Category: Reviews

‘Lux Æterna’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Lux Æterna is a stellar chaotic work from the French provocateur’s mind as he explores when the creative process goes wrong.

CREDIT: Les Cinémas de la Zone

9/10

I had to make sure that Vortex was not the last film from Gaspar Noé that I got the chance to watch on the big screen. Lux Æterna has been easily one of my most anticipated films to watch since I learned about the film in 2019. I waited and waited forever to hear some sort of news about this film coming to the United States but nothing ever happened. That was until this year when Yellow Veil Pictures acquired the North American theatrical and home media distribution rights to the film. I was so happy that this film would finally be released after three years of waiting around for some sort of glimpse into this chaotic visual poem from Noé. I researched and found a showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and finally, I would watch my most anticipated film from 2019.

Lux Æterna is a visual essay from the enfant terrible, Gaspar Noé. The film made its premiere out of competition at the 2019 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Béatrice Dalle, and Abbey Lee along with some regulars from the rest of Noé’s catalog. In the film, we follow the stressful life of a film set led by the director, Beatrice. If you have ever been on a set you understand a lot of the things that can go wrong. It seems that the set begins to crumble apart as the authority is stripped from Beatrice, and the actresses begin to have their boundaries crossed by the crew. All while Beatrice is trying to craft a film about witches that gets stressful with every minute. As the chaos ensues, the women must find a way to cope with the loss of their agency.

Gaspar Noé has once again provided us with a visual spectacle that deals with his anarchistic style while providing nuanced commentary on the film industry. A visual masterpiece of a film, Lux Æterna, catapults into madness on-screen that forces the viewer to never look away from it. The last 15 minutes of the film is a complete assault of the five senses in pure Gaspar Noé fashion as it flashes strobe lights creating the hellish nightmare of losing control. Gainsbourg, Lee, and Dalle superbly provide performances that truly speak volumes about the everyday lives of the people they are representing. Where Gaspar Noé lacks in the runtime of the film he makes up by providing each second with his unique approach to the narrative. Even if this is not as great as his past work like Climax, Love, or Irreversible, Noé finds a way to provide his style while pushing the limits of his narrative in Lux Æterna. Art is difficult to make and Noé is here to remind us that things could get ugly real fast.

Watch Lux Æterna in theaters or on home media coming soon to Blu Ray.

‘Men’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Alex Garland’s newest film is a stylized incoherent film that tries to fill in the cracks of its narrative with poignant symbolism.

CREDIT: A24

7/10

Alex Garland has been steadily creating a body of work worth noting down as one of the best of the last couple of years. I was a big fan of his first film, Ex Machina. I found his style and approach to the overarching narrative to be exquisite. It is easily one of my favorite films of all time plus who doesn’t love watching Oscar Isaac dance in that iconic scene. He would continue on with his next film, Annihilation, which polarized audiences with its mixed reviews. I have heard great things about his FX show, Devs, but have yet to sit down and actually watch it. Needless to say, when the first trailer was released for Men I was eager to watch it. Well, let’s talk about this new horror film from writer and director, Alex Garland.

Men, written and directed by English filmmaker, Alex Garland. The film marks Garland’s return to the silver screen after 2018’s Annihilation. The film stars Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, and Paapa Essiedu. In Men, we follow the journey of Harper (Jessie Buckley) who relocates to the English countryside after her husband commits suicide. Well, the story is not as straightforward as it sounds since a constant presence of toxic men appears around the town that begins to harass her. As Harper tries to figure out what is happening she also must confront the nature of her past marriage and the effects of toxic masculinity that surround the nightmare she is living in.

As always I want to start with the positives because I dislike filling my reviews with constant negativity. I hope that with even the worst experiences I have with films I try to find something that works within the film I am watching. Sometimes there are films that have only one thing that I found captivating and it is important to me to point it out. Jessie Buckley is an incredible actress and her very nuanced work within this film is beyond captivating. It reaches into the deepest levels of your heart and finds a way to universally connect with you. The same can be said about Rory Kinnear’s multiple roles that manage to get so far under your skin to make you uncomfortable. Rob Hardy’s stellar photography throughout the film really captures the visual motifs and atmosphere of the area that Harper is inhabiting. Finally, throughout the film the sound design, visual effects, and score work so well together to form a really creepy tone for the film.

