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The Little Things (2021)
The little things tries but never manages to amount to anything substantial.
A mediocre thriller propped up with an incredible cast with the intention to save it from its own contrived plot and yet it never rises from the ashes. The movie doesn't start bad, it's initial merits mimic the true crime cinema that most fans have grown to love but unlike classics like Silence of the Lambs or Insomnia this one ends up meandering into suspense blue balls and the audience is left chewing on the cardboard. Im all for character studies but the writing does nothing to elevate the performances into something truly memorable and engaging. This movie peaks after the first hour and seems to ride the slide further into meaninglessness. Forgettable as it is dull, The Little Things definitely tries to be different but unique doesn't always equal good.
Last I Heard (2013)
Once Upon a 90 minutes
Paul Sorvino plays an aging mobster released from jail after two long decades and earnestly struggles to find his place amidst a rapidly changing world. This isn't a gangster movie per say, it's not even Good Fellas in a retirement home, it's more of a retrospective character piece of what an aging mobster ripped from the pillars of power and left to be mostly forgotten would subsequently face when released after so long. And I guess it begs the question in all of its soul searching and kitschy "east coast neighborhood" dialogue was this move absolutely necessary? Sorvino and Rappaport certainly play their roles well but the movie feels like it's operating in some sort of invisible sandbox that unfortunately only superficially scratches the surface of its characters, leaving us with a fairly empty feeling after it's all over. One can't help but ask what was the point exactly? The largest character arcs are written and served on a convenient platter rather than developed organically. It's certainly a different take on the gangster movie and the refreshing aspect of that point ends right there, what it doesn't do is reinvent the character study, slogging along tiredly trying to find footing somewhere. If the directors point was to give us hyper realism then it certainly beats watching someone vaccum for 90 minutes, but I think the main point is lost somewhere in another movie. So you can't teach an old dog new tricks and criminals don't change...the end. It's not completely far fetched to understand that older adults who leave prison are certainly disenfranchised, thrust into a brave new world thats busy with distraction. But Shawshank Redemption did this concept better in 15 minutes than this could do in 90. It's not a horrible movie by any regard but it's certainly missing that something to set it apart.
The Witcher (2019)
Netflix's Low Fantasy
Netflix's answer to high fantasy in an era of sprawling trilogies, you would think the Witcher would satisfy that itch and yet only harkens memories of Hercules/Xena Warrior Princess softcore than it does of GOT no matter how much nudity and curse words they add. Honestly I dont even get the comparison...With contrived dark fantasy tropes and absolutely ridiculous writing this ensemble of B movie pedigree stumbles along with the dark hope Henry Cavill will save the series on his own presence. Outside of the distracting yeti living on Henry Cavill's head he does a great job of channeling dark brooding angry, his solitary "freak" line is probably a bright comedic spot where the actual comedy relief falls flat (the bard) who mostly comes off as a snarky annoying emo kid we wish we could punch in the face.
The tone and writing feels soapy then it does engaging, this is a perfect embodiment of less is more and yet the series overwhelms you with more. Character development and plot lines often rest on long winded dialogue, heavy breathing and repetitiveness, which only confounds and confuses its audience, especially the fragmented flash backs scenes which come and go without rhyme or reason.
It's not all bad though, There is room in this show for improvement, GOT went from great to horrible which means there's nothing stopping The Witcher from reversing its course from mediocre to good. Episode one's fight scene is quite impressive and has yet to be duplicated in any meaningful way. The costumes and sets also have a certain unique flare that breathes life to its pathos. The creature design is all over the place, at times its not bad and then other times its down right abysmal, I mean that gold dragon looked absolutely horrible. The Witcher could take some cues from Netflix's "The Last Kingdom" they are of similar stock and yet TLK is a far superior show in almost every way. The Witcher is like going to the renaissance fair, you're there to drink and have fun, not point out all the flaws and ridiculousness, if you can get behind some mindless fun, you won't be disappointed.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
An unnecessary prologue
I must admit I've been chomping at the bit for the next season of "Better Call Saul" so that I can continue my delightful foray into Vince Gilligan's great writing, colorful characters and imaginative yet relatable world. El Camino seemed like an apt appetizer to stave off that hunger which I must admit has been panging now for the better part of two years (news flash: no ones getting any younger). Instead of the satisfaction I was longing for I found myself stumbling through the dilapidated ruins of a once great show, with a crudely overweight Todd, who now appears with a swollen, puffy face and a hard to miss beer belly that peers out from his jacket. Sure his disconnected almost naive brutality always served as a convenient antagonist of the show but in this particular closing peace feels stale and almost forced. Of course we are graced with a peppering of some of the old characters we have loved from the original show, some more familiar than others however their ultimate contribution falls flat as insignificant and inconsequential. The movie doesn't really leave you with a sense of closure, it feels like merely an drawn out extension of the show with some glaring plot issues that seem to fester over the course of the movie. And although we get to sit shotgun as Jesse attempts to escape the chaotic mess Walt left behind, the stakes never really reach the level Breaking Bad did. If you enjoyed BB it's gonna be hard not to wanna watch this but as a stand-alone piece it feels like a bit of a nostalgic after thought. Don't get me wrong, the performances aren't bad and they support the movie as best they can, I just found that by the end I didn't care much about how we got there or that it was in fact the end of a great show, I suppose it made me feel like it was all just a little unnecessary, would have preferred another season of BCS over this minor detour.
Preacher (2016)
AMC's True Blood
OK so full disclosure I have never read the comics. With that said "Preacher" was a fun surprise coming from the likes of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, a cult comic book adaptation with elements of "The Crow" and "Spawn" blended into one hot mess in the middle of a shitty town in Texas.
Networks and film studios have been mercilessly pounding the fantasy, comic book, zombie/horror genres into our eyes the past several years and with good reason, the success and entertainment value of these types of projects have cult like followings that open up long term monetary value long after the show's over, like the time tested models of Star Wars and Star Trek. Despite the business aspect, it's refreshing to see Rogan and Goldberg draw from genre-bending material rather than the same tired formulas we have become accustomed to. The fusion of genre's is something we will definitely be seeing more of with the likes of HBO's "Westworld" on the verge of premiering, I can only be excited about what the future holds for our entertainment prospects.
However story and character development still trumps the fine line between good and great. The "Preacher" is definitely unique, but hiding behind all the impetuous gore and eccentricity I can't help but feel like there's an emptiness, something missing even with the plush backdrop of interesting characters who reside in the town. It seems like the more characters they add the more the plot feels like runny eggs scrambled into a literary mess, to what end do they serve when their development feels forced and ultimately boring. However "Preacher" is damn entertaining, the acting is superb especially Dominic Cooper (Custer) and Joseph Gilgun (Cassidy) who have stellar buddy chemistry. There friendship unto itself is a paradox. When you first meet Cassidy at 20,000 feet you get the feeling he's the villain, the ultimate protagonist but as the show develops you realize the duality of good and evil becomes nauseatingly blurred as you learn about who Custer really is and who he thinks he is.
I am reminded of shows like HBO's "True Blood" and Netflixs "Hemlock Grove" I kept giving both these shows chances only to regret it. The "Preacher" however is definitely a cut above and at the very least offers some interesting plot points to explore and humorous characters to watch as they tumble deeper into hell on earth.
All and all this is another great addition to AMC's lineup, home to some of the best shows on TV and I am looking forward to see what happens next with the "Preacher" but in all honesty I am more interested in watching the next season of "Better Call Saul" whose year long production is a downright crime, but that won't stop me from watching even if just for the entertainment value.