All posts by Stephen Michael Brown

I've reviewed films for more than 35 years. Current movie reviews of new theatrical releases and streaming films are added weekly to the Silver Screen Capture movie news site. Many capsule critiques originally appeared in expanded form in my syndicated Lights Camera Reaction column.
2024

“The Last Showgirl” Has Good Heart But Doesn’t Hit its Marks

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Pamela Anderson’s lived-in, wistful and sometimes heartbreaking performance as a veteran dancer in a Vegas spectacular is the standout in the otherwise fairly pedestrian production of Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl (C). The long-running “Razzle Dazzle” show is closing after years on The Strip, which means the protagonist must tie up lots of loose ends with characters played by Dave Bautista as the show coordinator, Jamie Lee Curtis as a friend and cocktail waitress and Billie Lourd as an estranged daughter. Anderson’s character has let the lure of beads and feather boas and life on the wicked stage eclipse her sense of direction, but she often proves the emotional center of a ragtag surrogate family. The screenplay doesn’t give others in the ensemble a whole lot to do, which stunts the story’s momentum. Coppola intermingles the backstage and apartment domestic drama with sun-drenched montages of the film’s women interspersed with Sin City’s decaying landmarks, giving the film an occasional veneer of indie aesthetic; but she doesn’t land much of a thesis about what viewers should surmise from the experience of her characters in transition. Many events unfold predictably, and only Anderson’s elegiac and often moving performance survives as a strong takeaway.

2024

Reverse-Hallmark Card Ensemble “Hard Truths” an Apt Reminder to Be Good to One Another

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It’s hard to get a word in edgewise versus the toxic female powderkeg at the center of this family drama: and by bringing to life one of his film catalogue’s most indelible personalities, director Mike Leigh and muse Marianne Jean-Baptiste create a character for the ages and an instantly relatable series of events. Hard Truths (B+) centers on middle-aged British mum Pansy played by Jean-Baptiste and how, stricken by grief, she verbally abuses everyone within shouting range. At first the effect is jarring then a little funny and mostly sad or appalling, depending on the set of characters around her. She’s winning the battle of words, no matter the situation. The actress is incredible in absolutely embodying this woman and still providing shades of gray to make her a character and not a caricature. Kudos to the full ensemble, especially David Webber and Tuwaine Barrett as her long-suffering husband and son and Michele Austin as her sister and cheery polar opposite. These characters are often simply left to wear devastated reactions on their faces and do so with expressive aplomb. Leigh has something to quietly say here though about the simple ways people can treat each other to diffuse or elevate situations and to turn down the temperature when interactions get heated. Because so many of the sequences in the film are dialed up to a delirious decibel, the scenes of quiet and generosity are fittingly touching and sometimes heartbreaking. The movie is as delicate as the flower Pansy is not and quietly observational in its brisk running time about how depression can overwhelm and constrict. While lovely, Gary Yershon’s melancholic music felt a little on the nose for generating the film’s off-kilter mood, but overall this was an effective and absorbing character study with something to say to anyone in the world with that emotional glass half empty or full.

2024

“Better Man” Biopic a Kong Day’s Journey into Trite

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Bad boy Britpop singing sensation Robbie Williams has been such a party animal through much of his adulthood, it’s no wonder director Michael Gracey takes the wild swing of rendering his character as an anthropomorphic allegorical ape for the biopic Better Man (C+). And the ups and downs of fame, self-loathing and addiction prove it’s hard out here for a chimp, even if behind his big hairy audacious goals of showbiz superstardom, he’s achieved oversized celebrity in the UK and cult admiration here in The States. The film shines in big production numbers scored to such hits as “Rock DJ,” “Angels,” and “The One” with clever, kinetic choreographed sequences punctuating lesser passages. Behind-the-music style beats comprising much of the bloated story don’t shed much light on the interior life of the simian songster played with CGI motion capture by Jonno Davies. Rise to fame, romance, rap sheets, rehabilitation, reconciliation and more are on display, along with tiresome hallucinogenic alter egos laced through concert crowds to cast doubt. The film’s occasionally meta presentation wins points with wry, often profane quips but reveals very little about what motivates the character at its center. After a long time in the wilderness hibernation of what can only seem like Cocaine Bear has invaded Pink Floyd’s hotel room, there’s some tidy and redemptive sentiment to cleanse the palette. More cautionary mental health tale than rhythmic romp (a far less fun Rocket Man?), this murky movie monkey business wears out its welcome.

