Author: Raúl Alejandro Mendoza

Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse is a deep dive into madness created by the isolation of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

In order to actually talk about this movie I feel that we need to go back to the year 2015. The world would be subjected to the incredible directorial debut of Robert Eggers, The Witch. Now The Lighthouse is no The Witch because it is a completely different movie breed of its own. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson play these two sailors who are stuck working on this island as Dafoe maintains the lighthouse which seems to have some weird powers. Here is the catch, these two men are slowly going mad and it all happens in an incredibly crafted way.

Now I understand at first glance this probably looks like the most pretentious film of 2019 because it is filmed on 35mm black and white film along with an immersive 4:3 aspect ratio. The thing is that there are films that seem to take these types of aspects and make it more important than the story. That is definitely not the case for this picture. Throughout the film it never feels like Eggers is sacrificing style for substance.

Robert Eggers crafts an incredible piece of art that is heavily supported by two one of a kind performances. The cinematography and creation of the atmosphere amplifies the sense of uneasiness throughout the film. Eggers truly creates a one of a kind film that was not easy to watch to say the least, but leaves you with shivers down your spine until the end. Pattinson absolutely loses himself in this role and along with some disturbing visuals left me speechless. Dafoe also does an incredible job with the several monologues and line delivery.

When I continue thinking about this movie I think about the fact that Eggers really stylized this picture and made it his own by taking influences from Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick to name a few. I cannot wait to see what Eggers does next and how this shapes up at next year’s Academy Awards.

10/10 or 5/5

Ad Astra is a riveting melancholic experience through the void of space as Brad Pitt maneuvers the void not just outside of his ship but in his mind too.

In his newest directorial effort since 2016, James Gray ventures into the corners of a man’s psyche as he deals with his mission to rescue his absent father portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. Brad Pitt plays the main character, Major Roy McBride who is contacted to go and rescue his father who is in the remnants of the “Lima Project.” Now why is this so important? Well, as it seems these surges threatening the Solar System seem to be coming from around that area. After learning about the truth of the history of the project, Major McBride decides that he is the only one who can go for his father.

If you are walking into this film expecting a spectacle like Gravity, Interstellar, or 2001: A Space Odyssey then you are walking into a completely different film from those three. James Gray constructs a film where the characters are at the forefront and the void of space is the backdrop. This distant void is what allows for Major McBride to explore the various feelings that are going through his head as he reaches closer and closer to his father. I am a huge fan of Brad Pitt’s performance in this film that with every word spoken there is an underlying sense of melancholy to Major McBride, and once he does get to his father the both of them work so well off each other.

An aspect of this film that is so interesting is the commercialization of space travel which is an aspect about space colonization that has not been explored. It really gets the mind thinking that maybe this is the most accurate possibility of how space travel will work. Maybe once we colonize the Moon we will throw a McDonald’s up there, and at least the zero gravity will cut construction costs for a play area. Other than the incredible performance, writing, and direction the cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema is incredible and I feel like that statement inside of itself is an understatement. I was so blown away by this aspect that I am throwing a lock in for Oscar nominations and Hoyte Van Hoytema will one hundred and ten percent will be nominated for this picture.

Ad Astra is my favorite movie of this year so far and have not been this surprised by a film since 2018’s Hereditary. If you are looking for an incredible psychological space venture then this is the film to see this weekend.

In Hustlers, Lorene Scafaria provides us with a groundbreaking film about sex work and how it maneuvers the 2008 Recession while including an Oscar worthy performance by Jennifer Lopez.

The newest directorial effort from Lorene Scafaria is born from an article in 2015 from New York Magazine, “The Hustlers at Scores” by Jennifer Pressler. The film follows the cast of Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, and Cardi B as dancers that try to maneuver their work during the recession in 2008 until the team of Lopez, Wu, Reinhart, and Palmer decide to drug powerful men from Wall Street then use their money to pay themselves and the club they want to support.

Obviously the film is directed by Scafaria, a woman, so the female gaze is at work in this film which makes it a much more interesting take. Let’s be real, if this film was directed by a man I cannot imagine it being this grounded and nuanced while not being entirely “graphic.” Even though they do play dancers at a strip club these women never really feel like objects because they are not only seen as dancers. We carefully examine and explore the life outside of the club of each one of these women. The film is seen through the lens of Constance Wu’s character who talks to a journalist portrayed by Julia Stiles as she recaps her life and the events that went down in the club they worked at during the recession.

Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez’s dynamic throughOut the film makes it a delightful and enticing moviegoing experience. Another aspect that I seem to have enjoyed so much was the music and attention to detail to create the time period this story takes place in. Usher comes into the club at one point and you cannot imagine the smile on my face as “Love In This Club” played during the scene. Todd Banhazl’s superlative cinematography creates the atmosphere of the film with some interesting writing choices by Scafaria.

Even though the script feels a little uneasy at times with to me feeling like it is balancing two tones at the same time. Lorene Scafaria still directs a hit, and there is something under the surface in this story about betrayal, sisterhood, and the paranoia surrounding the recession that makes it a surprising hit after those credits roll.

