Written by: Kevin Berge
What is 2019? Nobody really knows yet, so we all just have to go with the flow. There's not been much to celebrate yet, but there's so much left of the year. As far as film goes, this is especially true.
After an impactful December, January has brought almost nothing to this point. I'm starting to think there may not be a single good movie released the entire month. There's only one more week to change that.
For now, I'm still catching up on films from December as well as diving just a bit into 2019's crop of disappointment. This week, I review the Saw wannabe Escape Room, the animated remake that no one asked for Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, the dramatic historical drama On the Basis of Sex, and the indie addiction mediation Ben is Back.
After an impactful December, January has brought almost nothing to this point. I'm starting to think there may not be a single good movie released the entire month. There's only one more week to change that.
For now, I'm still catching up on films from December as well as diving just a bit into 2019's crop of disappointment. This week, I review the Saw wannabe Escape Room, the animated remake that no one asked for Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, the dramatic historical drama On the Basis of Sex, and the indie addiction mediation Ben is Back.
You know they're really trying to pull in the hardcore violence audience with a skeleton hinted at in the poster. (Image Courtesy of: comingsoon.net)
Escape Room
I have never seen any Saw movie, and I will give Escape Room credit for making me want to give at least the first a chance. It is so obvious that this film wants to be the next Saw franchise starter that I didn't even need to see them to know this was derivative.
The film is not bad. It is perfectly serviceable with solid acting and engaging enough pacing. The puzzles are just challenging enough to not play the audience as stupid, and there's some genuine moments where I was invested in the turmoil of a group of characters who are not all that well written.
The problem is that all of it is just iteration. It's Saw reborn because you can only have so many Saw movies before people just give up on it even if they enjoy the concept. Escape Room is not trying to be different despite being branded as a new franchise.
Until the closing 15 minutes, I was invested. In particular, Zoey (Taylor Russell), Ben (Logan Miller), and Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll) are all worth the time of investment. They have interesting though two-dimensional characterization.
The final stretch is bad. It's so bad that the rest of the movie looks worse on reflection, but I don't want to linger on the ending when I enjoyed so much of the experience. Sure, I would probably get more out of just watching the original Saw as Escape Room certainly sanitized the sensational violence it is emulating.
However, I just think there's something here worth investing in. Hollywood won't do it well, but there is an angle that could be taken here by good directors that would make it worth continuing to make puzzle survival thrillers.
The film is not bad. It is perfectly serviceable with solid acting and engaging enough pacing. The puzzles are just challenging enough to not play the audience as stupid, and there's some genuine moments where I was invested in the turmoil of a group of characters who are not all that well written.
The problem is that all of it is just iteration. It's Saw reborn because you can only have so many Saw movies before people just give up on it even if they enjoy the concept. Escape Room is not trying to be different despite being branded as a new franchise.
Until the closing 15 minutes, I was invested. In particular, Zoey (Taylor Russell), Ben (Logan Miller), and Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll) are all worth the time of investment. They have interesting though two-dimensional characterization.
The final stretch is bad. It's so bad that the rest of the movie looks worse on reflection, but I don't want to linger on the ending when I enjoyed so much of the experience. Sure, I would probably get more out of just watching the original Saw as Escape Room certainly sanitized the sensational violence it is emulating.
However, I just think there's something here worth investing in. Hollywood won't do it well, but there is an angle that could be taken here by good directors that would make it worth continuing to make puzzle survival thrillers.
Grade: D+
If we're going to get another Grinch movie, why couldn't it have been an origin story with adorable Grinch? (Image Courtesy of: hypebeast.com)
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
There's a fascinating reverence for Dr. Seuss as a children's author. Few authors have taken on such a legendary status as a poet and storyteller. Despite writing over 60 books, few if any have lived on with such clarity as How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
It has seen countless adaptations with varying degrees of success. It's no wonder that an animation studio would again attempt to adapt the book to screen in 2018 even if it does not have much more to say in its 3rd iteration as its first.
This is a simple story about the power of Christmas and the importance of empathy. It's important for kids to experience. For that reason, I don't mind this new adaptation by Illumination. It's just not trying at all to be original. It adds nothing to the story beyond random filler.
It's perfectly fine and enjoyable with enough of an effect to be worth showing to younger kids. I would still suggest the TV special instead just because it is much shorter and gets across the same points, but there's nothing too bad here.
I just wish that adaptations like this took more risk, opened up the ideas of Seuss to actually make sense in a feature-length exploration. The joy of reading a Seuss book is exploring the complexity in its simplicity. His work is rhythmic like a poem but also vibrant and impactful.
This movie makes the whole idea feel stretched thin, setting up the fundamental question of why it was even created.
It has seen countless adaptations with varying degrees of success. It's no wonder that an animation studio would again attempt to adapt the book to screen in 2018 even if it does not have much more to say in its 3rd iteration as its first.
This is a simple story about the power of Christmas and the importance of empathy. It's important for kids to experience. For that reason, I don't mind this new adaptation by Illumination. It's just not trying at all to be original. It adds nothing to the story beyond random filler.
It's perfectly fine and enjoyable with enough of an effect to be worth showing to younger kids. I would still suggest the TV special instead just because it is much shorter and gets across the same points, but there's nothing too bad here.
