The Ace Black Movie Blog

Showing posts with label Kate Mara. Show all posts

Sunday, 11 June 2023

Movie Review: Call Jane (2022)

Genre: Abortion Drama

Director: Phyllis Nagy

Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara

Running Time: 121 minutes

Synopsis: In Chicago of 1968, Joy (Elizabeth Banks) is a middleclass housewife married to lawyer Will (Chris Messina). They have a teenaged daughter Charlotte, and Joy is pregnant again, but a health scare triggers a stark choice: continuing with the pregnancy will endanger her life. With abortions illegal, she connects with the "Call Jane" collective of women providing secret abortion services. After her procedure, Joy meets the group's organizer Virginia (Sigourney Weaver) and starts to volunteer her time, causing a strain in her relationships with Will and Charlotte.

What Works Well: Inspired by the real-life Jane Collective, director Phyllis Nagy crafts a topical reminder of the US abortion landscape before 1973's Roe vs Wade Supreme Court decision. Mixing societal, feminist, and racial themes, this is a celebration of women's resiliency in the face of man-made laws, male-dominated hospital board decisions, men profiteering at the expense of women, and a patriarchal home environment. Elizabeth Banks as Joy brings the abortion trauma to mainstream living rooms with a minimum of melodrama, and Sigourney Weaver presents a robust counterpoint of activism.

What Does Not Work As Well: Although most of the tone is factual, moments of preachiness do surface. The running time is a good 15 minutes longer than necessary, and sub-plots involving Joy's daughter Charlotte and widowed next-door neighbour Lana (Kate Mara) flounder.

Conclusion: Important, impactful, and impressive.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Friday, 31 December 2021

Movie Review: Transsiberian (2008)

A crime thriller, Transsiberian is full of good ideas percolating in unique locales, but is hampered by too many coincidences and some conveniently poor character judgments.

In eastern Russia, detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley) investigates a murder scene and determines criminals are muscling-in on the established drug trade routes. In the meantime, American married couple Roy and Jessie (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) finish a missionary assignment in Beijing and board the trans-Siberian train for a seven day trip to Moscow. Roy is wholesome and a fan of all things trains; Jessie suffered a wild upbringing, and is now a recovering alcoholic and amateur photographer.

On the train Roy and Jessie meet another traveling couple, Carlos and Abby (Eduardo Noriega and Kate Mara). Carlos is charismatic and immediately shows interest in Jessie. Abby is a younger, darker version of Jessie, and appears to be with Carlos just for the thrill. Carlos repeatedly tries to isolate Jessie, and is carrying a mysterious collection of babushka dolls. At a train stop Jessie and Roy get separated; and at the next stop she finds herself alone with Carlos in the wilderness. The trip suddenly takes a very dangerous turn.

Featuring beautiful cinematography as the titular train snakes its way through the rugged snowscapes of remote Russia, Transsiberian draws strength from sparse and less familiar thriller terrain. Director Brad Anderson co-wrote the script with Will Conroy, and invests in a small group of five characters, the two couples and one detective engaging in far-fetched but nevertheless tension-filled games of attraction, repulsion, and manipulation.

The plot is driven by a drug-smuggling pretext, enhanced by the spurious comfort of superficial normalcy. The all-is-not-what-it-seems slow reveals are satisfying, as character backgrounds and motivations come to the fore and play a critical role in defining the unfolding trip dynamics. With deliberate pacing, the opening two thirds are particularly strong, a good amount of time deployed to define the characters and start the process of building tension on board the crowded, sometimes claustrophobic train. Frustration, temptation, and the whiff of criminality seep to the surface. As the danger torques, the premise of an innocent couple quietly getting embroiled in a dangerous situation threatens to draw Hitchcockian comparisons.

But the final act is less cerebral and more routine. Although the often unpredictable narrative is always enjoyable, it also relies heavily on some wild coincidences (Roy showing up with the detective in tow; a perfectly timed train crash), and unexplained logic gaps (exactly why did Roy miss that train). Jessie's pathetic decision making does not help, as she allows herself to get sucked into a horrible situation by repeatedly abandoning all common sense.

