Reviews – Page 9 – The Nerd Corps

‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Review

Posted on April 19, 2022April 18, 2022 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

The third installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise crumbles under its own incoherent weight.

3.75/10

I was pretty much done with the Wizarding World for better or worse after the Harry Potter franchise closed its story. I had heard of these Fantastic Beasts films but I had little to no interest in wanting to watch these films. It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of the Wizarding World. I think the franchise is one of the most overrated properties that were adapted by some fine pieces of young adult fiction novels. I have viewed these subsequent films as cash grabs trying to milk nostalgia out of a community that has turned its back on a hateful author. Alas, I still wanted to give this film a try, so I caught up on the last two entries and went to the cinema to watch The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is directed by David Yates (who has been directing these Wizarding World films since Order of the Phoenix). The film is written by J.K. Rowling and this time enlisting Steve Kloves to help co-write the screenplay. The cast includes Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen (replacing Johnny Depp from the last two installments), Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, Dan Fogler, Jessica Williams, and William Nadylam. James Newton Howard returns to provide the original score composition from the last two Fantastic Beasts films. The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third installment in a five-planned film franchise.

This time around after the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is trying to stop Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelson) so he brings together his team led by New Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). Also, in case you forgot from the last film Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) joined Grindelwald who is manipulating him to use his powers against Dumbledore. The team of wizards and Jacob the muggle try their hardest to keep a powerful Grindelwald from stealing an election to become the Minister of Magic. All of this is happening while Albus Dumbeldore fights against the past romantic partnership he had with Grindelwald. Will our wizard and one muggle heroes save the day or will an ultra extremist wizard rise to power and lead a full-fledged civil war against non-wizards?

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a slight improvement from its predecessors in the franchise but is an incoherent screenplay that tries its hardest to stick together. The film drags its weight along the way leaving behind any room for an interesting screenplay. An uninteresting plot relying on the nostalgia of the Harry Potter franchise tries its best to mesh a competent film out of the mess of David Yates’ direction. Mads Mikkelson even though a great addition does well with what he is given. Yet the performance does not feel up to the bar left by Johnny Depp, but it leaves room for a lot of improvement if the next two films are made. Mikkelson and Dumbledore have better chemistry but it is still not enough to save the film. A washed-out uninteresting visual language paired with an amazing score by James Newton Howard at least provides something to enjoy from an almost 2 hours and 30-minute film. Even though Steve Kloves brings a helpful hand, The Secrets of Dumbeldore’s screenplay cannot help fall apart its incoherent backbone. Maybe they get it right in the next one, but the magic is not present anymore in these Wizarding World films.

Watch The Secrets of Dumbledore in theaters and soon on HBO Max after a 45-day theatrical window.

‘Turning Red’ Review

Posted on April 18, 2022April 17, 2022 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Turning Red is a charming and important film that exemplifies creating a fantastic entry in the Pixar catalog.

8.25/10

Pixar has always been the more interesting side of Disney’s megacorporate catalog of entities. Even when they were not a Disney property they consistently put out great film after great film. Coco one of their films post-Disney buyout is one of my favorite films of all time. It is safe to say that Pixar has a clear and present impact on multiple generations. They are truly one of the pioneers of the animation medium of filmmaking. For a lot of us, Pixar holds a massive chunk of our childhood and they continue to do that for the coming generations. Without further ado, let us journey into the life of an Asian American teenage girl who turns into a big red panda every time she gets too excited.

Turning Red is directed by Domee Shi who worked on the Pixar short film, Bao. This marks her feature film debut while also having contributed to the animation departments for films like Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. The film’s story was created by Domee Shi, Julia Cho, and Sarah Streicher while translated into a screenplay by Cho and Shi. The film’s voice cast includes Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Orion Lee.

The film set somewhere during the late 90s looks at the life of a confident teenager, Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang) or known to everyone around her as Mei. Mei is an average teenage girl she likes boy bands specifically the dreamboats, 4Town, she is desperately trying to see live in concert with her friends. Her friends Miriam Mendelsohn (Ava Morse), Priya Mangal (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and Abby Park (Hyein Park) are all on the cusp of making the big jump to being full-on teenagers. The big bear in the room is that, unlike her friends, if Mei gets too excited she suddenly turns into a huge red panda bear. At first, Mei does not know what to make of it but as our journey through the film continues we realize a deep cultural and familial story behind the panda exists. A clash between family dynamics, cultural divide, generational trauma, and puberty commences as it paves the way into a beautiful story about growing.

