Reel Facts & Opinions: The Future of DC Film

All cinematic eyes turned to the world of DC Comics today, as new DC overlords James Gunn and Peter Safran finally gave us a look at their initial slate of new films (and streaming shows), that will (for the most part), re-invent and unify the universe populated by DC Comics superheroes. 

 

Described as “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters”, the new slate of films jettisons the line of continuity started by Zack Snyder in 2013 with MAN OF STEEL; a line that has been a mess with flops, bombs, hasty reboots, cancelled movies, and buckets of controversial decisions, leading to the longest train wreck in cinema history. The new slate of films, starting with a new Superman movie, will populate the same universe and take on a more cohesive line of storytelling. However, the outlying universes established by THE BATMAN (2022), and JOKER (2019), will remain intact and independent. 

 

Here’s what’s coming to the Big Screen:

 

SUPERMAN LEGACY 

The film that will launch the new age for DC. Gunn is writing the script personally and may direct. A tentative release date of July 2025 has been set. 

 

THE AUTHORITY

Feel free to say, “the what?”, because This Blogger certainly did. Based on the Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch comic series, this has been described as a team of anti-heroes who takes things into their own hands. 

 

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

And now comes our fourth version of Batman since 2008. Based on Grant Morrison’s Batman comic, this will bring a new Bat and the Bat-family to the big screen, with a version of Robin described as an assassin before meeting Bruce Wayne. 

 

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW

In what will not be a continuation of the SUPERGIRL TV series, this film will introduce a Supergirl that did not have the advantages of a proper upbringing that her cousin Clark Kent had. It is said to be set in outer space. 

 

SWAMP THING

In what seems like another shot at this creature (there was a live-action TV series in 2019 cancelled after one season, and a campy, yet still popular film from 1982), this will serve as an origin story. 

 

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Bottom Line: Very much a mixed bag. We expected new films for Superman and Batman. A Supergirl film was unexpected but certainly welcome. No one on this planet seems to know who The Authority is, and a Swamp Thing film seems right in the ballpark of Gunn’s usual zany style. The multiple universes are a concern with THE BATMAN and JOKER and is promised to confuse audiences, and when counting the streaming series, we’re looking at four different lines of continuity. If you’re going to start over, fine…START OVER, and many entrenched DC fans may be boycotting yet another version of Batman and Superman. Despite new leadership at the helm, the new direction still reeks of the old way of doing things at DC; when one of their movies would flop (SUICIDE SQUAD, JUSTICE LEAGUE), they would just remake it a few years later. This time, they half-ass decide to re-do their whole slate. The trainwreck may be continuing, but at least this time we have someone trying to pull the brake. 

 

 

 

 

A Reel Opinion - Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards, which will honor the best in 2022 cinema, were announced this morning. Here’s how it all landed in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious. 

 

THE GOOD

-The nominations were hosted by former Best Actor nominee Raiz Ahmed and GET OUT star turned-producer Allison Williams. Both were excellent. 

 

-The biggest surprise of the day came from the Netflix-produced adaptation of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, which pulled in a total of nine…including Best Picture and Best International Film. 

 

-Right behind ALL QUIET was THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN and ELVIS with eight each, followed by Steven Spielberg’s THE FABELMANS (7), and TAR and TOP GUN MAVERICK with six each. 

 

-Angela Bassett became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe actor/actress to earn an acting nomination, with a Best Supporting Actress nod for her part in BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. 

 

-There were a total of four (4) films in the now-required ten (10) Best Picture nominees that earned more than $100 million at the box office. This is a step away from the last 20 years of smaller films getting all the attention, but it also shows that the Academy is willing to honor popular films (or in other words, movies that people actually see). 

 

THE BAD

-James Cameron did not get a nomination for Best Director, despite his AVATAR sequel’s success with critics and audiences. 

 

-TOP GUN: MAVERICK did not get a nomination for Best Cinematography, despite the film’s outstanding visuals and accomplishments in actually filming inside fighter jets. 

