Movie Review: Valerian the City of a Thousand Planets

I feel bad for science fiction. It, like fantasy, seems like it could be proliferating in our omnibus of media, but, in reality, when it comes to the movie, again, like fantasy, there's really only a smidgen of films that are TRUE science fiction.

Star Wars, believe it or not, is not. It's a space opera or fantasy.

Not that it matters. 

Star Trek fits the bill frequently, but the movies are hit or miss, and tend to have a crapload of television reruns to satisfy our science fiction movie tastes. Fantasy? Lord of the Rings? That's the only active fantasy title out of a Disney movie that I can really think of. Oh, don't get me wrong, there's a few gazillion titles, but in my movie-phile brain, why can't I think of them off the top of my tiny head? Because they didn't make that much of a mark on me or the public?

I will admit, however, one title does pop up-the Fifth Element, by Frenchman Luc Besson. 

Yeh, there we go.

As soon as I start to see that, other titles pop into my noggin. Aliens. The Fly. (I tend not to count the superhero genre, since they tend to go fast and loose with the science items). 

So, yeah, it took a bit of work to get to that point. 

Thank Fate for Monsieur Besson. 

Leave it to the French to bring us more science fiction, I mean, really. These are the guys who brought us Jules Verne and every wonderful thing after that! But science fiction is rare, as itself as a genre. It tends to be absorbed into other genres, like fantasy or high adventure. Rarely, however, do it seem to live the life it proposes. Even a dystopian nightmare isn't truly science fiction-it's a setting. 

But where the science takes center stage? Rare.

What's also rare? A movie that isn't a franchise. Or, at least, not yet. 

Which brings us to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

Valerian is a French comic book and Luc grew up with it. Imagine a hard-boiled military man who works for Alpha, a spacestation with a few million inhabitants. Here's the deal that's bound to piss off the uncreative-millions of those inhabitants are from different alien races. All in harmony. All adapting to their specific needs on this huge city, living a life with others they may or may not get along with.

See? Fiction, for sure. No wall being threatened here.

The point being, the who premise is inviting. Of course, our military man, played by Dane DeHaan and his counterpart (I dare not say sidekick, for, I noticed, even if he gets the top billing, her character is truly the protagonist) Laureline, investigate a kidnapping after obtaining a McGuffin. 

On a sidenote, this is Laureline's film. She is played by Cara Delavigne and is a sight to behold. She is slick, to the point, and fascinating. 

That's what I mean. Were this an Amercian title, I don't know if we'd see the same kind of well-rounded female character with so much of the film relying on her.  

The film starts off with a delicious bang, with the prerequisite bickering of the two leads, keeping their dialogue moving forward.  They head to intercept said McGuffin at a setting that can only exist in science fiction. A multidimensional "Great Market" where people use virtual reality to make deals. The sequence is creative, exciting, and, since people are in at least two different dimensions, science fiction-y.

But Valerian himself is the weak link here. He needs a certain confidence that this performer, who every time I've seen is engaging and excellent, seems uncomfortable and unauthoritative. His limp portrayal is strangely lacking, as if he doesn't want to be there. He doesn't bark commands, he merely suggests them. I want to see more from this young man. Just not here. 

The fact is, this is a foreign film. It meets all the notes of the French aesthetic, while meeting all the requirements of solid plotting that American films excel at. Also part of that aesthetic? 

This film is lush. We have five different biomes of existences and each and every denizen is given full digital renderings in eye-popping colors. 

It's glorious. So, even when the film wanes in the second act as characters prep for the finale, you don't mind as much. Laureline is kidnapped and Valerian has to do some old school sleuthing and subterfuge to obtain a "Glam-Pod," played by R and B singer Rihanna. 

I can't review her. I fucking love her and her music. Cause if I did review her part I'd have to point out, well, the camera loves her, she looks awesome, but, ah, she can't act at all. She doesn't have that strength. Even when she is digitally removed from the movie (she is, after all, a shapeshifting jello GlamPod), she doesn't have the presence to hold the character to the audience. Unfortunate.

I should not have said that. Because I want you to like this wonderful movie. It's really good. 

So good, that I noticed a trend. People who like French films are find with the title. People who liked Lucy, also from Luc, they liked this movie. And if you liked the Fifth Element? You'll be fine. 

Did I mention it's lush? 

Movie Review: Baby Driver

I guess, when you think about it, we grow accustomed to many things. Like, the fact that pink eye is part of growing up, that older brothers are homicidal, and that Hollywood, when given too much cash, forgets about art-and wants to make more cash.

We've talked about it here before. How show business will not give the creative types too much control if there's a potential to make money. The formula is there and they have a great many second and third houses to be concerned about.

