeps going awry in You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah, although adolescence is depicted with some class. There is a quote in the movie comparing soccer and dancing, “Soccer’s a sport, dance is an art.” I feel the sport of the film is represented by the efforts to get revenge, and the art is in the reactions to those efforts. I’m having a hard time explaining the true experience of this film which is why I remain neutral. Two and a half out of four stars.