This weekend I managed to squeeze in quite an eclectic mix of films whenever I could! Let’s get to it!
False Positive – I held out from watching this at the Tribeca Film Festival a couple of weeks ago because I knew it would be dropping on Hulu at the end of the month. No point in paying extra for something I already have a subscription to. Also, it turns out this movie was just middle of the road, so I’m glad I spent my time watching some other gems at the festival. Now, onto this thriller film, which seems to be taking a lot of influence from Rosemary’s Baby. After two years of trying to conceive naturally, Lucy and Adrian finally agree to go see one of his old med school professors, Dr. John Hindle for fertility treatments. There is immediate success with the procedure, but as time goes on, Lucy grows weary of Hindle and even her husband. Look, when I first saw the trailer for this film I sort of thought there was going to be a supernatural element to it all, like somehow Hindle is making her carry the next spawn of Satan or something. That would have been cool! Instead, it’s a thriller more in the paranoia aspect and she has some strange hallucinations. Also, quite obvious in the film is taking more jabs at the patriarchy, because something so female as childbirth is still somewhat dictated by men in this film (and real life). Nothing here was great or awful, so the choice is yours.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard – When I first heard that the The Hitman’s Bodyguard was getting a sequel, I was so confused. The first film was so mediocre to bad that I never thought it would spawn any sort of second life. I stand corrected. In this iteration, Michael is still trying to get back his bodyguard license back before he gets dragged back into the lives of the Kincaids. Sonia takes Michael from a relaxing resort to get Darius who’s being held hostage. The three are quickly reunited but then get roped into an Interpol operation trying to take down a man hellbent on destroying Europe. Nothing in this film is fleshed out all that much, as it seems more about Selma Hayek screaming profanities in English and Spanish and a lot of gunfire. Although no one can really argue when heavy hitters like Frank Grillo, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman getting added to an already star-studded cast. Obviously, there are hilarious bits because there are some hilarious people in here, but just like the first film, nothing here really lands for me. I can only hope this isn’t going to become a franchise film.
Voyagers – You know, for basically all of this film happening in space, it’s the least space-like movie I have ever seen! Grown genetically in test tubes, a group of teens grow up on a ship heading for what is hopefully new civilization for Earth’s remaining population. It’s going to take some 80 plus years to get there, but the teens’ existence is important. They are led by the always charming Colin Ferrell, but leaves the film far too soon. Once he’s gone, the teens stop taking inhibiting drugs and start living like stupid teens. Sure, I agree that no one should hinder who you are, but if the fate of humanity rests on your shoulders, maybe do the responsible thing. Christopher is the good guy here, even though he rightfully has impulses of his own, but nothing compares to the terrible human being that is Zach. He’s proof that no matter what you’re made of, there are still bad people in this world. This wasn’t my favorite film, but ended up being more engaging than I initially thought.
No Country for Old Men – My goodness. No wonder Javier Bardem won an Oscar for this! In this 2007 hit crime-Western, Bardem plays hitman Anton Chigurh who spends a majority of the film hunting down Llewelyn Moss, as he’s got a lot of money that belongs to him. The sequences are tense and calculated, but then chaotic and violent, and I freaking love that! Aside from these two outlaws running loose, you’ve also got a sheriff on his way to retirement and a bounty hunter who probably should have stayed home. It’s also a Coen Brother’s film, so you know there’s going to be a least a little but of humor (if not for Bardem’s haircut alone). There’s not much else I can say without giving anything away, so you’re just going to have to take my word that this is one of the Coen’s strongest films and you must watch it as soon as you can.
Firebird – Since watching this and reviewing in in my Frameline Film Festival post, I knew I was going to watch this love story again (and probably again this week if I can manage it). It’s just a beautiful telling of a love that has everything working against it, especially if you’re choosing to be a soldier in the USSR in the late seventies. Sergey and Roman seem to almost instantly fall in love, and while there are moments when the two seem like they are going to give it all up to be together, reality starts to settle in. Sadly, the USSR essentially threatened their lives and livelihoods so that they ultimately couldn’t end up together. After this second viewing and a Q&A with the director and cast, I would really like to get my hands on Sergey Fatisov’s memoir, since the film was based off of it. Keep a look out in case I do! Also, I really hope this film gets the love it deserves and a wider audience can see it in the near future.