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

The final month of the year is coming down the chimney, and it is tightly decorated with thrillers, family flicks, and Oscar hopefuls. Here now is a preview for the notable big-screen releases for December. 

 

 

 

 

GODZILLA MINUS ONE – This Japanese produced monster film arrives to U.S. shores as the 37^th film in the GODZILLA franchise. It is produced by Toho Studios, who created the franchise way back in 1954. 

 

 

POOR THINGS – Acclaimed director Yorgos Lanthimos (THE FAVOURITE), returns with this horror-comedy about a young woman (Emma Stone), who is brought back to life by her guardian. The cast includes Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. 

 

 

 

SILENT NIGHT – Legendary action director John Woo (FACE/OFF, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2), returns with this thriller about a family man (Joel Kinnaman), who goes into the underground to avenge his son’s death. It features almost no dialogue. 

 

 

 

THE ABYSS 4K – James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi thriller gets a one-night big-screen release to mark the long-awaited 4K home release. 

 

 

 

THE CELLO – Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW), directs this horror film about a cellist who owns a cello which creates havoc. It stars Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell. 

 

 

 

FAST CHARLIE – Pierce Brosnan stars as a hit-man in this thriller, which is also the final screen appearance of the late great James Caan. Morena Baccarin co-stars. 

 

 

 

WONKA – Timothee Chalamet stars as Willie Wonka in this origin tale about the famed, fantastical chocolate maker. It is directed by Paul King (PADDINGTON). 

 

 

 

AMERICAN FICTION – Jeffery Wright stars as a writer dealing with death, murder, and growing old. 

 

 

 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM – The final film for DC Comics before the big reboot in the near future. Jason Momoa returns as the king of the undersea. 

 

 

 

MIGRATION – This animated adventure follows a flock of mallards taking a vacation of a lifetime. It is produced by Illumination Studios (DESPICABLE ME), and stars the voice talents of Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Carol Kane, and Danny Devito. 

 

 

 

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT – George Clooney directs this drama about the U.S. rowing crew at the 1938 Olympics in Berlin. Joe Edgerton (WARRIOR), stars. 

 

 

 

THE COLOR PURPLE – Steven Spielberg produces this remake of his own 1985 film, which this time returns to its musical roots. It stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Corey Hawkins, and Halle Bailey (this year’s LITTLE MERMAID). 

 

 

 

FERRARI – Famed director Michael Mann (HEAT, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS), directs this biopic about the personal and professional struggles of the founder of the equally-famed Ferrari brand. It stars Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the first month of 2024. 

 

 

 

 

A Reel Review: NAPOLEON

Every year, there arrives a film based on actual persons or events that gets bashed for not sticking true to history. This is always an unfair bottom-line critique, as all that should matter is what we see on the screen, and objectively, any viewer with zero knowledge of the history should be able to take it in without spending hours in a library doing background research. Such is the case for famed director Ridley Scott’s NAPOLEON. 

 

Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), rises from an artillery officer to eventual Emperor of France by way of his military plotting and victories. He weds Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), whom he hopes will produce him an heir. 

 

Directed by Ridley Scott, NAPOLEON covers nearly 30 years of the life of one of history’s most famous figures. With such a wide scope, the film moves briskly and checks off the encyclopedia chapters with moments of drama. There is no central plot from A to Z, and the film moves episodically, from Napoleon’s early victories to his major ones, to his political manuvering that eventually lands him a golden crown. 

 

One connecting thread throughout NAPOLEON is his fiery relationship with Josephine. Despite his many efforts in the bedroom (which are nearly comical), Josephine is unable to bear a child for him. This leads to the most drama of the film and their relationship is one of Napoleon’s central drives. His letters home to her during his campaigns serve as a narration and provide backdrop and summaries of his battles, and her presence hangs heavy over everything. NAPOLEON becomes more of a love story than a war film. 

 

Ridley Scott still brings the fire when the film does have to move to the battlefields. The scenes are stunning in scope and execution, and will have audiences ducking for cover when the cannons ignite. Many scenes are based on famous paintings of the man himself and are brought to life in magnificently. Scott never shies away from the thousands upon thousands of lives lost during Napoleon’s wars, providing a pointed perspective on what the man was doing. 

