Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz
Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier

Synopsis: Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer from Colorado, successfully managed to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan and became the head of the local chapter.

[/info]

Spike Lee first sent major shockwaves in to the Hollywood scene with his wickedly entrancing 1989 outing, Do the Right Thing — which happens to be just as invigorating as it is riveting and thought-provoking. This only led Lee on to a career that included most notably films like Malcolm X, and 25th Hour. Both of which are considered some of his best material to date. But where Spike Lee has solidified himself as one of, if not the greatest filmmaker of our generation is the consistently ambitious commentary and social awareness he’s inscribed in to his projects. As well as the bold political relevance and poignancy that are infused to further extend parallels that reflect back to the current state of our real world. Which is exactly what BlacKkKlansman does, by exploring a traditional quest for racial equality and balance, and examining the ideology that sprouts from everyone’s personal motives.

Ron Stallworth (Washington) is an eager, somewhat angsty young adult who’s just joined the Colorado Springs police force. Although he thinks to a certain degree very highly of himself, he’s dismissed by his captain and sheriff quite early in the film’s slow-burning exposition. After setting up a meeting with one of the higher-ups of the local Ku Klux Klan to infiltrate and prevent a race war he sees as inevitable, they send in Flip Zimmerman (Driver) as an undercover Klan member to expose any hostile actions they might be planning. Tensions are already heating up between local African-American empowerment groups and of course the KKK. But once Driver is sent in to the battlefield, the entire spectacle of the issue is fully revitalized and displayed impeccably. Stallworth also strikes up a bond and relationship with Patrice Dumas (Harrier), who happens to be a lead president for one of those groups thats pleading for and exhibiting the idea of black power and liberation. Between both of our main protagonists, we’re able to see what’s going on from both sides of the social spectrum, as opposed to just usually being a third-party.

John David Washington, who hasn’t really been in a massive amount of projects up to this point in his career, hammers the nail on the head as our main character, Ron Stallworth. He’s an extremely talented rookie actor who portrays our stubborn and restless rookie detective. Adam Driver, our other main protagonist, is of course, just as solid as always. Yet another performance he can add to his filmography that is just as admirable as the next. What I find the most rejuvenating about this duo however, is that there’s always some kind of obstacle being hurdled at them. Whether it be Stallworth or Zimmerman. Physically or mentally, they’re constantly being beat down and challenged throughout the film, giving them hardly any time or room for error. They’re always on their feet and always have to be prepared for any last minute switch of plans. Which as you can imagine, makes it hugely investing.

Even though it’s only been about roughly three years since Lee’s last full-feature length film, Chi-Raq, a project of this scale sustaining subject matter Lee absolutely dominates in is what propels this movie forward to being the quality it deserves. As Lee puts it at the beginning, this was based upon “some fo’ real, fo’ real sh*t”, which is the basis for the exceptional screenplay penned by Lee and a few others. There’s little pockets of humor sprinkled throughout the movie that can both be dark, and even kind of satirical. The few gags I’m talking about in particular take subtle shots at referencing today’s political climate, which is something alternatively hilarious I didn’t see coming. Despite this, Lee and his group of writers nearly explore the conflict between both races to its fullest extent. The supporters from each race and organization aren’t lopsided in their beliefs. It feels as though they’re both equal in terms of their passion for power through their race. Which I think is the most accomplished aspect through that observation. In a way showing that even through all of the hatred, they’re humans, just like each other. Ron Stallworth’s character development is also one of the premier things to come from this film. He’s obviously attempting to do what’s right while simultaneously bettering the lives of not just his race, but all races. But becomes tested in a situation of what’s really right. It’s all based upon perception, and through himself he needs to figure out what he has to do. Not what he needs to do, but what he has to do. Which is just an utterly brilliant character study to me.

