by Nathaniel R
As ever we've fallen behind. Here are four pictures currently in theaters that didn't get a proper review or a podcast discussion on the site. File under better late than never because we didn't mean to ignore them. Would love to hear your thoughts, too...
The Gangster, The Cop, and The Devil (Lee Won-Tae)
Synopsis: A powerful gangster and an aggressive cop form an uncomfortable alliance to catch a serial killer
Capsule: The ingenious hook scene of this movie, which we won't spoil though presumably most reviews and the trailer do, gives even the weakest moments of this genre-riff a pulpy electric crackle. Not that there are many weak spots beyond the plotholes. Though indulgently violent and rather broad at all times, it's consistently exciting due to the premise and the charismatic star turn (x 3).
Grade: B
Aladdin (Guy Ritchie)
Synopsis: A remake of the 1992 Disney classic about a 'street rat', the princess he loves, and a magical lamp with a blue genie inside.
Capsule: Points for not copy and pasting the animated film like Beauty & The Beast so drably did, but subtract all those points and them some, for a truly dire production. The design is gawdy without the joy of camp. The pacing is manic. The editing is bizarre. The performances are somewhat dull (though Naomi Scott tries hard) which is a pity given the racially appriopriate casting and the new conception of Jasmine both of which we'd like to cheer without the caveat of 'missed opportunity'. Worst of all Guy Ritchie proves he has no inkling whatsoever as to how to shoot a musical sequence (only two are even mildly entertaining). Even the direct "quotes" from the animated classic lack comic timing ... like the magic carpet pushing Aladdin and Jasmine into a kiss. It was so funny and sweet in the original, and here just dutifully happens... without comic timing or extra care before we move on to the next thing. Sadly the only "Original" song is also weak filler, and worse still, sticks out badly, not sounding even an iota like it belongs to the same song score.
Grade: D+
Avengers: Endgame (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)
Synopsis: The Avengers use the quantum realm to travel through time in order to beat Thanos at his Infinity Stone snapping game.
Capsule: Like Infinity War with its cheap but unforgettable cliffhanger (listen, we all knew they weren't dead but for some reason everyone pretended they were), Endgame doesn't even begin to work as its own entity (as feature films should). Still, as the culmination of a 20+ film series it's a must-see spectacle. Though it takes far too long to get going (the early scenes are needlessly repetitive and this would have been sharper as a 140 minute movie or somesuch), once it's up and running it's full of thrills. If you're going to do both fan-service and nostalgia as plotting, do it like Endgame with ingenious (ret)construction to deliver on those fronts with surprising and witty revisits to past movies. "Hail Hydra!"
MVPs: Iron Man and Captain America which is not surprising given the MCU's focus. The surprise is who lands in runner up position: Thor's fatsuit and... wait for it... Nebula???? but many of the heroes get one good beat within the overpopulated film. Sadly, the finale Avengers movie (for now) realllly doesn't do right by Black Widow despite Scarlett Johansson's soulful work. There are a lot of articles online explaining why and many of them make sound arguments that we co-sign. The biggest disappointment was surely that Captain Marvel was barely in it given her solo film build-up just before this one arrived.
Grade: As culmination of a series: B+; As its own thing: C+ (There is no way this movie will age well, which fans might not care about it but it's a sticking point for this fan. If a movie requires you to have watched at least 12 and possibly 21 movies to fully feel and appreciate it, it's not working on its own terms; Future audiences, if there are any, will shrug.)
Red Joan (Trevor Nunn)
Synopsis: Joan Stanley, an elderly British woman is exposed as a KGB spy.
Capsule: While Judi Dench's famous mug is supersized on the movie poster, with her younger self (Sophie Cookson) a small figure underneath the Luminosity of the Dame, the movie is a reverse of this equation, only really coming to life in its flashbacks. And even then "life" is a generous word, since the movie struggles to pop even within its most spy-movie moments. The lead actresses are both solid but the direction by Trevor Nunn is dull. Nunn, a reknowned theater director, started well in the movies (Lady Jane, 1986) but has rarely worked in the cinema since.
Grade: C-
You can see the Reviews page, newly updated, for the full list of 2019 screenings with links to reviews, interviews, and podcasts.