 

Joaquin Phoenix does a lot of heavy lifting here. He and Scott thankfully avoids any “short-man” jokes, and instead focuses on the (ahem), mental shortcomings of the man; his insecurities are not glossed over and Phoenix delivers them. Vanessa Kirby is flat-out amazing. 

 

At only 157 minutes, NAPOLEON doesn’t hit upon every single battle or victory in the man’s historical career (some are merely mentioned), and his military genius is often set aside for more dramatic, character-driven bits. Some of this may drive history buffs crazy, but if we are to look at this as a movie (checks notes, it is), there is a thrilling, engaging, and in-places breathtaking film that has a lot to say about little dictators that make it big. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

 

A Reel Review: WISH

Walt Disney Animation Studios is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year (read Reel Speak’s blog HERE). The famed studio that has enchanted us with Mickey, Simba, and Elsa is marking the event by doing what they do best: an animated film. They do so in the form of WISH. 

 

In the kingdom of Rosas, 17-year-old Asha (Ariana DeBose), auditions to be the apprentice of King Magnifico (Chris Pine); a powerful sorcerer who gathers wishes from the people and decides which ones to grant…or deny. When Asha disagrees with the King’s methods, she wishes upon a star…which drops out of the sky and becomes her companion. 

 

Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, WISH is a magical and enchanting film that feels right at home in Disney’s rich catalog of kingdoms, princesses, music, and childhood whimsy. When Asha’s new companion, a magical flying star, arrives at the kingdom, Magnifico sees it as a threat and looks to capture its power. This leads to some magical hijinks as Asha enlists her friends and family for help. Some wishes are granted across the kingdom, including animals suddenly being able to speak and other people’s true natures revealed. 

 

The plot is simple, but it is all held together by three strong elements. The first is the Disney nostalgia train. The film is peppered with and built on Disney’s history with characters, places, and objects inspired by their past films. Some of the references are really on the nose (a little too much in places), and others are very subtle and sneaky and can only be caught by the most educated in Disney lore. The second is the animation style which is a hybrid of Disney’s old hand-drawn animation and modern-day CGI. There is a new, yet familiar charm to it that works. And third, of course, is the music and songs which are spectacular. 

 

The voice-cast is very inspired, and everyone puts in their best. Ariana DeBose is a delight, and Chris Pine surprises as the King and does a decent job in singing. Alan Tudyk is a blast as always. 

 

WISH relies a lot on what has come before, and there is an argument to be made that without the easter-egg hunt, there wouldn’t be much of a film. But that would truly be missing the point of WISH: this is a celebration of Disney animation and all they have accomplished in the last 100 years. No other studio in history has earned the right to do a film like this, and on its own, it’s a wish come true. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel 20: ELF and BAD SANTA

This month marks the 20th anniversary of two films that have become holiday classics: ELF and BAD SANTA.

 

The first to come down the chimney was ELF. Directed by future Marvel and STAR WARS helmer Jon Favreau, ELF told the tale of a human raised by Santa’s elves, who discovers his true origins and heads to NYC to find his biological father.

 

The original script for ELF came from David Berenbaum way back in 1993. Jim Carrey and the late Chris Farley were considered for the role of Buddy the Elf. The original script had a dark tone, and Favreau changed things to be a homage to the old Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.

The role of Buddy the Elf would go to Will Ferrell in his first post-SNL film. The rest of the cast would be filled by James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Peter Billingsley. Upon release, ELF would be a critical and box office smash, and today it is considered to be one of the best Christmas films of all time.

 

Later in the month came the dark comedy BAD SANTA. Directed by Terry Zwigoff, BAD SANTA was about a department store Santa who was actually a professional thief, and a sex-addicted alcoholic.

 

The idea and original script for BAD SANTA was developed by film titans Joel and Ethan Coen. The brothers would eventually move to the role of executive producers. The script was described as crass and anti-Christmas and rejected by Universal Pictures. For those same reasons, it was picked up by Bob Weinstein of Miramax.

 

The lead role was won by Billy Bob Thornton, who beat out veteran actors Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson, and Robert DeNiro. The rest of the cast would include Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, and John Ritter. The film would be Ritter’s final role, and was dedicated to his memory.

 

BAD SANTA would be a box office and critical hit, and over the years has become standard viewing on holiday watchlists. 