Turning Red is yet another fantastic effort from Pixar but also one of the best feature debuts of all time. The film is directed with precision and heart that keeps the audience locked in until the credits roll. A beautiful and necessary story about the cultural importance of family creates the atmosphere for a splendid film for all ages. The animation is superb bringing a unique look to the oversaturated world of computer-based animation. The film feels accurate to its era calling back to the fashion of the 90s and music composed fantastically by Ludwing Göransson along with the soundtrack provided by Jordan Fisher. The world of Tamagotchis and boy bands could not feel more suitable to tell such a personal story. Turning Red is an achievement in personal filmmaking that left me in tears over its message. I hope we all understand it is not about keeping things sealed by finding a healthy balance within us.

Watch Turning Red on Disney+.

Gaspar Noé Retrospective: ‘I Stand Alone’

Posted on April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Gaspar Noé’s I Stand Alone is a venture into the nihilistic view of a man beyond repair.

This retrospective series will contain discussions about sexual assault and extreme forms of violence. Reader’s discretion is advised. This is the only warning for this series. Proceed with caution.

I have lots of filmmakers that come to mind that have contributed to my love of cinema, for example, my favorite director of all time is Alejandro González Iñárritu who made my favorite film of all time, Biutiful. I could also bring up Andrei Tarkovsky who directed Stalker which changed my life forever after watching it for the first time. Then there is Gaspar Noé who I truly believe to be the greatest modern director working right now. I have loved his films ever since I discovered Irreversible when I was in college. This has been a series I have been trying to get off the ground for a while now. At first, I wanted to make film essays about his movies but none of those ever get the chance to live on my YouTube channel because of copyright claim issues. On my podcast The Cinema Condition, we have discussed some of his films like Climax and Love. Essentially, I have decided to sit down and finally type these words out to kick off this series. In this series, we will be looking at all his feature films hopefully leading up to the worldwide release of his newest film, Vortex. I really can’t put into words how much his work means to me but here goes nothing.

This film has always been a blindspot in the filmography of the grand French auteur. I Stand Alone is written and directed by Gaspar Noé. The film is a sequel to his short film, Carne, which also includes a lot of the same cast. The film stars the late Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, and Frankie Pain. This is Noé’s feature film debut after working on only three shorts beforehand.

In the film, we follow the journey of a man that we know simply as, The Butcher (Philippe Nahon). In the first fifteen minutes of the film, we are reminded of the events of Carne along with a refresher on the life of The Butcher. Once we are done catching up, The Butcher is living with his pregnant girlfriend/mistress and her mother. The Butcher is supposed to be opening a shop but his girlfriend backs out due to feeling hesitant. This leaves The Butcher unemployed and on bad terms with his partner. The Butcher finds work but after being accused of cheating on his girlfriend he physically assaults her to the point of possibly killing their unborn child and steals a gun as he abandons them to return to Paris. Our journey with The Butcher continues as he faces rejection after rejection trying to find a job. Along with rejection, he is met with pitty and humiliation by those he used to do business with or consider his friends. All while fighting incestuous thoughts about his daughter who is still at the institution after the events of Carne. The Butcher sets to fight against the laws of the environment that has created him and continues to feed his pessimistic view of life.

I Stand Alone is a solid foundation for the French provocateur to start his career off. Throughout the film, there are parts that Noé will improve upon in his coming work. The use of title cards, interjecting of black screens for a split second, and lighting will be further improved in his later films. Every filmmaker has to start somewhere and even though aspects like his musical choices are not as great as those featured in, Enter The Void, one can still find a way to appreciate what Noé is working with. The film does not work as much as its predecessor but still brings its themes of nihilism to the forefront. Rightfully, even after the credits roll you will continue to think about what Noé is trying to say with I Stand Alone. The film meanders and tries to hammer things we already know about The Butcher from the first act, but it is Noé’s uncompromising style that truly sets the tone of what we will endure through the picture. While this is not his best work it is still a precursor to what Gaspar Noé will dissect about the human condition for years to come.

It is undeniable that this is Gaspar Noé’s homage to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver while still trying to make something different. The Butcher and Travis Bickle could not be any more different characters. Yes, they both share a distaste for their city that stems from a misogynistic, homophobic, and racist view of modern society. Nevertheless, The Butcher is still shown to be human after all, and even though it does not excuse his behavior and thoughts it does leave room to analyze why he is so beyond repair. The growing socio-economic imbalance leaves the working class people like The Butcher to fend for themselves, while those who write the laws get to profit off of the backs of the lower class. It is no surprise that life would feel so pointless in circumstances like these. Maybe, that is what leads us to be so interested in characters like Travis Bickle or The Butcher? They are reflections of the underbelly of what we choose to ignore day by day. We know people like them exist but when do we ever get to talk about the environments that create people like them?

