Director: Karyn Kusama
Writers: Phil Hay (screenplay), Matt Manfredi (screenplay)
Stars: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michiel Huisman

Synopsis: While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intentions for their guests.

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Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation had an intriguing hook that was ripe with potential. Two years out from losing his son in a tragic accident and subsequently divorcing his wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard), Will (Logan Marshall-Green) reluctantly accepts an invitation to a dinner party from his now ex-wife and her new partner David (Michiel Huisman). Additionally, this party is at the home that Will used to share with Eden when they were together, which fosters painful memories in Will during the party. Eden and David’s behavior is also suspect only adding to the chaotic experience.

On paper, that premise is rather enticing. However, the screenplay by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi and the direction by Kusama fails to balance the tension between Will’s emotional reality and the paranoia he’s experiencing simultaneously. As a result, almost everything about The Invitation felt false. The suspense, the dialogue, the characters, it all lacked authenticity and became too contrived for any real drama to take hold. Kusama’s attempt at making the situation natural, while also providing some doubt regarding the host’s intentions, is rather inept and coarse. In fact, at times some of the characters felt cartoonish in a world where Will’s dilemma was very real. The pacing and tonal inconsistencies not only stifle any momentum that the film builds, but it makes for a very frustrating experience.

It’s particularly disappointing because thematically The Invitation‘s notions on how to deal with death is fascinating. And in execution, there are a few really heartfelt moments that resonate loudly but the film would undercut itself with ridiculous turns immediately after, only adding to that frustration. In one moment Will is cathartically screaming that something is very wrong, then a contrivance happens and Will in turns feels the need to apologize. Put that trope on repeat and you have the entire film since that sequence of events happens several times throughout. It didn’t take long for that to become very tiresome.

The final twenty minutes is well-crafted and the final image is rather haunting but the stakes never resonate due the film’s disproportionate balance. You simply don’t know these characters well enough to care. The film offers heart to engage you but the forced drama in between those moments of heart is eye rolling and disengaging. On top of that, the revelation of what is really going on renders certain moments near the end meaningless given the nature of the host’s real motives. And because the film relies on ambiguity through the first two acts to amplify the film’s mystery, when the film answers everything for the audience, it destroy’s what the film had built up regarding what Will’s reality may or may not be. Marshall-Green’s performance makes you root for Will and even emotionally feel for him at times but sadly, in the end, none of it comes together in way that is earned. Again, it felt counterfeit thus making The Invitation an unsatisfying experience.

Overall Grade: C-

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Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater
Stars: Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Juston Street, Glenn Powell, Temple Baker, J. Quinton Johnson

Synopsis: A group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood.

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Richard Linklater is one of the best directors working today and one you have to pay attention to when his latest projects arrive. With films such as The Before Trilogy, Dazed and Confused and Boyhood in 2014, Linklater has cemented himself as a major player in today’s film world. His films are cloaked in an authenticity that few others can replicate. And since his last two films, Boyhood and Before Midnight, have been more serious dramas, it’s nice to see him back to his Dazed and Confused territory with Everybody Wants Some!! Linklater himself has labeled Everybody Wants Some!! as a spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused and that’s a perfect phrase to describe it. Everybody Wants Some!! almost makes you wonder if it’s characters were at the big party at the end of Dazed and Confused, grew up a little and then showed up to college just a few years later. Just like Dazed and Confused, Everybody Wants Some!! is very free-spirited and hits a lot of the same beats, and not just in the humor and period aesthetics, but also the philosophical questions that Linklater is interested in exploring as it relates to being a young adult. Those questions not only bring depth to the film but they also blend fluidly into the comedy and character gags that we see throughout the film.

Everybody Wants Some!! opens with Jake (Blake Jenner) driving to school, listening to My Sharona on the radio and preparing for his new adventure in college. Once he arrives at the baseball house just off campus, where he will live during his tenure at school, he meets the rest of the baseball team. Over the course of the next three days, we see the team making everything into a competition, taking every opportunity to prank each other and partying at night in different night clubs. In the middle of all of that, Jake also meets a girl named Beverly, which takes him into a new direction that offers it’s own opportunities.