 

-We have to wait until March 12th (47 days from now), for these nominations to become awards. Any excitement earned in the general public and on social media will certainly wane by then. Academy Board: shorten the gap. No more than one month. 

 

THE GLORIOUS

-John Williams earned his 52nd career nomination for his score for Spielberg’s THE FABELMANS. 

 

-Judd Hirsch, who got a Best Supporting Actor nod for THE FABELMANS, has his first nomination in 43 years…with his first being in 1980 for ORDINARY PEOPLE. 

 

-Go Irish! Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson both receiving their first nominations, alongside their BANSHEES director, Martin McDonagh. 

 

-Cate Blanchett joins an elite club of Marlon Brando, Glenn Close, Judi Dench, Jack Lemmon, Peter O'Toole, and Geraldine Page in scoring eight career acting nominations. 

 

-ELVIS cinematographer Mandy Walker becomes the third woman in history to be nominated for Best Cinematography. 

 

-As expected, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE earned the most nominations with 11. The sci-fi fantasy film, which has been in the Best Picture conversation since early in the year, ticked all the right boxes with Best Director (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinart), Screenplay, Editing, and four (!) acting nominations: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis (!!). The right film leads the way, and that’s how it should be. 

 

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The Oscars will be awarded March 12th.

 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Films of 2022

The Year in Film 2022 may forever be known as the year of the sequel. With theatres still trying to recover from the pandemic, studios seemed to lean heavily into films based on well-established franchises. Of the top 10 box office earners of the year, eight of them were sequels. Three of those films belonged to Marvel, and three others based on decades-old franchises JURASSIC PARK, TOP GUN, and BATMAN. Audiences seemed to respond to films driven by visual effects and spectacle, which may (or may not), be a good sign for the big-screen experience moving forward. 

 

Off the screen, we said farewell and adieu to beloved actors, actresses, and filmmakers including Sidney Poitier, Douglas Trumbull, Ivan Reitman, Alan Ladd, Jr., William Hurt, Fred Ward, Ray Liotta, Phillip Baker Hall, James Caan, David Warner, Paul Sorvino, Nichelle Nichols, Olivia Newton-John, Anne Heche, Wolfgang Petersen, Henry Silva, Kevin Conroy, Kirstie Alley, Louise Fletcher, Robbie Coltrane, Vangelis, and Angela Lansbury.  

 

Back on the screen, the turds of the year included MORBIUS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, and HALLOWEEN ENDS. DC delivered another stinker with BLACK ADAM, but then hit a home run with THE BATMAN. The whodunit genre showed up with three murder-mysteries, and celebrated filmmakers such as James Cameron and Steven Spielberg showed they can still connect. It was a very good year, and these are the Best Films of 2022 that this Blogger saw unspool: 

 

 

 

 

10. BLONDE

There were two biopics made this year celebrating the lives of two of the most revered figures in entertainment history. The first came in this controversial picture about Marilyn Monroe, as played by a delightfully tragic Ana de Armas. Directed by Andrew Dominik, BLONDE works as a Hollywood fairy tale, not presenting itself as factual history but as a once-upon-a-time yarn. The cinematography is stunning, Ana de Armas is heartbreaking, and the ensemble cast is perfect. 

 

 

 

 

9. THE PALE BLUE EYE

Christian Bale plays a detective in 1830’s New York, teamed up with a young Edgar Allen Poe to catch a murderer. Harry Melling, who plays the young Poe, forever steps out of his HARRY POTTER shadow in a remarkable performance…and manages to act circles around the always-solid Bale. The plot is full of twists and turns, including a humdinger at the end which makes us immediately want to re-watch. Excellent viewing for armchair detectives, and the best of the three major whodunits that were released this year. 