As intuitive as BlacKkKlansman eventually ends up being as a final product, it would be difficult to truly believe that early on in the film, I wasn’t completely on board with the inclusion of everything being presented. It feels as though for the first hour or so, Lee didn’t quite establish the film that he was so passionate on curating. There hardly ever feels like there was ever any zealous or stable sense of a focus or direction pertained towards the project, and you begin to question about which path the film is going to proceed down. It left me a bit unsatisfied with the first act, since I wasn’t completely able to immerse myself in the story. However, once the agenda begins to heat up with Driver being undercover, things immediately get better. Whether it be from the perfectly executed tension, or the immensely witty yet insightful interactions between each character.

Something else that did quite bother me also takes place in that first hour or so too. Stallworth as a character, while quite enigmatic and well-received toward audiences, receives hardly any true background in to his own motivations behind the investigation he’s conducting. Early on he confronts a somewhat self-conflict undercover, but shelves those feelings to further focus on the case. While it’s showed that he doesn’t completely agree with both races philosophies, he doesn’t want his reluctance and personal biases to ruin the case. However, had this layer of Ron Stallworth been peeled back much more extensively from when it was first introduced to throughout the rest of the film, the already potent remainder of the movie could’ve contained such a bigger fulfilling conclusion. This can go for nearly every other character too. They wait so long to be dissected and fleshed out, that by the time you want to analyze their decision-making, it’s too late. Between both of our protagonists, their motivations aren’t unraveled full circle until nearly the halfway point of the film, as we see them stop dragging their feet and accept what they need, and what they’re going to do.

This issue definitely holds the least significance out of my nitpicks, but a handful of the technical aspects attached to this film aren’t exactly up to par when compared to the standards that have been set in the industry today. The component that caught my eye the most was it’s very unpolished editing. It’s a lot easier to catch as you’re watching the film, but it’s a really unbalanced put together film. The cinematography is also another really bizarre case to me. It doesn’t tread upon being awful, but there are shots here and there that’ll cut off the top of character’s heads, or even during a non-action scene the cam is noticeably shaking. I’m not sure what the decision making was behind these aspects, but I assure you I was not the biggest fan of them.

While I ultimately did have a few minor problems with BlacKkKlansman as a whole, once the halfway point of the movie kicks in, there’s no turning back. The performances are superb, as well as the remarkable screenplay. We’re fully able to get behind our protagonists personal issues and motives they have towards everyone around them as well. It’s portrayal of a time not so long ago where the abundance of loathing and potential bloodshed amongst races is both fervent and insightful. The commentary from Lee is also gripped with a damaging call to action. Let’s just say, it’s socially applicable to the real world we live in now more than you think.

Overall Grade: B+

[divider]

Hear our podcast review on Episode 286, coming soon.

[divider]

Director: Marc Forster
Writers: Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, Allison Schroeder
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael

Synopsis: A working-class family man, Christopher Robin, encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life.

[/info]

Christopher Robin is a sweeter, more coherent, less exhausting version of Steven Spielberg’s Hook. Instead of Peter Pan, the protagonist here is, you guessed it, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor). Young Christopher enjoyed years of fun and frivolity with his famous friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. However, that is all coming to and end, as his father is sending him to boarding school. Christopher will no longer be able to climb in and out of the Wood as he pleases. The film opens with a legitimately touching picnic between friends. There is an immediate understanding of the love that Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo have for Christopher Robin. In front of a beautiful sunset, there are fond speeches and an indulgent meal. Immediately, you can tell that Christopher Robin is going to be far more understated than any other Pooh story put on film. The early, and perhaps best, part of the film feels inspired far more by David Lowery’s subdued Pete’s Dragon than overblown Disney live-action adaptations like Alice and Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast. This is surely due, at least in part, to the influence of indie darling Alex Ross Perry, who wrote the film’s first draft.