2024

“Queer” Film Conjures a Lived-in Magic

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Faithful to its source material about Beat Generation postmodern author William S. Burroughs’ self-imposed exile to Mexico, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer (B) casts Daniel Craig in the central role of the controversial author cruising for sex and coping with a lifelong heroin addiction as he nurtures twin obsessions with romance and magical drugs promising extrasensory perception. Guadagnino is undoubtedly the right match for the off-kilter material, with sumptuous historical period art direction and an uncanny knack for capturing mood. And Craig proves to be a bit of a revelation in a role cast against type from his James Bond image; as “Lee” (a stand-in autobiographical nickname of the author), his every turn of phrase feels like inventing a peculiar new language. The loose, limber and impressionistic narrative gets even more opaque as the film changes venue and the Naked Lunch type imagery gets increasingly surreal. Drew Starkey is solid as the object of the protagonist’s affection. Jason Schwartzman is also memorable as a schlubby fellow bar denizen. There are moments of incredible sensuality and sentiment and many others which may leave casual moviegoers scratching their heads. The film is a must for fans of the iconoclast writer and a sterling showcase for a daring lead actor.

2024

Crass Menagerie of “Mufasa” Leaves This Viewer Scarred

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Talk about a circle of lifeless! It’s tough to detect evidence of the artisan touch of acclaimed director Barry Jenkins in a CGI animated prequel that could have actually been improved with AI. Mufasa: The Lion King (C-) tells some backstory of the Simba-verse with an extraneous framing device to ensure all members of the intellectual property can participate, including Timon and Pumbaa. The story follows young Mufasa (voice of Aaron Pierre) who is displaced by flood from his family and adopted into a rival pride with a surrogate brother (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) taking him under his mane. The only improvement on the film’s all-CGI predecessor is more expressive faces on the animals as brotherly rivalry ensues. The production patches together some rousing elements of past Lion King scores and doesn’t showcase Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new songs very well except one romantic ballad. Most of the movie is a tedious and far-fetched adventure including into inexplicably snow-capped parts of the African setting versus a villainous white lion (Mads Mikkelsen). This origin story doesn’t successfully open up or illuminate any special elements of the legend. Some of the nature settings are pretty. Mostly this installment is forgettable. 

My “FilmThirst” TikTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTY3wxFYa/

2024

Indie “Ghostlight” Spotlights Power of Theatre to Cope with Grief

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In the spirit of CODA and Sing Sing, here’s a sleeper indie about how performing arts can rescue a life sliding out of control. Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight (B) focuses on a burly construction worker (Keith Kupferer) coping with tragedy. The actor’s real-life wife and teenage daughter Tara Mallen and Katherine Mallen Kupferer play his similarly struggling and idiosyncratic family, and Dolly de Leon (always a delight) is the leader of a theatrical troupe conveniently located beside our protagonist’s work site. Soon a role in a Shakespeare play becomes its own form of therapy. Too many on-the-nose moments of convenience in the first reel bog down the story, but patient viewers will find this is an extremely emotional and fulfilling work. All three actors in the grieving family are superb, and there’s a lead actor performance here worthy of awards. The music is good too, with some nice use of several “Oklahoma!” chestnuts. The colorfully drawn and authentic characters and several engaging final reel subplots help transcend the formula. 

2024

Silver Screen Capture’s 24 Recommended ‘24 Movies

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These are my favorite films of the year and how to see them. I seem to be the contrarian on a quintet of movies others generally like (Anora, Dune: Part 2, Inside Out 2, Nosferatu and A Complete Unknown didn’t get raves from me); but generally, folks have gotten what I promised with my recommendations. I hope you find some new movies to enjoy going into the new year!

