As we navigate more big movies ahead of awards season, I want to talk about a few interesting ones this week. Some awards-worthy films end up making a big splash and garner positive reviews and some others sneak on to the scene. Even movies that go on to win awards may face tepid reviews or completely fly under the radar.
The movies I’ll discuss this week fall into those categories…they got mediocre reviews or sort of faded away…despite the fact that they have huge names in their casts. Apparently, even the big names may not guarantee a box office success these days, as witnessed through the movies “Don’t Look Up” and “The Last Duel.” When Rob and I started this column, both of these films were on our “Most Anticipated” list. We’ll see if they lived up to our hype.
“Don’t Look Up” (Netflix)
Writer and director Adam McKay may be best known for writing screwball comedies like “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights” But in recent years, he has waded into the more serious side of things with films like “The Big Short” and “Vice.” Those movies delved into real events…the financial crisis of the mid-2000s and the life and career of Dick Cheney. They dealt with serious topics but also brought a fair amount of humor to the stories as well. That’s also the case in “Don’t Look Up.”
“Don’t Look Up” stars a big cast of many notables such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Jonah Hill. In the film, two low level astronomers from Michigan State, Kate (Lawrence) and Dr. Mindy (DiCaprio) have to go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling towards Earth. In the process, they face a self-involved US president (Streep) only concerned with her reelection and some ridiculous members of the media that are all too reminiscent of real life. Needless to say, Kate and Dr. Mindy face an uphill battle as they try to warn everyone of the impending doom. This all sounds pretty heavy, and at times it is, but there are plenty of laugh out loud moments as well.
This is a hardcore parody that takes a poke at just about everyone…the government, the media, the uber-wealthy, academia, and others. Judging by the very mixed reviews the film received, some groups didn’t appreciate all the movie’s not so veiled jabs, especially stuffy film critics apparently. Even though I sort of identify as a movie critic, I have to disagree with much of the vitriol cast at this film. I really liked it. It probably delivered the most laughs of any movie I’ve seen in the last year.
The cast is big, but I think everyone gets space to shine. DiCaprio’s twitchy Dr. Mindy skates of the edge of being almost uncomfortable to watch, but yet comical. Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry as perky morning show TV hosts who make light of world destruction are especially amusing. Streep as the president and Jonah Hill as her clingy son are over the top but hilarious.
I don’t think the movie was perfect and for me, it did get somewhat heavy-handed. For instance, McKay uses random flashes of unrelated shots as transitions between scenes. I could have lived without that. Some people may also not like how it ended…which I won’t spoil. I’ll just say that I think it had one extra scene at the end that could have been taken out.
Overall, I thought “Don’t Look Up” was a fun ride albeit on a comet rocketing towards Earth.
“The Last Duel” (on DVD and demand)
Featuring guest commentary from Anthony Medeiros, Wright County Monitor and Eagle Grove Eagle.
The film is based on the book “The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France” by Eric Jager. It’s directed by the famed Ridley Scott (also responsible for great films like “Gladiator” and “Blade Runner.”) Additionally, old pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon co-wrote it AND star in it. Set in medieval France, the film stars Damon as Jean de Carrouges, a knight who challenges his former friend, squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) to a judicial duel after Jean's wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer) accuses Jacques of raping her. Affleck stars in a supporting role as a count entangled between the two duelers.
Bridget:
The film has an interesting format. It’s divided into three “chapters” where each of the main characters essentially give their version of events before the movie culminates in the titular duel. So you actually see some of the same scenes two or three times with slight alterations based on whose perspective it’s from. I thought this worked for the most part for me. It was intriguing to see how events varied for each person.
Overall, I thought this was a solid movie. Comer was really a standout for me as the crime’s victim. She hasn’t been in a ton of films, most notable probably last years “Free Guy,” but I think she has a great career ahead of her. Her acting was intense and her pain palpable as she faces scrutiny from all sides, including from her husband, in an era that is anything but just towards women. Driver also puts in a strong performance and fits the time well. Ben and Matt though….I’m just not sure. Of course, they’re good actors, but for me, they’re so familiar that it was hard to get past who they are and believe they are nobles in feudal France. It kind of felt like they were dressing up for Halloween and assuming some dubious accents more than fitting in the parts.
In the end, I’m glad I saw this movie, and thought it was pretty good, but it’s not one I’ll revisit again for a while if at all. The subject matter is so intense and troubling that it was hard to have a great time with it. That may be why the movie barely has made a whisper when it comes to buzz. Despite marquee names like Damon and Affleck, not many people were interested in this one.
Anthony:
As an aspiring screenwriter, while watching any film-no matter the genre-I study the film, the directing, the acting, and I envision how it may have been written on a script.
From “fade in” to “fade out”, this film provided an overall generalized plot. It’s one story, displayed through three different sides, that being of our three main characters. I personally enjoyed how each story was told somewhat the same, by adding/removing particular moments to reveal the truth…or so we thought. It was only when the third chapter faded in until we finally saw “the truth” as it was told through Marguerite.
Was it the best movie I’ve ever seen? Definitely not. The worst? Definitely not. “The Last Duel” is a film that I’ve seen many times before, and quite honestly, I’ve seen better. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t fantastic. To me, it’s that kind of film where you say, “that was pretty good…” and then by the next day, your memory of the film has already faded out.
To me, what saved this movie from really not being all that enjoyable were three things: (1), Jodie Comer’s acting…I think Comer’s portrayal as Marguerite was definitely the best portrayal amongst the ensemble of this film. With all due respect to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two memorable actors with memorable films such as Affleck in “Argo” and Damon in “The Departed”, I definitely agree with Bridget that their portrayals just didn’t feel right. It was like, since they co-wrote the screenplay, they were just forced into the film. (2) the interesting approach to the telling of the story. Displaying the story three times could’ve been boring for most, but I do think how the writers and director approached the telling of the story provided a unique flow to the story, especially with the third and final chapter. (3) the ending battle. If you’re going to make a film set in a medieval-type of time, you know you have to include the classic clashing of sword fights, galloping of horses in battle, and the shiny armor of the knights. I do think this film lacked some potential exciting and thrilling action sequences. However, the ending duel was definitely an exciting one, as it surely needed to live up to its expectations…especially given the fact that the film’s title based itself on the ending.
As always, send your feedback or topic ideas to Bridget at news@wrightcountymonitor.com.