 

 

 

 

 

8. ELVIS

Baz Luhurmann delivers a visual stunner and a surprisingly emotional biopic on the life of Elvis Presley. Austin Butler slips into the blue suedes of the King and recreates the man in a thrilling performance. ELVIS celebrates the man more than it analyses him, and that’s perfectly okay. 

 

 

 

 

7. THE NORTHMAN

Robert Eggers drops this epic revenge tale about a Viking prince seeking payback for the death of his father. Heavily inspired by Norse mythology and driven by an outstanding performance by Alexander Skarsgard (son of Stellan), THE NORTHMAN isn’t just blood-and-guts but a journey of humanity. And what other movie has a climax of two naked men swordfighting on top of an active volcano? 

 

 

 

 

6. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Leave it to James Cameron to find a way to use his own massive film AVATAR as a stepping-stone for something even bigger. The long-overdue return to Pandora delivered an expected masterpiece of visual effects, and a surprising emotional wave in a film that harks back to the epic cinema adventures of old. 

 

 

 

 

5. THE FABELMANS

Steven Spielberg directs this loose biopic of his own life, documenting his early years as a teen filmmaker. Such a project may come off as self-serving or back-patting, but Spielberg frames it as a love letter to cinema, which is something that all movie lovers can relate to. Every kid can see themselves in this. 

 

 

 

 

 

4. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

The sleeper hit of the year. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert direct this sci-fi adventure about a Chinese-American immigrant (Michelle Yeoh), who discovers she has the power to travel between alternate universes. Labeled as an absurdist-comedy, there is plenty of madness to be had as the story jumps from universe to universe with wacky characters and situations, but the film keeps things grounded by working as a family drama. 

 

 

 

 

 

3. TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Tom Cruise reprises his role as hot-shot fighter pilot Maverick in this legacy sequel that re-defines big-screen cinema. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and shot with a commitment to practical effects, Cruise actually sits in the cockpit of fighter jets and screams through the skies in breathtaking form. It’s mind-blowing on many levels, and sneaks in an emotional rabbit-punch that lands with cheers and tears. 

 

 

 

 

 

2. THE WHALE

The poster doesn’t lie: Brendan Fraser puts in the performance of a lifetime in this drama about a morbidly obese man in the final days of his life trying to make things right with his rebellious teen daughter. Darren Aronofsky directs this powerhouse that is the true definition of raw emotion in a film that can be described as nothing short of incredible. 

 

 

 

 

1. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN 

Martin McDonagh directs this drama set in 1920’s Ireland about two lifelong friends (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) who find themselves at an impasse when one of them abruptly ends the friendship. McDonagh uses the broken relationship as a clever and subtle metaphor for the Irish Civil War; two men that are one island but forever fractured. BANSHEES has excellent performances from Gleeson, Farrell, and the supporting cast of Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. The script is witty, funny, tragic, and the photography of Ireland is gorgeous. But what BANSHEES does better than anything else this year is that it uses very little spectacle; where other top films in 2022 used an assault of bombast, BANSHEES uses down-to-earth human drama. Sometimes spectacle is best when its unseen. 

 

 

 Reel Speak's Top 10 Best Films of 2022

1. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
2. THE WHALE
3. TOP GUN: MAVERICK
4. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
5. THE FABELMANS
6. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
7. THE NORTHMAN
8. ELVIS
9. THE PALE BLUE EYE
10. BLONDE

 

 

 

A Reel Review: THE WHALE

Acclaimed writer and director Darren Aronofsky has never held back in throwing harpoons at his characters; from Mickey Rourke’s aging athlete in THE WRESTLER (2008), to Natalie Portman’s obsessed ballerina in BLACK SWAN (2010). For his latest film, his new target is Brendan Fraser’s character in THE WHALE. 

 

Charlie (Fraser), is a morbidly obese English professor teaching online courses, cared for by his friend and nurse Liz (Hong Chau). As his health deteriorates with only days to live, he reaches out to his teen daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), who hates his guts for leaving her and her mother (Samantha Morton), for his gay lover. 