1. The Wild Robot – Lupita Nyong’o voices a discarded AI robot who learns to be a parent in this enchanting and highly emotional animated film set on an island of animals, directed by Chris Sanders; now streaming and back in theatres January 17, 2025

2. The Substance – Demi Moore makes a most unexpected comeback in Coralie Fargeat’s provocative and grisly body horror satire as a middle-aged actress who takes a de-aging serum and shares her body and spirit with a younger version of herself (an equally fascinating Margaret Qualley); available to rent via Prime

    3. The Brutalist – Adrian Brody stars as an immigrant architect experiencing the best and worst of the mid-century U.S. experience in two epic, sprawling acts playing out like a great American novel, directed by Brady Corbet; now playing in limited theatrical release as it looks to capitalize on awards season buzz for optimal attention

    4. Wicked Part I – John M. Chu’s adaptation of the first act of the Broadway musical is a girl power extravaganza with powerhouse performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as witches in college, and the production design and choreography really sell this event movie; still dominating the box office + now available for streaming across digital platforms

    5. Hit Man – It man Glen Powell and his introspective director/co-writer Richard Linklater collaborate in the ultimate tale of conflicted identities hidden within a mix-tape of the romcom and thriller formulas; now available on Netflix

    6. Flow – Animation reigns supreme as an expressive cat escapes a flood and heads to higher ground with the help of other non-human friends in this moving tale by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis; playing to packed house in limited theatrical release as buzz for possible Oscar nominations heats up

    7. Civil War – Alex Garland’s dystopian tone poem of an America savaged by a mysterious battle as told through the eyes of photojournalists (including Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny) is one of the most indelible and disturbing films of the year; streaming on MAX and available across video-on-demand sites

    8. Will & Harper – Josh Greenbaum’s documentary chronicles a witty and moving American road trip between comedian/actor Will Ferrell and his friend who recently transitioned to womanhood, Harper Steele; available on Netflix

    9. Emilia Perez – Jacques Audiard fashions an audacious and polarizing hybrid thriller/musical/domestic drama about a drug cartel leader (Karla Sofia Gascon) who disappears into a new life. Zoe Saldana is her lawyer and Selena Gomez her ex-wife in this exciting and operatic curiosity; also available on Netflix, with big-screen presentations in select markets

    10. Challengers – Luca Guadagnino crafts a stylish and sexy three-way drama about tennis, told out of order with a banger of a Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score, with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist all bringing their game; available on Prime

    11. Conclave – The search for a new pope plays out like a whodunit with a master central performance by Ralph Fiennes and taut direction from Edward Berger; now in theatres and on Peacock

    12. Twisters – Dueling storm chasers in Oklahoma including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos and future Superman David Corenswet face off in the ultimate breezy summer blockbuster reboot under the careful guidance of director Lee Isaac Chung; streaming on Peacock and for rent across platforms

    13. A Quiet Place: Day One – Lupita Nyong’o gives viewers a reason to tune into this futuristic franchise again with an extraordinary central character dismissing the potential end of the world due to alien invaders with nostalgia under Michael Sarnoski’s surefire direction; available on Paramount+, Prime, Sling TV and more

    14. Juror #2 – Clint Eastwood’s thoughtful drama featuring a crackerjack legal premise and one of Nicholas Hoult’s best performances as a conflicted deliberator is now playing on MAX.

    15. Wildcat – Ethan Hawke directs Maya Hawke as the idiosyncratic writer Flannery O’Connor in a film blending biopic with an anthology of her disturbing Southern gothic short stories; streaming on Prime

    16. Deadpool & Wolverine – This is the ultimate meta superhero movie, telling the story of Disney’s takeover of 20th Century Fox via two of its most vulgar and wisecracking characters played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on an adventure together, directed by Shawn Levy; available on-demand or on parental-controlled Disney+

    17. Problemista – This surrealist comedy set in the art world chronicles an odd-couple relationship between toy maker Julio Torres (also writer/director)and his nightmare mentor, Tilda Swinton in one of the fiercely off-kilter great performances of the year; streaming on MAX

    18. Sing Sing – Colman Domingo joins an ensemble of veterans from a real prison’s theater rehabilitation program for Greg Kwedar’s story about the transforming power of art among the incarcerated; the film is being re-released for a third time in January 2025 to coincide with Oscar nominations before ultimately landing ion Apple TV [Note: this pairs nicely with another 2024 sleeper, Ghostlight, on VOD and IFC Film channel, about a family coping with grief via a community Shakespeare performance]

    19. Babygirl – The incomparable Nicole Kidman gives a knockout performance as a CEO undergoing sexual awakening through an age gap affair with her intern (a spry Harris Dickinson) in Halina Reijn’s new work, also featuring fun needle drops by INXS and George Michael; playing now in theatres

