It's time for another segment of shorter reviews! There are several movies I've seen and a lot of music I've listened to. It's time to put all that together. Some of these reviews are of more recent material, while others are a little bit older. Let's get into it!
Movies
"Downton Abbey"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I really wanted to review this movie in longer form, but because of other reviews I just didn't have the time to dedicate a whole post to this one. That doesn't mean that I didn't like the "Downton Abbey" movie. In fact, I really enjoyed this. It's actually comparable in some ways to "El Camino" from this year: it is a solid follow-up to the TV show it's based on, even if it isn't quite as good. This movie definitely has the feeling of an extended season finale. Don't expect an epic cinematic journey here, as that is not what the TV series was ever about. I appreciate that the movie keeps things simple; even for people who are not necessarily familiar with the show, they can find things to enjoy about the film. I'll admit, I had a pretty wide smile the whole time watching this movie. I really gained an affection for many of the Abbey's characters while watching the show, and getting to see them again was wonderful. The plot of this movie seemed like a good way to end off the show: the Crawleys are getting ready to host the King and Queen of England, and all the while Lady Mary is wondering whether Downton should continue to run or not with the changing of the times. The plot could sound inconsequential, but I think the movie makes it interesting, and the latter plot especially does have some emotional heft to it. Visually, this movie doesn't pull many clever camera tricks, but it makes up for it with the beautiful costuming and set designs. This film is gorgeous to look at; it's easy to revel at all the beauty before your eyes. The performances in the film are mostly good. I appreciate that the movie has an emphasis on Allen Leech's Tom Branson, who is my favorite character. His performance in the film is also the best; it makes sense that director Michael Engler would want to put a focus on his stronger actors. There's also more story given to Thomas Barrow, with Robert James-Collier giving a career-best performance here. I really like how they wrap up this character's story, giving him something the audience has always wanted to see him have: happiness. Other great performances include a great bow-out turn by Maggie Smith as Violet, Laura Carmichael's endlessly interesting turn as Lady Edith, and a surprise performance by Imelda Staunton that turns into an easy highlight. Now, this movie isn't perfect. Like I mentioned earlier, the plot does feel just a little bit inconsequential. You also can't help but feel sometimes like you're watching a TV show rather than a movie. Some characters just aren't as interesting here as they were in the show. This is especially true of Mr. Carson (who has the same "uptight British servant" shtick going on) and Lady Mary (I thought Michelle Dockery's performance was a little off). Still, this was a really fun movie, and I couldn't help but enjoy myself.
"The Nightingale"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
And now, we have a movie on the total other end of the spectrum. Whereas "Downton Abbey" is a very easy and fun viewing, "The Nightingale" is decidedly not. In fact, it is sometimes hard to watch because of how emotionally and physically violent it is in many places. This was one of my most anticipated films of the year when I found out that Jennifer Kent was the director. She has also made what is probably my favorite horror movie of all time, "The Babadook". "The Nightingale" is a VERY different beast from the former, so don't go into this expecting a psychological thriller. In some ways, this film is a revenge tale about a wife who loses everything going after the people who killed her husband and child. In other ways, this film is a study on an oppressive, colonialist Britain, and how the system hurt different types of minorities in different ways. I think the latter parts of the film are a little better, as Kent does a great job at providing her minority characters with powerful voices. In fact, the most compelling character here is not the main character, but rather the character Billy, played masterfully by Baykali Ganambarr. His story of oppression as a result of racism is a tragic one to watch, and the arc he goes through with protagonist Clare is very touching. Kent has an uncanny way of piercing the deepest parts of the human soul in her films, flaws and all. That is what makes her movies work so well. She brings heart into dark situations. And even though Billy is my favorite character, that doesn't mean Clare isn't interesting. I thought that Aisling Franciosi had a wonderful performance in this role, and really showed her character's raw sorrow in uncomfortable ways. Sam Claflin is also almost too good at playing the despicable General Hawkins. Probably my main problem with this movie is that it's almost too over the top in the way it shows violence. I counted four different rape scenes that occurred, and while they weren't in gory detail or anything, it was still hard to watch. What was too much was showing the murders of not only Clare's husband, but also her baby. I just don't think this moment needed to be dwelled on for as long as it was. Finally, there is a lot of dead air in the movie, especially in the middle. I think it could've been shortened down a little to create a more visceral experience. Still, "The Nightingale" is a great movie that shows Jennifer Kent has an adept hand at multiple genres. I recommend it!
"The Lion King"
Rating: 1/5 Stars
I continue to try and understand why these Disney remakes are getting such positive reception among audiences. The only conclusion I can come to is the nostalgia factor, and nostalgia is a very strong force. I, for one, haven't been able to stomach most of the remakes. "Dumbo" already made me mad this year, and "The Lion King" remake has only made me angrier. Somehow, this manages to be WORSE than "Dumbo" (though still not as bad as the atrocity that is the "Beauty and the Beast" remake). I'll give the "Dumbo" remake the slightest bit of credit: at least Tim Burton tried something new, even if it failed disastrously. And the movie does make its main character likeable, which deserves some recognition. "The Lion King" does neither of these things. Sure, I guess one could be in awe of the photo-realistic CGI that appears in this movie. But something about the hyper realism is just super uncomfortable to me. All the animals here look like emotionless puppets, dead-eyed and zombie-like. I mean, animals in the real world don't necessarily have strong emotions facially, but I would say that two lions fighting in the real world would at look far more emotional than what this garbage pile of a movie has to offer. Having real-looking animals just doesn't work, because we don't get to see animated emotions, like with the original. This in effect makes the voice acting suffer tremendously. Because the animals can't emote, that means the voice actors can't really play up their emotions either, or it would be awkward. It's really disheartening to hear the likes of Seth Rogen, Keegan Michael-Key, and Billy Eichner sounding like they took a Xanax before they did their voice-over work. The only people here who sound like they are at least trying is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Of course, it's impossible to make Jones's voice sound boring. Other voice actors sound like they were only there for a paycheck, such as Donald Glover as Simba and Beyonce Knowles as Nala. This is bad because these two are the main characters. Plot-wise, this movie is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the original. There is not a modicum of originality in this movie, save for the longer version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that doesn't work at all. Iconic moments from the original, such as Simba seeing his father in the stars, are completely butchered of their weight in this remake. Emotional beats are lost due to characters not able to visually or vocally emote. A live-action remake does not automatically make a movie better or more mature. This movie is living proof of that. What an atrocity; easily one of the worst movies of the year. I can't wait to see how bad that "Lady and the Tramp" remake will be.