There is an intimacy to the early scenes that define a world that is, at times, abandoned as the film goes on. After a montage showing us that Christopher Robin has grown up to be an uptight, work-obsessed man without his furry friends, the film loses a bit of steam. When we deal exclusively with human characters, the drama feels forced and contrived. Christopher has completely forgotten how to have fun and thinks every moment of the day should be used to better oneself. When his daughter (Bronte Carmichael) asks him to read her a story, he pulls out a textbook. When his wife (a wasted Haley Atwell) breaks out in dance, he shuts his office door in her face. Christopher works for a luggage company, focusing on company efficiency. Nearly all of the scenes showing the trials and tribulations of his job counteract the genuinely sweet moments experienced when Pooh and co. are on screen. Christopher’s work life is portrayed in a way that feels too silly to be relatable for older viewers and too mundane to be interesting for younger ones. His boss is controlling in the least-interesting ways imaginable and the objective of “cut costs by twenty percent in one weekend or your department will be terminated” is so broad that it takes away much of the narrative weight.

Christopher’s overwhelming work life forces him to skip out on a family trip to the countryside, much to the dismay of his wife and daughter. When he arrives home one day, he runs into a nearby courtyard to hide from his pesky neighbor to find his old friend, Winnie the Pooh, on the hunt for his friends, who he cannot find in the foggy Hundred Acre Wood. Unsurprisingly, this is when the story picks up steam. Pooh speaks in funny, Yoda-esque phrases (“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing everyday”) and waddles around in a constant state of honey withdrawal. Pooh is well-meaning and sincere, but his undying thirst for honey and curiosity when it comes to the new world around him provide for sweet comedy and an overall warm, fuzzy feeling.

Christopher Robin decides that he has to make sure that Pooh returns to the Wood, which means a trip to the portal by the house in the countryside where his family is staying (it makes absolutely no sense that Christopher’s character would, according to everything we have seen of him thus far, would lose basically an entire day of work for this, but sometimes it is best not to question the logic of a film starring a talking teddy bear). After a cute train ride with Pooh, Christopher returns to the Wood and helps his crop top-wearing, honey-loving friend find his friends. The design of the characters in the Wood is something that the makers of this film can hang their hat on. Without even having spoken a word, there is an attraction to them based on sheer cuteness. These versions of the characters are, no doubt, based on the characters popularized in the cartoons of the late 1980’s, which established a style that survived through the most recent Pooh theatrical film, 2011’s Winnie the Pooh.

This is driven home by the fact that Jim Cummings, who has been with the franchise since the creation of The New Adventures of Winnie Pooh in 1988, is still the voice of both Pooh and Tigger in Christopher Robin. This is in line with the vision of these live-action adaptations that have proven to be very lucrative for Disney. They are, at their best, heavily-inspired by but not completely tied down to their cartoon source material and, at their worst, insufferable nostalgia porn for 90’s kids (*cough cough* Beauty and the Beast *cough cough*). Cummings provides a sense of home for 20-to 30-somethings like me who grew up on his rendition of the two most iconic characters in the series. There was no need to make sure there was continuity when it came to the other characters, but the exclusion of Cummings would have been too much for many to handle, even if 99% of the audience wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a lineup. His Pooh is tender and sweet, his Tigger rambunctious and brazen. Cummings makes the film work as much as anyone else.

After an utterly charming and delightful period in the Hundred Acre Wood where we are more properly introduced to the likes of Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger (including a truly touching moment between Pooh and Christopher that brought tears to the eyes of both the viewers to my left and my right), Christopher returns home for a presentation to the board of his company that will decide the fate of his department. But, luckily, there is allot device that makes sure we get the motley crew of Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore sent chasing after Christopher Robin in London with the help of Christopher’s daughter. This scenario brings about the pretty great set pieces of the film that are silly, funny, and at least a little bit thrilling. Director Marc Forster presents the city as a flat, dull landscape where Pooh and his friends strikingly stand out, even with their slightly worn stitching. It is an unfortunate coincidence that the only stand out moments of the film occur when those characters are involved. The ending of the film is schmaltzy and leaves much to be desired, thematically, but at least we get a little more Pooh.

