Review: “Sorry to Bother You"

Boots Riley. What a name. What a director. No, really. I didn't have the chance to review "Sorry to Bother You" at Sundance, but its upcoming release this coming Friday has me thinking this ambitious, wild movie deserves some praise on print.

This being Riley's first feature, an outrageous vision of political and societal resonance, "Sorry to Bother You" can be quite a mess at times, but that's part of its brilliance. Riley has his young, unemployed Oakland protagonist Cassius ("Atlanta" scene-sealer Lakeith Stanfield), living with his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), an artist, political activist, in his uncle’s minimalist garage. There literally is no room in there for more than two people. Cassius' luck changes when he gets a job as telemarketer for a company that wants him to be white on the phone, or at lest that's what his cubicle neighbor (Danny Glover) tells him. Use your “white voice” Glover exclaims in a small but hilariously on-point performance. And then, suddenly, Cassius becomes successful. the white voice works. He is promoted to the higher ranks of the company, a higher-echelon-ed firm that represents it,  where he sells contracts for hire. His success is so pronounced that he is given a high-level condo,  but not without alienating his activist girlfriend in the process, especially after Cassius is introduced to A controversial tech billionaire (Armie Hammer having the time of his life here).

Trust me, whatever the plot description I have given may sound like, the film gets crazier as Riley pushes it much further, piling subplot after subplot until the film damn-near collapses in its final frame. Activism, art, the media and the country's racism are front and center here as the director has a lot to say, maybe too much, but subsequently succeeds in giving us a movie that will most likely last. Riley invents his own kind of genre, one I truly haven't seen before or as Richard Brody recently called it "social-science fiction." In other words, "Sorry to Bother You" is Boots Riley's own brand of resistance. Bless his rebellious heart. [B+]

“Game Night" is a comedic gem

Another underappreciated movie so far this year.

"Game Night" has Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams playing game-loving married couple Max and Annie. They organize another night of Charades, and Pictionary, and Trivial and/or really just any game that would feed their, let's make it clear, unhealthy, competitive side. 

A comedy can only work if the on-screen actors share a talented knack for comedic timing and chemistry. That happens here with McAdams and Bateman, an unlikely comedy dream team that carries "Game Night" into glory. The supporting cast is great as well; Billy Magnussen as Ryan is hilarious, bringing his, always-changing, new fling to game night, this time it's Sarah (Sharon Horgan). Whereas Kevin and Michelle, the other married couple, played by Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunburry, are riotous fun, especially when Kevin learns that Michelle might have cheated on him with a celebrity during a brief breakup. Kevin suspects it's Denzel Washington and is relentless in trying to get a name out of her. 

Kyle Chandler plays Brooks, Bateman's more-successful-at-life brother, who invites the gang to his high-end house to play an nameless mystery game; The rules are simple, one of the contestants will be taken by mobsters, paid actors, and the rest will have to follow clues to save the hostages. Problem is, by sheer coincidence of course, actual mobsters (Danny Huston and Michael C. Hall) do show up at Kyle's and take him with them. That's when the movie really hits its stride, as we start to play the game ourselves, trying to figure out what's real and what isn't. 

Car chases, bar fights and guns do show up in some rather compulsively watchable action sequences, all staged by director's John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. However, it's Gary (a scene-stealing Jesse Plemons), Max and Annie's socially-awkward, divorced cop neighbor, who they always try to avoid inviting to game night, that is the comic peak of the movie. Plemons' creepy performance is filled with sad-puppy eyes moments where you truly feel for him, but other moments where he's damn-near creepy.

A personal highlight for me is the scene where Plemons suspects three bags of Tostitos in Max and Annie's shopping bags might mean they're having guests over for game night. Their response? There was a 3-for-1 sale, to which Gary replies: "How would that be good for the Frito-Lay company?" Awesome. [B+]

"Game Night" is now available on DVD and 4K Blu-Ray.

“Won't You Be My Neighbor" and the relevance of Mister Rogers in today's cynical world

I really hate when people say that we need a certain movie now, at this very moment in time, but that's exactly how I felt watching Morgan Neville's "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" or as some are calling it "The Mr. Rogers Doc." Yes, we live in a society filled with toxic cynicism, but a documentary on the sweetly endearing TV host Fred Rogers felt like such a breath of fresh air for this writer that I left the theater in a damn-near wondrous state. 

That's part of the magic that comes in watching this doc about the former ordained minister who managed to find a place in the Television time-capsule with his TV show aimed at kids. 1,765 episodes from 1968 to 2001. That's the impact Rogers had on a nation currently looking for its own identity. Rogers died of cancer at 74 more than 15 years ago, but, good God, we really need him now.