The performances are uneven and trace the infused character depth. Emily Mortimer stands out as Jessie deals with a wild roller-coaster of events and emotions; Woody Harrelson never quite grabs hold of Roy; and Ben Kingsley munches the Russian scenery as he decorates Grinko's dialogue with folkloric idioms.

Although undoubtedly bumpy, Transsiberian is spectacularly scenic and suitably twisty.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Saturday, 27 November 2021

Movie Review: Happythankyoumoreplease (2010)

A three-in-one romantic comedy, Happythankyoumoreplease explores three couples as they navigate expectations, commitment, and settling down. The material is familiar, but delivered with edgy polish.

In New York City, Sam (Josh Radnor, also the film's writer and director) is a writer attempting to transition from short stories to novels. On the subway he helps young Black boy Rasheen, who seems to have lost his family. But the quiet Rasheen is an unhappy foster kid, and latches onto the kind Sam. The two start to forge a surrogate father-son bond, while three short story-style romances unfold.

Sam spots table server Mississippi (Kate Mara), an aspiring singer. They enjoy one date and he invites her to stay at his apartment for three days, but immediately regrets the offer, unsure if he is ready to commit. Meanwhile his friend Annie (Malin Åkerman), a charity fund raiser, suffers from hair loss (alopecia) and makes bad decisions when it comes to men. She is romantically pursued by tweedy lawyer Sam #2 (Tony Hale), who is not what she imagines to be her type - but he persists.

Sam's family friend Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan) is in a relationship with boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber). He is interested in moving to Los Angeles for a business opportunity, but she wants to stay in New York. The disagreement strains their romance, especially when Mary Catherine suspects she may be pregnant.

It's difficult to find anything fresh or imaginative in Happythankyoumoreplease. But yet Radnor assembles a pleasing, if non-demanding, set of themes for his twentysomething protagonists to mull over. The inter-cut short story format helps with pacing and disguises the absence of profundity.

Unsurprisingly, the overarching topic is encroaching adulthood, accepting reality rather than pining for inaccessible dreams, and appreciating what is real. Sam may have to acknowledge he is a short story writer, and has to start confronting what commitment entails. Annie wants to change the world and seeks a handsome knight by her side to help her do it. Except that handsome knights can also be creeps, and sometimes the really sturdy men are hiding in boring business suits. Mary Catherine and Charlie are facing their first real crisis as a couple, where ambitions diverge and the hard work of communicating and compromising begins.

This is still a romantic comedy, and the outcomes steer to all the expected tidy places. The quiet child Rasheen is the one wrinkle, and Radnor uses him as a soft-spoken device representing the sometimes blurred line between responsibility and irresponsibility. Sam wants to do the right thing and is developing adult nurturing tendencies, but in caring for someone else's child without anyone's permission, he stumbles into a heap of trouble.

The cast members lean into the characters with just touches of drama, and allow the humour to seep out from natural behaviours rather than brash jokes. Happythankyoumoreplease is curious about growing up, undoubtedly common territory but here approached with happy restraint, thank you.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Saturday, 1 September 2018

Movie Review: Shooter (2007)

A high-energy action thriller, Shooter is full of ridiculous plot holes but nevertheless delivers slick entertainment.

On an unsanctioned mission in Ethiopia, expert sniper Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) provides cover for a covert US forces mission. The assignment ends in disarray and Swagger's spotter Donnie is killed. Disillusioned, Swagger leaves the military and goes into seclusion in rural Wyoming. Three years later, Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) manages to recruit Swagger for a special assignment to counter a threat to assassinate the President.

But Swagger was really lured in to be the patsy, and on the day of the would-be assassination in Philadelphia he is framed, shot, and barely escapes with his life. A nationwide manhunt is launched. Rookie FBI Special Agent Nick Memphis (Michael Peña) is one of the few to suspect Swagger was framed. Meanwhile, Swagger seeks refuge with Donnie's widow Sarah (Kate Mara), and starts to uncover a conspiracy deep within the government centred on Senator Meachum (Ned Beatty).