On a technical level, Christopher Robin is mostly unremarkable. Some of the visuals in the Hundred Acre are beautiful in their simplicity, but everything aside from that often feels flat. However, one cannot discount the sense of wonder that Forster is able to capture when we are exposed to Pooh’s curiosity, Eeyore’s charming melancholy, or Tigger’s fiery proclamations. The Pooh stuff really works! If only the rest of the film could have matched half the energy or inventiveness of those moments. The Hundred Acre Wood is a place of gentle wonder. The rest of the film leaves you wondering why you didn’t leave to get a refill of popcorn. It is a movie that will play better when you can skip the bad scenes and get to the “silly old bear”. You will laugh, you may cry, and then you will see yourself looking at your watch. See it for the number of great moments it has, but be prepared for the moments when you may find yourself dozing off like Pooh after one of his jars of honey.

Overall Grade: B-

[divider]

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writers: Chad Hodge (screenplay by), Alexandra Bracken (based upon the novel by)
Stars: Bradley Whitford, Mandy Moore, Amandla Stenberg

Synopsis: Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control of their future.

[/info]

For a movie with “adults are scared of children” built into the premise, The Darkest Minds sure had a lot of different directions it could go regarding a social commentary, especially as members of Generation Z are in the midst of turning 18. Instead, it chose to go the predictable “rebellious teenagers find love in a hopeless place” route and totally missed the mark. That’s not to say it’s all bad, but it really could have been so much more.

I should probably admit that I have not read The Darkest Minds books by Alexandra Bracken. That said, this definitely felt like a case of the screenwriter (and likely the studio execs) trying to replicate the plot beat for beat without stopping to think what actually makes the books work. The pace is so breakneck with such an overemphasis on plot that you never really get a chance to breathe and figure out why any of it matters to the characters and, ultimately, the audience. The characters have little to no depth or arcs, the obligatory love story is shoehorned in with no genuine emotion behind it, and some of the most interesting exposition is unfortunately delivered through voiceover or, worse, awkward dialogue.

I’m not sure if the books hone in on the themes of generational divides and the youths of a nation changing the world in more precise and interesting ways (I’m betting they do), but the movie seems to completely lose its obvious message. Even worse, it manages to find a place for every bad teen movie cliche, from the forced love story to a shopping mall montage to the extravagant teenage party. If the script simply replaced some of those tropey scenes with character or theme explorations, this movie would have been infinitely stronger overall. But instead of a nuanced, socially relevant movie about teenagers overcoming adversity and changing the world, we end up with a hot mess of action set pieces, awkward teenage love, and stilted dialogue, including the most forced conversation about Harry Potter ever spoken aloud.

For all of these negatives, I have to admit that this movie was still mostly enjoyable, overall. It’s nowhere near as good as it’s obvious inspirations, like the X-Men or Hunger Games franchises, but the characters, despite the tropes and overemphasis on plot, are extremely likeable. This movie is also just visually appealing, from the stellar cinematography to the attention to detail of the set designs and props to the incredible special effects throughout. And while the acting is a bit of a mixed bag, this is easily the most diverse cast I’ve seen on screen in a long time. Despite the fact that the movie loses a lot of its message in the plot, there is something powerful about a story about a bunch of kids who all look different from each other and come from different backgrounds coming together to embrace their differences, discover their power, and take control of their own futures and, in turn, the future of the world.

The Darkest Minds is a movie I likely won’t recommend to many people. I enjoyed it but mainly because I’m a sucker for dystopian young adult fiction, and if you are, too, you might like this movie. I would also probably recommend it to most teenagers, but only if those teenagers have already seen movies like The Hunger Games quadrilogy, the X-Men franchise, or even the less well-received Ender’s Game. The Darkest Minds is not as bad as the current 19 percent Rotten Tomatoes score would lead you to believe (and I think the 80 percent audience score will attest to that), but there’s still a pecking order and when it comes to dystopian young adult fiction, this one just simply isn’t at the top.

