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The latest film releases include The Naked Gun, Bad Guys 2, Together, and Folktales. Weighing in are William Bibbiani, film critic for The Wrap and co-host of the Critically Acclaimed Network podcast, and Monica Castillo, freelance film critic and senior film programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center.
The Naked Gun
Liam Neeson plays Frank Drebin, Jr., a detective who tries solving a murder case so his police department won’t shutter.
Bibbiani: “Liam Neeson was a stroke of genius because his whole career, especially … the last 15 years or so, have been just one, no nonsense, gruff, tough guy who solves his problems with violence… And he just plays that same guy here, except now, everything is completely ridiculous. … It is a mile-a-minute, just rapid-fire jokes and a shocking number of them not only land, but land really hard. There's a bit in the middle where Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, their love story finally coalesces, and they have a romantic weekend together. And I don't want to ruin it, but the movie completely changes genres for about four minutes. That sequence is absolute pure cinema, like Ingmar Bergman would be proud. It's so brilliantly funny.”
Castillo: “I can't say enough good things about Pamela Anderson. She really stands out on her own. I'm here for the career renaissance. For Anderson, she has a great solo singing moment where she takes the stage … she holds her own. … So I love that they are giving Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson their own times to shine in this very absurd comedy.”
Bad Guys 2
Bad guys try to become good guys after they get out of prison. However, they’re pulled into a heist organized by bad girls.
Castillo: “It's riffing on this … Oceans 11, Reservoir Dogs kind of crime group that then tries to do the right thing, but gets into all kinds of hijinks. So it's a lot of fun. It's family-friendly with a mix of Looney Tunes antics. … But it's also colorful and action-packed. So keep the kids entertained.”
Bibbiani: “There's a bit of a fallacy there in the idea that adults can only be entertained on a different level than kids. And I think Bad Guys 2 is gorgeously animated. It's zippy. The cast is really, really great. There's a lot to enjoy there. But to that point, I did find myself distracted by something, and I don't think it hurts the film, but I do think it's in there. And it's odd, because a lot of sequels to a movie that has a happy ending, they have to backtrack on it a bit, like the bad guys, they saved the day, everyone loves them, and then now in the sequel, they went to prison, and now they can't get a job because everyone still thinks of them as bad guys. And I'm watching this, and I'm like, ‘This is about prisoner recidivism,’ and that's depressing, actually, that they can never escape that. And I don't know if that's necessarily the most cheerful fodder for a kid-friendly movie, but I think they do a good job of making that entertaining.”
Together
A couple’s relationship is floundering when they encounter a mysterious force and their bodies begin to merge.
Castillo: “It is absolutely a horror movie. I hope no one goes in expecting a nice romantic comedy. … You start the movie already emotionally tense. You can see the fractures where they are, things are not going great, but they are going to move to the country. So now, in isolation, away from their friends, things are probably not going to get better. But then mysterious forces start happening, and then their bodies start to commingle. … It is a bit gross, but I really was also impressed with the emotional storyline of this couple in a tough spot, now have to reckon with how their relationship is going in the midst of a real full-on body crisis. … It's tied along the idea of a toxic codependency.”
Folktales
This documentary follows teenagers who spend a gap year dog-sledding in the Norwegian Arctic.
Bibbiani: “There is a school in Northern Norway where kids want to take a gap year, basically, between high school and college. … And they go to this folk school to basically learn self-reliance, living off the land, how to camp in the frozen tundra, how to care for dogs, and dogsled. And that's basically it. You keep expecting some really dramatic thing to happen, like, ‘Oh no, there was an avalanche, and I'm stuck out here with my dogs.’ That's the Hollywood version. It's not a terribly dramatically intense film, but it's a very reassuring film. I think it's a film that dog lovers will certainly appreciate in particular, but really, just anyone who has ever fantasized about like, ‘Hey, haven't we lost touch with literally everything?’”
Castillo: “It's a very cinema verité style. We're observing like a fly on the wall. We're letting these things happen, and their cameras are just capturing them as they happen. … There's really gorgeous nature cinematography here that we're getting immersed in this environment in Northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. It's not anywhere I think I may ever end up in my lifetime. But wow, it's really impressive to see. … The kids are really lovely, and you're seeing them grow up in front of the camera, but in their own way and in [sic] their own terms.” |
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