“Thoroughbreds”
Originally intended as a play, “Thoroughbreds” is an astute debut for playwright Cory Finley, and a perfect translation from stage to screen, given the dialogue-driven screenplay and limited locations throughout the film. A morality tale without a moral compass is not something easy to pull off, but Finley finds a gifted way to tell a story about privilege and how dangerous it can be when those who don’t understand said privilege find themselves careening off the paved path that has been created for them, while the characters in and of themselves learn nothing about this. It’s as sharp, coldly-calculated, and nihilistic as a Yorgos Lanthimos film, but doesn’t feel like an imitation in any way. As Olly Lyttelton’s “A-” review mentions after listing a couple of other influences, “But like the best movies by first-time directors it repackages those influences into something that feels fresh.” It also helps that Finley – in addition to a natural gift on where to place the camera – has exceptional lead performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke. What could have been easy caricatures of rich, white suburban privilege, these two provide the characters with a balance of sociopathy, sinister tendencies, and humanity. No one is overtly evil, and no one is a cartoon, but they have the shades that make you both understand, and recoil.– RO
“Hereditary”
The buzz has been white-hot for Ari Aster’s directorial debut since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and has done nothing but grown since (and as Jordan Ruimy says in his “A-” review from Sundance, “This is a remarkable, triumphant and confident picture by Aster, who gives the film an almost meditative-like sensation as you feel every space you’re in, every emotion, every moment of grief”). Some of us over here at The Playlist try to play hyperbole police, but in this instance, we’re turning in our gun and badge. “Hereditary” is exactly as good as you’ve heard. If a panic attack manifested itself in the form of a feature film, it would be “Hereditary.” If a movie stood at the gates of Hell and Satan himself turned around and said, “Absolutely not,” it would be “Hereditary.” It’s as if Aster found a way to tap into every single person’s collective fear and put it out on screen. And despite all that, the film is anchored by the fact that it’s a stirring, haunting drama about grief and despair. Not only that, but you also have Toni Collette who – while we don’t put a lot of stock in the Academy Awards – deserves every award under the sun. Her performance is manic, tragic, subtle, explosive, and any other superlative you can think of. This is one of the most unforgettable theatrical experiences that has come along in quite some time, and you owe it to yourself to see it there, where it is meant to be seen.– RO
“First Reformed”
If you need a priest after seeing “Hereditary” (which A24 smartly suggested to someone on Twitter), then, well, maybe “First Reformed” isn’t the most soothing chaser, but it is a rewarding one. Paul Schrader’s time and influence in the film industry makes him a titan, but not one who is impervious to scrutiny (see “Dying of the Light,” “The Canyons,” and “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,” among others). But, it’s those failures in Schrader’s oeuvre that has allowed him to make a film that is simultaneously self-reflective and broadly critical of the world around him as “First Reformed.” Much like the Jesus he envisioned in his screenplay for Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” Ethan Hawke’s Father Toller – a priest of what is essentially a tourist church – finds himself in a crisis of faith over – amidst many things – the hypocrisy of what the church stands for and his inability to continue serving those lies. Schrader’s film carries a heavy burden to be about faith, grief, environmentalism, self-critically looking back on his own life and career, and staring annihilation directly in the face, but Hawke’s outstanding performance and a glacial pace that allows everything to sink in works greatly to the film’s benefit. As Rod mentions in his “B+” review, “Schrader’s career has spanned fifty years with extreme highs and lows, but perhaps only a filmmaker of this age could create such a profound summation of a lifetime looking at lost souls, misgivings of belief, and enslavement to sin. A highly-concentrated meditation on devotion, a sharp commentary on the moral hypocrisy of the Church, and in the end, a hopeful statement of redemption through love, “First Reformed” sees Schrader return to his roots, and through the aesthetics of grace, find his way home.” – RO
“Loveless”
Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev is yet another gift to global cinema. Hot off the heels of “Leviathan,” a profound and morose take on contemporary Russia, which competed for the Palme d’Or in 2014 at Cannes, he returns with another devastating emotional drama in “Loveless.” This one is harrowing and centers on a couple going through a difficult who divorce must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments. “Loveless” is about our civilization’s turn into an unemotionally numb place which is extra hard to watch when you consider film contemplates the burden of taking care of your own child and if/when your own happiness is ultimately more important. This is the downer as an art form, a feel-bad film of gargantuan reach and effect, and a brave, horrified commentary on a whole nation,” Jessica Kiang wrote in her review. She also called it “punishing and pristine. In other words, a difficult, but must-watch drama. – RP
“Isle of Dogs”
Before delivering heaps of praise onto Wes Anderson’s lovely and beautifully-realized “Isle of Dogs,” it would be irresponsible to not address the controversy surrounding the primarily white actors voicing characters in the Japanese setting. While it doesn’t derail the film, it admittedly becomes a bit egregious when an American exchange student named Tracy (Greta Gerwig) starts calling for a revolution and becomes the primary mouthpiece for largely Japanese students. A small misstep for the meticulous auteur, but “Ghost in the Shell” this isn’t. Japanese characters are played by Japanese actors. Anderson takes a page out of Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer” and uses a device where the Japanese and English-speaking characters can translate to one-another. The love for the country itself oozes out of every single frame (the bento box sequence is a stunner). Next to “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Dogs” is Anderson’s most ambitious film, and like that film, moves away from his flagship familial dysfunction to make something that is about something bigger than the other handmade worlds he creates. The freewheeling comedic tone juxtaposed by big, melancholic, emotional jabs is one of his strongest, and themes of abandonment, oppression, and deep-seeded political corruption not only work, but go far above the call of duty for a Wes Anderson joint, much less a stop-motion animated films primarily staring dogs (okay, the “abandonment” part is not new for Wes, but still). You can’t tell anyone how to feel a certain way when a film like this is put under a microscope, but Jessica Kiang puts it very well in her “B+” review: “As far as representation goes, the stunning, brimful, extraordinary “Isle of Dogs” can’t really be said to do anyone’s culture a disservice. Except cat lovers, who should probably mount a boycott.” “Boycott” may be too strong a word, but as a cat lover, it’s hard to deny that they get an unfair shake in this film.– RO