 

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ELF and BAD SANTA were two holiday films that were released before Thanksgiving. This was done not only to get a jump on the season, but to avoid the box office juggernaut that would be THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING which was set for December. Despite this, and the stark difference between the two films, they have both moved onto the status of holiday classics. ELF is loaded with heart, is clever, and carries an absolute fearless sense of humor. BAD SANTA is indeed crude and nasty, and not for everyone's holiday tastes, but even Scrooge is bound to get a hearty laugh out of it. This holiday season, sprinkle some candy on some pasta, curl up with a big bottle of cheer, and let the laughs fly like a reindeer. 

 

A Reel Review: THE MARVELS

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), does a team-up film, a fair amount of backstory is required viewing. After all, every AVENGERS film is assembled of THOR, IRON MAN, and CAPTAIN AMERICA big-screen adventures. The 33^rd MCU film, THE MARVELS, also requires us to know a lot from the films, and for the first time…is tied directly to two MCU streaming shows: WANDAVISION, and MS. MARVEL. 

 

Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), has her powers entangled with her similar-powered counterparts Kamala/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), which causes the three of them to swap places when said powers are used. As they try to untangle with the help of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the powerful Kree warrior Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), begins stealing resources from other planets to save her own homeworld. 

 

Directed by Nia DaCosta, THE MARVELS is an intergalactic adventure spanning locations across the galaxy in a head-spinning cosmic romp. The stepping-off point is Dar-Benn, who is looking to save her homeworld from extinction…which involves hijacking intergalactic jump-points (picture subways in space), and using them to transport atmosphere, oceans, and even solar-power from worlds tied to Danvers’ past. It’s a revenge tale, but the need to save her planet is a welcome change to the old Wrath-of-Khan plot. 

 

The real heart of the film is the team-up. The character dynamics of the new team of Danvers, Monica, and 16-year-old Kamala are very well done. Danvers and Monica have a history (as explored in CAPTAIN MARVEL from 2019, more homework), and Kamala is in fan-girl mode as she idolizes Danvers. The three together are great fun, and the body-swapping is a blast. 

 

As a cosmic adventure, THE MARVELS does not hold back in boldly going to strange new worlds. A planet where no one speaks but communicates via song lets the MCU dip into musical territory, and a small army of space-kittens provide some absolute howlers. It’s hokey in places, but it’s so much fun and handled well there’s not much to gripe about. 

 

The cast is excellent throughout. Brie Larson and her new co-stars have great energy together, and Kamala Khan just lights up the screen. Samuel L. Jackson is still a heavy-hitter as Fury. Kamala’s family from her streaming series makes the trek to the big screen (Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh), and although they start off as too much sitcom, they earn their place and provide an emotional punch at the end. 

 

The real treat is THE MARVELS handles most of the backstory by some well-timed flashbacks and other clever ways to fill in the blanks, and anyone coming into the film without seeing the streaming series won’t be too lost. Once that is out of the way, there is a ton of fun to be had, and the consequences of this film have huge consequences going forward, with new X-factors entering the MCU. That makes THE MARVELS required viewing.

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel 20 - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

 

“This ship, is England…”

 

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD. 

 

Directed by Peter Weir and adapted from three novels in author Patrick O’Brian’s 20-novel series, MASTER told a seafaring tale of adventure during the Napoleonic Wars, with Captain Jack Aubrey leading his ship on a long chase against a cunning French adversary. 

 

The film was a personal project of 20^th Century Fox executive Tom Rothman, who recruited Peter Weir to take the helm. Weir had commanded several acclaimed films, including WITNESS (1981), DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989), and THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998). The screenplay was drawn from O’Brian’s books, but matched the events in no one novel. 

 

Only two years removed from his iconic, Oscar-winning turn in GLADIATOR, the role of Captain Aubrey would go to Russell Crowe. The ship’s surgeon and Aubrey’s closest confidant would be landed by Paul Bettany, and Billy Boyd from THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003), would also join the crew. James D’Arcy, with the MCU still in his future, came on board as well. 

 

Great lengths were taken for authenticity, and filming would take place at sea onboard an 18^th-century reproduction ship, and in a 20-million-gallon water tank at Baja Studios in Mexico, which had been built for the filming of TITANIC (1997). All of the actors were put through a “boot camp” in 18^th century naval life. The score was composed by Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon, and Richard Tognetti.

