Movie/TV Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of “The Retirement Plan” (Productivity Media)

 

After a brief release in theaters, Nicolas Cage’s newest action-comedy “The Retirement Plan” is now streaming.

The story begins in Miami with a heist that goes terribly wrong. As a result, Jimmy (Jordan Johnson-Hinds) and his wife Ashley (Ashley Greene) are in possession of an incriminating flash-drive that mobster, Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) promised to give Hector (Grace Byrne), who heads an organized crime syndicate.

Desperate, Ashley hides it in the backpack belonging to her 11 year-old daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) and puts her on a plane to the Cayman Islands with instructions to find a man named Matt (Nic Cage), who turns out to be her grumpy grandfather.

Wearing a Hawaiian shirt and reeking of liquor, scraggly-haired Matt resembles a derelict. Long estranged from Ashley, he doesn’t even know he has a granddaughter. He used to be in Special Forces, working as an assassin for the government, but he has no intention of giving up his peaceful beach-bum lifestyle,

Holding Jimmy hostage, Donnie then dispatches his Shakespeare-loving henchman Bobo (Ron Perlman) and General (Ronnie James Hughes) to accompany Sarah to retrieve the flash-drive.

So what happens? Imagine a ruthless ‘John Wick’-like hitman drowning himself in drink on an island for 30 years and then coming out of retirement

So how did Canadian writer/director Tim Brown (“The Cradle”) get Cage to star in this obviously low-budget crime-thriller? Apparently, Cage was intrigued with playing an older character like the granddad and Brown continuously urged him to improvise on the family theme.

Living on a sunny ‘Covid-free’ tropical island for several months in 2021 was also an inducement since there was a 16-day quarantine. Plus, Cage became friends with Ron Perlman while filming “Season of the Witch” (2011) and they enjoyed hanging out together.

FYI: Busy Nic Cage has appeared in six (6) other 2023 movies: “The Old Way,” “The Flash,” “Renfield,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Dream Scenario,” and“Butcher’s Crossing.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Retirement Plan” is an escapist 6, available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video and/or Vudu.

Susan Granger’s review of “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Paramount/Apple TV+)

 

Master storyteller Martin Scorsese’s harrowing epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” relates an American true-crime drama, set in the 1920s.

Adapted from David Grann’s nonfiction 2017 best seller, the ambitious, solidly structured screenplay by Eric Roth and Scorsese focuses on the ruthless murders of members of the Osage Nation whom the U.S. government forced out of Kansas to relocate on 2,300 acres if barren land in what is now Oklahoma.

Until the 1890s, no one realized that the ‘barren land’ was teeming with oil, making the Indigenous people wildly wealthy. According to records, the tribe took in more than $30 million, the equivalent of more than $400 million today. They had more money per capita than any other populace in the United States.

When Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a W.W.I Army veteran, disembarks from a train in the Osage boomtown of Fairfax, he sees oil derricks everywhere, pumping ‘black gold.’ Local men are driving Pierce Arrows and riches abound.

Gullible Ernest – with his admitted weakness for women – has come to live with his conniving, cattle rancher uncle, William ‘King’ Hale (Robert DeNiro), who has ingratiated himself with the Osage and fluently speaks their language.

Lizzie Kyle (Tantoo Cardinal) is an elderly Osage widow with four daughters: Mollie (Lily Gladstone), Minnie (Jillian Dion), Rita (Janae Collins) and Anna (Cara Jade Myers). Soon, susceptible Ernest woos and weds wary, dignified Mollie (who is diabetic, requiring insulin injections) and he sires her children.

Each Osage woman has ‘headrights,’ meaning a share in the tribe’s Mineral Trust; when she dies, her rights pass to her next of kin – like her grieving white husband.

By 1925, a stealthy, systematic “culture of killing” has developed, attracting the attention of President Calvin Coolidge and the F.B.I.’s J. Edgar Hoover, who dispatches former Texas Ranger Tom White (Jesse Plemons) from Washington, D.C. to investigate the ugly, unsavory exploitation and sordid, sinister genocide.

Then in the early 1930s, Hoover gave a radio show permission to do a dramatic broadcast about how his fledgling crime fighter solved the tragic Osage murders, making Tom White the first G-man to garner nationwide publicity.

When DiCaprio optioned Grann’s book, he was set to play White. But after an early ‘table read’ and resolution to rewrite the script from a different perspective, he decided to play deluded Ernest Burkhart instead.

Credit Martin Scorsese, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, production designer Jack Fisk, and costumer Jacqueline West for immersing audiences in authentic Osage traditions, vivid pageantry and spiritual tribal customs. The $200 million budget is up there on the screen, culminating with Ilonshka dances and drumming.

As an inevitable 2024 Oscar contender, look for nominations for Scorsese, DiCaprio, De Niro and transcendent newcomer Lily Gladstone, who is of Blackfeet and Nimiipuu heritage.