 

Directed by Aronofsky and adapted from the play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, THE WHALE is a closed-quarters drama with a ticking clock. Charlie has moved into congestive heart failure, refusing to go to the hospital, and only wants to make amends with his rebellious and madly-in-anger-with-the-world daughter. Things are compounded when Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a New Life Church missionary, shows up at his doorstep to try and save him from eternal damnation. 

 

Backstory is the key element at work here. Charlie has a past history with (obviously), his daughter and ex-wife, and the New Life Church which has him resolute in not wanting to be saved. There’s a lot to unpack as Ellie attacks Charlie for coming out as gay and leaving her, and Liz just wants to get Charlie to a doctor. Past histories are revealed nicely, and sometimes tragically, and makes THE WHALE an emotional ride that cuts deep. 

 

Making it all work is the stripped down, raw emotion. The film does not dip into cheesy, hard-to-swallow Hallmark movie territory, and is instead firmly set in the real world. Characters jab at each other with un-filtered honesty, and there is not a line of dialogue or argument here that doesn’t feel real. THE WHALE carries its roots as a stage play to great effect; other than a few quick flash-back shots the story never leaves Charlie’s dark and cramped apartment, and the non-traditional, old TV-style box-ratio gives it an even more claustrophobic vibe. 

THE WHALE leans heavily into Charlie the character. As an online English professor (who keeps his webcam turned off at all times to hide his appearance), he is well-equipped to help Ellie with her school writing assignments, but ironically, not so well equipped as a parent. Aronofsky gives Charlie a slight obsession with Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, which seems too on-the-nose at first, but eventually earns its relevance in the film as it goes on. 

 

At the center of it all is a remarkable and breathtaking performance by Brendan Fraser. Despite wearing a 300-pound prosthetic suit to turn him into a 600-pound man who can barely move, Fraser acts his own soul out of that shape. He does a lot with his eyes, giving an often-heartbreaking window into his soul. As great as he his, he is matched perfectly by the rest of the cast. Sadie Sink is outstanding, as is Hong Chau. Ty Simpkins (the little kid from IRON MAN 3), is a revelation and shows he’s ready to move into adult acting. Samantha Morton is also incredible. 

 

With the stripped-down, raw emotion and humanity at work, along with some un-nerving visuals that most of us have never seen before (and will never forget), THE WHALE is not an easy watch. It pulls no punches in its presentation of the struggles of a shut-in, nor does it care if the characters are drowning in their own lives. But those who hang on for the journey will be rewarded with a wallop of an emotional ending. Driven by excellent direction and Fraser’s startling performance, THE WHALE is a catch. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Review: THE PALE BLUE EYE

After his Oscar-winning film CRAZY HEART (2009), writer and director Scott Cooper has spent a lot of time with characters who fall to the dark side. From Johnny Depp’s gangster in BLACK MASS (2015), to two Christian Bale films: OUT OF THE FURNACE (2013), and HOSTILES (2017). For 2022, he re-unites with Bale for another journey into the deep cockles of the human soul with THE PALE BLUE EYE. 

 

In 1830, the widowed, alcoholic, and retired detective Augustus Landor (Bale), is asked to solve the hanging and mutilation of a West Point cadet. While investigating, he enlists the help of cadet and budding poet Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling), to assist. 

 

Directed by Cooper and based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Louis Bayard, THE PALE BLUE EYE is a bleak whodunit set firmly in a young country that has not yet entered the Civil War. Landor is the right man for the job despite his personal issues, drinking too much and in mourning over the loss of his wife and teen daughter. He broods his way through clue after clue in his pursuit of the killer; a killer that kills one cadet after another and removes their hearts. Landor gets help from a young Poe, whose insight into human frailty has him convinced that the killer is more than just a madman. 