Nonetheless, Men is far from being the perfect film and is Alex Garland’s weakest film to date. The script even though providing interesting themes can never find a coherent execution to present them. Alex Garland has a lot of interesting themes to explore like toxic masculinity and the generational culture of toxicity, but the film never finds a way to concisely represent it. The film’s pacing drags throughout the second act of the film. Once the film reaches its third act it repeatedly beats you over the head with its imagery that the message gets lost within its use of symbolism. As great as the frames looked the message behind the frames constantly got lost within the shuffle of the execution. Even though it doesn’t work for most of its runtime, Men is still an interesting film that is deserving of a rewatch to fully capture what the film is saying. The third act is a glorious display of horror, but we will see what the road leads for Alex Garland. I am still on his hype train, and I am looking forward to what comes next from his directorial efforts.

Watch Men in theaters.

‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Review

Posted on by lggw77 in Reviews

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 speeds its way into the public as a great film for all ages!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) – “Final Trailer” – Paramount Pictures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47r8FXYZWNU CR: Paramount Pictures

8.5/10

Written by Luis Gerardo Garcia

Good day and welcome to my review of the much anticipated, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. My name is Luis Gerardo Garcia, I am a proud and excited member of the upcoming South Texas Film Critics Association. I am also happy to be working with The Nerd Corps again as a contributing writer. I’ve always appreciated film, production, acting and photography for its unique way of expressing human emotion and struggles. I’ve been part of a few productions working in various crew positions. After every opportunity I get, my love for film only increases. I hope to one day be in front of the camera for a small role. My favorite things to do are to make movie reviews and discussions, which is why I am excited to be a part of this! I look forward to having great discussions with anyone interested out there in the world. Now, let’s get into my thoughts on one of the highest grossing films of the year, Sonic the Hedgehog 2!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 staring the fantastic James Marsden, Jim Carey, Ben Schwartz, and Idris Elba follows Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) as he navigates Earth and meets an unexpected new friend, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey). The new team must join together to attempt to save the world from a returning Doctor Eggman (Jim Carey). Sonic is back and even better with the addition of new characters. The film has a sense of nostalgia that feels important to someone who grew up with these games like myself. Staying true to their abilities and strengths, the fight scenes were well enjoyed. Beginning with the introduction of Knuckles (Idris Elba), Sonic finally finds a worthy opponent to match his speed. Entertaining is just one way of describing this film filled with laughs and action. The CG effects were great as expected from a film produced in 2022. I especially found impressive the design of the giant Doctor Eggman robot that sonic fights towards the end of the movie. Explosions and movements with the environment looked seamlessly put together to match the live action aspect. The film’s vibrant colors and pace keep you hooked throughout most of the movie. The friendship made between Sonic and Tails is that of a sibling relationship with Sonic protecting Tails. This relationship observed by Knuckles is what eventually turns him to the good side. With many quick wits and jokes, this movie is great for all ages. The very random one-liners are definitely the highlights of this movie. With over-the-top pop culture references, it is easy to see why this movie was so well received. I am excited to see how they can top this for the next upcoming film in this franchise.

Watch Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in theaters and coming soon to Paramount+

‘Deep Water’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Deep Water is an incoherent film that loses itself that does not hold its weight throughout its messy script.

CREDIT: Hulu

3.5/10

Normally there are a lot of films that fall under my personal radar at times. There are exceptions to the rule and one of them is when I get sick. That was the case when I was able to sit down and watch Adrian Lyne’s Deep Water. The genre of erotic thrillers is some of my favorites dating back to films like Brian De Palma’s Femme Fatale. Also, the film includes two actors who I am big fans of, so easily this should be on my radar to consume? Well, I relatively felt nothing when the trailer for the film was released. Therefore, I bit the bullet and put myself through this new Hulu release.

