The Zone of Interest
Oblivious Zone
PRAISE: This film about The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig, striving to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp is right up there with any other harrowing film,book graphic novel and documentary about The Holocaust I've ever watched or read.
Sandra Hüller,has the standout performance as Hedwig. She tries to be as oblivious as she can be as she indulges in the pleasures of her home even though horrific things are happening right next door. But in one telling scene visually you can see that she knows her casual attitude about everything happening around her is wrong. Her husband Rudolf (
Christian Friedel) is no better in a stunning and unnerving scene in which he talks about killing people to her as if he's making up a shopping list. There are several standout moments like this but what director Jonathan Glazer puts together visually easily surpasses what is said by the people in the film. Even what he does audibly rattled my nerves. What Hitler ingrained into the hearts and minds of those he deemed superior is definitely brought out in the film. Even when speaking of people that the characters were once associated with but are now in the concentration camp are easily dismissed. I encourage everyone to read the story behind the characters in the film because it's very interesting. Sobering imagery right down to the last frame.
PROBLEMS: There is some foreshadowing in the film that I truly wish had played out in the film. The film definitely has a bit of a slow pace here and there.
Scale of 1 to 10 an 8
Drive-Away Dolls
Detour after Detour
PRAISE: This movie reminds me of all of the 2 a.m ,can't sleep or just woke up to movies I've watched over the years. There's not much to it but there's enough likeable faces in it to keep me interested. The story about two women embarking on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla. However, things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Ethan Coen continues to try to go at it sans his brother Joel and create something outside their brotherly partnership and I admire him for doing so. I also admire the cast including
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp and Matt Damon committing fully to their roles that include raunchiness and salty dialogue. There are some funny visuals and Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan are the standouts and have nice moments together.
PROBLEMS: To much of the movie feels like filler and with such a short running time that's a big no no.Margaret Qualleys southern accent is way over the top.
If the psychedelic moments were taken out plus minus the credits this movie would have been barely over sixty minutes. There are so many scenes in which I felt the characters were waiting for their que to make a monolog. The character development is extremely low and the film needed more time and it was missing some key hurdles to make it more believable that an easy resolution wasn't staring the characters in the face.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 5
Mea Culpa
Jagged w/o Edge
PRAISE: Though the plot has been done before in good films like Jagged Edge the smart attorney falls for their client even though something is a bit off about him or her. Tyler Perry manages to insert some new life into the genre.....even though very briefly. He sets up a good foundation of character as singer-actor Kelly Rowland as Mea Harper, a Chicago defense attorney, takes on accused of murdering his girlfriend client Zyair (Trevante Rhodes) She has marital problems and familial ones but pushes on through.
I bought into her determination and laser focused manner with her client even though he slowly but surely attempts to seduce her. The acting from the two leads was pretty good at the beginning of the movie. Good soundtrack. It's beautifully shot.
PROBLEMS: After the first Fourty minutes I stopped buying into the seduction and how conveniently things were set up in the story. A couple of things happen and a character is supposed to be smitten and then some. The funny thing is Perry is usually somewhat better at setting up seduction for one of his characters but this time around it just feels like Mea is reacting out of anger instead of lust.
There are plot holes when it comes to the evidence against Zyair one part was possible but the other didn't make any sense or left me thinking how did they get that part of the evidence ?!? Other problems are things that happen in the film just by chance,instead of coming up with something more clever or believable the movie asks the audience to just go with it. After a revelation the music after it is so over the top it got a lot of unintentional laughs out of me.The final act is just silly based off of one thing sprouts silly moments and some of the most robotic and wooden acting I've ever seen in a movie tied to a an over the top plot twist. A lot of moments are predictable and clichéd.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 4
