Quick Reviews, Fall 2019, Part 2: Harriet, Motherless Brooklyn, Ford V Ferrari, Midway, Dark Waters, Knives Out

Harriet

Harriet (2019): The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

I wanted to love this so badly. Look at that poster. That is a freaking power trio if I ever saw one. William Still, (Leslie Odom Jr) Marie Buchanon, (Janelle Monáe) and, of course, Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) form the backbone of this (depressingly only somewhat) gripping drama. It's impossible not to respect and admire the charm and charisma of these three whenever they're on screen, with Cynthia Erivo leading the way in a long overdue lead role. She is powerful as the enduring Harriet Tubman, holding her own in a rather demanding centerpiece role. And yet..... I don't know. I can't escape how "Hollywood" this film felt. It's framed as a historical biopic, yet there were countless times where I found myself thinking, "Oh, c'mon. There's no way that actually happened." This amount of dramatization took me out of the film. It also doesn't help that this film covers a huge period of time, going from Harriet's early days in slavery to leading a raid in the Civil War. So, to have that many "Hollywood" moments littered throughout such an expansive biopic is frustrating. Also, why is there a black slave catcher? Why is that a thing at all in this film? But, it's so effin powerful! This is the first film I've seen from director Kasi Lemmons, and she does a phenomenal job of conveying gravitas, even in the "creative liberty" moments. I think if you go into this film more looking for an inspirational story about a black woman who makes a difference, you'll enjoy it more so than if you're looking for a biopic on Harriet Tubman. Just keep that in mind.

My Number: 6/10

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Motherless Brooklyn

Motherless Brooklyn (2019): Set against the backdrop of 1950s New York, Motherless Brooklyn follows Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna.

When was the last time you saw a true noir film come out of Hollywood? I've seen a few spotty examples here and there, (A Walk Among the Tombstones, A Most Wanted Man, even to a lesser extent something like Bad Times at the El Royale,  to name a few) but it's been a long time since I've seen a film embrace the noir genre this openly. This film is gritty, and unapologetically tragic and dark, full of crappy characters who don't redeem themselves in any way by film's end. It is a noir in its truest form, and to see something this calamitous is oddly refreshing. (Or maybe I'm really just cynical AF.) Tragic heroes are often some of the most dynamic heroes out there, and such is the case with Detective Lionel Essrog. His struggle with Tourette's Syndrome makes you instantly sympathize with him which makes his vices that much more jarring when they unfold on screen. And his character motivations are complex, changing, interesting, and unpredictable! Other characters are a bit more of a cardboard cutout of their respective vices, but Lionel makes up for it. Also unfortunate: Gugu Mbatha-Raw has literally nothing to do in this film other than be a damsel, but when it comes to the incredibly low bar that is women in noir films, she is a bit more fleshed out than most. But, again: LOOOOW bar. Also, the filmmaking on display here is incredible. Edward Norton also steps behind the camera for his second directing gig, (and first since 2000) and also wrote the screenplay. (His first) I'm not sure if Norton let those around him influence the film, or if Norton put himself in the middle of most of the creative process, but the end result is an incredibly honed viewing experience that doesn't skip a beat on its many noir aspects. I love it because I love the genre, and if you've never seen a noir film in your life, this one is also probably a good place to start. Check it out! 

My Number: 8.5/10

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Ford V Ferrari

Ford V Ferrari (2019): ​American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

2019's official dad movie, Ford V Ferrari is an admittedly fun, yet somewhat shallow racing from director James Mangold. (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) It stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale (you've probably heard of them) as Carroll Shelby / Ken Miles respectively, and if you want to see this movie to see two upper echelon A list stars deliver eclectic, screen chewing performances..... you've come to the right place. The two deliver exactly what you want / expect together, and there's nothing wrong with that. Christian Bale ALMOST uses his normal voice (for once) but still dones a rather flamboyant accent as he portrays the bombastic Ken Miles, while Damon zones in on a deep southern accent for the more analytical and cunning Carroll Shelby. As for the racing scenes..... they're fun, but shockingly slow. I think part of this was the point - it is 1950s racing, after all - but the racing scenes were so slow they almost felt like they were dragging the film at times. Especially towards the end of the final setpiece, which just kept going and going and going and going..... The film is 152 minutes long and definitely feels as such. That said, just because the racing drags a bit doesn't mean it's bad. While Rush still sets the standard for pulse-pounding racing, the scenes here are quite entertaining. And, if you've come for the cars, you've come to the right place. This film is littered with car talk that will make any motorhead jump for joy. It's good ol' Americana fun that everyone can enjoy, even if it brings nothing else to the table. 