Overall Grade: C

[divider]

Director: Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail
Writers: Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath
Stars: Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Greg Cipes, Will Arnett, Kristen Bell

Synopsis: The Teen Titans search for an arch nemesis to defeat so they can prove they are worthy of getting their own big Hollywood movie.

[/info]

Teen Titans Go! has been a staple on Cartoon Network since 2013. It’s a spin-off of Teen Titans (2003-2006) that’s aimed towards a younger audience. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies stays true to the television show, now with an hour and a half for more cartoon shenanigans and musical numbers.

The story focuses on Robin who, after seeing all major superheroes are starring in their own movies, is determined to get one for the Teen Titans. He and the rest of the group spend most of the film trying to convince big time movie director Jade (Kristen Bell) that they are not just sidekicks and deserve a spot on the big screen. She rejects them, saying they don’t even have their own nemesis and she wouldn’t hire them unless they were the last superheroes on earth. After experimenting with time travel, the Teen Titans discover that having no other superheroes is a bad idea and decide to go out in search of an arch nemesis. The Teen Titans find Slade and decide he’s the man for the job – mostly because his name is fun to say in a dramatic way and he looks just like Deadpool.

This movie is goofy – the Teen Titans break out into song any chance they can, and one song is even accompanied by a keytar playing white tiger in space (Michael Bolton). It’s full of famous actors: Nicolas Cage as Superman, Nicolas Cage’s son Kal-el Cage (yes he’s named after Superman) as young Bruce Wayne, Patton Oswalt as Atom, Jimmy Kimmel as Batman, and there’s even a very confused animated cameo by Stan Lee. There are DC comic book and movie references everywhere, including a jab at the Green Lantern movie “There was a Green Lantern movie… but we don’t talk about that.”

While I don’t personally believe Teen Titans Go! To the Movies competes with the other animated films released so far this year, it’s fun to watch and I think fans of the show will definitely get a kick out of this movie.

Overall Grade: B-

[divider]

Director: Stephen Susco
Writers: Stephen Susco
Stars: Colin Woodell, Andrew Lees, Betty Gabriel, Stephanie Nogueras

Synopsis: After taking a laptop from the lost and found, Matias discovers he is being digitally stalked by its previous owner who will do anything to get it back.

[/info]

The horror genre is usually one of the first to try new, weird things in film. They can cause controversies over gore and other questionable content, and love to make us have an irrational fear of everyday things. Horror itself is broken down in many subgenres like action-horror, slasher, psychological, zombie, etc. Relatively recent additions to these are “found footage” and now “cyber horror.” These styles first started in 1980 with Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980) but didn’t gain major traction until The Blair Witch Project (1999). With social media being such a huge part of the majority of people’s lives, it was only a matter of time before it became a staple in the horror world. Movies like Unfriended and Searching (coming August 2018) seem to be examples of what’s up and coming in this subgenre.

Unfriended: Dark Web is the directorial debut of horror writer Stephen Susco. It’s presented in a similar format as its predecessor – mostly Skype and Facebook text and video chats. The film focuses on Matias (Colin Woodell) who thought it would be a great idea to take a laptop from the lost and found at a cyber cafe. After trying to install an app he’s created that allows him to video chat with his deaf girlfriend (Stephanie Nogueras), he discovers the hard drive is full and digs around to see what’s there. With the help of his computer savvy friend Damon (Andrew Lees) he unlocks hidden files and discovers the previous owner of the laptop was involved in some very shady things.