Deep Water is directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. The film stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as a married couple who have an open marriage. The cast also includes Grace Jenkins, Dash Mihok, Rachel Blanchard, Kristen Connoly, Jacob Elordi, and Lil Rel Howery. The film was originally supposed to release two years ago but after two delays, it finally arrived in homes in the US via Hulu.

In Deep Water, Victor and Melinda Van Allen, played by Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas look to open their marriage to other lovers in order to fix their loss of love. Victor lets Melinda take on other loves outside of him as long as it does not end up in her leaving her family. Their daughter, Trixie, is a normal little girl who does not understand the situation at hand. Most of the time, open relationships work and should not be so taboo when all parties are consensual. That does not seem to be the case in this picture because some of Melinda’s lovers end up disappearing or dead. The film unravels as it decodes a murder plot and the troubling aspects of love.

What can I say about Deep Water that has not already been shouted from the rooftops of film twitter? Deep Water does not work as a psychological thriller or a drama. Adrian Lyne tries his best to direct a film out of a poorly written script. The characters feel so one-dimensional and some of the dialogue leaves one puzzled instead of intrigued. I found the cinematography to be exquisite with its beautiful use of lighting and excellent camera movements. Sadly, filmmaking is not just a visual format and a good movie does not include just beautiful photography. Its pace drags itself across metaphorical concrete as it struggles to wrap itself up. Once it reaches the final shot, there is not much catharsis to feel. The performances are fine but both actors have been in better work. The execution could work more if there was a better script for Lyne to direct. The movie misses its mark by a long shot and ultimately felt like a chore to get through.

Watch Deep Water on Hulu in the US and Amazon Prime Video internationally.

‘X’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Ti West’s X misses its mark but makes up with a thriller coated in grindhouse elements.

CREDIT: A24

7/10

Ti West is back with another horror film and it’s not your standard slasher flick. What’s a way to make horror a bit more interesting nowadays? Well, how about we make it a grindhouse-type slasher flick revolving around filmmakers trying to make porn in the 70s? That right there is enough to get me into the theater for your new film. I will say that the trailer for this film did enough to get me excited. It did not completely sell me on the film but it poked my interest. I never watched a Ti West film before but I was willing to see what X would offer in the horror genre.

Ti West’s X stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, and Stephen Ure. In X we follow the journey of a group of filmmakers including director Wayne, cinematographer RJ, Lorraine, and their fellow actors. Things are not that simple though as the group embarks on a trip to shoot their next porn flick in rural Texas. Maxine one of the main actresses is in a relationship with the director. Actors Bobby-Lynne and Jackson are together but not really as they are on and off. RJ and Lorraine are together even though she feels uneasy about pornography. The group arrives at the farm with problems with the owners, but once they are settled they begin to roll cameras. Of course, there would be no movie if things went easy as bodies begin to drop. The group must find a way out of the farm and find out who is killing them.

X is not your standard slasher as it is beautifully stylized by writer and director Ti West. The grindhouse elements perfectly match the atmosphere of this horror film. The performances by the very talented cast perfectly encapsulate the characters living in this time period. Ti West competently understands how to portray the porn boom period of the 70s. The themes of aging and a time-consuming industry that slowly manipulates people into working in it are profoundly examined within Ti West’s film.

Sadly X does not work all of the time as it drags itself throughout its second half to wrap up its story. The story between the elderly couple feels too underdeveloped to care about enough to see how it concludes in the third act. There are some brutal kills and it has its entertaining aspects, but the film meanders too much in its second act struggling to wrap itself up in the third. I appreciate a lot of what Ti West is doing within his unique film, but it leaves too much to desire. Maybe we will get more when his prequel film Pearl makes its way to the silver screen. Even if it does not work most of the time, I still highly recommend watching X if you are looking for a fun stylized slasher film.

Watch X on video on demand on most major video platforms.