And there's successes, truly. I mean, look at my own last review. I love Spiderman: Homecoming. But it's a sequel/reboot, shared studio to create more cash out of the cash chow.

But it's also a good, fun, movie that works.

Is this comfortable enough for you?

We're comfortable about that. We've grown accustomed to this comfortable situation. I've lost hope on the summer movie release titles-having dissolved into a series of sequels of stories I'm following. Good sequels, well-made sequels.

This is what a surprise looks like. Sorta like this Baby Driver movie.

Then there's a shocker. An upstart. I'm reminded of my loft Oscar goals. I like to see, at least, all of the Best Picture nominations. For, every once and a while, you'll stumble across a title that completely and utterly blows your socks off. This year? It was Lion. I was sobbing at the end of this wonderful picture. At the end of Chocolat? We ran out for ice cream to discuss the power of sweets. A total surprise.

Another delicious surprise.

Not only that? Big budgeted surprises. Titles made from experienced people making good choices for a complete and engaging film.

Baby Driver falls into this. Now, if you watched the trailer, you'd think it's a comedy, and, certainly, it is light on it's feet, but not because of humor-but because the film is dancing. Without actually dancing.

Baby Driver is a film created by the English writer and director Edgar Wright, a filmmaker I've been impressed with before. Most noteably, he's the wit behind Simon Pegg's vehicles, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and At World's End. All three movies are labeled BritComs, but there's something else hanging onto each one. Each had a measured heft to them. I would almost call them horror comedies, but there's a line in each film where the thematic elements about the depth of violence, or the will to go on in a bleak situation, rise and overtake each picture. But the change is so subtle, you won't note the mood switch until after the movie's over. That's skill. That's entertaining us until you pull out the heavy guns.

With those successes, Mr. Wright went ahead and old the Hollywood execs his newest title, Baby Driver. In it, an incredibly handsome, hard-of-hearing, youth, played by Ansel Elgort, is biding time with a crime lord until he can get out of the business of being a getaway driver. The youth's hearing is taken into account throughout the entire movie, and every scene has a beat to it, a dance, if you will, with every point and movement falling to something within the soundtrack. Of course, as far as tropes go, we know that the last act of someone's life is never any good, and those about to retire will always get roped into something they probably should not be doing. In this case? One last crime of his crime boss, Kevin Spacey.  Mr. Wright not only attracts Spacey, but also rounds out the movie with Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal. Top notch performers that bring a strong script alive. Yes, even though we can pretty much make the calls on this tale we've seen before-they are brought to life so smoothly in such deft hands, there's a feeling that this is new, different.

I'm furious that these titles are still in play. I mean, really...

Car chases, like the fluff of the Fast and the Furious franchise, here are real. No special effects, no CGI. No tanks, subs, or anything. If you know your cinematic history, look to movies like Bullitt, with Steve McQueen, or the Smokey and the Bandit, with Burt Reynolds. Masculine pieces, to be sure, but I found that was sidestepped without becoming stereotypically, by sticking to the story and the characters. Everyone has a goal, this is crime after all, and they're going to get what they want. Now, for all my floral language of this subject, the film is violent. We're dealing with crime and their aftermath. Secondly, the youthful lead, very much the "baby-face" of the title, is, well, youthful. I think his lack of performance ability was emphasized because you had such powerhouse performers like Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx intimidating everyone. Ansel has the look, to be sure, but my ability to engage him on a much more personal level was not present. With time, however, if he continues to find movie jobs like this one.

And, yeah, he's also wonderfully good looking.

There is that.

Now these car chases? Awesome and make up all three acts of the film. They are very much on the level, filmed at eye level, so they are engaging and exciting. Lotsa smoke, lotsa torn rubber. The script makes a point of having the characters talk about the cars' needs and how car selection takes places.

Music, however, has to be mentioned. Hearing and sound are profoundly part of the protagonist's story arc and the film really does a good job painting the screen with an audiotory palette. Songs are selected for the kind of crime and need for pacing and speed. We listen to, and it gives the film for us brought up in the 80s with MTV, that we are almost watching a satisfying music video.  It gives each chase and interaction a newness and a perspective that the audience may have already experienced, and, with that, I commend the film's novel approach.

I am bias, too, I love crime movies. So this works on several levels. Go and enjoy. Tell us what you think!

Movie Review: Spiderman: Homecoming

Another summer. A time when the blockbusters and tent poles were erected and hurled at us with such advertising abandon, you prayed that seeing the movie would make the commercials stop. Alas, like last year, the studios are releasing so many big event movies, the market is saturated. We benefit, as an audience, because the formula for success has become so ingrained, that, in the end, even bad movies are, well, kinda okay. No one tries anything new.

