2020-12-11 - For our inaugural rebirth of the movie reviews, renamed to 'content' since we'll review other media, we proudly start by only reviewing movies. Because we really aren't that bright. A couple from Martums, who has been hounding us to start this back up, and a couple from Jericho who occasionally has an opinion. It's been seven years and four months since we posted reviews. Blame Martums.
This is an entertaining film that's worthy of recognition, albeit not for typical reasons. In the midst of a pandemic, this is a welcome escape from reality, as films have long been. Unfortunately, it has a significant mark against it which might (and one can argue, should) keep some moviegoers from it: Woody fucking Allen. Amazon Studios reportedly delayed the release and terminated a four-film-deal w/WFA, who sued. (IMDB says 2018 was the first year since 1981 WFA did not have a film in theaters). Is watching the film enabling or supporting WFA? Where is the line crossed, in writing a review? Millions of Amazon Prime (video) subscribers have already paid for this. I failed to mention Roman fucking Polanski in a 2007 Pianist review. Unfortunately there are parallels here. This is a well-made & well-written film with a great cast. It evokes an emotional response, as some films do. (Perhaps appropriately, serial-sexual-assaulters who also happen to be writers/directors evoke nausea and dry heaves). On one hand, cast & crew worked diligently and it shows. They hit it out of the park. On the other hand is WFA. Do not we, as viewers, as paying moviegoers, as human beings have a responsibility to honor the bravery of the victims who speak publcly by shunning the work products of accused sex offenders? Polanski and Allen still make films. Seems we vote with our feet and wallets, no? Deborah Ross eloquently describes this film as, among other things, creepy. Understatement of the WFA era. This would be easily 4-stars were it not for the writer/director giving sacks of feces everywhere a bad name. It's up to us.
OK, you have to see Tenet. I think i liked it a lot? But I won't be sure until I see it a second time. At least. Maybe a third time? It is a very cerebral movie and it makes Inception look like a cartoon in some ways. There are several layers and I think on a second watch I will probably notice a lot of things that would have helped keep up / understand along the way the first time through. Things that are better revealed toward the end as the movie progresses and evolves that will potentially make it more enjoyable the second time around. Very neat movie; great casting, great acting, and it really draws you in.
Just as a polished & well-rehearsed accent or dialect can improve a performance (and film), so too can a poor one hurt a performance, and in this case, film. Consider Marissa Tomei's performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992), for which Tomei received an Oscar. Tomei's Brooklyn accent delivery pushed her performance to the top for the former Flatbush deity. In contrast, multiple performances in this anticipated and oft-delayed release were scarred due to cringe-worthy dialects. Bad accents notwithstanding, Blu Hunt (Another Life, The Originals) is the one to watch. Hunt's performance, it turns out, was indeed worth waiting 868 days for. (Is it possible Hunt's and William's characters are the first gay couple seen on the silver screen in the Marvel Universe?). The collection of foul-ups in this film seem to imply systemic failure. Not every accent/dialect performance can be like Tomei's Mona Lisa Vito--so good, one would swear she was born & raised there (and surprised to learn her English teacher-mom corrected the accent for years).
For fans of the sci-fi genre, I don't know if I should recommend 2067 or not. On one hand I like near-term sci-fi and I like dystopian films, which this offers both of. On the other, there are quite a few annoying bits about this, primarily the cast. I didn't give two shits about anyone and most were annoying enough that I wanted them to die. Throw in a couple completely illogical things to advance the plot, a sign of bad writing in my opinion, and it just didn't mesh well. It was good enough that, a ways in, I was willing to stick with it just to see how it ended. Recommend for watching while working, doing a puzzle, or falling asleep to.