During his computer snooping, Matias is also in a Skype video call having a virtual game night with five of his friends. After discovering the creepy files (and sharing them with his friends) he is contacted by the owner of the laptop who wants it returned or else. Without giving away spoilers, this movie makes you immediately want to cover every webcam, disable your location on all your mobile devices, and google “how to live off the grid”. The story convinces you that if someone is motivated and technologically savvy, they can find you. The nerd in me was so annoyed that every website and program used had usernames and passwords saved, meaning one click and anyone can log in. If bad guy hadn’t had done this, this whole movie could have been avoided. The moral to this story is clear your browsing history, create hard to guess passwords, and don’t steal random laptops. Another thing that bothered me about this film is it felt like they had a “technology buzzwords” checklist to get through so they could validate the “Dark Web” in the title. They go into bitcoin, darknet, wardriving, swatting, etc.

I like that horror movies are incorporating social media as a scare tactic. It seems like a logical progression of the genre that will hopefully traumatize some of the younger generations into being smarter on the internet. Also, there are apparently two different endings to this movie. I did not know this going in, but according to other reviewers I saw ending A which is similar to the first movie and not as well liked as ending B. I read what happens in ending B, and it does seem to resolve the story better, so if you are given the choice of endings (my theater didn’t have it posted anywhere) I suggest ending B.

Overall, Unfriended: Dark Web is much better than the first movie. It’s not great, but it’s an improvement. I liked that the antagonist was not supernatural because it made the film more realistic. To be honest, the scariest thing about this film was the trailer for The Nun shown in the previews, but Unfriended did a decent job convincing me not to antagonize strangers on the internet and leave things from the lost and found alone. I’m not sure this latest film, of the “found footage/cyber” genre is perfected yet, but I like that people are experimenting with it, and I am very interested in seeing what comes next.

Overall Grade: C-

[divider]

Director: Carlos López Estrada
Writers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs
Stars: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jone

Synopsis: While on probation, a black man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend.

[/info]

There is that old saying that goes “Before you judge someone, imagine walking a mile in their shoes.” I believe if we did that, we would understand the concerns that face so many within our communities and start to find solutions to these issues, whether its poverty, crime, race or issues with the police. I also believe another way to learn about these issues is to see them on the big screen and listen to different voices bring those concerns to life so we can find solutions. In the new film Blindspotting, director Carlos Lopez Estrada and actors, Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs (who also wrote the script) bring together a film that is the most focused, revolutionary film to look at social issues facing modern day America since Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

The film follows Collin (Diggs), a convicted felon that has three days left on his year-long parole sentence. Collin lives in Oakland and works with his lifelong best friend Miles (Casal) as movers for a moving truck company run by Collin’s ex-girlfriend Val (Janina Gavankar). While Collin is trying to say low key and wants his last three days of probation to go smoothly, it’s hard for him to do that because while Miles is his best friend, he has the potential to bring out the worst in both of them. One night after Collin drops off Miles at his house, Collin witnesses a police officer shoot an unarmed African American male literally next to the van while Collin is waiting for the light to turn green. From there on, the film tackles the impact that event can shake someone like Collin as well as the ramifications and toll it takes on the others in his life.

Blindspotting is very much a personal story for Casal and Diggs, not just because they wrote the film but because they are from the Oakland area. The city of Oakland feels just as much like a character in this film as the two leads do or like New York City does in Do the Right Thing. The reason why I mention that Spike Lee masterpiece in the same vein of this film is because they feel like two films cut from the same cloth. Both films focus on an African American male living in a world surrounded by people that he loves yet one event changes the fabric of who they are and what that community is. While Mookie’s event towards the end of the film was a singular event that brought the neighborhood to its knees and enraged, it feels that event, Radio Raheem’s death, is a precursor to what Collin sees in front of his very own eyes in this film, and what the other characters in Blindspotting talk about throughout the film. For Collin, this shooting is just one of many that have happened, becoming the new normal in his community and around the country, and all he can do is hope that it doesn’t happen to him, bringing a sense of daily fear that he carries within his daily life. There is a moment towards the end of the film, where Collin is going on his daily morning run, and his route, he passes by a cemetery, where he sees a flash of the man that he was gunned. But he doesn’t just see the man that was shoot, he sees dozens of other men and women that have killed too by police officers, standing in front of their graves, hundreds of lost souls. This makes the viewer look at those faces and think about the calamities our communities have had to face because of what could be just small things escalating to places they never should have gone to, and how it happens way to often that the numbers are rising and we haven’t done anything to stop it.