My primary reservation centers on the sprawling film’s three-hour-26-minute length. Granted – Scorsese has a compelling, multi-faceted tale to tell – but there should have been an intermission.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a nefarious 9, now playing in theaters; it will eventually stream on Apple TV+.

Susan Granger’s review of Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar” and three additional Raoul Dahl short stories (Netflix)

 

In the past few weeks, Netflix has quietly launched Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar” and three additional Raoul Dahl short stories.

Each is a fanciful fable drawn from the extensive ‘idea’ files that eccentric, cardigan-clad, curmudgeonly storyteller Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) kept in Gipsy House, his isolated ‘writing hut’ adjacent to his home in Buckinghamshire, England – where he wrote “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda.”

Set in the 1930s, “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar” introduces a self-absorbed, scheming gambler (Benedict Cumberbatch) who learns a method of meditation that gives him X-ray vision to see through playing cards, launching him on a casino-hopping career that causes him to question his very existence. It’s 40 minutes long.

Next there’s “The Swan” recalling a macabre bullying incident that becomes lethal; then “The Rat Catcher” about a bizarrely feral exterminator; and finally “Poison,” set in India, where an inscrutable British officer believes that a highly poisonous krait snake is sleeping on his stomach – each running 17 minutes.

This whimsical cinematic anthology is the creation of Wes Anderson, who became intrigued by the emotional truths in Raoul Dahl’s work after adapting his novel into the Oscar-nominated, stop-motion animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009).

Stumped on how to translate Dahl’s jottings to the screen, Anderson decided to have the four principal actors (Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade), playing various characters, narrate the author’s adroit descriptions and their actions directly into the camera at a rapid pace with deadpan directness.

Anderson’s inventive, precisely calibrated contrivance works, along with analog & antiquarian visual touches supplied by fastidious production designer Adam Stockhausen, mischievous cinematographer Robert Yeoman and precise composer Alexander Desplat,.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar” and other tales score an enchanting, enigmatic 8, streaming – one after another – on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (Paramount+)

What’s extraordinary about “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which has launched its 10-episode sophomore season, is how boldly this newest sci-fi franchise entry evokes the original “Star Trek” series that I fell in love with back in 1966,

It’s basically the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23^rd century, delving into the origins, backstories and personal challenges facing familiar characters.

Ten years before rakish, risk-taking James T. Kirk commanded the starship, there was charming, confident Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), who realizes that life-as-he-knows-it is limited; a grim fate awaits him in the future.

(Pike’s injury is detailed in a two-episode pilot called “The Menagerie” in the original series’ first season. Back then, Pike was played by Jeffrey Hunter and his Number One was Majel Barrett, who married producer Gene Roddenberry.)

At Pike’s side is young Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), struggling with reconciling his half-Vulcan/half-human heritage. Pike’s Number One is steely Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), whose genetically enhanced Illyrian ancestry has been kept secret from the United Federation of Planets.

The rest of Pike’s crew includes no-nonsense Security Officer La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), troubled Doctor Joseph M’Benga  (Babs Olusanmokun), flirtatious Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), intrepid pilot Lt. Erica Ortega (Melissa Navia), and fresh-out-of-Starfleet-Academy Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), a linguistic specialist.

Credit Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and Henry Alonso Myers for stand-alone weekly episodes that follow idealistic Roddenberry’s classic “Star Trek” format as the crew seek out new civilizations with their cultural differences, utilizing diplomacy and adhering – as best they can – to Federation guidelines.

Season Two also introduces Pike’s eventual successor, cocky Capt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), along with Spock’s skeptical Vulcan fiancé T’Pring (Gia Sandhu), Pike’s long-distance love interest JAG-corps Capt. Batel (Melanie Scrofano), and enigmatic engineering expert Pelia (Carol Kane).

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” warps in with an addictive, adventurous 8, streaming on Paramount+.

Susan Granger’s review of “No One Will Save You” (20^th Century Studios/Disney/Hulu)

‘Tis the time for horror movies – and the best of 2023, so far, is Brian Duffield’s “No One Will Save You,” released directly to Hulu.

What makes this sci-fi thriller unique is its lack of dialogue.  There are only five words spoken during its suspenseful 93-minute running time.

Still mourning the death of her mother, Sarah, and best-friend, Maude, a guilt-riddled, traumatized young woman named Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever) lives alone ‘way out in the country and is seemingly shunned by everyone in Mill River, the nearest town.

One night, she awakens to discover an unearthly intruder in her home. Terrified, resourceful Brynn defends herself against the chittering creature’s ability to utilize telekinesis, resulting in its demise.  But soon she’s pursued by its alien cohorts who place a parasite in her mouth, causing her to hallucinate. To tell you more would ruin its effect.

Written, directed and produced by Brian Duffield (“Spontaneous,” “Love and Monsters”), revolving around the theme of self-forgiveness, it was filmed by Aaron Morton in Slidell, Louisiana, in a house that was built in the late 19^th century which production designer Ramsey Avery filled with clues about Brynn’s backstory, like her intricate, idyllic dioramas.