Neville is no slouch when it comes to making feel-good documentaries ("20 Feet From Stardom"), but this one is truly special. There's an effortless simplicity that comes in the delivery, as Neville tells us the story of a man that always thought about the fate and future of the country's children. You can even see it in the priceless clips the director has chosen in exemplifying Rogers' abundantly giving heart. His shows ranged from the death of a pet to even the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, which affected him greatly but reminded him of his duties, no, his purpose, to educating young tykes nationwide. 

At its core, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, was a rather easy show to make fun of, after all, there were no props, no effects, no colorful magic, nothing that was being broadcast on the other kids shows. No, it rather focused its attention on the small things in life, which, as we see, wind up being some of the most important lessons you could learn. Wearing his legendary Cardigan, Rogers' message could easily be heard in the opening song of his show: "So, let's make the most of this beautiful day/Since we're together we might as well say/Would you be mine?/Could you be mine?/Won't you be my neighbor?”

And so, the years passed and, despite mockery from nihilists,  Rogers turned into a formidable TV figure for the ages, a man with integrity, manners, a moral compass that might seem foreign to today's audiences. Hell, here was a middle-aged man playing with puppet characters on-screen and never ridiculing the moment, especially when the morose-looking Daniel the Tiger would show up, a character that, Neville shows us, represented a more lonely and angry Rogers in puppet form. Before becoming a minister Rogers ha to deal with relentless bullying in school, as an overweight kid nicknamed "Fat Freddy" by the school kids. 

Neville barely uses any soundbites from Rogers, who was said to be a rather private isolationist until his untimely death in 2003. 

However, what cuts the deepest in this beautiful document of the man is when Neville decides to tackle school segregation, the African-American experience and how it impacted Rogers in the most touching of ways. All over the country, black families were being ousted out of public swimming pools, which gave an infuriated Rogers the idea of inviting his show's black neighborhood cop (François Clemmons), to share a footbath on camera. Americans were shocked, but others were being swooned and educated in the themes of acceptance and friendship by the simple cleaning of a foot. 

Rogers' lack of cynism seems to have aged boldly and beautifully in today's narcissistic-filled media. Could a show like Mister Roger's Neighborhood really work in today's world, where even kids as young as 5 own an iPad? Probably not, but we sure could use him now, that's why Neville's film feels like a gift from the Gods above. The result is damn-near timeless.

‘Whitney’: Kevin MacDonald Delivers A Moving Portrait Of A Tragic Icon [Cannes Review]

Kevin MacDonald, director of the excellent Bob Marley documentary "Marley," no doubt knew the importance of the task at hand when he decided to tackle the rise and tragic fall of the iconic Whitney Houston. Houston's complex personality is what fascinates MacDonald most here, and he makes the most of never-before-seen archival footage to deliver an affectionate and deeply compassionate film that refuses to play it safe. My full review here.

‘Dogman’: Matteo Garrone’s Back With Ferocious Bite [Cannes Review]

I had a real kick watching Matteo Garrone's crime film 'Dogman," which was one of the very best movies playing in contention at this year' festival.  My full review at The Playlist.

Nadine Labaki’s ‘Capharnaüm’ Restlessly Moves Like An Uber-Realist ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ [Cannes Review]

After it screened, Nadine Labaki's "Capharnaum" was the frontrunner to win the Palme D'Or due to its rather pushy sentimentalism and the fact that it was directed by a woman. Well, regardless, it lost to "Shoplifters," but was given the third place prize. I liked a lot of what I saw in this film, especially young Zain Alfreea, whose scenes here are remarkable for an 11 year old actor. My review.

Cannes: “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" is the best Terry Gilliam movie in more than two decades

Make no mistake about it, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” is a love letter to art, to those that dare dream and how it can also lead us to madness, but the best most joyous kind. The overt symbolism is delivered here with a wink from Terry Gilliam, who returns to his roots of satirical comedy with this fantastic film. The best way to compare Gilliam’s achievement is to a delirious dream happening before your very eyes. It is an uncompromising work, purposely delivered as a mess, I mean, how could it not be, with the tumultuous journey this film has had these last 25 years, Gilliam, quite frankly, doesn’t give a damn about failing. And so, he invites us to check logic at the door before entering the world of ‘Quixote.” Explanations take a backseat for the moment-to-moment chaos happening before our very eyes. Which results in some of the most personal filmmaking he’s done in more than two decades, with more than a few references to art and the creative here. In other words, this is a rejuvenation. Terry Gilliam, the auteur, is back because, it seems, like taking chances and possibly failing clearly excites him again. “Quixote” is a fearless movie that is easily his best work since his streak of films in the ’90s. He infuses his film with Gilliam-esque mayhem and set-pieces too outrageous to describe in a single passage. Mainstream audiences might not be pleased, but this is the Gilliam we used to love, the go-for-broke creative that refused to adhere to conventionality. 

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