Diggs, who is known mostly for his role scene stealing role from the musical Hamilton, gets to show off that he is more than the fastest rapping actor on Broadway. Though there are elements of hip hop within the film, but I won’t get into those too much to avoid spoilers. He gets to show his real acting chops, both comedic and extremely dramatic, vast range that I never knew he had. And alongside Casal, whose performance as Miles is one of the best of the year so far and will for sure be one of the best new comers of the year for me at the end of the year, they have become my favorite on screen duo of the year so far.

While the two main leads of the film are driving force to see this film, it is also the directorial debut for Carlos Lopez Estrada, whose eye behind the camera is what brings his all together very nicely. His subtle style and detailed vision of making you feel like you are a part of this community makes you, the audience, feel like you are hanging out with a third, unseen friend of Collin and Miles. It’s a very confident directorial debut that know exactly what it wants to say and is focused on getting the audience where it needs to go without beating you over the head with its messages. In a lot of ways, Estrada’s Blindspotting is a quieter, better version of Boots Riley’s loud, bombastic film Sorry to Bother You. While Riley’s film is the one making the most noise around the internet, mostly because of its crazy third act, I would argue Blindspotting is the film Riley only wishes he could make. Blindspotting is a film that can be entertaining as well an immensely thought provoking and left me wanting to see more from Collin and Miles by the time the credits are rolling.

Overall Grade: A-

[divider]

Check out our podcast review on Extra Film, coming soon!

[divider]

Director: Bo Burnham
Writers: Bo Burnham
Stars: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Synopsis: An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.

[/info]

By the end of his most recent (and brilliant) comedy special, 2016’s Make Happy, it is clear that Bo Burnham has grown tired of his stage persona. While the “Bo Burnham” character is boisterous, confident, and relatively worry-free, the real Bo has been overcome by anxiety and self-doubt. He questions whether what he is doing is fulfilling and enriching the lives of his audience. As the show ends, Burnham proclaims, “I hope you’re happy,” drops the microphone, and walks into the darkness. That was the last time we saw Burnham’s talents at the forefront of any project. He had a small part as a comedian in The Big Sick and directed Jarrod Carmichael’s standup special, 8, but he had basically retreated from the limelight.

Watching his debut scripted film, it is clear that Burnham’s mindset has changed drastically since his beginnings as a vulgar, post-modern musical comedian. His comedy became increasingly personal and he became very focused on disingenuousness in marketing and media. As far as he is concerned, there is basically no difference. His reaction to this? One of the most sincere, heartfelt films I have ever seen. Eighth Grade is a film that made me feel like crying for pretty much its entire 94-minute running time. That’s not because it is always sad (it can be) or because it is always touching (it often is) but because it is at once so personal and so universal. The depiction of middle school transported me back to memories I wasn’t sure I had anymore.

The character’s main character, Makayla, is one week away from graduating the eighth grade and moving on to high school. She is extremely quiet at school and doesn’t really have a reliable group of friends. The only thing that makes her feel connected to the world is social media and her YouTube channel. She posts awkward, meandering motivational videos that have no chance of garnering any attention in the saturated genre of teenagers sitting in front of their computers and talking about their lives. Sadly, it is the only way she feels her voice can be heard, even if she is actually speaking into a void.

Burnham could have easily turned the film into a bitter putdown of young people’s increasing reliance on technology and obsession with social media but his viewpoint is far too empathetic for that. Instagram is not a complete tool of evil in Makayla’s life. Without it, she may feel even more anxious and alone than she already does. If it weren’t for the catharsis of letting her soul bleed out through her YouTube videos, she might feel unbearably repressed. Technology has made relationships unlike those at any other point in history. We should absolutely pushback against the distance thats brings to many of us, but we should not dismiss the self-medication that people like Makayla are able to get from it.

