John Wick: Chapter 4 continues the over-the-top action of the first three movies, and Keanu Reeves shows no signs of slowing down in his carnage (a quick google search will tell you that John Wick has killed 439 people so far in this film franchise). This film begins much like the last couple have: we meet a new villain (Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis, a High Table member and, thus, leader of the criminal underworld) who wants to finally take John Wick down. Using leverage, he hires one of Wick’s old friends, retired assassin Caine, to hunt Wick, and also sets out a high bounty on Wick’s head, drawing interested parties from all over the place, including skilled newcomer “Mr Nobody.” The first half of the film plays out in familiar territory, despite the non-stop action, but this film franchise always finds a way to one-up itself, so the second half finds John Wick fighting on an open street in Paris, as cars are zipping by left and right, and after that, having to fight his way up a long flight of stairs as bad guys keeping coming down. What are they going to do in the next movie, fight on the moon? And next one there will be: a fifth film is in development, as well as a spinoff movie (Ballerina, in which Keanu Reeves will appear), and a spinoff series (The Continental, a prequel about how character Winston Scott came to run the eponymous hotel in the film series). Somehow, the filmmakers have found a way to keep this train going while still feeling fresh and exciting. ★★★★
Was really looking forward to The Super Mario Bros Movie, as I am a child of the 80s and cut my teeth on the original Nintendo and Super Nintendo. The trailer showed this to be a big throwback, with all kinds of easter eggs and memorabilia for people who’ve played all those games growing up, and the movie does deliver on those counts, but outside of a lot of nostalgia, the movie was pretty ho-hum. Mario and Luigi are plumbers in Brooklyn when they are sucked into a pipe and find themselves in Mushroom Kingdom. Separated, Luigi is held captive in the Dark Lands, ruled by Bowser, while Mario meets Toad, gets introduced to Princess Peach, and joins her cause to beat Bowser and save the world (and rescue his brother in the process). Along the journey, they’ll tangle with Donkey King, kart it up on the Rainbow Road, and stomp plenty of koopas. The music was of my childhood, the power-ups and enemies of the games are all on display, so it was fun in that aspect, but nothing else really stood out. I think kids would enjoy it for sure, as it is plenty bright and colorful, but otherwise it is just a trip down memory lane for adults. As such, your mileage may vary. ★★½
Infinite Sea took me by surprise, was not expecting to like this one as much as I did. A sparse, low budget (though you would never tell based on how beautiful is its cinematography) Portuguese movie from a first time director, the film takes place in the near-future where life on Earth is coming to an end. Miguel spends his days roaming an empty city where the lights are on, but no one is home. The air heavy with smog and meat no longer available for consumption, anyone with money or connections has signed up to be shipped to a new world orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star system to ours. Miguel was denied the trip due to a water phobia, which is problematic as people spend the trip in deep sleep hibernating in a water chamber. While asleep, the people are sharing a dream, which seems like a minor detail until you realize that maybe Miguel is already on the ship and is dreaming now. A little ways through the movie, we see Miguel on a desolate planet barely scraping by, working for the space agency. Is this the future on Proxima B (as the rumors say, that there is no hope in the stars?) or is it his real existence on a very terrible future Earth? Which is the dream and which is reality? Accompanying Miguel through both storylines is Eva, a woman he meets at the pool where is trying to become more comfortable in water, and the two develop a bond. This film isn’t for everyone: there’s more empty space than there is dialogue, and there’s a lot of foreboding music playing over tons of imagery. But for those with patience and a joy of movies that let the viewer write the story in a way, this one’s for you. ★★★★½
Linoleum is another film that, while maybe it didn’t surprise me like Infinite Sea (though the ending is definitely out of left field), it did end up being something entirely different than what I expected from the beginning. It starts by following its main protagonist, Cameron, who always wanted to be an astronaut but instead is a Bill Nye-like TV host of a kid’s science show, with no ratings as it airs at midnight when all the kids are asleep. His wife Erin is divorcing him, unbeknownst to their kids, and his work is threatened when the execs hire a new host, funnily enough Cameron’s new neighbor and doppelgänger, Kent Armstrong (Jim Gaffigan plays both parts). Cameron’s daughter Nora starts to hang out with Kent’s son Marc, and to make matters weirder, some kind of satellite has just crashed in their yard, forcing the family to move in with a friend while the government investigates. However, Cameron comes up with a cockamamy plan to rebuild the crashed satellite/rocket and make his triumphant trip to space. His wife Erin, who once shared and encouraged his dreams but gave them up for reality long ago, doesn’t know what to make of it. For a long time the film borders on the outrageous, but I couldn’t help but get caught up in Cameron’s real drive of trying to find success for once in his life. And just when I thought the movie was going to be a quirky indie comedy, in the end, it becomes something else entirely: a very heartfelt drama, with a twist as I mentioned. Gaffigan is known for his comedy obviously, but he is anchored here and supported by Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn and The Walking Dead’s Katelyn Nacon, who really shines as daughter Nora. ★★★★½
A couple of the above movies surprised me, but I was expecting brilliance in Aftersun, which received huge praise from critics and won a boatload of awards on the film festival circuit this past season. It delivers, but only for those, again, who have the patience to allow it to unfold. The movie takes place in the 90s and follows a father, Calum, taking his 11-year-old daughter Sophie on vacation to Turkey. Calum and Sophie’s mother are recently separated, so this trip is just a father/daughter affair. Calum is encouraging, nurturing, and loving, everything that a budding teenager could hope for, and the movie plays (for a long time) as a seemingly plotless, meandering story. The two sight-see, lounge at the resort, and Sophie from time to time listens in on older teens as they talk sex, and she flirts harmlessly with a boy her age. For a solid hour, the movie tricks you into thinking nothing has really happened, when in reality, everything is happening right in front of you, and you don’t even know it. With forty minutes to go, I started seeing cracks in Calum’s veneer, and realized that he’s been hiding a lot of inner turmoil, doing what any good parent would do, so that Sophie can just be a child, completely unaware of the struggles her dad is going through. I will say no more than that, because the ending deserves to be experienced with as few clues as possible. Watch with patience, but definitely watch. You will not be disappointed. ★★★★★
- TV series recently watched: Justified (season 1), Evil (season 2), Poker Face (season 1)
- Book currently reading: Dune House Harkonnen by Herbert & Anderson
Jons Movie Takes 