Music
"In cauda venenum" by Opeth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Opeth is one of the best discoveries I've made this year. I haven't delved much into their backing discography yet, but I really want to soon. "In cauda venenum" is a masterful progressive rock/metal album. There's numerous things to love about it, from the vibrant lyricism to the complex guitar and drum work. The songs that work here really work. "Universal Truth" is my favorite from the album, and one of my favorite songs of the year. I love the way the song shifts in tone and pace throughout. It sounds absolutely frantic in some moments, while sounding peaceful and contemplative in others. At over an hour long, this release stays engaging for the majority of its run time. It begins impressively with the hard rocking "Dignity", and then moves into the absolutely epic "Heart In Hand". I also love the closing moment "All Things Will Pass", which is really just a prime example of how talented the band is. Mikael Akerfeldt is a wonderful vocalist, able to show off the full range of emotions throughout this album. This is one of those releases that is pitch perfect for the fall weather, as it has this really cool mysterious and haunting vibe to it. This is definitely a late highlight for this year, and will probably get at least an honorable mention for my top albums of 2019!
Favorite Songs: "Universal Truth", "All Things Will Pass", "Dignity", "Heart In Hand", "Lovelorn Crime"
Least Favorite Songs: "The Garroter", "Continuum"
"Flawed Design" by Saint Asonia
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
This album was a very pleasant surprise for me. After the band's very underwhelming debut, I was worried we would never get to see Adam Gontier in his vocal heights ever again. It seemed like leaving Three Days Grace was not the best idea for him, because he really formed the identity of that band. Thankfully, his band Saint Asonia's new album "Flawed Design" is a welcome return to form. If you've missed Adam-era TDG, then this album is going to quench your thirst. Adam sounds better than ever vocally on this album, really getting to show his emotion and power in a lot of moments. This is immediately evident on opener "Blind", which is definitely my favorite on the album. I felt a wave of nostalgia washing over me as I listened to this song; it's like I was listening to "Life Starts Now" all over again. The guitars in this song are crushing and almost verge into the territory of metal, which put a smile on my face. Make no mistake, this album fits the name of radio rock. But it's a type of radio rock we've been missing out on: the type that is catchy enough to work on the radio, but unique enough that it doesn't give into all of radio rock's tropes. This album's emotional core is what keeps it together, as is evidenced on "This August Day" and "Ghost". The latter track really fits Adam's voice well, and the chorus is endlessly catchy. I also have a huge appreciation for "The Fallen", which is dedicated to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell. Other highlights include the fun singles "The Hunted" and "Beast". There's not too much to significantly complain about. I suppose that "Justify" and the title track verge a bit on the generic side, and though I love Sharon del Adel of Within Temptation, her voice doesn't really click well with Adam's on "Sirens". Still, this is one of the better mainstream rock albums I've heard in a while. Give it a shot!
Favorite Songs: "Blind", "Ghost", "This August Day", "Beast", "The Fallen"
Least Favorite Songs: "Sirens", "Justify", "Flawed Design"
"N.A.T.I.O.N." by Bad Wolves
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Talk about some wasted potential. Even though Bad Wolves's debut album "Disobey" didn't really age well with me, I still felt ultimately that it showed a band that could shake up the radio rock scene a little by adding some intensity and interesting political commentary into the mix. That stuff is mostly gone on this new album. What's more frustrating is the first couple tracks on the album really show a band that is improving. "I'll Be There" is an undeniable banger and quite possibly the band's best song to date. "No Messiah" is a huge, intense cut with one of a memorable chorus, and "Learn To Walk Again" feels like a successor of sorts to "Learn to Live" (not a bad thing). Unfortunately, after these three songs the album takes a big tank in quality. "Killing Me Slowly" is one of the most generic radio rock songs I've heard all year, with the chord progressions being quite predictable. "Sober" is a track that drowns itself in cheesiness in its attempts to sound nostalgic and wistful. Cuts like "Foe or Friend" and "LA Song" try to be intense, but cancel themselves out with some really awful lyrics. How are we supposed to take an intense song seriously when it has lyrics like "I drive in my ride with that LA pride/Now it's a ride along/Singing that LA song"? I really wish I liked this album more, but it's just another in a sea of forgettable, trope-filled, radio rock releases.
Favorite Songs: "I'll Be There", "No Messiah", "Learn To Walk Again"
Least Favorite Songs: "Sober", "LA Song", "Foe or Friend", "Crying Game"
No comments:
Post a Comment