The biggest difference between Everybody Wants Some!! and Dazed and Confused, outside the fact this is focused around a baseball team, is that Everybody Wants Some!! does have a central protagonist in the Jake character. That central perspective helps gives the film a personal connection that is important as it makes the audience feel like an individual on the team, which is something that Dazed and Confused didn’t need as much. It’s also important to note that while Everybody Wants Some!! does have similar beats to Dazed and Confused, it’s not imitative. Everybody Wants Some!! has through lines that run in all of Linklater’s films and it calls on the viewer to process them the film similar ways. So, if anything, Everybody Wants Some!! is just an extension of Dazed and Confused that works on it’s own but fits delicately into the Linklater-verse, if you will. As a result, the experience of Everybody Wants Some!!, as it relates to Dazed and Confused, will be just as exciting for some audiences as watching Jesse and Celine nine years later.

However, this film may not be for everyone. It’s very much a look into masculinity within organized athletics and depending on your own personal experience, that may or may not resonate with you. That said, Linklater organically lays out the dynamics of a college sports team, especially in terms of competitiveness and male bonding, that is really fun to watch while giving insight into what “team comradery” really means. Throughout the film, we see three nights of partying but also three nights of seeing how male bonding and competition breeds comradery among a group of guys who set out to obtain the same goal. There are many moments in the film where Linklater shows us how trivial activities lends itself to competition, such as flicking each others knuckles, ping pong and even smoking pot. Those activities may seem silly on the surface but they do create a bond amongst these guys that translates to their team on the field as well as life off of it. Linklater is fully aware that this kind of cohesiveness creates unity and the way he captures this team dynamic is not only authentic (because of course it is) but it’s hysterical too as well as a touch thought provoking as it speaks to how masculinity works in our culture today. We may not have experienced it ourselves but viscerally the film does feel like the American college athletic experience.

Linklater’s direction is immersive but the performances are just as enticing. Jenner isn’t quite Ethan Hawke but he does give a serviceable performance that is engaging to watch. His success is crucial given that he is the crux for the audience experience and Jenner does make you do root for Jake and want to see where his journey ends. And while he’s the main focus of the film, each member of the baseball team has their own personalities that do distinct themselves from one another. Each actor brings exactly what they need to make this ensemble feel like an actual team, which amplifies that Linklater authenticity as well as the film’s main themes.

Linklater just has a way of inviting you into a world, even if it’s outside your wheelhouse, that is utterly impressive. The conversations, the characters, the setting, it all works in making for the most engrossing experience possible. Everybody Wants Some!! may not be the most profound Linklater film but it does have something to offer that speaks our sports culture and masculinity, which is the same today as it was in the 1980’s. And it’s a lot of fun. There wasn’t a moment between the club hopping, the pranks, the competitions or the actual baseball that didn’t put a smile on my face.

Overall Grade: A

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Director: Jeff Nichols
Writers: Jeff Nichols
Stars: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver

Synopsis: A father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the child’s special powers.

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Jeff Nichols has earned his reputation over the years with gems such as Shotgun Stories, Mud and Take Shelter, a film that features a master-class in directing. Midnight Special continues that trend and makes Nichols 4-for-4 as a director, in my book. Nichols’ direction in Midnight Special depicts an unrelenting grasp of the material that becomes evident as the film evolves. The opening scene immediately sets the tone with gripping tension and supplant’s the film’s mystery that lingers throughout. The lack of exposition may throw some audiences off and the mystery may endure longer than some may want but Nichols handles the mystery with a lot of care and purpose. It’s never overly cryptic nor is Nichols trying to trick anyone but rather he offers an intriguing hook and invites the viewer to be an observer and ascribe meaning on your own as the the story unfolds. The narrative develops in a well-timed manner that methodically answers the questions that do arise, however Nichols’ certainly wants the audience to fill in some of the gaps on their own. He gives you just enough plot while letting the characters, the emotion of the film and the themes tell most of the story. And as a result, the final product is quite riveting and dramatic with an underlying pathos that is quite resonate.

