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Film reviews

Emelia Perez Review

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What genre speaks to audiences the most? Is it crime, comedy,musical, or a thriller? Emelia Perez is a quadruplet of each! Directed by Jacques Audiard, it is a film of a blend that I found to be instrumental. There is characterization of perfection and detail with the main characters. There is also a clarification of the film’s central plot. Emelia Perez deserves attention on the big screen over its streaming platform Netflix. The odyssey of depth is not the same without seeing it on the big screen.

As I have mentioned, it is one for cinemas, that is because its setup is theatrically inviting. The setting of Emelia Perez is Mexico. Its character of importance is a lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (played by Zoe Saldana). She is an over achievingattorney who is under employed in her career. She spends herdays working at a large firm, when she could have her own. This is where the film goes into a musical track of her elaborating on the curiosities to why she is working for nothing.

The film continues on the track of playing the musical card. The serious depths of the plot are continuously tackled by theatricsand moments for songs to begin. The flow of the film gets more serious when Rita receives a job offer. A cartel boss offers to help Rita get rich if she helps him get a sex change. The crime lord is Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Pérez-both played by Karla Sofia Gascon. Rita accepts this mission, and she goes on an adventure visiting doctors who perform this type of operation—a platform for the musical theatrics to combine the crime and comedy sides. Emilia Perez’s brilliance lies in unforeseen switching of gears.

The film though, finds its moments where legalities and family ties hit a plateau. Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez has a partner named Jessi—she is played by Selena Gomez. Emilia Perez has a clever eye for those who are trying to put a bad past behind them. Finding the truth is a mind-boggling puzzle, as themusical tracks and authentic continuity get drastic on a cinematic and surreal note of melancholy. It achieves this with championships of its combined genres.

The life of Rita and Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez is a journey of deceit meeting its maker in the setting of a culture that is vibrant, colorful, and extraordinary. A film where the viewer is moved by many of its fragments finding its paths via its theatrical and musical notions. The changes of gender open tochanges of many spiraling yet inviting factors. Emilia Perez is all about being blindsided. Blindsided by the notion that a new life could come easy. Emilia Perez fuels misdirection to the level of curiosity—there is always the thought of an artistic note along the way in the film’s journey toward a new life. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Emilia Perez.

Film reviews

The Piano Lesson Review

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From my experience, I will say that the Washington family has the gift of pontification. They do it all so well in The Piano Lesson. Directed by Malcolm Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, who on his rise to fame. Along with John David Washington (Denzel’s other son), he continues to be an icon worthy of his father’s legacy in his movies. The Piano Lesson is a film where art and appreciation find their value to the deepest core. It is all centered on an heirloom piano and weaves emotions continuously in a cinematically enticing experience.

The film focuses on the Charles family.  The setting is a home owned by Doaker Charles (played by Samuel L. Jackson). In that home is an heirloom piano that is enriched with designs dating back to ancestors with its carvings. The story is based ona play adapted into a film. The conflict though, is between a brother and a sister, Boy Willie (played by John David Washington) and Berniece (played by Danielle Deadwyler). Boy Willie aspires to a brighter future, but only if he sells the piano.Berniece wants to keep the piano—it has much of her legacy engraved. Tensions boil over as the dynamic of family and the meaningfulness of the piano create one long boxing match that is relentless to find a sacred path for all involved with or without the piano.

The dynamics of a large family with many personalities ranging from Wining Boy (played by Michael Potts), Avery (played by Corey Hawkins), Boy Charles (played by Stephen James), and more, make for a lot to take in with The Piano Lesson. It is a fueled drama where the dramatics of seriousness and empathy tango for a passionate scenario—there may be some withdrawals without the piano. The engravings and their meanings are where the disagreements keep creating the flow of a family that falls apart, rejuvenates, and then cycles into the same pattern again,rapidly agreeing then disagreeing about the fate of the piano. 

The evolution of authenticity is surreal in The Piano Lesson. As more arguments and revelations unfold, eerie events begin to happen. In those moments the film fuels its audience to be curious too if there are spirits having expectations. There is the sensation of shifting to create a universe of unexpected tension rising for something unforgettable. The feelings for the piano are the beginning, but the deeper meaning of cultural tides may cause unforeseen consequences.

The direction is superb. The experience is relentless. This film is a theatrical journey—the setting of a time gone by loops in the importance of family at that time.  The presence of the piano is where the film stands tall for a fight to find the light of empathy. The Piano Lesson fuels characterizations and dynamics with a fulfilling atmosphere of serious considerations, of what happens when the feelings surrounding an object of purpose are not taken seriously. Where does the piano stand? Who is in the right? It will take many wrongs before finding the “right” one in The Piano Lesson. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Don’t Move Review

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Don’t Move is a cat-and-mouse premise with a spiraling limit. Directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, the testing of the waters gets vivid (rapidly) in Don’t Move. The writing is a killer with a motive. However, the “motive” does not go as planned. There is a setting with a forest and a mountain. And one hiking trip in peril with a tantalizing twist.

The film’s main character is Iris (played by Kelsey Asbille). The film begins with going on a hike to grieve the loss of her child. As she stands over the ledge on her hike, another hiker gets her attention, and he is Richard (played by Finn Wittrock). They start some small talk, but within minutes, she finds herself as Richard’s hostage. She tries many means to escape, but then she realizes that Richard has injected a relaxant into her bloodstream. Therefore, running and being in shock causes a shutdown of her motor skills. The film makes the clock tick. Can Iris escape the dangers of Richard (who is a killer)? Can Iris keep her body from shutting down? Don’t Move is like an odyssey of its audience worrying about running out of gas. However, it is in terms of human functions to survive.

Don’t Move is a film of adrenaline. It is also thought-provoking. As Iris finds herself fighting to keep her system from shutting down, Richard finds himself to be causing more disasters among himself. This is because when witnesses get in the way, he mustkeep destroying the evidence (as he is dealing with Iris). Therefore, the film creates more for its audience to think about while the chaos is already mayhem.

There is a saying in the film, “Wrong place, right time!” it is the “wrong place” for both characters because both are in harm’s way. Iris is doing everything (in her power) to run before giving Richard the chance to hurt her (even more). Richard tries to keep his act together and keep Iris in sight. Otherwise, his raging behavior sends off red signals. The suspense is all intuitive. However, it does not offer many surprises. It contains more shock value of its graphic violence.

The frequent thoughts of Iris and her body shutting down had my attention on Don’t Move. The focus of that halting effect made my head spin repeatedly. The natural setting adds to that pressure (for the audience). Limited cell service, a small town, and a race to survive.

Even though it is in tune to be shockingly disturbing, its cleverness is that its killer is not getting his way. The two-sided stressors of the hostage (Iris) and the Killer (Richard) bring in lots of damage to be considered (for its audience). The damage creates a two-to-tango dynamic intensively in Don’t Move. Overall, it is a typical continuity setup that grasps terror with misdirection. “Misdirection” with one at risk for motor skills shutting down (along with the risk of being murdered) and one running out of time to hide his uncharted territory. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for Don’t Move.