 

Upon release, MASTER would not earn the no.1 spot at the box office, coming in second behind the holiday comedy ELF. However, it would sail on to be a moderate hit, finishing the year as the 21^st highest earner worldwide. At the 76^th Academy Awards, it would be nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Weir. It would win for Best Sound Editing and Cinematography. Weir would also win a BAFTA for Achievement in Directing. 

 

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In 2003, there were two sailing ships at sea on the big screen commanded by a Captain Jack. The later one in the year was MASTER AND COMMANDER with Crowe, and the early one was Disney’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL with Johnny Depp at the wheel. While MASTER would be the awards-season favorite, PIRATES would take home the loot (fourth-highest earner of the year). 

 

While MASTER AND COMMANDER was certainly overshadowed in 2003 by the rollicking, family-friendly adventure, over the years it has rightfully earned more respect. The film is gorgeous to look at, and the commitment to realism (very little CGI), can nearly be smelled off the screen. The character moments between captain, crew, and ship surgeon add a heavy heart, and the trials the crew go through are harrowing. This Blogger, and many others consider MASTER AND COMMANDER to be one of the best films of this millennium. Pirates may be fun, but this one commands a masterful adventure. 

 

“The simple truth is, not all of us become the men we once hoped we might be…”

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

The biggest movie news around November doesn’t concern an upcoming release, but a non-release with Warner Bros. delaying the hotly anticipated DUNE: PART TWO into next year. Heartbreaking as that is, it might not be missed…as November is stuffed like a Fall turkey. Here is what’s on the table for the massive, second-to-last month of the year. 

 

 

 

PRISCILLA – Elvis returns to the big screen for the second year in a row, this time in a biopic based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley. Cailee Spaeny stars as Priscilla, and it is directed by Sofia Coppola. 

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS LATER – Meg Ryan returns to the big screen, acting and directing in this comedy about two exes who are stranded together in an airport. David Duchovny co-stars. 

 

 

THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER – Daisy Ridley (THE FORCE AWAKENS), stars in this psychological drama about a daughter trying to outsmart her fugitive father. The cast includes Ben Mendelsohn and Garrett Hedlund, and it is directed by Neil Burger (LIMITLESS ).  

 

 

THE MARVELS – The 33^rd (!) film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has Brie Larson reprising her role as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and teaming up with new powerful friends to stop a galactic threat. The cast includes Teyonah Parris (Marvel TV’s WANDAVISION), Iman Vellani (Marvel TV’s MS. MARVEL), and Samuel L. Jackson back as Nick Fury. 

 

 

THE HOLDOVERS – Paul Giamatti reunites with his SIDEWAYS director Alexander Payne in this comedy-drama about a disliked teacher at an academy who has to supervise students unable to go home for the holidays. 

 

 

DREAM SCENARIO – Nicolas Cage stars in this comedy-drama about an unremarkable professor who becomes a celebrity when he starts appearing in people’s dreams. 

 

 

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES – A prequel to THE HUNGER GAMES films which give us five entries from 2012-2015. Rachel Zegler (WEST SIDE STORY), leads the way. 

 

 

NEXT GOAL WINS – Taika Waititi (JOJO RABBIT), directs this comedy about a football/soccer coach (Michael Fassbender), sent to improve the American Somoa national team. 

 

 

THANKSGIVING – Eli Roth (HOSTEL), directs this slasher/horror film about a serial killer slashing away on Thanksgiving. Patrick Dempsey stars. 

 

 

TROLLS BAND TOGETHER – The third installment in the TROLLS movie franchise and a sequel to TROLLS WORLD TOUR (2020). 

 

 

 

NAPOLEON – Famed director Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR, ALIEN), helms this historical epic about the infamous French leader. Joaquin Phoenix leads the way with Vanessa Kirby. 

 

 

WISH – Walt Disney Animation studios delivers this musical fantasy about a young girl who senses something wrong with her kingdom’s ruler. The voice-cast includes Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk. 

 

 

MAESTRO – Bradley Cooper stars and directs in this sweeping biopic about famed composer Leonard Bernstein. Carey Mulligan co-stars. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the final month of 2023.