The Film Print

Today has been a big day for me because I finally got around to sitting down and watching Fritz Lang's ambitious and audacious silent sci-fi masterpiece  Metropolis . I am always amazed when I watch films from this era for the first time in how they still manage to feel like fresh and new experiences. When watching  Metropolis , I was amazed by how refreshing this film felt and how much of a strong reaction it managed to pull from me. The awe-inspiring cityscape production design paired with Gottfried Huppertz tremendously expressive composition makes for one hell of a thrilling and inspiring viewing experience. We have now seen so many filmmakers borrow from what this film managed to pull off 90 years ago but none have quite managed to succeed as Lang does here. It is a powerful vision that not only draws us closer to a powerfully imagined dystopia but it is an apt allegory for the never-ending battle of class in almost all existing societies throughout time. The narra...

The only useful thing I got out of  Atomic Blonde  is that I really need to get around to finally watching  Stalker . Despite a sleek and sexy aesthetic, a strong lead performance from Charlize Theron, a fun soundtrack, and TWO outstanding one-take action sequences, I found the great majority of  Atomic Blonde  to be pretty unremarkable. Which really sucks for me as this was one of my most anticipated films of the summer.  John Wick  comparisons are pretty misguided, this film is more of a period piece espionage thriller than it is a straight-up action film. But at least the  John Wick  films managed to pack their narratives full of personality and emotional tension. That is really my biggest gripe with this film, I didn't feel a damn thing for anyone or anything. The plot felt convoluted yet somehow underwritten, as did every character. I found my attention fleeting far too many times over the course of the film. Atomic ...

I had strong feeling that my experience watching this movie would fuck me up but I had no idea it would fuck me up THIS MUCH. David Lowery's  A Ghost Story  has been one of my most anticipated films of 2017 ever since I first heard about. I really love the way that Lowery builds his films. The two very different  Ain't Them Bodies Saints  and  Pete's Dragon  have a very distinct sense of warmth and empathy at the center. Not to mention, they both look and sound utterly stunning. If anything,  A Ghost Story  has now solidified Lowery's place as one of the most exciting fresh talents working in the business right now. Simply put,  A Ghost Story  is unlike any film I've ever seen and it made me feel a way that I'm honestly not quite sure a film has ever made me feel. Shot in a rounded 1.33:1 aspect ratio, every frame of this film feels very soft and nostalgic; it draws you in, comforts you, and makes you feel a sense of connection to...

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets  is a space opera in the purest sense of the word. The sheer scope and design of this film are absolutely breathtaking from start to finish and the tremendous use of 3D makes this one of the most profoundly exhilarating and unique experiences I've had all year. Luc Besson's  The Fifth Element  is a childhood favorite of mine because of how dynamic and ambitious his vision is in that film, and  Valerian  is no different. I live for watching directors like Besson tackle passion projects like this, ones that completely ooze a sense of cinematic exploration and originality. The creativity is seemingly endless in this one. If I were to complain about anything in this film, it would be the two leads. Dane and Cara aren't particularly bad but they lack any real sense of personality that makes them great lead characters to follow. But they're both surrounded by a world that completely blows the mind of the viewer and a su...

I will admit, I’ve been quite a big critic of Christopher Nolan for the past five or so years after being vehemently disappointed by his two most recent outings in  The Dark Knight Rises  and  Interstellar . When it came to  Dunkirk , I found myself both excited and cautious to embrace it, especially given that I found none of the trailers or spots to be particularly engrossing. However, it brings me great pleasure to say that I quite liked  Dunkirk , and maybe even loved it. It’s no secret that Nolan and co. have been really pushing and endorsing the wide 70mm release of this film and I was fortunate enough to experience it in such a format and I can say with great confidence that it is the definitive way to experience this. It’s a cinematic experience that feels very fresh and very very intense. Every frame makes you feel stuck and terrified right alongside every soldier. Nolan employs the terrifying mindset of the event onto the audience and it's nearly ...