 

It’s a murder mystery but at the same time an examination of the human heart. The motivations behind the killer’s actions take a long while to be revealed (as they should be), but once out in the open makes sense for the time period. With a young Poe in the mix, the man who would eventually become the father of the American whodunit, we would expect to see an easter-egg or two teasing the many works that he would eventually write. Thankfully, Cooper reigns himself in here, and although some subtle visuals are there, the film doesn’t bother working as a Poe Prequel. 

 

Cooper films a gorgeous looking movie with the thick white snows, grey skies, and startling blue waters. Pacing is far from breakneck, and is in no rush to get anywhere. Howard Shore’s score is excellent. 

 

Acting is outstanding. Christian Bale gives us an intelligent character with dry wit counterbalanced by his constant mourning. As good as he is, he is overshadowed by an electric performance by Harry Melling. The former HARRY POTTER actor steals the show with energized wit and charm, and lights up the screen every second. The rest of the ensemble cast is also very good: Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gillian Anderson, and Robert Duvall. 

 

THE PALE BLUE EYE goes through a lot of twists and turns to get to its revelation, but just when we think the film is headed for the exit, it knocks us on our butts with a whopper of a turn…which changes everything we had just viewed for the past 100 minutes, and makes us immediately want to watch again for the clues. No raven will be yelling “never” on this one. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it

A Reel Review: TÁR

In 2001, director Todd Fields delivered his first feature film, IN THE BEDROOM, which earned him critical acclaim and several Oscar nominations. His follow-up, LITTLE CHILDREN in 2006 was also highly praised. He then took a long hiatus from the big screen, and finally returns in 2022 the with psychological drama TÁR. 

 

Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), is a celebrated composer and the first female conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. As she prepares for an upcoming live recording, she faces professional and domestic issues including her family life and accusations from an ex-lover. 

 

Written and directed by Field, TÁR immediately feels like a real-world biopic, as it sets up a very realistic character living in today’s world. Lydia is considered one of the best composers and conductors of our time, having been one of the few to join the EGOT club (winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar, and Tony Awards), and now preparing to finish a grand, life-long recording. But unlike the standard biopic of rise, fall, and rise again, TÁR focuses on just the fall. Lydia’s troubles range from a confrontational student, a dismissal of her long-time assistant conductor, showing favoritism towards a female celloist (whom she starts an affair with), and accusations from a past lover. This strains her personal life; her marriage to Sharon (Nina Hoss), and her career as social media picks up on her troubles.

 

Field is working on themes of how we judge artists when they are in and out of the spotlight, and the lengths those artists will take to preserve their art and their careers. Lydia does a lot of lying and sneaking around, but the work done to show her commitment to music makes it nearly understandable. The avalanche of problems Lydia faces seems overkill in places, but by mid-movie we get the feeling that either something bad will befall her, or that she may do something bad on her own. 

 

Field works with a non-traditional structure that gives TÁR a very unique identity. Things unspool in a linear fashion, but major events do not show the immediate after-effect, and instead jump way ahead to long-term consequences. Hints of character backgrounds are given and leaned into, and not given their final reveal until much later. This makes the viewer have to work hard to keep up and fill in the blanks on their own. Many scenes go on for a very long time and it often feels like an isolated stage-play. There is also a sub-plot of Lydia hearing strange noises while alone that is never clearly fleshed out. 

 

While TÁR may be frustrating in places, it shines in others. The conducting scenes are tremendous and truly give us the weight and power of a full orchestra. Some scenes are done in impressive and hard-to-believe long takes. 

 

Also impressive is the acting. Cate Blanchett is a powerhouse; strong at first and gradually fragile as she unravels; proving that she is the best working actress today. The rest of the cast is also excellent; Nina Hoss, Mark Strong, Sophie Kauer, and Julian Glover. 

