Favreau’s take on The Jungle Book is a revelation certain to thrill audiences for many decades to come, and trust in me when I say the bare necessity is to stroll right into town and be like the other ticket buyers tired of monkeying around with subpar cinematic options. No worry. No strife. Just glorious entertainment the whole family is virtually guaranteed to enjoy.
While there’s plenty about The Boss to appreciate, I’m just not certain there’s a great deal to like, the difference between the two ultimately making the finished film an entertainment business opportunity I’d personally pass on.
While some of the pieces can be a little haggard, more often than not this feels entirely by design, Demolition (2016) a cinematic deconstruction of expectation and cliché, all of which results in a moving marvel of self-actualization I think I just might be in love with.
Everybody Wants Some!! is just so dark likeable, so lived-in and authentic, so lovingly acted by its cast of relative newcomers and unknowns, the fact it is entirely content following the men and only the men ends up being kind of okay. More, the movie respects its audience in a way few of these coming-of-age comedies ever do, and while not a home run for Linklater, it’s still a solid triple off the wall I’m certain to still be cheering for throughout the remainder of 2016.
Eye in the Sky is still an incredibly effective thriller that gets the blood boiling while also challenging the intellect. It does not skimp on thrills, things building to their conclusion with a swiftly building ferociousness that’s impressive.
“With Midnight Special, I had this idea of these two guys in the black car moving very fast through these rural back roads only it was night, and there was little to no light at all. I just started building it out from there.”
Midnight Special isn’t as clean, isn’t as tidy as the director’s previous three features, but that doesn’t make it any less tremendous, Nichols proving once again he’s one of the more creative, imaginative and flat-out talented cinematic voices working today.
More gothic drama then it is full-on noir, The Red House is nonetheless a fascinating curio piece, and while its emotional components are a little overwrought at times, the power they have over the viewer still remains undeniable making the film an underappreciated gem worthy of rediscovery.
There’s lot to love about The Hateful Eight. The acting is stellar, it looks terrific, and Ennio Morricone’s Oscar-winning score certainly sets the proper tone throughout. But Quentin Tarantino’s latest is sprawling, overwrought and more than a little full of itself at times, it’s second half turn not going to sit well with a number of viewers.