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Shooter delivers enough quality to allow mindless enjoyment of an almost laughable story. A stellar cast, a flashy visual style, and a stoic, indestructible and patriotic hero brought to life by Mark Wahlberg all help. The action scenes are sustained and generally coherent, and the bad guys lining up against Swagger are worthy: treacherous, powerful and deeply entrenched in modern-day pragmatic geopolitical meddling. The sniper jargon also sounds legitimate to the untrained ear.

Which is all good, because on the negative side Swagger had to be a particular kind of momentarily stupid not to notice the jaws of a Kennedyesque assassination conspiracy plot snapping tight around his ankles. And once he goes on the run, the film becomes a blur of overlapping groan-inducing developments, characters traveling around the country with dizzying speed and no respect for a national manhunt. When a late climax arrives and Swagger has to explain his actions to a room full of men-in-suits, the lack of any due process or discipline around the proceedings is chuckle worthy.

But of course Swagger gets the upper hand in every skirmish (and the skirmishes arrive at the rate of one every few minutes), and his cool-under-pressure, one-step-ahead-of-the-bad-guys persona is comfortingly familiar. Most of the dialogue is basic, macho-infused actionspeak, and rarely gets in the way.

Fuqua's expertise is constructing few-against-many and mostly silent action set-pieces, and Shooter is at its best when Swagger infiltrates his enemies' hideouts and strongholds and dishes out the special brand of revenge reserved for action heroes seeking personal justice. American evildoers can plot the destruction of entire third world villages and suffer no consequences, but beware landing on the wrong side of one brooding sharpshooter.

All Ace Black Blog Movie Reviews are here.

Sunday, 15 April 2018

Movie Review: Chappaquiddick (2017)

A drama based on the infamous incident that ended one life and one Presidential campaign, Chappaquiddick is a faithful recreation of the murky story, but remains emotionally stranded.

It's 1969, and Senator Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) is the only surviving Kennedy brother. He is mulling a future run for the presidency and trying to convince Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara), a secretary who worked on his brother Bobby's campaign, to join his team. With his entourage, including cousin and fixer Joe Gargan (Ed Helms), Ted spends a day on Martha's Vineyard to compete in a yacht race.

After a party that evening in Chappaquiddick, a despondent and slightly inebriated Ted drives with Mary Jo towards the ferry terminal. He takes a wrong turn, drives off the road on a narrow bridge and the car lands upside down in a water channel. Ted somehow extricates himself but Mary Jo drowns. Despite the pleas of his team members Ted is slow to report the incident. With his presidential ambitions in tatters, he turns to his ailing father Joseph Sr. (Bruce Dern) for help, and a massive damage control machine kicks into action.

Directed by John Curran, Chappaquiddick covers familiar ground in workmanlike fashion. The tragedy that cost the life of a young woman and ruined the aspirations of the youngest Kennedy has always been shrouded in controversy thanks in part to the subsequent intense spin unleashed by the Kennedy lawyers, and the film does not try to fill in the unknown blanks.

How Kennedy made it out of the car, why did Mary Jo not escape the same way, how much effort did Kennedy put into rescuing her and why Gargan and others thought that leaving Kennedy on his own after the incident could possibly be a good idea are all questions that remain submerged in the dark waters below the bridge.

The film does try to delve into Kennedy's state of mind, a combination of shock, denial, alcohol, and disorientation presented as a potential explanation for his erratic attempts to first avoid confronting the facts and then try to hide some of the truths in the immediate aftermath. The few brief scenes showing the interaction between Ted, always perceived as the weak son, and his father Joseph, frail and near-death but still carrying frightfully domineering power, emerge as highlights.

The performances are serviceable without scaling any heights. The film's tone is steady, Curran not searching for contrived peaks of emotion, and Jason Clarke is suitably introverted but still revealing flashes of the Kennedy entitlement running through his blood.

