gortx
Joined Jan 2000
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Ridley Scott's long gestating, and rather unnecessary, follow-up to the Oscar winning original has fine production values, a capable cast, decent action but precious little spark in the David Scarpa's screenplay. Paul Mescal is the Gladiator of the week here, Lucius Verus Aurelius, a rebellious slave with a secret or two. He quickly catches the eye of Macrinis (Denzel Washington) who grabs on to him like a boxing promoter eyeing a champion (and lucrative) fighter. Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen are a power couple who share with Lucius a rebellious spirit (among other things).
Macrinis is the most interesting character by far, a Machiavellian schemer who manipulates his way through the levers of power with Washington chewing the Roman scenery with full 'Denzel' gusto, winking and glaring in rhythmic measures. Mescal (AFTERSUN) has proven to be a fine actor, but simply doesn't possess either the charisma or physical presence necessary to put much fear into his opponents. Nielsen has never been considered a powerhouse actress, and she flounders here - neither Scott's direction nor Scarpa's screenplay do her any favors.
The movie works best, unsurprisingly, when it's within the battle dome of the Colosseum - now, with Sharks! What elevated the original above the sword & sandal genre were the touches of emotional resonance with measures of poetry. Part Deux resorts to either outright clips from the original film, direct quotes or artificially flavored aping of key moments to well much in the way of passion. Excerpts from Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer's evocative score are welcome relief from Harry Gregson-Williams bland soundtrack.
On a pure blood and guts action scale, GLADIATOR II gets a pass. Washington is a fun villain and the scope of the project still impresses.
Macrinis is the most interesting character by far, a Machiavellian schemer who manipulates his way through the levers of power with Washington chewing the Roman scenery with full 'Denzel' gusto, winking and glaring in rhythmic measures. Mescal (AFTERSUN) has proven to be a fine actor, but simply doesn't possess either the charisma or physical presence necessary to put much fear into his opponents. Nielsen has never been considered a powerhouse actress, and she flounders here - neither Scott's direction nor Scarpa's screenplay do her any favors.
The movie works best, unsurprisingly, when it's within the battle dome of the Colosseum - now, with Sharks! What elevated the original above the sword & sandal genre were the touches of emotional resonance with measures of poetry. Part Deux resorts to either outright clips from the original film, direct quotes or artificially flavored aping of key moments to well much in the way of passion. Excerpts from Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer's evocative score are welcome relief from Harry Gregson-Williams bland soundtrack.
On a pure blood and guts action scale, GLADIATOR II gets a pass. Washington is a fun villain and the scope of the project still impresses.
RED ROOMS (2024) - Filmmaker Pascal Plante's French Canadian thriller sets up masterfully. An accused serial killer, Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), is on trial for the murder of three young girls, broadcasting his abominable crimes on the internet. Plante's screenplay begins with the Prosecutor (Natalie Tannous) delivering her opening statement in clear graphic detail. The viewer is on edge, apprehensive of what they are about to witness - the Prosecutor promises that the heinous videos will be played in court.
Plante's screenplay has a clever reversal: Instead of mainly being a courtroom drama it becomes more about two women who attend the trial. They meet while waiting in line before dawn to be sure they get one of the precious few seats open to the public. Clementine (Laurie Babin) is a murder groupie, convinced that Chevalier is innocent. Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariepy) is an edgy fashion model who doesn't tip her hand easily but is clearly consumed with the case. The relationship between the two women turns into an examination of how sensational criminal trials are filtered and absorbed in the social media age. Each actress is effective in their roles, but it is Gariepy's Kelly-Anne who dominates both their relationship and the audience's attention. She's a numbers and tech whiz who plunges deeper and deeper into the darkest corners of the web. Her compulsion endangers her professional career and creeps out Clementine to the point that she can't take it any longer.
Kelly-Anne's self-destructive mania is genuinely unnerving. Is she a dark angel obsessed by the case, or the devil incarnate? Garipy's performance has an intensity that never wavers, nor gives away her bleakest inner thoughts.
RED ROOMS is particularly disturbing because it never provides easy answers - only graver and more dreadful questions. Amazingly, Platte achieves this without showing the gory details (although the soundtrack is itself plenty horrific). That's what makes the set-up so ingenious - nothing that could be shown is as soul-sucking as what YOU imagine. He powerfully demonstrates that suggestion, acting and filmmaking (framed in an unusual 1:50 aspect ratio) don't have to devolve into 'torture porn' - which, ironically is what the movie is all about. Except this is real, and not some Friday night fun fright flick. And, that's what gnaws at the soul long after the final credits fade.
Plante's screenplay has a clever reversal: Instead of mainly being a courtroom drama it becomes more about two women who attend the trial. They meet while waiting in line before dawn to be sure they get one of the precious few seats open to the public. Clementine (Laurie Babin) is a murder groupie, convinced that Chevalier is innocent. Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariepy) is an edgy fashion model who doesn't tip her hand easily but is clearly consumed with the case. The relationship between the two women turns into an examination of how sensational criminal trials are filtered and absorbed in the social media age. Each actress is effective in their roles, but it is Gariepy's Kelly-Anne who dominates both their relationship and the audience's attention. She's a numbers and tech whiz who plunges deeper and deeper into the darkest corners of the web. Her compulsion endangers her professional career and creeps out Clementine to the point that she can't take it any longer.
Kelly-Anne's self-destructive mania is genuinely unnerving. Is she a dark angel obsessed by the case, or the devil incarnate? Garipy's performance has an intensity that never wavers, nor gives away her bleakest inner thoughts.
RED ROOMS is particularly disturbing because it never provides easy answers - only graver and more dreadful questions. Amazingly, Platte achieves this without showing the gory details (although the soundtrack is itself plenty horrific). That's what makes the set-up so ingenious - nothing that could be shown is as soul-sucking as what YOU imagine. He powerfully demonstrates that suggestion, acting and filmmaking (framed in an unusual 1:50 aspect ratio) don't have to devolve into 'torture porn' - which, ironically is what the movie is all about. Except this is real, and not some Friday night fun fright flick. And, that's what gnaws at the soul long after the final credits fade.
Denzel Washington continues to fulfill his promise of putting as many August Wilson on film as he can. He produces here and his sons John David and Malcolm star and direct respectively. Virgil Williams collaborated with Malcolm on the screenplay adaptation.
Wilson's story is about a pair of siblings, Boy Willie (J. D. Washington) and Berniece (a very fine Danielle Deadwyler) who have inherited the family heirloom of a piano which has been hand-carved depicting their ancestors. Gaining possession of the instrument involves some mysterious and unpleasant truths. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins and Michael Potts. It's a strong ensemble who help 'open up' the play to cinematic form. It doesn't fully succeed in that aspect, but the drama is never less than interesting.
THE PIANO LESSON is a ghost story, both in a literal and figurative sense. The bravura climax, complete with an exorcism, brings the movie to a boil. In the end, the spirits are no match for the Charles family's eternal bonds.
Wilson's story is about a pair of siblings, Boy Willie (J. D. Washington) and Berniece (a very fine Danielle Deadwyler) who have inherited the family heirloom of a piano which has been hand-carved depicting their ancestors. Gaining possession of the instrument involves some mysterious and unpleasant truths. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins and Michael Potts. It's a strong ensemble who help 'open up' the play to cinematic form. It doesn't fully succeed in that aspect, but the drama is never less than interesting.
THE PIANO LESSON is a ghost story, both in a literal and figurative sense. The bravura climax, complete with an exorcism, brings the movie to a boil. In the end, the spirits are no match for the Charles family's eternal bonds.