    20. A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg (also writer/director) and Kieran Culkin are a marvelous mismatch as cousins on an odyssey to visit the Eastern hemisphere homeland of their late grandmother in a satisfying dramedy that’s also a take-down of trauma tourism; after a full festival circuit featuring everything from Sundance to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, this is cascading in limited release into theatres to coincide with awards attention for Culkin in particular

    21. Saturday Night – Jason Reitman’s real-time chronicle of the filming of the first 1975 episode of TV’s Saturday Night Live is a frothy, acerbic delight, with Gabriel LaBelle a standout as show runner Lorne Michaels, leader of a bunch of revolutionary improvisational misfits (LaBelle is also great in this year’s coming of age comedy Snack Shack); Saturday Night is ideal viewing for SNL‘s 50th season and is now on most video-on-demand platforms

    22. Nickel Boys – Director RaMell Ross takes the year’s biggest swing adapting the story of an abusive reform school in Deep Jim Crow South through point of view cameras representing two Black youth and the result is “you are there” moving; this is playing a limited awards consideration run in theatres

    23. The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Mohammad Rasoulof creates the year’s most remarkable protest film with one family’s domestic drama a stand-in for the oppressive Iranian regime; due to worries the Iran government would retaliate against cast and crew, the film is being released through Germany distribution and is playing a limited awards consideration run in global and domestic theatres

    24. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Documentary co-directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui showcase the superhero actor before and after he is paralyzed, and it’s a compelling and humane – and altogether human – journey through real emotions; now playing on MAX

    Honorable Mentions: The Osgood Perkins-directed creepy serial killer Longlegs isn’t as scary as marketed but very effective. And three LGBTIA+ romantic thriller Sundance finds, Ponyboi , Sebastian and Love Lies Bleeding, tell unconventional and memorable adventures.

    2024

    WWII-Era “Blitz”Handsomely Produced But Aimless

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    Wow, what a missed opportunity! Writer/director Steve McQueen’s promised epic Blitz (C) contains many stunning crafts, lush cinematography and powerful sound but is largely hollow at the center with generally passive primary characters not given much to do. With a WWII backdrop of air raids in 1940 England, a mother (Saoirse Ronan) and her biracial son (Elliot Heffernan) are separated, and a variety of Dickensian episodes take place as collective hopes of them being reunited are protracted. Ronan has rarely had such a minor performance, with little set-up to earn all the feels. The script does newcomer Heffernan little favors, a shame since his is a POV rarely described in history nor depicted on film. Harris Dickinson appears briefly with little to do; thankfully another supporting actor Benjamin Clementine gets some tender moments as a kindly Nigerian law enforcement officer mentoring the lost child. An opening sequence of fire hoses tangled like dueling snakes and a mid-movie moment with disaster in a nightclub seem to portend a stronger narrative impact, but most of the film simply feels old-fashioned and rote. There are near-musical numbers with little lift and a flood that looks like it was filmed in the bygone Catastrophe Canyon of Disney parks. This glimpse into history doesn’t live up to the creativity or vision from McQueen’s previous works or build on the template of Hope & Glory or Empire of the Sun; it’s a rare misstep from the auteur, lacking intended immersion and emotion.

    2024

    “A Different Man” Thinks It’s More Interesting Than It Is

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    This is another one of a trend of “miracle drug movies” with unseemly side effects, although writer/director Aaron Schimberg doesn’t ground his dark comedy in either the realm of the realistic or the fantastical in enough doses to keep his audience completely on the hook. The resultant movie, A Different Man (C), is full of interesting ideas, but the characters’ intentions have to shape shift to bend to the whims of his thesis. Sebastian Stan plays an actor with a deformed face caused by neurofibromatosis, and when he is treated to a cure giving him the matinee idol looks he craves, he inexplicably auditions for a part in a play loosely based on his own life pre-surgery. Renate Reinsve is the non-judgmental woman in his life who becomes playwright about his life; and soon another deformed man played by Adam Pearson enters the scene and further complicates their lives. It’s the kind of off-kilter meta satire Charlie Kaufman could fully commit to; alas, here the rug keeps getting pulled out, and the second and third acts become more tedious and preposterous. All three primary actors are committed to their roles and turn in interesting performances, even when asked to bend to the will of an untenable story. The music by Umberto Smerilli is a lovely complement to the tone and a standout, along with the make-up work. Ultimately the film’s potential as high comedy, searing drama or even a happy medium remains largely unfulfilled. 