Chappaquiddick is a story of the rich and powerful navigating a crisis, seeking an outcome that only the privileged can aspire to. In refusing to condemn or lionize Ted Kennedy the film makes its points, but does it quietly.

All Ace Black Blog Movie Reviews are here.

Sunday, 9 July 2017

Movie Review: Morgan (2016)

A science fiction horror flick, Morgan has no new ideas and quickly runs into braindead territory.

In a secretive research facility located deep in the woods and operated by the SynSect company, an experimental human hybrid called Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy) unexpectedly attacks and injures Dr. Kathy Grieff (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The company dispatches risk management expert Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) to assess the situation. She finds a tight knit team of scientists who designed, conceived and nurtured Morgan under the leadership of Dr. Lui Cheng (Michelle Yeoh).

The other researchers include Dr. Ziegler (Toby Jones) and Dr. Amy Menser (Rose Leslie), who has befriended Morgan and allowed the hybrid to explore the surrounding wooded area, which is perhaps contributing to Morgan's sense of rising anger due to the otherwise confined surroundings. Also at the facility is cook and marksman Skip (Boyd Holbrook). When Dr. Alan Shapiro (Paul Giamatti) arrives to aggressively test Morgan's ability to tolerate taunting, Lee has to quickly decide what action is needed to contain the damage.

Directed by Luke Scott (son of Ridley, who co-produced), Morgan is an irritating and derivative Frankenstein-type effort, falling far short of 2014's similarly themed Ex Machina. Despite starting with a premise that may have held some promise, Scott and writer Seth Owen make all the wrong choices as they somehow concoct to steer the film towards characters literally running around the forest whacking each other with all available weapons.

Prior to the outbreak of bloodshed, precious little is offered in terms of engagement. Neither the science nor the characters are remotely interesting, the team of researchers remaining shallow stock personalities and the protagonist Lee Weathers a coldly calculating and less than emotive presence. Paul Giamatti heats things up with his singular over the top scene, but departs too quickly to leave a mark.

There is one twist in the film, it arrives late but is easy to guess early. Despite the talent in the cast, Morgan is an experiment absolutely not worth saving.

All Ace Black Blog Movie Reviews are here.

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Movie Review: Megan Leavey (2017)

A dog-meets-girl drama, Megan Leavey is a deeply personal story stretched well beyond its limits.

Megan (Kate Mara) is a young woman from rural New York, depressed after the death of her best friend. She enlists in the Marines, and during training stumbles onto the K9 dog unit under the command of Gunnery Sergeant Massey (Common). She forms a bond with military combat dog Rex, a strong-willed German shepherd.

After training Megan and Rex are deployed to Iraq, where Rex's bomb-sniffing capabilities save lives. Megan also meets and develops a relationship with fellow dog handler Matt Morales (Ramón Rodríguez). Both Megan and Rex are injured in the line of duty, and after returning to civilian life Megan sets out on a mission to rescue her dog.

Based on a true story and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Megan Leavey is an earnest enough tale of friendship between two outcasts. It is also a deeply personal and fairly small drama, more appropriate as a television movie-of-the-week than on the big screen. Despite the best efforts of Cowperthwaite, a game Kate Mara, one clever dog and a team of three writers, there simply isn't enough content to capture and maintain attention.

The middle third of the film is by far the most powerful. Megan and Rex are deployed to Iraq, where Megan starts out alone but slowly wins the respect of her fellow Marines. The in-field scenes are excellent and capture high levels of tension as Megan guides Rex towards sniffing out improvised explosive devices in a hostile environment.

Unfortunately, the film starts slowly and the opening act at the Marine training camp is routine in the extreme. And the final third, with Megan back in the civilian world and desperate to reunite with Rex, is endlessly mopey. There is only so much resonant emotion that can be squeezed out of one woman's quest to find her dog, and Megan Leavey chews the idea to shreds.