Everything Everywhere All At Once

18 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Movie Review, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (as the Daniels)

I saw this with friends at my local cinema (the State) and while it was great to see on the big screen, our experience was unfortunately marred by some very inappropriately noisy young girls, which is always sad. We went in purposely knowing very little about the film, only the main cast and that it’s an A24 release. It’s my preferred way to see anything – and we weren’t disappointed.

This film is made up of very many thematic pieces. Part absurdist comedy, part family drama, part action blockbuster, part science fiction but at it’s core, I felt it was a thoughtful examination of existentialism on one hand and nihilism on the other. There are many film references, stretching from Hong Kong action cinema to Disney animation, and I even found myself thinking of In the Mood For Love (2000) with some very beautifully lit and heartfelt alley scenes. Perhaps my biggest takeaway from this, is that it isn’t based on an existing property, it’s a wholly original work (albeit a cinematic homage) and that makes it all the more refreshing.

The cast are top notch but my standouts are Michelle Yeoh (Evelyn Wang), the astonishing Jamie Lee Curtis (Deirdre Beaubeirdre) and Stephanie Hsu (Joy Wang). They’re ably supported by veteran actor James Hong (Gong Gong) and Ke Huy Kwan (Waymond Wang) who as a child actor, played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

There are moments that are outrageously, laugh-out-loud funny, some blindingly great action sequences (where Yeoh is stunning) and moments when I found myself in tears, thinking of my own fraught family relationships. For the most part, the pacing is frenetic, at times reminiscent of Edgar Wright’s smash cuts from Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) but it’s interspersed with quieter, reflective moments that (for me, at least) will remain long after the movie has ended.

Overall, I found the whole far greater than the sum of its many parts and a thoroughly entertaining ride. Try and see it on the biggest screen possible. Very highly recommended.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently in wide release globally .

The Adam Project

05 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

by Debra Manskey in Movie Review, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Adam Project (2022)

Directed by Shawn Levy. Written by Jonathon Tropper, T. S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin

This Netflix production is another collaboration from Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds, after last year’s Oscar nominated Free Guy (2021). Shot entirely in British Columbia Canada, The Adam Project is essentially an action movie that straddles science fiction (time travel specifically), coming of age, comedy and family drama – especially the currently popular “Bad Dads” concept. (I think Bad Dads have become so prevalent it should be recognised as a subgenre all on its own!)

A common problem with mixing so many ideas in the same movie is that everything gets messy, fundamentals can be diluted and some important things get lost along the way. The quality cast really helps here, led by Ryan Reynolds as Adam Reed, who (while perfectly fine) doesn’t deviate from his usual charming performance. Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana and Catherine Keener all make the most of their roles, but the standout for me is Walker Scobell as 12 year old Adam. His delivery is on point, capturing Reynolds’ easy going charm perfectly.

While this is great family viewing, it’s one of those films that’s fine while you’re watching it but readily forgotten after the event. The Adam Project is currently available to stream on Netflix in most territories, including Australia.

Dune (Part One)

03 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Movie Review, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dune (2021)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Screenplay by Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve (based on the novel by Frank Herbert).

Yesterday was my birthday, and I’m very pleased Warner Brothers got the memo and arranged to open Dune as part of my birthday shenanigans. It was almost as good as the year Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and Jack Black (Tenacious D) decided to play a few tunes to celebrate my day.

I have to admit, I was quite trepidacious about this film. First published in 1965, Dune was one of my favourite sci-fi novels when I was young and I’ve been very disappointed by previous attempts to commit it to screen. The problem is Frank Herbert’s book is a personal story with lots of inner monologue and detail, but simultaneously, a sprawling political epic, requiring loads of exposition, alien (to us) technology and expansive exteriors. Hence, my concerns.

Fortunately, after the opening scenes and some slow-paced exposition, I felt myself start to relax a little. Looking to his previous work on Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Denis Villeneuve is the right director at the right time for this story, blending the enormity of the landscape, the political intrigues with the very personal journey of Paul Atreides. And Villeneuve is obviously prepared to take his time over the story, spreading it out over two films. Part Two is currently in pre-production and scheduled for release in 2023.

The cast are uniformly very good, there are too many supporting roles to mention but I did laugh at Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen (if you’ve seen the film, you’ll know what I mean). Timothée Chalamet really shines as Paul and thanks to careful styling, lighting and makeup his scenes with Oscar Isaac (who is excellent as Leto Atreides) really are convincing as father and son. Rebecca Ferguson has the difficult role of Jessica, who only expresses her doubts in the book as interior monologue, and Ferguson does well to occasionally let her strong facade slip. I was concerned that Villeneuve was falling into the “absent love interest” pit (remember Liv Tyler in Ad Astra (2019)?) but I feel there was enough depth to carry Zendaya’s Chani through this installment.

Technology is beautifully realised throughout, and similar to Villeneuve’s other work, machinery and spaceships are realistically depicted, having weight and substance – they feel like they belong there. Special effects are very well done uniformly and the blending from dreams to the real world is artfully done. Hats off to the special effects team! Similarly, the costuming is by turns lavish, practical and at times austere, all beautifully designed by Robert Morgan and Jacqueline West.

The fabulous work of DoP Greig Fraser is aided by some excellent editing by Joe Walker, bringing a strong sense of reality to the action set pieces and a David Lean sensibility to the desert vistas. As always, the score by Hans Zimmer draws all the threads together quite wonderfully, enriching the overall experience without getting in the way.

Dune is not a short film (running time 2h 35m) and it is certainly a slow burn but this is not just another bloated action sci-fi. It isn’t cowboys in space or superheroes saving everything in sight, but a dense, wide-ranging story of epic proportions. It is undoubtedly one of my cinema highlights of 2021. Now showing in cinemas in Australia.