In today’s 4for4 Menu Interview, we chat with Judy Lei the director of the film, The World’s Greatest, for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. to get some insight on the film, their process, their thoughts, and other fun things we can cram into a 15 min press meet!
Raul sits down virtually with, Tom Berkeley and Ross White, the writers and directors of the BAFTA shortlisted short film, Roy!
Alex Garland’s newest film is a stylized incoherent film that tries to fill in the cracks of its narrative with poignant symbolism.
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 speeds its way into the public as a great film for all ages!
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+
The nerds continue with their month looking at past Palme d’Or winners as we discuss Akira Kurosawa’s feudal Japan epic, Kagemusha.
IMDb Synopsis: “A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord’s double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.”
The Nerd Corps 