I will preface this review by admitting that my opinion on this film may be partially swayed by how delightful and entertaining the post-screening Q&A with (Queen) Aubrey Plaza and director (King) Jeff Baena and special face time appearance by Nick Offerman. The Little Hours  evokes some of the best aspects of the works of Monty Python and Mel Brooks. With a short and sweet runtime of 90 minutes, I found myself hysterically laughing from beginning to end but I couldn't help but feel the film was running out of steam come the third act. There's one scene in particular that I won't spoil that feels like its building to a lot but it just disappointingly fizzles out far too soon. Stylistically, there isn't a ton here but a lot of the effect of this film comes from the way that Baena seeks to make these characters relatable to us. Every character is stuck in a situation that restricts them from being their true selves and it's quite possibly the most hilarious s...

Sundance dramedies are like comfort food for me, but sometimes as of lately, they feel a little too manufactured and artificial for my taste. That, however, is nearly the case for  The Big Sick , the true love story based on the lives of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. Every single fiber of this film feels genuine and authentic in every way and thanks to the genius writing and acting, it's the perfect rollercoaster of strong emotions. There's such a refreshing sense of reality and personality to this film. As is customary with films labeled as "Apatow Productions," this does feel about 10-15 minutes too long and the last few minutes or so did feel a little too indie cutesy for my taste. There's so much to love here, and I couldn't possibly say anything that hasn't already been said better by someone else who's more equipped to talk about it. But the film's commentary on how we have to throw our relationships into an emotional hurricane to...

The original run of  Planet of the Apes  films from the 1960’s and 70’s were some of the most influential films of my childhood and even when I watch them today, the campy and pertinent charm still manages to shine through to this day. However, with this new rebooted series, I’ve found it harder to connect to Caesar's narrative, whether it be because of the particularly uninspired direction of  Rise  or the overall sense of familiarity and lack of subtlety in its sequel,  Dawn . But now the final installment,  War  is here and much to my delight, it is the best of this updated trilogy. Arriving in a summer that is filled with franchise/cinematic universe obsessed films, it feels quite refreshing that  War  is one that is beaming with a great and somber sense of humanity, empathy, and purpose. While we are clearly supposed to side with Caesar and his army of loyal apes, this film does a good job at making a case for the side of the h...

I’ve never really been a big fan of the character of Spider-Man outside of Sam Raimi’s original run of movies. Now we’re here, two reboots later, with a brighter, more joke-oriented teen approach to the character and the world around him and this time he’s with Iron Man. With my lacking connection to the character and my more lukewarm feelings towards the overdone marketing, I have not been anticipating the day that I have to see this. Luckily, it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be, I actually quite enjoyed myself from time to time (mostly due to the outstanding cast of character actors). If there’s one film that I feel I could easily compare  Spider-Man: Homecoming  to, it would probably be this year’s semi-divisive  Power Rangers  reboot. Both deal in equal portions with our character’s personal lives and their lives as up and coming superheroes, the only differences is that  Rangers  made a legitimate attempt at making us give a...

I went into  Lady Macbeth  with a moderate amount of expectations given that it has been raved about in many circles and the result, for me, was incredibly underwhelming. Firstly, Florence Pugh's performance is an absolute revelation, if there is one reason to watch this movie it's for her because she gets real close to rivaling Kristen Stewart for the Best Leading performance of the year. Unfortunately, the erotic period thriller that surrounds her is filled with some big issues. This is a film that should feel like slowly creeping metamorphoses into something vile but right from the opening frame, there's an overwhelming sense of unease. The unsettling tone is sustained throughout the entire 88-minute runtime, making the characters conclusion in the film seem rather empty when it should be far more impacting. Pugh might incredible, but the character of Katherine is really a non-character and while I tried to feel her disturbed sense of isolation and emptiness, I ne...

I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest Sofia Coppola fan.  Lost in Translation  is one of my favorite films of all time but other than that, I find her work rather annoying and underwhelming.  The Beguiled , fortunately, is one of my favorite films from her and one of my favorites from this summer. It features what is quite possibly the best ensemble from a film all year with Oona Laurence giving one of my favorite child performances of the year and Nicole Kidman being the best she's been in years. The original  Beguiled  is a fun if not really a dated piece of 70's exploitation. Here, Coppola packs a hell of a punch with every beautiful picturesque frame. The photography is the definition of lush and seductive. At a runtime of only 94 minutes, the pace never misses a beat and I was always kept on my toes with how unique the tone of this film is. It's a little bit of horror, mixed with a dark romance, and an especially weird sense of comedy. The campy ton...