Photo © MGM
The Boys in the Boat film still
The Boys in the Boat
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
(In Theaters Dec. 22)
After coming up with the story concept for 2018’s Aquaman, Jason Mamoa also played the character in the film that went on to gross more than a billion dollars worldwide, so Mamoa was all-in for a sequel. Once again, he suggested a story concept that was fleshed out by screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.
Mamoa returns as the titular hero. This time, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) has found the Black Trident and wields great power that could destroy the world. With Advice from his mother Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), Arthur Curry / Aquaman teams up with his one-time nemesis, estranged brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson), to take on Black Manta and his warriors. Concentrating on fixing their brotherly relationship (to a point) and big action sequences that are set both beneath the sea and on land, the film stays busy.
The trailers indicate massive world-building of the seven kingdoms, no doubt contributing to the film’s ballooning $205 million dollar budget that prompted Warner Bros. Studios to sound the alarm. Nevertheless, both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton filmed Batman scenes for this final DC Extended Universe entry, because director James Wan wasn’t certain which actor’s scenes would be used (it’s Affleck’s). Aflac insurance company’s mascot must be quack-quacking. (Lisa Miller)
The Boys in the Boat
(In Theaters Dec. 22)
Polls show that 51% of Americans aged 18-24, believe that Israel has no right to exist. That’s one reason (though likely unforeseen) that George Clooney’s ninth turn at the director’s helm, proves timely. The film, set in 1936 when the Olympics were held in Adolf Hitler’s Germany, is deemed to be a somewhat sedate, old-fashioned flick. The story centers around the University of Washington’s eight-man rowing team that was put together after trying out 50 hopefuls seeking a scholarship replete with meals and housing.
Based on the book by Daniel James Brown, the story centers around Joe Rantz, (Callum Turner), living in a Seattle tin-roof encampment since age 14. After making the team, Joe meets coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton), infamous for never smiling. He tells his recruits, “Eight-man crew is the most difficult team sport in the world.” During their rigorous practices, we learn the many reasons why that is the case, as the junior varsity crew is transformed into a well-oiled machine. On the strength of their promise, Ulbrickson got permission to enter them, rather than his varsity team, in Olympics-qualifying meets. They were the underdogs besting Ivy League teams such as Yale and Harvard.
The film takes note of Olympic track star Jesse Owens (Jyuddah Jaymes), winning his races and showing Hitler who’s got game. Featuring Peter Guinness, Jack Mulhern, and James Wolk, in supporting roles, this family film finds nobility in perseverance, humility, and doing the right thing; all traditional values that dovetail nicely with its Holiday release. (Lisa Miller)
Ferrari
(In Theaters Dec. 25)
Winning at all costs is a theme running through director Michael Mann’s biopic about the legendary Italian carmaker. Portrayed by Adam Driver, we meet silver-and-black haired Enzo Ferrari in 1957, during a pivotal three-months of his life. With car sales plummeting, Ferrari returns to his first love, racing. He hopes that fielding the winning team in Italy’s renowned 1,500-kilometer Mille Miglia will boost sales and secure a large investment for his flailing company. Among the obstacles are Ferrari’s wife, Laura (Penélope Cruz), who owns half the company and is angry about the other women in Enzo’s life. So far, he’s managed to hide his mistress (Shailene Woodley) and the 12-year-old son she bore him, but now she is pressuring Enzo to publicly acknowledge their son.
Meanwhile, crafting his race cars and team drivers presents both mechanical and human challenges. It’s how Ferrari, no paragon of virtue, rationalizes, obfuscates, and fights for the outcomes he desires, that bring this legend into focus. Brilliantly filmed, the practices, racing and crashes, quicken the heart, while the period set designs and Ferrari’s signature red racing cars, are all eye-candy. (Lisa Miller)
The Iron Claw
(In Theaters Dec. 22)
This true-life wrestling saga occurs in the late ’70s and early ’80s, familiar to wrestling fans of a certain age. For the rest of us, who may know about Vince McMahon and his WWF, the Von Erich family, a dynasty of popular Texas wrestlers who won championships, will be new territory. It all begins during the 1960s when Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) was a wrestler trying to support his wife and sons. He was a showman creating his signature move called the Iron Claw. The father of six sons, Von Erich persuades four of them in turn to win his continued love and support by following in Dear Old Dad’s footsteps, with an eye toward one of them becoming the National Wrestling Association’s champion.
The focus is on his son Kevin, played by Zac Efron, who undergoes a dramatic physical transformation for the role. A rising star on the circuit, Kevin lacks the verbal bravado to win over fans. In time, Kevin has plenty of competition from three of his brothers, played by Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White and Stanley Simons. Known as the Kennedys of wrestling, like them, the Von Erichs seemed pursued by a family “curse,” leading to a legendary run of personal catastrophes. Maura Tierney and Lily James contribute notably in supporting roles, bolstering the film’s 92% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Likewise, the screenplay, by director Sean Durkin, does an excellent job of digging into both the wrestling world and the unforgettable Von Erich family dynamics. (Lisa Miller)
Return to Dust
(Film Movement DVD/Digital)
At first encounter, Return to Dust is a welcome indicator that art house is still possible in Mainland China. And then, turns out the 2022 film was quickly withdrawn from domestic circulation (albeit still available for export). Return to Dust is the story of how love and trust can gradually grow between a middle-aged couple essentially forced into marriage for economic reasons. What may have displeased Chinese authorities is director Li Ruijun’s unflinching depiction of the backbreaking grind of rural poverty—and the discrepancy between rich and poor. Although beautifully lit and composed and framed by a touching story, Return to Dust doesn’t conceal China’s social problems. (David Luhrssen)
