Reel Recap: October 2019

In case you missed my Doctor Sleep review or first two Reel Recaps, I'm starting a new review format called "Reel Recap." This will enable me to write brief thoughts on everything I watch monthly going forward. In this third Reel Recap, I'm going to cover every 2019 release I watched in October. This includes Judy, Gemini Man, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, The Lighthouse, Zombieland: Double Tap, and Terminator: Dark Fate.

Reel Recap: October 2019

Judy - Watched October 5, 2019

Nominated For: Best Actress; Renée Zellweger and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Won: Best Actress; Renée Zellweger.

Synopsis: Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform a series of sold-out concerts.
Runtime: 118 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking)
Who should see it? Fans of Judy Garland.

Based on Peter Quilter's stage play "End of the Rainbow," Judy is a biographical picture about Judy Garland directed by Rupert Goold and written by Tom Edge. However, it's worth noting that the biopic doesn't chronicle Judy Garland's entire life, as the marketing may lead you to believe. Instead, it focuses on the later years of her career with an enlightening evaluation of how the classic Hollywood studio system affected her mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. This is perhaps the most compelling aspect of the story since the remainder is reserved for her live performances and the intricacies of her personal life. Still, I wish the filmmakers followed that yellow brick narrative road a little more closely. Front and center, the remarkable Renée Zellweger delivers an incredibly well-rounded performance. Aside from exhibiting an excellent singing voice, Zellweger really taps into the icon's feisty attitude in addition to channeling her broken, sorrowful side. Zellweger's dynamite performance elevates what would otherwise be an ordinary biopic. By the time it ends, the spirits of Garland devotees will surely be soaring over the rainbow.

Film Assessment: B-

Gemini Man - Watched October 10, 2019

Synopsis: An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.
Runtime: 117 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for violence and action throughout, and brief strong language)
Who should see it? Fans of Will Smith and action films.

In development since 1997, Gemini Man is visionary director Ang Lee's latest project featuring a screenplay credited to David Benioff, Billy Ray, and Darren Lemke. Ang Lee's recently shifted his focus as a filmmaker towards technological innovation, previously toying with 3-D, high frame rate, and complex visual effects. Gemini Man employs all three but garnered attention primarily for its 120 frames-per-second presentation and a CG-Will Smith double. To my surprise, the high frame rate enhanced the immersion of action sequences, and Lee made great use of 3-D effects (certainly the best I've seen in a long time). However, the younger digital Smith model was only convincing in dark environments, otherwise falling into an uncanny valley when glimpsed in daylight. Unfortunately, nothing could conceal the lackluster script though. Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, and Clive Owen are adequate, but the text does them no favors. Spearheaded by a dull story, dreadful dialogue, and generic stock characters, Gemini Man proves to be nothing more than an unimaginative use of new technologies. A grotesque clone of superior action cinema.

Film Assessment: C-

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie - Watched October 11, 2019 (Netflix)

Synopsis: In the wake of his escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge a future.
Runtime: 122 minutes
MPAA Rating: TV-MA
Who should see it? Fans of Breaking Bad.

Six years after the finale of Breaking Bad, series creator Vince Gilligan has returned to Albuquerque to close the door on Jesse Pinkman's story. In case you were wondering, Breaking Bad is essential viewing to maintain a firm grasp of everything going on in El Camino. Conveniently, Netflix houses El Camino in addition to every Breaking Bad episode. In spite of the realtime six-year gap, Gilligan's addendum feels like a natural series continuation. While certain cast members noticeably aged in the intermittent period, Gilligan wonderfully captures the tone and atmosphere that pervaded weekly in the seedy underworld of the meth-based show. The cast comfortably reprise their roles as well, with several surprise cameos sprinkled throughout the two-hours. But it's Aaron Paul who shines above all. Now in the limelight, Paul brings a new dimension to Jesse for his final outing by exploring his tortured psyche and soul. Against all the odds, Gilligan revisited the world of Breaking Bad and preserved the sanctity of the series' original ending.

Film Assessment: A

The Lighthouse (2019) - Watched October 24, 2019

Nominated For: Best Cinematography.

Synopsis: Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity living on a remote and mysterious New England island.
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for sexual content, nudity, violence, disturbing images, and some language)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Robert Eggers and unusual indie horror.

Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse is undoubtedly one of the more unusual films of the year. Shot in black and white with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, it resembles an old silent film. This aesthetic heightens the gloomy atmosphere and gradually immerses audiences in the cinematic equivalent of a sea shanty. As lighthouse keepers, Ephraim Winslow and Thomas Wake, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe lend a convincing representation of two men descending into madness. Pattinson and Dafoe share a fascinating rapport as their dynamic develops throughout their isolation. You can sense an underlying resentment between the two as they begrudgingly get along. The exasperating escalation of their egos and subsequent feuds results in career-best work from either actor. Think of it as The Shining on an island, but weirder.

Film Assessment: A-

Zombieland: Double Tap - Watched October 28, 2019

Synopsis: Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky, makeshift family.
Runtime: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for bloody violence, language throughout, some drug use, and sexual content)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Zombieland.

Zombieland was an unexpected success that became a cult classic. A decade later, and director Ruben Fleischer's reteamed with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick as well as franchise newcomer Dave Callaham for Zombieland: Double Tap. Throughout its runtime, Double Tap reiterates its predecessor's irreverent sense of humor but fails to do so in an exciting manner. While I don't cherish the original enough to consider it a classic by any stretch, Zombieland was fresh and unique, which is why it accumulated a large following. Double Tap falls into the trappings of a sequel with no interest in broadening its horizons. Only this time, Reese, Wernick, and Callaham showed no restraint. I considered much of the humor drawn out and repetitive, and never felt the sequel justified its existence beyond turning a profit. With that said, I chuckled occasionally, and the delightful chemistry between the grouping of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin persevered. Nevertheless, I found Zoey Deutch's valley girl character to be an obnoxious one-note addition to the cast. For a second outing, Zombieland: Double Tap bit off way more than it could chew. It takes more than merely regurgitating what viewers liked about the first film to deliver a worthy follow up.

Film Assessment: C-

Terminator: Dark Fate - Watched October 31, 2019

Synopsis: Sarah Connor and a hybrid cyborg human must protect a young girl from a newly modified Terminator.
Runtime: 128 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for violence throughout, language, and brief nudity)
Who should see it? Adult fans of the Terminator franchise.

Terminator: Dark Fate has been heralded as the best Terminator sequel since Judgement Day, and while that may be true, consider for a second how low the bar was set... Directed by Tim Miller with a slew of screenwriters behind it, Dark Fate is the series' third attempt at a reboot. Ignoring the previous three sequels, Dark Fate charts a new course... But history has a funny way of repeating itself as Dark Fate's story is derivative of the first two entries, and renders them meaningless in minutes. Overloaded with incomprehensible action and varied quality of visual effects, Dark Fate left little to win me over. Regardless, it was cool to see Linda Hamilton back as Sarah Connor while Arnold Schwarzenegger makes due on his often-quoted promise to return. The two of them had the most memorable moments amongst the cast, and I especially liked their contentious relationship. That said, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, and Gabriel Luna are great additions. In an effort to reconcile the damage done to the franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate focuses so much on emulating T-1 & T-2 that it disregards the notion of differentiating itself.

Film Assessment: C+