I just wish that adaptations like this took more risk, opened up the ideas of Seuss to actually make sense in a feature-length exploration. The joy of reading a Seuss book is exploring the complexity in its simplicity. His work is rhythmic like a poem but also vibrant and impactful.
This movie makes the whole idea feel stretched thin, setting up the fundamental question of why it was even created.
Grade: C
Was anyone in more movies this last year than Armie Hammer? Sometimes I start to feel he might just live in the Hollywood studio and is just thrown into any movie available. (Image Courtesy of: usatoday.com)
On the Basis of Sex
Ruth Bader Ginsberg has become a hugely popular topic of conversation lately given her vital impact on the judicial system. The most highly acclaimed look at her life came in the documentary RBG. In the same year, On the Basis of Sex was released as a dramatic retelling of her life.
Unlike that documentary, this historical drama is not going to highly celebrated or decorated, but it does a perfectly fine job with its material. Mimi Leder (Pay It Forward) once more creates a joyfully simple drama that has the right message behind it.
I just wonder if it could have been more. The movie never tries to stretch itself. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) encapsulates the woman with a great deal of heart and gravitas. The film doesn't make RBG completely one-dimensional in her brilliance, but it does not stretch its complexities.
This movie stays in its lane fairly clearly. This is about understanding why gender equality matters and how difficult fighting for it was. It does so with sensationalism that might have been more interesting if it was more honest.
I have always had this issue with these types of films. There's an aesthetic that is never escaped. Everything has to be light and inspiring, which only works for so long before the message is lost. On the Basis of Sex wants to be more special than it is, but it certainly has the right heart behind it.
Jones has often felt like she's stuck in movies like this, ones that showcase her skill but don't linger in the mind. The only reason this performance will likely go under the radar while her work in The Theory of Everything defines her career is simply that this movie played it too safe.
Unlike that documentary, this historical drama is not going to highly celebrated or decorated, but it does a perfectly fine job with its material. Mimi Leder (Pay It Forward) once more creates a joyfully simple drama that has the right message behind it.
I just wonder if it could have been more. The movie never tries to stretch itself. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) encapsulates the woman with a great deal of heart and gravitas. The film doesn't make RBG completely one-dimensional in her brilliance, but it does not stretch its complexities.
This movie stays in its lane fairly clearly. This is about understanding why gender equality matters and how difficult fighting for it was. It does so with sensationalism that might have been more interesting if it was more honest.
I have always had this issue with these types of films. There's an aesthetic that is never escaped. Everything has to be light and inspiring, which only works for so long before the message is lost. On the Basis of Sex wants to be more special than it is, but it certainly has the right heart behind it.
Jones has often felt like she's stuck in movies like this, ones that showcase her skill but don't linger in the mind. The only reason this performance will likely go under the radar while her work in The Theory of Everything defines her career is simply that this movie played it too safe.
Grade: B-
Maybe the filmmakers should have gone with a little bit better title, something that would actually get people interested. (Image Courtesy of: variety.com)
Ben is Back
I slipped this movie right at the end because I know no one saw it. I know I will be mentioning this a few years down the line, and no one will know what I'm talking about. Ben is Back was one of the best films of 2018, and it was released at the worst time possible to be seen.
Ben is Back is about the effects of addiction from a fresh perspective. It's entirely about the aftermath. The lead Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) ruined his life before the movie even started, and his return brings with it fear and apprehension.
By tackling this side of the story, the audience is left picking up the pieces, making judgments based on half-truths and suppositions. It makes the whole experience more complicated. It's never entirely clear if anyone should be sympathizing with Ben.
Addiction is a disease that affects everyone around the individual affected. Seeing those reactions in the fallout is such a fresh perspective brought to life by director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?) as well as the acting of the impressive cast especially Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman).
I also was quite impressed by Kathryn Newton (Blockers) and thought her character's relationship with Ben was as impactful as that of Ben and his mother. The way she tries so hard to distance herself from Ben but can never truly stop herself from caring about him gives a unique level of humanity to those who cannot forgive him.
If I wasn't clear before, I think is one of the best movies of the year and should be seen by more people. Peter Hedges finally gets to work with his son, and the two do not disappoint. Together, they craft a powerful film that feels like it almost perfectly addresses its topic even if its ending felt iffy to me.
Ben is Back is about the effects of addiction from a fresh perspective. It's entirely about the aftermath. The lead Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) ruined his life before the movie even started, and his return brings with it fear and apprehension.
By tackling this side of the story, the audience is left picking up the pieces, making judgments based on half-truths and suppositions. It makes the whole experience more complicated. It's never entirely clear if anyone should be sympathizing with Ben.
Addiction is a disease that affects everyone around the individual affected. Seeing those reactions in the fallout is such a fresh perspective brought to life by director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?) as well as the acting of the impressive cast especially Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman).
I also was quite impressed by Kathryn Newton (Blockers) and thought her character's relationship with Ben was as impactful as that of Ben and his mother. The way she tries so hard to distance herself from Ben but can never truly stop herself from caring about him gives a unique level of humanity to those who cannot forgive him.
If I wasn't clear before, I think is one of the best movies of the year and should be seen by more people. Peter Hedges finally gets to work with his son, and the two do not disappoint. Together, they craft a powerful film that feels like it almost perfectly addresses its topic even if its ending felt iffy to me.
