Wildlife (2018)

Jeanette tries to put a brave face on things when her husband Jerry loses his job soon after they've located to a new town. One gets the feeling that the family has moved a lot and that the reason for the moves is Jerry's pride. Soon Jeanette and Joe (their 14-year-old son) have jobs while Jerry's stubbornly refusing to accept his old job back or work someplace menial like a supermarket. Eventually Jerry does find low-paying work on a crew that will take him away from town for several weeks, leaving his family to cope without him.

It's such a quiet film that refuses to spell things out. Maybe Jeanette's ability to massage Joe's ego and keep things going fairly smoothly enabled him? Maybe without her husband around to constantly manage, she realized that she didn't ever want to go back to it? Maybe Jerry is able to eventually step up as a father and provider once there's no one to indulge his ennui? I don't know for sure and you probably won't either, but I'd be surprised if you don't wind up rooting for Joe to be OK like I was.

B-

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

Amateur documentarians decide to look into a local bogeyman. Legend has it that if you stare through a railroad bridge for a full hour without blinking, he'll appear at the far end. Then, every time you blink, he'll get a little bit closer until he's near enough to your face to tickle you with his eyelashes. 

Despite the fantastically natural "people on the street" interviews that sell us on the idea and the meta commentary about found footage/the convenience of the tapes falling into the hands of another filmmaker, there isn't enough here to keep it interesting through to the end. It leaves too many questions while also generating too little interest for me to really mind.

D

Beautiful Boy (2018)

Nic becomes addicted to meth while still a teen. After success in a rehabilitation facility, he's off to college and off the wagon as well. He gets clean. He seeks and uses drugs again. He gets a sponsor and celebrates sobriety milestones then he's back out there hoping to party. All the while, his father, mother and stepmother do their best to be there for him without enabling his behavior -- which means that they often don't know where he is nor if he's safe. 

I'm sure this is an accurate depiction of what it's like to have an addict in the family, but it was just so exhausting. The experience was less like a rollercoaster and more like driving a junker: there was never any question that a breakdown or crash was coming and every successful journey was just delaying the inevitable.

Two acting notes: Chalamet is extremely good while Carell is in over his head. Sometimes when he was yelling, I couldn't help but be reminded of Brick.

 

C+

The Skin of the Wolf (2018)

A trapper lives alone in an abandoned town high in the mountains. We don't get any backstory about why the town is empty nor how he came to be there. He gets paid per wolf pelt by the nearest inhabited town for keeping it safe from the predators. When it's suggested that he get married to relieve the loneliness, he agrees and pays a local businessman for his eldest daughter. Though they seem to be making a go of things, it's eventually disclosed that she's pregnant with another man's child and sickly. When the trapper angrily returns her body to the businessman, demanding repayment for the deceit, the businessman offers up his younger daughter. She is not nearly as companionable as her sister was.

The mood here is fantastic. You feel the solitude and the way that the wilderness can feel like a prison, especially without any let-up from the constant drudgery and lack of empathy from one's partner. But it wound up feeling so unnecessarily empty. Could they have "made it" if she'd been encouraged to attempt a true partnership? If she (or anyone) had helped him with social niceties and taught him how to be compassionate, could things have turned out better? I think that the fact that she had a "way out" provided by her father, she never really considered trying to make it work, but instead had the mindset that if it didn't get better on its own, she'd just make it stop.

Trigger warning for those with misophonia: mute any scene in which this guy is eating.

C+

22 July (2018)

Based on an actual domestic terrorism attack in 2011 Norway in which a lone gunman distracted the country with a car bomb in Oslo before traveling to a summer camp for teens to gun down scores of victims. The story focuses mostly on the victims and their families as they recover and prepare for the gunman's trial.

I was unfamiliar with the details of this tragedy and, while the movie was compelling on its own terms, I can't help but be swayed by its Norwegian detractors who take issue with the "attack" portion. While horrific as-is, I was guessing that the shooter was on the island maybe 15 minutes rather than the hour-plus it was in actuality. I'm not asking for more carnage, but I do believe that sticking with different groups of kids as they hide and wait to see if their luck will hold or even a "time since first shot" running clock would've been more impactful than spending most of that time viewing things from the shooter's perspective. I would've also liked to a nod to the neighbors who used their own boats to rescue kids who'd escaped into the water.

