Reviews

This film has been well-received by established critics. This Average Moviestreamer, having watched The Vast of Night, finds that puzzling. This film is underwhelming. It attempts to be a homage to Serling's Twilight Zone, but fails to replicate it. There is an initial Serling-esque voiceover over black and white footage formatted for a 50s-era TV screen - cute. This is revisited a couple times (apparently we need reminders) but little here actually honors TZ. This film is too dialogue heavy - seriously, it is leaden and crippled by endless chatter. The film starts with 15 minutes of banter. No incipient action for 15 minutes, just stereotypes chattering at each other in faux-50s lingo. Endless, boring static shots. And, ultimately, no suspense. None. The critics are dead wrong about The Vast of Night.

I'm not happy giving this film adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream only six stars, because much of it is very clever. The film works best when it's remix of the plays themes with modern elements, but at times it is more of a mashup, cutting and pasting elements from other Shakespeare plays into the narrative (such as quotes from other plays appearing on paper weights, a character reciting lines from Hamlet while lacking on the phone). At too many moments, the film becomes self-conscious and cute - which becomes tiresome. Too bad. I really like Shakespeare and much of the remixing here was a kick. But the director lost the play's narrative which drops this film to a six star affair.

Excellent work from Hamish Linklater here. Lily Rabe and Rachael Leigh Cook are strong, as well. And, despite the 6 star review, this is a very talented director - I hope she gets other opportunities.

How polarized are our times? Very. Witness the surprising number of user comments that deplore Collateral simply because it's politics are on the opposite side of their anti-immigrant, pro-Brexit bents.

#SAD

Collateral is very entertaining, and exceptionally well directed by S.J. Clarkson. I've never heard of her, but if Collateral is typical of her work, then I am going to keep an eye out for her future projects. Amazing camera work, crisp editing, strong performances. I always enjoy Carrie Mulligan and she is terrific here, along with the rest of the cast. And the central mystery is very engaging.

So why only 7 stars?

The script goes sideways on several fronts. First, the dialogue is a bit hackneyed, too in the manner of old gumshoe/private eye yarns. Carrie Mulligan's character is not quite three dimensional; she is too much the no bullshit detective stereotype, modeled it appears on Helen Mirren's Jane Tennison. Second, the principal characters are weirdly knotted together. The drug addled witness lives with the local vicar who once had a relationship with the liberal MP whose ex ordered the pizza that the murder victim delivered; and the vicar also has a consult with the pizza store manager who asked the murder victim to deliver the pizza to her former flame's ex. The closeness of the relationships is implausible. Third, yes, there is the politics. Politics are a legitimate subject of drama - and the best political films are the ones that don't lecture the audience about what they should believe. But Hare doesn't pare back his political leanings here; he places his political pontifications in the mouth of at least one character. As David Mamet has said, don't lecture your audience - it's the quickest way to alienate them. Fortunately, the lecturing bits are not completely distracting here - but still, they diminish the story.

Overall, a good series. Amazing direction. Solid performances. And from time to time, a political gobsmacking.

The good news about The Only Living Boy in New York is that it features an A-list supporting cast who are consistently appealing and engaging. It also features some great cinematography and lovely NYC locations.

What it totally lacks is an engaging narrative. The title reeks of "coming of age" but there is no discovery or awakening here. The lead character, a millennial nitwit whose name I do not remember, is mired in post-high school inertia, but there is nothing here to suggest that he's actually struggling with that inertia. Rather, he seems content in his inertia, which leaves the narrative with nowhere to go.

But this is largely due to the casting of this Callum fellow. (Sorry, I do not recall his last name and I don't care enough to open a new browser window and look it up.) Once upon a time there was a highly touted you actor named Josh Hartnett, who was incredibly dull, and lifeless, and, well, inert, who has blessedly disappeared from cinema...and this Callum fellow seems to be his clone. He excels at posturing, but to repeat a hackneyed current term - there's no there there. Inert. Boring. The exact opposite of engaging.

On top of which his romantic opposite is Kate Beckinsale - undeniably beautiful, but also undeniably cold. There is a reason that the centerpiece of her acting career has been playing (repeatedly) a vampire, and that is the same reason why she does not appeal as a romantic lead. To touch her is to be frozen in ice.

Whoops - Callum Turner. I didn't have to Google it. It's printed just on the left of this web page. Callum Turner. Please, pass him by in future castings.

Inertia does not cinema make.