So, yeah, it's been a bit of a pause since the last review. What's there to really notice. I've been going to the beach and catching up with family. You know, those other summer options.

We treated ourselves to Spiderman:  Homecoming, however, this week and I can't help thinking I should be saying SOMETHING. Yes, I'm comic book geek. Yes, this whole genre of film, the superhero film is something that was basically created to keep me ordering popcorn. I am okay with this.

I can see every plot twist and turn and, yeah, it's like wearing a decent pair of shoes.

Now, understand that, back in 2000, it wasn't like that. Back when Spiderman came out with Tobey McQuire, I was impressed with the X-Men. A movie that was, well, like reading a really good book. It had plot twists, numerous characters and raised our expectations. Marvel sought to expand it's empire, so it sold the rights piecemeal, and gave a decent serving of it's most popular character, Spiderman, over to Sony. And 2002 it came together in the first Spiderman actioner, with Tobey McQuire. It was old school, using a single villain, and made a fairly decent, almost a thriller, movie. The imagery was shadowy, the themes heavy.

My criticism was that, while an excellent movie-Peter Parker, the actual Spiderman, should be dealing with teenager-y things. He should be a schmoe.  While expertly crafted, the film did not showcase the young men that I met in the everyday world of my profession. No awkwardness. Plot mistakes were the only mistakes. The pressure of hiding from your parents.

One of the things that gets the LGBT community in league with supers? Such similar things. A secret, two-faced life in their youth. I didn't see that in the first three movies. It got better when they relaunched the title with the Amazing Spiderman, with having a younger actor, but he, too, did not play out the fabricated reality of a high school student living two timelines. Good movies, yes. I'm reminded that Einstein Bros bagels are not real bagels. They're good, yes, but not kosher. Not true bagels. Flip that over to Spiderman's movies. Good stuff, actually, But a bit far from the source materials.

Then Disney bought Marvel. Since Sony had the rights, they pretty much had to let Sony/Columbia pictures pull their own weight with the title-but did request a picture deal for Civil War and this title, Spiderman:  Homecoming. Sony's name still got sloshed onto the opening credits and can earn the cash-but Disney keeps their intellectual property adorned properly and can use him again and again-with scripts they author and approve.

Which brings us to this picture.

It's good, like really good. Like, there were three specific moments when I was actually surprised and did not see this coming. Me. The Old Codger of Movies. I mean, I like to think that I've seen every single superhero movie on the big screen. And there were still moments where I was not sure where the storyline would go.

In this one? They did go back to the beginnings and just pluck a small villain that is not as popular. Better, they cast the Vulture with Michael Keaton. Now something should be said about Mr. Keaton. He's is experiencing a third act in his professional career and I freeking love him and the public should, too. Why? Because he is good looking enough that the camera is kind to him-he could play just about every one, but his demeanor is that of the Everyman, someone both you and I would know and trust. This is at play here, because I found with his portrayal of the Vulture, there's something very approachable about him. There's a sympathy for this devil. He is tired of the millionaires like Iron Man/Stark getting rich and popular, when all he wants to do is put food on the table. He reminded me of Ian McKellan's Magneto, a man who survived the internment camps of Nazi Germany-a bitter, angry man with damn good reason to be so. I believe Ian; I believed Michael.

Which is why I think this actor is going to be getting more recognition in the years to come. He did not get an Oscar nod for Spotlight last year, but, because of him as the center protagonist, I trusted the path the narrative took. He was the heart of the piece and because of his soft voice and relaxed manner, the sticky subject manner of the film was easier to approach. That's not something simple to do across a movie screen. And here he is again, making a villain that is also sympathetic. Yes, he will kill, but, as you will see, it's because it's his family that is linked to the events.

And you need to see this. I consider it one of the better movies in the superhero genre.

Because, finally, if you've read any of the Spiderman titles, this is what you see. The stage actor Tom Holland is finally close enough in age and stature, I can see him in an actual high school. He did not just stammer and act uncomfortable. A decent script captures the angst of the high school experience and then, even though it isn't resolved, layers a second story over it, about a boy who has super powers and notices something profound going on. He's nice, not a tough guy, massively approachable and that, given Keaton's nemesis and a series of engaging action scenes makes for a tight motion picture.

My issue? It's so good, there's going to be a sequel, and given youth-sometimes such storylines are difficult to maintain. The audience grows up. The kid onscreen does not. And the sequel becomes a bit of a mash.

But? If they stick to their guns? Maybe it'll pull through. I hope so. A perfect storm has formed over this little teen-now-spider and I'd like to see more of it.