Despite all that, it's an effective and informative film.

B 

Free Solo (2018)

Let me first say that I don't understand the thrill-seekers of the world. I like being scared only by those things I can turn off or close quickly. If it's my choice, I will never put myself in actual physical danger. So this whole rock climbing -- and especially free soloing (climbing without the safety of equipment) -- is a mystery to me. Just why?

Still, I couldn't help but be drawn into the drama of it and, since I don't follow climbing as a rule, I had no idea how this turned out, which made it even more dramatic.

B-

Terminal (2018)

I am not a fan of dark, grimy, near-future nonsense movies in general and this one is no exception. It's got a lot of twists, turns, fake-outs, and convoluted backstory but it adds up to nothing but a waste of an hour and a half.

D-

Burning (2018)

The gist of the story: Jong-so bumps into a Hae-mi, young woman he used to know, and agrees to catsit for her during an upcoming trip. She returns with Ben, a friend she made while away, and they're invited to a party with Ben's friends. Jong-so is uneasy about Ben, who tells Jong-so that he enjoys burning down greenhouses and is scoping out some near Jong-so's childhood home. Jong-so decides to patrol the area to identify likely greenhouses and, I guess, protect them from Ben (??)  and then Hae-mi disappears.

I mean, I think I got what was going on here, but it was so convoluted and rambling that I wound up not really caring. There was some weird stuff with Jong-so not remembering Hae-min and she told a story about falling down a well that her family said never happened... I don't know what the hell was up with that. Regardless: Steven Yeun was really good as the rich and entitled Ben.

C-

Right Here Right Now (2018)

It's New Year's Eve in Hamburg and things aren't going great for Oskar: his club is bankrupt and he owes money he doesn't have to a loan shark. He decides to throw one last epic blowout and then skip town, but his plans go awry in every way over the course of the evening.

It's loud and packed with people and I never knew quite what was going on -- kind of like being at a rager on New Year's. While I didn't hate this, I did have a hard time finding the plot. 

C

Sun Dogs (2018)

Ned is determined to join the marines but, due to his learning disabilities, he's something of a running-joke at the recruitment office. When an officer finally gives him a "mission" to protect the homefront rather than continually trying to enlist, he takes on the challenge with gusto. Eventually Tally, a young woman constantly in trouble for trying to scam casino patrons, joins him in his quest.

It's interesting to see how Ned affects those around him. His mother is a constant encourager who hasn't gone after her own dreams, even as she encourages Ned to chase things he won't ever get. His common-law stepfather isn't unkind, but he thinks pragmatism is the better route where Ned is concerned. And then Tally is just completely unaware that Ned is anything than what he believes himself to be: a "Sun Dog" (basically a Marine spy on the lookout for terrorist cells).

It's an unusual and effective story.

B-

The Body (2018)

First: this isn't technically a movie, but an episode in the horror anthology Into the Dark -- but it was presented as a standalone movie on Hulu, so that's why it's here.

The film starts with a body, the hitman responsible, and a 4-hour time limit to get the body to a specific destination. Bad news: his tire has been punctured as a Halloween prank. Good news: since it's Halloween, dragging a body-shaped bundle around raises no eyebrows at all. The fun really gets going when he's offered a ride if goes to a party with a group who wants to show their friends the guy with the awesome hitman costume.

I had a lot of fun with this one. I enjoyed the absurdity of the situation and the dynamic between the group of friends. Felt truly original.

B+

Isle of Dogs (2018)

After sickness sweeps through the canine population, Japan banishes all dogs to Trash Island. The Mayor's young ward sets off on his own to find his dog and winds up getting help from one of the packs that has formed there.

It's got a great look and is mostly engaging, but felt very repetitive.