 

TÁR, for most of its 157 minutes, feels like it’s going to end on an unhappy note for Lydia. While she does wind up in a personal hell, it feels proper and certainly earned. TÁR is worth a viewing due to Blanchett’s amazing performance, but don’t be surprised if the non-traditional structure leaves a sour note or two. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it  

 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2023 - Episode I

The first couple months of the year are generally considered to be Movie Siberia, where films not fun enough for the Summer and not nearly good enough for a Fall/Winter Oscar run are sent to either die or hopefully make a few bucks. But here and there we get some gems, along with some late 2022 films going into a wider release. Here are the notable big-screen releases for January: 

 

 

M3GAN: Horror factory Blumhouse Productions delivers this clever thriller about an android doll who gets too smart for its own good. Allison Williams (GET OUT) stars. Read Reel Speak’s review HERE.

 

 

HOUSE PARTY – In this remake of the 1990 comedy, two morons (Jacob Latimore, Tosin Cole), decide to throw a party at LeBron James’ house while he is away. 

 

 

PLANE – Crappy action-film actor Gerard Butler stars in this thriller as a pilot of a commercial plane who crash-lands on a hostile island. 

 

 

ALICE, DARLING – Anna Kendrick returns to the big screen in this thriller about a woman trying to get out from under the abuse of her boyfriend. 

 

 

THE SON – This drama, which counts as a late-releasing 2022 film, serves as a prequel to the 2020 Oscar-winner THE FATHER, and stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, and Anthony Hopkins. Florian Zeller returns to direct. 

 

 

WOMEN TALKING – This drama also counts as a 2022 film and hits a wide-release this month. It deals with an isolated community of women who has their faith shaken when they discover the crimes of their own. It stars Frances McDormand, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Ben Wishaw. 

 

 

INFINITY POOL – In this sci-fi/horror film, a couple arrives at an island resort to discover all sorts of horrors. It stars Alexander Skarsgard (THE NORTHMAN), and Mia Goth. It is directed by Brandon Cronenberg (son of David). 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the month of February. 

 

 

 

A Reel Review: M3GAN

The story of Frankenstein’s monster, beginning with Mary Shelly’s 1818 novel, has served as a stepping-off point for exploring the idea of man’s creations turning back on us. The 1931 film brought the idea to the big screen, and even the mighty Marvel took a swing at it with AGE OF ULTRON in 2015. Here in 2023, the idea turns back to its horror roots with M3GAN. 

 

After her parents are killed in a car crash, young Cady (Violet McGraw), is sent to live with her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), who is working on new artificial intelligence-driven toys at a major toy company. When Gemma finds herself unequipped for parenting, she delivers M3gan, (Model 3 Generative ANdroid), a life-like walking, talking, learning, and thinking robot-doll. 

 

Directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by horror-film factory Blumhouse Productions, M3GAN unfolds exactly how we would expect; with the M3gan android becoming too smart for its own good and eventually causing mayhem. What makes it work is that the film is firmly rooted in real-world problems; with Gemma finding herself over her head in taking care of a child. She goes with what she knows in relying on tech to solve her issues in pairing her niece with her new-fangled creation. The more time Cady spends with M3Gan, the better the product becomes…which gives Gemma an out as a new parent and an in for her corporate bosses. 

 

As a horror film M3GAN needs to scare or at least get under our skins, and it does this nicely. The doll herself is creepy in every way, from her singing and dancing to eventual menace. Shocking scenes are done very well, and the film uses a minimal amount of gore to excellent usage. There is also a balance of comedy here, and there are certain scenes we are not sure if we should be laughing or not. M3gan the doll, using a combination of practical effects and CGI…is very convincing. 

 

M3GAN works like a well-oiled machine in nearly all categories except for the acting…where nearly everyone comes off bland. Allison Williams seems to be stuck in one gear, while her corporate boss (Ronny Chieng), has the charisma of a copper wire. Young Violet McGraw, however, is very good for her age. 

 

M3GAN does a fine job in exploring themes of our over-reliance on tech and issues facing new parents, and never beats us over the head with it. Modern-day gadgets are taken to new levels that we can see naturally occurring, and even when the film stretches the realm of believability, its commitment to realism makes it work. M3GAN turns on us like any little monster-creation should. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it