Quick takes on 5 films

Palm Springs is another take on the Groundhog Day concept of living the same day over and over again. This time, Nyles (Andy Samberg) is the co-main character, and the day is a wedding, where Nyles’ girlfriend is a bridesmaid. The film starts where Nyles has already lived this day countless times, but it isn’t long into the film before he pulls someone else into his loop. Sarah (Cristin Milioti) is the sister of the bride, and whereas Nyles has long-ago accepted his existence, Sarah is bent on finding a way out. This romantic comedy is completely predictable, yet still wonderfully charming. It’s the first leading role that I’ve seen from Milioti, and she is fantastic in a very nuanced role. Samberg is his usual goofy self, but he does show a little more depth, the likes of which I haven’t seen from him since Celeste and Jesse Forever. I laughed a bunch but was also moved, and what more could you ask from a rom-com? ★★★½

Greyhound is the latest big-screen casualty of the pandemic, having been gobbled up by Apple’s streaming service when theater going became impossible. Based on a 1955 book with a screenplay written by Tom Hanks, who stars in the leading role, it is about the voyages across the dangerous North Atlantic in the early days of World War II. The ships are carrying troops and supplies, and they are dogged much of the way by German u-boats. There is a 40 hour stretch between the USA and England where the ships do not have the safety of air support, and the fleet of 30-something boats rely entirely on 5 battleships, under the command of Commander Ernest Krause. Krause is a religious man who is plagued by self doubt, always trying to make the right decision to keep those on his ship and on the others safe. They are able to sink a u-boat early on in the 40 hours, and you think they might just pull this trip off safely, when sonar lights up with 6 more u-boats in the area. As Krause and his men dig in for a long night and day, their luck eventually runs out. It’s a tense film with some nail-biting action scenes, and any red blooded American will shout for joy when the enemy ships are hit, but, surprisingly for a Hanks picture, the character development is awfully shallow. Instead, it leans heavily on the compact sequences, which are thankfully good enough to still create a very rousing picture. ★★★★

The Current War is a movie with a whole lot of wasted talent. Detailing the feud involving Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla in regards to what kind of juice should power our young electronic nation (AC or DC), it features a tremendous cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, and Katherine Waterston. Lot of abilities there going to nothing in this picture. Using patents on longer-lasting lightbulbs (which used to burn up in minutes but which he can now stretch to hours), Edison is pushing for DC current to power up our towns, as he holds a lot of patents for that as well. Westinghouse, at that time known for train engine brakes, sees the competing AC current as a cheaper, better alternative. When faced with facts, the proud Edison can’t admit defeat, and goes on a press smear campaign detailing the “dangers” of AC electricity. It’s a fascinating piece of history, but the film is a jumbled mess of often too-short, shifting scenes. Its like they were trying to jam a 3 hour picture into 90 minutes, and the relentless, constant background music in nearly every scene, even during business meetings to make them feel “urgent,” created a bombardment against my senses. ★½

If my senses are going to be attacked, I’d rather see it coming in a good action flick. The Old Guard came to the rescue. It’s a fresh, exciting picture with Charlize Theron continuing to show she can be a badass in action movies too. In this one, she and her 3 long-living friends are immortals, roaming the planet for hundreds of years trying to right its wrongs. When killed, they always come back (until they don’t, but more of that in the film), with bullets leaking from their body, broken bones mending, and burns disappearing. The villainous head of a pharmaceutical company (because aren’t they all?) is on to their immortality and wants to capture them and dissect them, in order to discover what DNA their bodies hold for cancer saving drugs in the future. At the same time, a new immortal has emerged and Charlize’s character is trying to help her adapt to her new life, and everything that comes with it, while also trying to balance her own depression at having lost all those she’s cared for over the years. It’s an action sci-fi movie with a little morality and thought-provoking material thrown in, which is always the best kind. ★★★★

If you’re in for a very strange film, Vivarium has got you covered. Tom and Gemma (Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots) are a young couple looking to get a place of their own when they wander into a real estate office one afternoon. The strange worker there offers to taking them to a new community named Yonder to show them a house, and the couple accepts. They are taken to the worst suburb you’ve ever seen, where the houses are more than cookie cutter, they are completely identical. After looking through the house, Tom and Gemma realize their agent has left them there, and when they try to leave themselves, they find that they can’t. No matter which direction they drive, they always end up pulling up in front of building # 9. When they finally run out of gas, they spend the night there, and the next day, they receive a package with a baby in it. The accompanying note simply reads to raise the child, and they will be let go. “Soap opera rapid aging syndrome” has nothing on this kid, because when we fast forward 98 days, the baby looks like a 10 year old, and he acts just as peculiar as the person who showed them the house initially. Meanwhile, Tom has become obsessed with digging a hole in the front yard, at first because he thought the soil looked strange, and later because he hears noises coming from underground. What is weird and peculiar takes a turn towards the horror genre in the last 30 minutes, and gets downright bizarre in the final 15. This is not a film for everyone, it is a definite slow burn where you have to just sit back and enjoy the ride, but film lovers will dig it. ★★★★