    2024

    “Nickel Boys” a Stylish Lens on Historical Horrors

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    Tropes become tone poems and trauma gets a newly underscored point of view in a lyrical and gorgeously lensed screen epic based on a popular novel. RaMell Ross, acclaimed documentarian and now director and co-adapter of Nickel Boys (B), puts his camera at the center of his historical drama, and what is intended to place viewers in the shoes of his protagonists succeeds most of the time in creating breakthroughs of empathy while sometimes projecting a scholarly distance from its subject. The story follows two African American boys, Elwood and Turner (Ethan Cole Sharp and Brandon Wilson) who are sent to an abusive reform school called the Nickel Academy in 1960s Florida. The POV style means the audience is a stand-in for the boys, with immersive angles directed downward, action propelling forward and characters such as Elwood’s grandmother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and the school administrator (Hamish Linklater) talking directly to camera. It’s mostly a clever approach but also shortchanges the central duo of performances from getting their full power with few glimpses of their faces. Ross layers found footage and other cut-ins to provide additional context and instruction, and this flagging technique sometimes distracts the film from its urgency. Overall his bold approach leaps ahead of more conventional narrative features such as The Inspection, but the experiment isn’t as wholly successful as the on-screen alchemy of Origin or Moonlight.

    2024

    “Flow” is a “Cat”-ivating Animated Spectacular

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    The Latvian movie Flow (A) aka Straume) is an animated antidote and companion piece to Mad Max: Fury Road featuring assorted characters with survival on the mind careening on caravans toward a shared destiny. The characters in this human- and dialogue-free family adventure are all animals on a journey escaping an overpowering flood, and Gints Zilbalodis — director, co-writer, co-producer and co-musician — commandeers a master-class menagerie about navigating a world in crisis and the power of found family. The film follows a solitary animal named Cat who must find refuge and collaborate with other species on a boat after the deluge devastates their forest home. As the animals sail, often by boat, through mystical, overflowed landscapes, they overcome dangers while adapting to a transformed ecosystem. The beauty, scope and expression in this indie represent some of the most lovely animated work to ever reach the screen. The central feline is an utterly engaging protagonist, with each curious glance, curled nap, arched back, meow, yawn, hiss, leap or lurch amazingly authentic. Despite cats not loving water, this one becomes an avid fisherman to feed friends. The lavish world-building and thoughtfulness in rendering the ragtag ruffians including the resilient black cat, an organized ring-tailed lemur, a majestic secretarybird, a curious capybara and a spunky yellow Labrador demonstrate bountiful talent. Zilbalodis and team have crafted forces of nature including rushing torrents of water and flourishes of beauty including nature and man-made environments such as submerged cities with exquisite attention to detail. The filmmakers blend techniques of traditional cinema and open-world video games to create an immersive and dreamlike story. This gorgeous allegory takes viewers to a literal and metaphorical higher ground for greater empathy with lessons to impart for all ages. With a very quick running time of 85 minutes, be sure to stay for the brief post-credit sequence.

    2024

    Nicole Kidman is Phenomenal as “Babygirl”

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    Nicole Kidman famously made a pledge to work frequently with female directors, and the erotic drama Babygirl (B+), helmed by Helena Reijn, demonstrates exactly why such collaboration is so potent. From the first frame to the stirring conclusion, this movie successfully explores the long-simmering carnal desires of a powerful woman. As a CEO who becomes embroiled in an extramarital age gap relationship with one of her company interns (Harris Dickinson), Kidman is dynamite, showcasing vigor and vulnerability in intriguing doses. The movie is fascinating in its portrait of sexual and power dynamics, with many elements shocking and surprising. Amidst the foreboding and forbidden, there’s also fun and flirtation; and for children of the ’80s there are excellent montages set to INXS and George Michael tunes. Reijn leaves room for Dickinson to make distinct choices in his role-reversed portrayal; he’s fairly mesmerizing in his part. Only Antonio Banderas playing the oblivious husband strikes some curious notes, and there are also a few beats at the end of sequences when our heroine darts a silent soliloquy with her eyes that remove her from the realism. Despite the playful title or the perceived promise of conventional thrills, this is a serious film about the importance of female sexuality: frank, raw and insightful.