Other than what is stated, there seems to be an aspect of this film that stands out from the rest, and that is in the performance by one Nuyorican icon, Jennifer Lopez. Believe me when I say that Jennifer Lopez’s performance in this film is Oscar worthy. She is powerful, vulnerable, and an incredible mentor to these dancers throughout the film that is enticing and eye opening to watch on screen. J Lo is able to wrap herself around this character while truly becoming a “hustler.” The versatility shown by her will definitely push her for a campaign once Oscar season starts to ramp up.

Even though Ramona is in control, the film controls itself as it provides a bonafide hit that will grow with its audience throughout the year. Hustlers is an entertaining but heartbreaking film that you should definitely plan on watching.

4/5

IT Chapter Two is an impressive sequel to its predecessor that delivers on all cylinders from the establishing shot to the final credits.

We constantly talk about the state of horror in the industry, and how much the genre keeps evolving into a refreshed and insightful style of this incredible medium called filmmaking. For me, my very ignorant opinion on horror changed in 2017 with Andres Muschietti’s hit “IT (or known as IT Chapter One).” After being blown away by the coming of age/horror masterpiece by the Mama director in 2018, I would be blown away by another director in the name of Ari Aster with his directorial debut, Hereditary. Now in 2019, I am eagerly anticipating the conclusion of this story with IT Chapter Two and I can say that this is one that will be one I will be talking about for the rest of the year.

I don’t think I have been this nervous about a sequel to a reboot in a long while. Now to preface, I think what helped the most with this watch was that we recently watched its predecessor again. IT Chapter Two is a monumental achievement by Muschietti and his incredible cast and crew. The film delivers on everything it has riding on it some aspects being the direction, dynamics between the adult Losers, and underlying story of revisiting trauma.

This time around the Loser’s Club are played by Jessica Chastain (Beverly), James McAvoy (Bill), Bill Hader (Richie), Isiah Mustafa (Mike), Jay Ryan (Ben), James Ransone (Eddie), Andy Bean (Stanley), and of course the incredible Bill Skarsgard returns to deliver a goosebumps inducing performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The younger cast returns to portray themselves again with some accompanying de-aging technology (which by the way is pretty much unrecognizable). The adult cast works wonderfully together and it feels like the spirit of the Loser’s Club never leaves them. Some of my favorite dynamics were Beverly/Ben, Richie/Eddie, and Bill/Mike. Each of the components of the club help each other to form a bond in the film that you truly believe from beginning to end. This sequel never actually feels like a sequel even though it picks up 27 years after the events of Chapter One. We never lose sight of the things that made the first installment incredible even though the story is much more mature.

IT Chapter Two is not better or worse than Chapter One but it is just the right blend of what to expect from the film with some outstanding aspects. Andres Muschietti has provided us with a horror masterpiece that we will be keeping in conversation for years to come. Something tells me we will also be doing the same with this incredible director. I for one cannot wait to see what this incredible creative force will bring to his next directorial effort The Flash.

In Ava DuVernay’s recent Netflix Limited Series, she crafts a creative force to be consumed and analyzed for years to come.

CREDIT: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

In Ava DuVernay’s recent work with Netflix she analyzes the story of The Exonerated 5 or as famously known as The Central Park 5. Ava’s masterful direction and incredible analysis of a heartbreaking and infuriating case leaves your jaw on the floor from the opening shot to the final credits.

The Exonerated 5 are played by Asante Black (teen)/Justin Cunningham (adult), Caleel Harris (teen)/Jovan Adepo (adult), Ethan Herisse (teen)/Chris Chalk (adult), Marquis Rodriguez (teen)/Freddy Miyares (adult), and Jharel Jermoe. The rest of the cast includes incredible performers such as Marsha Stephanie Blake, Kylie Burnbury, John Leguizamo, Niexy Nash, Suzzane Douglas, and Michael Kenneth Williams. Ava also reunites with the incredible Bradford Young who shot the whole show. The show also includes an incredible score by Kris Bowers and impeccable production design by Henry Dunn and Akin McKenzie.

When They See Us never fails to impress you, it is an incredibly crafted series that looks at the case of the “Central Park 5” who were wrongfully convicted for crimes that these boys did not commit. From the beginning until the end we are told the truth behind the case and how these five boys were robbed of a life because of a system that does not work for boys like them. Ava DuVernay’s incredible writing and direction creates an emotional packed mini series that brought me to tears multiple times. This art by Ava made me smile (every time Ray and his girlfriend embraced each other), cry (happened pretty much every episode), and want to scream at these prosecutors and politicians trying their hardest to make these boys not have a life after they are released.

You can tell with every frame on the screen and dialogue spoken that Ava poured every ounce of research on the case into this series. It is accompanied by some of the most impressive cinematography yet from Bradford Young. Hopefully this leads Ava to walk out of the Emmy’s with the awards that she so deserves. I have a feeling that just like the case we will be talking about this superlative piece of art by one of the best creatives working in the industry right now for ages to come.