C+

Kodachrome (2018)

A record producer on the brink of losing his job agrees to accompany his estranged photographer father on a roadtrip in exchange for an arranged sit-down with a band about to break big. The destination is Parsons, KS, home of the last lab to process Kodachrome film -- and nearing the end of its dye supply. Also along for the ride is Dad's beautiful and down-to-earth nurse.

So, it's just what you think it's going to be: arguments, bonding, romance, closure. It's fine but exactly like a thousand other movies.

C+

We the Animals (2018)

Mom and Dad work hard to provide for their three boys, but there's not much to spare. Still, they're generally happy. Jonah, the youngest, keeps a secret journal, which he crawls under the bed at night to fill with art and thoughts. 

After a particularly violent fight which results in Dad leaving and Mom taking to bed for a week or two (first to heal from injuries, then due to depression), the boys have to fend for themselves. During this time, they're conflicted about where their loyalties lie. Even after Dad returns, the relationships continue to be strained by the ever-present lack of enough -- either of money or stability. 

It's an honest portrait of a struggling family with Jonah, the sensitive soul, just trying to make his way through it.

B

Girl (2018)

Lara is at a stressful time in her life. Her family has just relocated to allow her to attend a prestigious ballet school on a trial basis. In order to stay there, she must learn pointe years after her peers started training, which involves extremely long hours in order to catch up. Adding to the pressure is the fact that she's pre-transition -- figuring out who she wants to be while denying the fact that her body doesn't yet reflect that.

It's a really hard watch. Teenage girls are the worst. And while it's good to see a story with such support (thank God for kind doctors, understanding therapists and truly engaged parents), it's also important to be reminded of how delicate gender reassignment is -- even when you don't have to fight for the right.

B

Bathtubs Over Broadway (2018)

Steve Young, a writer on the David Letterman show, stumbled upon an odd LP labeled "for promotional use only" and, from there, an obsession was born. What he'd found was a recording of an "Industrial" show: basically a full-blown musical produced for a convention-type audience. 

Steve's interest is infectious. He has genuine -- not ironic -- affection for these numbers. And, truth be told, the content is quality stuff. That the subjects are appliances or fast food dampens neither the creativity nor the production values. To witness Steve's meetings with the stars and writers behind some of these shows was simply lovely. The participants were proud of the work they'd done and thrilled that someone considered it "art" rather than simply commerce. This is a gentle winner.

B

Paddington 2 (2018)

Absolutely wonderful film that outshines the first installment, which was also wonderful.

This time the villain is Felix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), a fading star who steals the pop-up book that Paddington was planning to buy for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday. As Felix chases the clues hidden in the book that he knows will lead to a treasure, Paddington is blamed for the theft and sent to prison.

Hilarious and lovely and oh-so-heartwarming. Grant hams it up and fits right in. I don't think I want to know the person who can't enjoy this.

A

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)

The commoner and the prince are getting married, but there are obstacles! He's super busy because, despite a revitalization program, people are struggling to make ends meet and that means they're pissed at him. Meanwhile, Amber is is also having a hard time because she doesn't have much say in how her wedding's gonna go. 

It's not good. Not good at all.

D

Winchester (2018)

Sarah Winchester (of Winchester Repeating Arms Company) lives in a mansion under perpetual construction. The reason for this is that souls who've been killed by a Winchester gun dictate plans for rooms identical to the ones in which they died, Sarah commissions them to be built, then the soul can inhabitant said room and somehow find peace, at which point the room is torn down. Sometimes the souls don't find peace, though.

Whatever. Though based on a real person and place, it's supremely stupid -- and not in a fun or scary way. 

F

Before I Wake (2018)

Cody has been through a few foster homes and lands with a couple who lost their own son when he was about Cody's age. The thing about Cody is: what he dreams about is manifest while he dreams. For example, if he's dreaming about butterflies then butterflies are gonna be in the house. If he dreams about the dead boy who used to live in his new home, the dead boy's gonna show up.

It's a pretty cool idea that doesn't quite work, but I'm not sure why. The effects are good and the acting is decent, but something just makes this feel too slight -- and, honestly, kind of silly -- to really matter.

C-