The film opens with Roy (Michael Shannon) and his son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) on the run with their friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton). They are trying to escape from the government and a religious cult known as “The Ranch”, who want Alton for his special powers. While it’s not fully explained, Alton has the ability to see and do things that no one else can. When his powers are in effect, Alton’s eyes will glow a bright blue color and everything around him shivers like a small earthquake. This, of course, brings curiosity and fear to several entities that want to control Alton, thus putting the protagonists on the run. Eventually the three meet-up with Roy’s wife, Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), and from there they must go to a specific point on the map that Alton has pointed out. Again, these reasons are ambiguous but the film does reveal what happens to Alton in the end.

Speaking of the ending, it is something to behold. There have been a lot of comparisons to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Starman, and for good reason as the third act certainly treads Close Encounters-like territory. And while it has stirred up some debate regarding it’s efficiency, I believe Midnight Special ends in a very mysterious but beautiful and spiritual way that felt transcendent and magical. It perfectly wraps up the films themes of love, parenting and sacrifice that cloak this film, making Midnight Special one of the most thought-provoking and profound experiences of the last couple years.

Roy doesn’t 100% understand what’s going on but one thing is clear; he loves his boy and he believes in him. At one point, Roy even voices the notion that he doesn’t believe in anything, “except my son and I’ll do anything for him.” The faith and love Roy has for Alton is strong but it’s the sacrifices he chooses to make that say the most about him. It also says something about how as parent, sometimes we have to learn to let go of our children so they can go on to do great things, grow into their own and live the life they deserve. And you must make sacrifices for that to happen, something Roy does in significant ways in the film’s climax. We see that the team has created a diversion so that Alton can get to where he needs to be, causing an intimate moment between Roy and Alton. As this happens, Nichols provides a close-up of the Roy character that is beautifully devastating. Moments later we see a similar close up on the Sarah character and it’s equally as poignant.

While the ending may get a bit bizarre, it’s transcendent nature immaculately depicts the always evolving dynamics of familial relationships and identity, especially as it relates to letting go of expectation and letting your child become who they are meant to be. It’s not by accident that these powerful notions resonate so loudly. Nichols creates an intimate and spiritual ambiance that wonderfully mirrors Take Shelter, but instead of focusing on a father driven by fear (as we see in Take Shelter), in Midnight Special we see a father driven by love for his son. The film’s entire thesis can be heard in one line from the Roy character when responding to his son, “I’ll always worry about you Alton, that’s the deal.” It’s the perfect summation of a father motivated by love and is willing to do anything for him. It’s incredibly affecting and perfectly highlights Midnight Special‘s intimate ambiance that is felt throughout the film.

The emotion also doesn’t work without the performances on display either. Shannon gives one of the best performances of his career here, using subtle acting to once again bring a visceral impact to the film. His mannerism’s, facial expressions and the actions he takes provides everything you need to know about Roy. It’s a huge credit to Shannon, his subtletly and how he has a lot to say within that subtetly. He’s perfect. Kirsten Dunst is also spectacular, providing a motherly love that adds to the incredible atmosphere that Nichols provides. Again, those close-ups on those two near the end will resonate with me for a long time. Joel Edgerton is pivotal to the film as well, with a big moment near the 2/3rds mark of the movie. Adam Driver gives a uniquely different performance than what we’re used to from him and Jaeden Lieberher gives a solid child performance that may be the unsung hero in some ways.

There are just a few cinematic experiences each year that will take your breath away. Last year, Mad Max: Fury Road was a great example and this year it will be Midnight Special for me. In fact, cinematic is a great word to describe this film that wonderfully coincides with the film’s awe and wonder we see on display near the end of the film. The way Nichols centers everything around Alton while somehow bringing several threads together only amplifies the film’s thrill and tension while simultaneously bridging the emotional undercurrent. It’s simply masterful writing and directing, along with fantastic performances that will go down as some of the year’s best. David Wingo’s score is also beautiful and aesthetically engaging.

Some of you may have problems with the film’s ending or the way Nichols relies on ambiguity, but for me, the fatherly love that Roy depicts is exactly who I strive to be in life. And that ambiguity, along with ending, elevated my cathartic experience as it relates to love, belief and sacrifice. I couldn’t recommend this enough.

