Image © Disney
Disney's 'Strange World'
Disney's 'Strange World'
Bones and All
(In Theaters November 23)
This romantic horror, the first American film by Director Luca Guadagnino, pairs Lee and Maren (Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell) as a cannibalistic romantic couple. When we first meet Maren, her spontaneous cannibalism forces her father (Andre Holland) and her to flee their home. After getting his 18-year-old daughter safely away, Dad leaves, stating he can no longer deal with her proclivity. Feeling dreadfully alone, Maren is initially pleased to meet Sully, another cannibal. Portrayed by Mark Rylance, Sully reveals choice tidbits about their kind (he can recognize them by their smell!); but he kills any opportune victim while Maren follows a moral code. She runs away and soon meets Lee, a young cannibal about her age. A road trip ensues, and the pair embark on a sweet romance, despite the murder and mayhem they cause along the way. Eventually, Chloe Sevigny shows up in a pivotal role, as do Michael Stulhbarg and David Gordon Green. Despite the film’s disturbing violence, this R-rated romance casts a lyrical spell. (Lisa Miller)
Devotion
(In Theaters November 23)
Based on the bestselling book by Adam Makos, Devotion is an aerial war epic that chronicles two U.S. Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Flyer Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) is the first black assigned to a white squadron. To prepare himself, Brown recites the insults he’s endured while staring into his bathroom mirror. The need for this armor begins to fade when Brown meets fellow squadron member Lt. Tom Hudner (Glen Powell). He’s an Annapolis grad, treating Brown as an equal and valued colleague. Christina Jackson, Thomas Sadoski and Joe Jonas appear in supporting roles. We see the lion’s share of this PG-13 film from Hudner’s perspective. But it comes to life when seen from Brown’s point of view. While a few scenes are moving, director J.D. Dillard allows the script’s frequent wartime platitudes to be emotional obstacles. Thankfully, Devotion’s flying sequences take flight. (Lisa Miller)
The Fabelmans
(In Theaters November 23)
Director Steven Spielberg delivers a memoir of his formative years when he fell in love with making movies. His mother (Michelle Williams) is a frustrated pianist. She nurtures her artistic young son Sammy (Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord as a child, and Gabriel LaBelle as a teen), by gifting the lad with a movie camera and encouraging his filmmaking efforts. Sammy’s dad (Paul Dano) is an engineer who refers to Sammy’s passion as “your hobby.”
Dad’s work takes the family from Arizona to Northern California. At his new school, Sammy takes revenge on the bullies via the sly use of his camera. While Mom and Dad go through marital ups and downs, Sammy increasingly finds his identity behind the camera, where he directs the action, and figures out how to create special effects with no budget. Surprisingly nuanced in its depiction of family life, Spielberg has said that making this film was a means of bringing his parents back to life. His affection for them and for these memories is infectious. (Lisa Miller)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(In Theaters November 23)
Following the success of Knives Out, writer/director Rian Johnson knew that both he and sleuth-for-hire Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), were headed for more whodunits. This sequel is set on a privately owned Greek Island, where billionaire entrepreneur Myles Bron (Edward Norton) invites a handful of guests for a weekend of murder-mystery intrigue. Among the guests are a ditzy model-turned-sweat-pants designer (Kate Hudson), a gun-toting men’s rights activist (Dave Bautista), a grasping politician (Kathryn Hahn), Myles’ former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monae), and the scientist charged with turning Myle’s ideas into products (Leslie Odom Jr.).
While Blanc arrives with a bonafide invitation, Myles’ didn’t send it. Nevertheless, Myles states he will be murdered by one of his guests and is pleased to welcome Blanc. The film reveals bits of Blanc’s life, while managing to skewer the pandemic lock-down along with privileged travel opportunities enjoyed by the elite. For those disinclined to see this one in theaters, the two-hour-20-minute film will be released on Netflix, December 23. (Lisa Miller)
Going Places
(Cohen Film Collection Blu-ray)
When Going Places was released in 1974, part of the audience rooted for Gerard Depardieu and his sidekick as free-spirited petty criminals, a view underscored by the joyriding-fiddling of Stephane Grappelli’s score. Nowadays, what stands out is the film’s depiction of women as sexual chattel. Happily, Depardieu’s leering outlaw inches toward redemption as the story unfolds. Going Places has a notable female cast including Miou-Miou, Jeanne Moreau and an early role for Isabelle Huppert. Bertrand Blier directed Going Places, adapting it from his novel. (David Luhrssen)
Strange World
(In Theaters November 23)
This latest Disney Studios animation is the first of its family films to feature an out gay teen. Beyond that, Disney tackles environmental themes via the adventures of the Clades family. Living on the fictional planet Avalonia, the family is responsible for discovering its major food crop, a day-glow plant known as “pando.” It’s so integral to their civilization’s survival, that when its crops mysteriously fail, the Clades family is compelled to journey to a strange, forbidden world (with their president, voiced by Lucy Liu), to seek answers. Here, they discover a colorful, dangerous eco-system where the water can strip flesh from bone.
Gabrielle Union completes the family, voicing the mother, but the dynamics are all about three generations of father-son conflict. Their differences are apparent in this newly discovered realm. Grandfather (Dennis Quaid) wants to conquer it, Father (Jake Gyllenhaal) wants to plunder its resources, and the teenager (Jaboukie Young-White), wants to understand how it works. Directors Don Hall and Qui Nguyen bring Strange World to life with impressive creatures and backgrounds, all in muted neon. At an hour-and-40 minutes, the script hits some minor bumps, but credible characters and entrancing visuals, get the job done. (Lisa Miller)
