“The Sweet East” has something of a plot following the adventures of Lillian (Talia Ryder), an independent high schooler from South Carolina who is flung from one bizarre piece of America to the next. At first, it’s a shooting at a pizza restaurant that echoes the real-life absurdity of Pizzagate. Lillian is separated from her … Read more
Although it takes its time to embrace its magical premise, mostly in favor of building out the elaborate subplots for each of the Carver family members, once it gets into full on gonzo mode it’s the most delightfully deranged family film since “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” There’s seven swans swimming in the Carver’s … Read more
Nobody speaks a full word of written dialogue. Characters grunt when they crash against a wall, get punched in the gut, or are struck by a car. They gasp or scream when they’re shot or tortured. You hear sound effects and soundscape noises throughout, such as wind, rain, footsteps, and traffic. There are pop songs with lyrics on the soundtrack, interspersed with … Read more
We must remember that when we watch “Eileen,” directed with moody, twisty desolation by William Oldroyd, Eileen may not be the most reliable of narrators. A lifetime of being invisible and put-upon will do that to a person. Look closer at Rebecca. Her hair is more “nest” than “style.” She provocatively smokes a cigarette as … Read more
In his feature debut, writer and director Paris Zarcilla proves he is a master storyteller. He carefully builds his suspenseful tale with a horror twist layer-by-layer: showing us Joy’s hardships, establishing Grace’s rebellious phase, immersing us in their problems until what looks like divine intervention arrives that’s almost too good to be true (and it … Read more
It was Mary Rodgers, daughter of composer Richard Rodgers and author of the scathing memoir Shy, who came up with the original book and 1976 screenplay of a mother/teen daughter body switch, “Freaky Friday,” remade three times so far and inspiration for many, many variations, including “Freaky,” with a teen girl switching bodies with a serial … Read more
It gets worse, as chronicled in fact-based drama “La Syndicaliste,” which is being marketed elsewhere under the not inapt English title “The Sitting Duck.” This is the second picture that director Jean-Paul Salomé has made with protean actress Isabelle Huppert, and it’s considerably more grave than their prior collaboration, the pot-dealing comedy-drama “Mama Weed.” It’s … Read more
Between the pushy incentives from businessman Cecil (Lil Rel Howery) on behalf of his mystery boss and Dexter’s own money-grubbing selfishness as he tries to cash out by any means necessary, Ed, trusting of his closest friend, and Good Burger, finds himself between a rock and hard place. When Dexter’s notorious bad business practice finds … Read more
You shouldn’t focus on the plot or its preposterous details when watching “Cypher.” Watch it on your Roku or tablet at home, where you’re not as likely to care about the obvious stylistic clash between the movie’s collage of motion-sickness-inducing handheld camera footage and its hyper-stylized title cards, which divide the movie into chapters with … Read more
Essiedu plays Bernard, who works for a horrendous boss played by Alan Cumming in a near-cameo that the actor likely knocked out in a single morning. Bernard has two brutal blows in the opening act of “Genie.” First, he works so hard that he forgets his daughter’s birthday, leading to his wife deciding it’s time … Read more