Eighth Grade is a film about a young, lonely girl. As such, she spends the large majority of the film by herself. Casting a real-life eighth grader as a lead in a movie is a dangerous task. Fortunately, Burnham found the perfect actress for the role. I cannot overstate how remarkable Elsie Fisher is in the role. In Eighth Grade, Makayala is all of us. We feel her awkward, terrifying highs and the infinite joy she gets from feeling like she has just one friend in the world. I can’t imagine there are many young people as willing as Fisher to be filmed at the most awkward biological period of her life in the often unflattering way she is shot in Eighth Grade.

Actors and actresses often get credit for doing things like not wearing makeup or “ugly-ing themselves up”. Fisher’s performance in Eighth Grade is one of the only times where a glamour-free performance actually deserves celebration. Her acne is omni-present, her makeup looks it was done by a young girl raised almost exclusively by her father (which she was), and her ability to show deeply rooted insecurity in a scene where she is in a bathing suit is enough to make your heart ache. Her “ums” and “likes” are perfectly timed and are used just enough to make you feel her difficulty communicating but also feel like she is in a world you are familiar with. Without Fisher’s spectacular performance, this film does not run at nearly the same efficiency and with the same power that it does with her at the forefront. Combine her performance with an equally charming and compelling performance from Hollywood “that guy” Josh Hamilton (whose final speech in this film rivals that of Michael Stuhlbarg in last year’s Call Me By Your Name) and the character dynamics in Eighth Grade absolutely dynamite.

The script and performances are phenomenal but the most impressive part of Eighth Grade, perhaps, is Bo Burnham’s direction. The technical aspects of this film are truly a step above nearly every freshman filmmaker you will find. Based on what I have seen in his interviews, Burnham is a self-taught student of cinema. The filmmakers he cites as influences are not ones that the average moviegoer would even recognize. Maybe that is why much of this film feels so unique. It is not just intense sincerity that sets Eighth Grade apart. The film’s score is unlike any you will find in a movie of this ilk. Composer Anne Meredith put together a score whose combination of heavy synth and drum machine makes it feel incredibly modern. A culture obsessed with technology should be surrounded by magic just as artificial as many of the relationships in Eighth Grade. But just like how Burnham treats Makayala’s relationship with a degree of understanding, the score using the electro score in a snappy way that gives great momentum to the film.

Burnham uses a large variety of shot types in the film to add to the dynamism of Eighth Grade. There are steady tracking shots that make Makayla’s anxiety and desire for acceptance come to the forefront of the film. Makayla’s happiest moment in the film is portrayed with a handheld closeup of her pacing back and forth in her bedroom that perfectly portrays the chaotic unfamiliarity with the feeling. It all sounds very serious, but Burnham’s comedic tendencies shine throughout the film. His ability to cover the gamut of human emotion without resorting to melodrama separates Eighth Grade from the pack. The imagery is striking and his world is vibrant. Bo Burnham is absolutely a young filmmaker to be reckoned with.

Eighth Grade is one of the best films of the year and it is almost certainly the best at relating to a mass audience on an intense emotional level. I was enraptured by the film. I felt like I was a part of the film because I used to be part of that world. Every child wonders what their value is and how that value comes to fruition. Heck, we all still wonder that today. It is much harder to deal with that question, though, when your face is covered in whiteheads and a guy is asking you to send him naked pictures on Snapchat. Bo Burnham somehow manages to make us all contemplate what it means to happy and how we validate ourselves through an eighth grade girl. It is an achievement and I thank him for it. I am better off because of it.

Overall Grade: A

[divider]

Check out our podcast review on Episode 285, coming soon!

[divider]