Hardcore Henry
by George Wolf, MaddWolf.com
We wake up with Hardcore Henry underwater in a Russian laboratory. A hot woman in a lab coat gets us up to speed as she attaches our new arm and leg. She tells us she’s our doctor, and our wife, and though our memory will come back in time, right now we have to run from the endless parade of people who want us dead.
And so we are off on a journey of mayhem and discovery, as writer/director Ilya Naishuller crafts a technically savvy “first person” action fest where every shot is framed through Henry’s eyes.
The lab is raided by a gang of baddies, with Henry and wife Estelle (Haley Bennet) making their escape as she pleads with him to understand what he’s capable of and to fight back accordingly. He does, with continually timely assistance from the mysterious Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), whose answers only lead to more questions about Henry’s identity, bio-engineering and the evil plans of warlord Akan (Danila Kozlovsky).
The action is often relentless, sometimes brutally violent, and eventually tiresome. The film essentially becomes a first person shooter game set to autopilot, much more successful as a technical achievement than resonant narrative.
Naishuller deserves ample credit for his vision, and for getting it on film with impressive precision. There’s hardly a dent in the integrity of his first person device, with set pieces that run from dazzling (a shootout set to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” chief among them), to downright weird (Copley’s song and dance routine), and the entire production well-earning its advisory for viewers prone to motion sickness.
For all the technical merits, seeing through Henry’s eyes doesn’t connect us to the character or pull us any deeper into the action. Ironically, the effect is just the opposite, and Hardcore Henry becomes as fun and captivating as watching someone else play a video game.
The Boss
by Rachel Willis, MaddWolf.com
The Boss is a comedic story of one woman’s fall from the top and her struggle to regain her position in the world.
Melissa McCarthy is Michelle Darnell, a high powered executive who writes a brand of self-help books. Her fall comes at the hands of former lover and business rival, Ronald (Peter Dinklage).
Kristen Bell is Michelle’s long suffering assistant, Claire, who is forced to find a new employer when Michelle is incarcerated for insider trading. The early setup foretells the redemption of Michelle, though the ways in which it happens are unpredictable and provide the bulk of the movie’s many jokes.
As a vehicle for Melissa McCarthy, The Boss has a number of laughs. Sharp wit, foul language, and bodily humor combine to offer an appealing repertoire of McCarthy’s talents. However, the movie itself falls flat. The supporting cast is underutilized. Kristen Bell, herself a witty and capable actress, is lackluster against McCarthy. The chemistry is non-existent, and the two characters never seem to foster a believable relationship.
The screenplay doesn’t know what to do with anyone other than McCarthy. Though a decent portion of the film revolves around Bell’s character, her scenes independent of McCarthy are mildly tedious.
Peter Dinklage, another actor with an incredible range of talent, has a woefully small amount of screen time, and though he plays Michelle’s former lover who both hates and still wants her, he has no sexual chemistry or tension with McCarthy. The interaction between the characters frequently feels forced.
The only actor who plays well of off McCarthy’s humor is Cedric Yarbrough, the “yes man” Tito, who appears briefly in the beginning of the film, but sadly, doesn’t return after Michelle’s release from prison.
On the whole, the film is disjointed. What could be a cohesive story of Michelle’s fall and attempted rise back to the top is unfortunately punctuated with scenes that don’t really fit the narrative: a comic book style slow motion fight scene between girls from two warring Girl Scout-like troops, a scene where Michelle has a bad reaction to puffer fish, and others.
Despite the movie’s flaws, it’s not without appeal. Ella Anderson who plays Claire’s daughter, Rachel, is a delightful foil to Michelle’s brash and sarcastic nature. Her emotions based on Michelle’s actions come across as genuine. Her joys and pains are felt by the audience. McCarthy’s humor and flair carries the film in places where in another’s hands it might suffer.
It’s a shame so many of the other characters are without appeal, as The Boss could have been a much stronger comedy.
Midnight Special
by Hope Madden, MaddWolf.com
Get to know Jeff Nichols. The Arkansas native is batting 1000, writing and directing among the most beautiful and compelling American films being made. His latest, Midnight Special, is no different. But then again, it is very, very different.
You should know as little as possible going into this film because Nichols is the master of slow reveal, pulling you into a situation and exploiting your preconceived notions until you are wonderfully bewildered by the path the story takes.
Suffice it to say, Nichols mainstay Michael Shannon, as well as Joel Edgerton, are armed men in a seedy motel. They have a child in tow (Jaeden Lieberher – wonderful). Local news casts a dark image of the trio, but there’s also a Waco-esque religious community looking for the boy, not to mention the FBI. So, what the hell is going on?
Nichols knows, and he invites your curiosity as he upends expectations. The film toys with the clash between logic and the supernatural, not unlike the themes of Nichols’s masterpiece Take Shelter (also starring a magnificent Shannon). While moments of Midnight Special will feel more reminiscent of memorable films in the SciFi vein, what this filmmaker does with his subject is beautifully novel.
The film, like all of Nichols’s work, is deeply rooted in traditions and atmosphere specific to the American South, and the filmmaker boasts a deep and easy skill as a storyteller. He’s also truly gifted with casting.
Lieberher, who showed amazing natural talent in 2014’s St. Vincent, again offers a beautifully restrained central figure. Edgerton and Kirsten Dunst are likewise wonderful, both turning in nuanced performances that reflect Nichols’s uncanny way of dealing with the extraordinary in the most naturalistic way.
But Michael Shannon, a remarkable talent no matter what film he graces, anchors the film with a heartbreaking, award-worthy performance.
Midnight Special is just another gem of a film that allows Nichols and his extraordinary cast to find exceptional moments in both the outlandish and the terribly mundane, and that’s probably the skill that sets this filmmaker above nearly anyone else working today. He sees beyond expectations and asks you to do it, too.
You should.