Overall Grade: A+

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Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Justin Marks (screenplay), Rudyard Kipling (book)
Stars: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o

Synopsis: The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan. Guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don’t have his best interests at heart.

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When Disney announced their slate for all these live-action remakes of their animated classics, I was as dubious as everyone else. However, Cinderella was a nice surprise last year and now you can add Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book to that list. Favreau’s iteration could end up being one of the best theater experiences of the year. He wonderfully captures the spirit of the original but expertly uses today’s technology to bring to life a familiar story in the most advanced and modern way possible. The animation is astonishing and immerses you into a world that feels completely authentic. The lush jungle engulfs you into a vibrant world of green trees and dusty rocks. And Favreau somehow found English-speaking animals, or I have been fooled because they looked real to me.

All joking aside, the real victory for Favreau was how he was able to masterfully create animal characters that are empathetic and relateable emotionally. The vocal performances are pivotal to that empathy but the animation of the animal’s faces and the way they emote with how they move and react also makes for a more engaging experience.

The vocal talent here is quite remarkable though and is crucial to supplanting the films pathos. Ben Kingsly brings a fatherly wisdom to Bagheera that resonates and transforms throughout the film. Bill Murray is hysterical as Baloo and delivers rich, comedic lines in the way only Murray can do. There is a growth to Baloo and Murray easily keeps pace with that growth, making the character’s action in the climax absolutely delightful. That said, Lupita Nyong’o may be The Jungle Book‘s unsung hero. Nyong’o voices Naksha, the motherly wolf to Mowgli and she is the heart and soul of this story in many ways. She doesn’t quite have as much screen time as Bagheera or Baloo but her lines of dialogue are heartfelt and beautifully exemplify the emotional relatability of this film. On the other end of that spectrum, Idris Elba is haunting and menacing as the voice of Shere Khan, which matches the intimidating animation of the Bengal tiger we see on screen. He is legitimately scary.

The film opens with Mowgli (played by first timer Neel Sethi) running from what seems like something dangerous but just turns out to be Bagheera who is teaching Mowgli how to survive in the jungle. Through narration, Bagheera tells us that after finding Mowgli in the jungle alone, he entrusted him to the wolves, who Bagheera thinks will keep him safe. After a long drought, there is a water-truce among the jungle animals which leads to a gorgeous scene where all the animals meet at a pond where they can all drink in peace. Shere Khan eventually shows up and threatens the wolves to release Mowgli to him or there will be lives to pay. Given this threat, Mowgli decides to leave the pack, which leads him to unknown territory in the jungle. From there he meets Baloo and things change rapidly for Mowgli, and eventually everyone else in the jungle.

While the narrative does capture the spirit of the 1967 animated film, screenwriter Justin Marks treats the material a little more seriously while injecting humor in the right places. The musical numbers are reduced as well but we do hear a few familiar tunes that will bring smiles to fans of the animated film. Favreau’s pacing is a bit quick, which does result in some narrative beats losing depth but overall Favreau establishes this world and it’s laws very well. And the laws do carry weight, which thematically speaks to fascinating notions of honoring the world around you. Even Shere Khan respects the jungle’s laws. He may “bend” them to obtain power and fear but there is a genuine respect for the laws. He’s not the only one either. While having very different motives, Baloo is no stranger to “bending” the rules. Neither is Mowgli, much to the chagrin of Bagheera. Mowgli’s journey of bending the rules also teaches him about identity and overcoming the fear that relationships and the physical world he loves could be destroyed by accepting who he really is. This all leads to a captivating climax where the everything comes together in compelling fashion.

Some of the storytelling may be convenient at times (Scarlett Johansson’s Kaa is a little contrived) and Christopher Walken’s King Louie may break out into a different genre of movie at one point but the film’s emotional undercurrent is so robust that it never feels clumsy. Even the weaker elements of the film resonate on some level or at the very least serve a purpose to the story or it’s characters.