My Number: 7.5/10

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Midway

Midway (2019): ​The story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.

So I went into this film with LOW expectations. The trailers made it look extremely cheesy and rather low budget. And, don't get me wrong.... after the obligatory Pearl Harbor sequence opened the film, my fears were not quelled. This opening sequence is, by far, the worst sequence of the entire film. It looks cheap, (that fire looks SO bad) is a shameless ripoff of Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, (not exactly a bar you wanna strive for) and really doesn't have anything to do with the story that follows. Other than be an obligatory Pearl Harbor sequence. However, after the opening setpiece, the film (shockingly) improves into a genuinely fun war story. Now, is it genre-defining? Or revolutionary? No. The character development is.... lacking, as director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot, White House Down) does exactly what he does best: flirt with incoherence as he move briskly from one action sequence to the next. I was worried that Ed Skrein would lack the leading man material necessary to front this film, but it turns out it was mostly unnecessary cause explosions! Planes! Planes taking off and landing on aircraft carriers! Planes dive bombing enemy aircraft carriers! (Which were actually some serious adrenaline-inducing sequences.) It was just plain fun. Additionally, I have to give this film mad kudos for not simply villainizing the Japanese. (Looking at you again, Pearl Harbor.) I was extremely grateful to see the Japanese forces not only treated with respect by Emmerich / writer Wes Tooke, but even provided some heroic moments. There was one sequence in particular towards the end on one of the Japanese aircraft carriers that was shockingly emotional and SO refreshing to see in an American-made, Pacific-based WWII movie. All in all, just skip the very forced Pearl Harbor sequence, and there's probably enough here for you to have a good time. 

My Number: 7/10

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Dark Waters

Dark Waters (2019): A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.

So I had a really fun experience with this film that I'll be writing about in the Franklin Favorite, (I was a reporter on the red carpet of this film's premiere in Cincinnati!) but here I'm just going to talk about the film itself. Obviously, with such a cool experience surrounding it, I wanted to enjoy the film, but I could never effectively answer the question of, "Why does this film exist?" It's just this lifeless husk of a film dressed up as an, admittedly, engaging courtroom drama. Sure, there are some enjoyable sequences scattered throughout this film. (Thanks, Anne Hathaway.) And director Todd Haynes (Carol) does a good job of making a court case that was mostly about one man pouring through millions of pages of data for 10 years fun to watch. It's just a shame this film doesn't really bring anything new / original to the table. Most sane people know that mega-corporations are bad, especially in the late-stage capitalistic era we are in, so seeing another reminder of it isn't exactly revolutionary. And Teflon can join the depressingly long list of items that are trying to kills us on a daily basis. Does that at all detract from what Rob Bilott did to take on Dupont? Absolutely not. But are there more inspirational stories out there with wider appeal? .....probably. Also, Anne Hathaway absolutely steals the show as Rob's wife, Sarah Bilott, in a criminally underutilized and underappreciated "the wife" role. She has a couple big monologues scattered about that do the best they can to answer that (#basic) question of, "Why are you here?" but there's just not enough to her character to provide any sort of complexity to this film. Maybe 20 years ago a film like this could fly, but today? There needs to be more depth. The wild success of Carol seems like so long ago now. 

My Number: 5/10

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Knives Out

KnKnives Out (2019): A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Hey, who doesn't love a good whodunit, right? Director Rian Johnson is back! Two years after the unprecedented decisiveness of The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson returns with a joyous and fun murder mystery. A popcorn flick if there ever was one, Knives Out is just plain ol' fun. Daniel Craig's accent is ridiculous but his tone is pompous. Chris Evans is having a ball. Ana de Armas is her usual wonderful self. Jamie Lee Curtis is playing herself, and Toni Collete is playing a character that usually goes to someone half her age. (She also runs a health and wellness company called Flem, what more could you want?) The story is full of twists and turns, the dialogue is witty, the tone is light, and all-in-all the film is just fun. Did I mention that it's fun? There's really not much else to say about it. It's a bunch of rich, entitled white people in a house and not having any of it, what else could you want? The ending took my by surprise, but then again I turned my brain off so basically any ending would've taken me by surprise. If you're looking for a popcorn flick dressed up as a classic whodunit that's fun for the whole family, look no further than Knives Out. 

My Number: 8/10