The Butcher is very much an anti-natalist but yet he loves his daughter and truly believes he should be able to express his inappropriate and predatory sense of attraction towards her. The Butcher knows that he should not feel this way towards his flesh and blood but fights his thoughts day in and day out. In a way, Noé does not seem to be making an excuse for incest but is analyzing this along with us while the film is rolling. Noé in a way is speaking through the grotesque nature of I Stand Alone on why even though characters like The Butcher are interesting to analyze they are not to be idolized. They are flawed humans beyond repair. Gaspar Noé raises the question throughout, that if we subscribe to the idea of morality, when will we as humans truly understand the importance of our very existence? Yet those who write the laws based on morality are they any more above us or all we all simply people trying to find a way to comprehend the complex nature of the human condition? There lies the true nature of the overarching theme of Gaspar Noé’s filmography.

‘The Hand of God’ Review

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

The Hand of God is Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film yet that fires on all cylinders.

9/10

Paolo Sorrentino has returned with his most intimate film to date. It is his most intimate because The Hand of God is brought straight from Sorrentino’s life. I will always cherish Sorrentino’s work especially because it is tied to some of my fondest memories in undergrad. I watched The Great Beauty in my Italian Cinema class taught by someone I consider to be a great mentor. When word came out that last year Sorrentino would release a new film I was more than excited. Paolo Sorrentino is that type of director who instantly sells me on their films when news breaks out about them.

The Hand of God is written, produced, and directed by Italian director, Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty). The film stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpienteri, Massimiliano Gallo, and Betty Pedrazi. It is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. The Hand of God was nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards. The film is a coming-of-age story that looks at the life of Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) as he maneuvers a sudden tragedy in his life. The story is inspired by Sorrentino’s youth and the sudden tragic passing of his parents at a young age while living in Naples.

The Hand of God is yet another masterful achievement from Paolo Sorrentino. It is filled with tender heartbreak that reaches into the deepest corners of the heart. Sorrentino’s style is different but for all the good reasons as he tackles his most personal story yet. There are some performances that don’t stick as much as they should but it is Filippo Scotti who steals the show. Scotti’s body language is felt throughout the whole film and truly allows for one to feel every ounce of emotion the film needs to bring. The film is exquisitely shot bringing to the forefront a very naturalistic style that still feels familiar to Sorrentino’s past films. I found myself really engaged with the film especially in the story even as it drags here and there. The message of the film is so clearly presented that one can’t even fault Sorrentino for wanting to take his time to flesh it out. Art should always be personal and The Hand of God is as personal as you can get within the filmography of one of the greatest directors right now.

Watch The Hand of God on Netflix.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Review

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent achievement of original filmmaking that brings heart and creativity to the forefront.

10/10

I will be 100% honest with you all, the first time I watched the trailer for Everything Everywhere All at Once I did not have the reaction the rest of the internet had. I don’t really know what didn’t captivate me from it but it just didn’t. I would continue to watch this trailer before multiple films at the cinema and I still felt no inkling of major excitement for this film. I still very much planned to watch it, but I was nowhere near being excited for this as other films that are to be released in the coming weeks. Well, sit back, relax, and let me talk to you all about my favorite movie of the year so far.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man) or simply known as Daniels. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film had its world premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The film looks at an elderly Chinese immigrant who has to save the world by interacting with each iteration of her in the vast multiverse. Yeah, that does indeed sound like a lot and no she is not wearing a cape or the sorcerer supreme though I would not be entirely against Michelle Yeoh as Sorcerer Supreme. I am sure that we all can agree we need as much Michelle Yeoh in our lives as possible.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is mesmerizing original filmmaking at its finest that packs many punches. I found myself laughing, smiling, and crying throughout its runtime, and when a film can do all that while keeping my attention it is truly a special piece of art. It’s woven together by heart, an interesting stylistic approach, and clever writing that keeps you hooked until the very end. I loved every single performance from Ke Huy Quan’s charming and electrifying Waymond Wang who serves as the anchor to Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang. The chemistry between Yeoh and Hsu is beautiful to watch unravel especially as Yeoh learns more and more through her different versions of herself how to be a better mother and partner. It’s those tender moments of the film that truly captures the essence of the Daniels’ beautifully crafted film. Everything Everywhere All at Once is unlike anything I have ever seen before and is a breath of fresh air in this current state of cinema that we find ourselves in.

Watch Everything Everywhere All at Once in theaters.