All in all, the effects, the voice acting, the score and Favreu’s vision for the story and themes is remarkably effective in The Jungle Book. It is majestic in it’s own way, making for a poignant family adventure that carries as much heft as it does fun. Whether or not the animation holds up over time, the technology used for this film makes for an unforgettable experience in 2016. And even if the effects fade over time, the ethical values and themes of identity are timeless and gripping to watch.

Overall Grade: A-

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Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Writers: Bryan Sipe (screenplay)
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis

Synopsis: As an investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash, his increasingly confessional series of letters to a vending machine company catch the attention of a customer service rep with whom he forms an unlikely connection.

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Demolition is arguably one of the most frustrating films of 2016, so far. On paper, this was ripe with opportunity to offer something about the grieving process and how one learns to cope through unexpected relationships. And with Jake Gyllenhaal in the starring role, who has been on fire lately, this should have been great, right? From director Jean Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, Wild), Demolition starts off strong but eventually meanders into an uneven mess that stifles all emotional potency the film was attempting to achieve.

The film opens with Davis (Gyllenhaal) and his wife Julia driving in their car when they are involved in a deadly crash, in which Julia is killed. In the hospital, Davis tries to buy some candy from a vending machine but the candy gets stuck, which provokes Davis to write a complaint letter to the vending machine company. This letter, however, contains more than a complaint. Davis writes about his wife, his frustrations and the fact that he’s struggling to heal. Where Davis is unable to communicate his feelings by talking to people, these letters work as a catharsis for him. After a few letters, Karen, who works for the vending machine company, calls Davis to see if he needs someone to talk to. This leads to the two of them establishing an unexpected relationship that could bring healing to the both them.

Now, more times than not, subtlety is more effective than obvious and tacky symbolism. However, subtlety isn’t necessarily called for here. The metaphors depicted in Demolition are very apparent but sometimes our lives collide with metaphor and symbolism more vigorously. The death of a spouse certainly qualifies as one of those times, especially as it relates to coping, making the obviousness of the metaphor actually kind of alluring. If you ask me, there’s actual pathos built into the idea, especially since Davis is aware he is living this metaphor. There’s something therapeutic about embracing this kind of transparency that helps Davis learn to heal. At one point, Davis tells Chris (Judah Lewis), the son of Karen who he befriends, that he is looking to tear apart his marriage as the two demolish everything in Davis’ house. Davis fully understands what he’s doing and as crazy as it is, there is genuine lostness on display and Davis truly wants to find closure. Sometimes, the obvious metaphor is what you need and Demolition does have something to offer about why participating in that symbolism matters.

The problem, however, is rooted in a narrative that finds itself sadly disjointed and too distracted with it’s own meanderings. The relationship between Davis and Chris is very charismatic and the Davis and Karen relationship is endearing initially, but ultimately the inclusion of Chris and Karen do distract from the film’s main objective. The establishment of these relationships undercut Davis’ struggle to cope, and as a result, the final product is choked of all poignancy.

The Davis and Karen relationship especially detours into crass territory that make both characters unsympathetic at one point, which is the antithesis of what the film built up previously with Davis’ emotionally distant letters. The letters were a fascinating coping mechanism and it was easy to see why Karen would be concerned, but by the third act, that momentum is completely lost and their relationship feels rather shallow and myopic. Furthermore, that dynamic adds awkward tension that isn’t earned between Davis and Phil (Chris Coopers is great here), Davis’ father-in-law. Because Davis and Karen lose their sympathy cards, the moments between Davis and Phil mostly feel empty and coarse, which is disappointing because their relationship started out rather intriguing, like the rest of the film.

By now you can see why this was a frustrating experience. There is a lot to appreciate about this film and it had massive potential, but like Dallas Buyer Club, Vallée wasn’t exactly sure where to take the film and it shows. Where the film seduces with Davis’ letters, it completely disengages with his forced relationship with Karen, which smother’s the film’s pivotal themes. Davis’ journey into the metaphor is fascinating in parts and his relationship with Chris is authentically beautiful, but it comes at the cost of narrative disjointedness. The ending of the film should have packed a bigger punch, but unfortunately Demolition doesn’t quite cope as well as it’s protagonist does.

The soundtrack is a treat though. Go download that asap.

Overall Grade: B-

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