Visual effects producer Sarah Miesen noted that the depictions of alien invaders are based on archetypal drawings done in the 1950s by people who either claimed to have had close encounters with flying saucers or to have been abducted and psychically probed by extraterrestrials.

And sound designer/mixer Chris Terhune collaborated with composer Joseph Trapanese on the complementary audio elements.

Just three days after its release, novelist Stephen King posted this Twitter endorsement:  “NONE ONE WILL SAVE YOU – Brilliant, daring, involving, scary. You have to go back over 60 years to a TWILIGHT ZONE episode called ‘The Invaders’ (1961) to find anything remotely like it.”

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro posted: “I couldn’t think of a more perfect movie for your weekend.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “No One Will Save You” is an intense, ambiguous 8, streaming on Hulu.

Susan Granger’s review of “Fair Play” (Netflix)

In “Fair Play,” first-time feature filmmaker Chloe Domont introduces a workplace/erotic melodrama that exemplifies a contemporary dilemma facing many ambitious, highly competitive couples.

The first scene introduces Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), who are into carnal lust, if not love. And when an engagement ring drops out of Luke’s pocket, Emily realizes that he’s serious about marriage.

Excited, she texts her mother, even though both Emily and Luke realize their steamy relationship must be kept secret since they’re both analysts for One Crest Capital, a high-powered Wall Street hedge fund, and it violates company policy.

Emily is a top-tier Harvard-graduate whose gut-instincts, coupled with her capacity for extensive research, have impressed Campbell (Eddie Marsan), her gruffly demanding boss.  In contrast, while Luke dutifully delves for deals, he’s developed a reputation for coming up with duds.

When a coveted PM (portfolio manager) promotion opens up, there are rumors that Luke is next-in-line, but Emily gets the post, along with an impressive office.

While Luke is deeply disappointed, he’s not a misogynist. He’s supportive of Emily yet determined to better his own future chances by becoming absorbed in a self-help book about entitlement strategy. Nevertheless, his simmering jealousy and resentment surface in caustic ‘digs,’ targeting Emily’s appearance/demeanor.

Given the power dynamics and their private vs. public perceptions, romance inevitably hits the rocks, along with their once-hyperactive sex life, turning their respective existences into an escalating nightmare – in and out of the office.

Screenwriter/director Chloe Domont (“Billions,” Clarice”), working with Dutch cinematographer Menno Mans, astutely concocts a compelling psychological thriller for the post-#MeToo era, imbuing the ensuing histrionics with a veil of validity, as both Phoebe Dynevor  (“Bridgerton”) and Alden Ehrenreich (“Oppenheimer”) deliver electrifying, combative performances,

What’s fascinating about “Fair Play” is how its gender dynamics court controversy. Viewers will react in varying ways, often reflecting their own sexism-in-the-workplace experiences, I suspect.

FYI: Netflix acquired this film for $20 million and at a press conference Chloe Domont revealed that her hazing as a novice television writer on male-dominated “Balls” inspired Emily’s toxic cocktail interludes and visit to a strip club.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fair Play” is an insightful, adult-entangling 8, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger’s review of “The Creator” (20^th Century Studios)

British filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ ambitious “The Creator” abounds with extraordinary visuals, utilizing the very best technology available today – which is why it’s a shame that he neglects to supply an intriguing plot to support his timely spectacle.

It’s all about Hollywood’s current obsession with artificial intelligence, exploring AI’s utopian and dystopian possibilities.

Set in the 2060s, when humans and robots are able to reproduce, it begins as Joshua (John David Washington, Denzel’s son), an undercover special forces agent, sees his very pregnant ‘simulant’ wife Maya (Gemma Chan) killed just as they’re being extracted from an explosive attack.

Years later, still-grieving Joshua is summarily recruited for a new mission. In the interim, AI seems to have gone rogue, igniting a nuclear attack on Los Angeles. For self-preservation, humans now rely on an immense airship – the USS Nomad – to seek out and eliminate all AI facilities around the world.

But when a brilliant scientist named ‘Nimrata’ in New Asia perfects an AI superweapon that could destroy Nomad, Joshua is dispatched, having been told that Maya may, perhaps, still be alive.

Operating under orders from ruthless Colonel Howell (Allison Janney), Joshua discovers the so-called superweapon is actually a synthetic child whom he calls Alphie  (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Somehow, she possesses a telekinetic power to control electronics.

While there’s supposed to be a surrogate father-daughter dynamic, it’s woefully under- developed – which works to the detriment of audience involvement. Instead, there’s an overload of gritty man vs. machine fighting that sends views into a superficial stupor – as style overwhelms substance.

Co-writing with Chris Weitz, director Gareth Edwards gingerly lifts ideas and iconography from “Blade Runner,”  “A.I.,” “Baraka,” “Akira,” “Apocalypse Now” and his own “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”  Yet filming in Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal and other exotic locations with cinematographers Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer, Edwards manages to make his $80 million budget look like twice that.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Creator” is a stunning sci-fi 6, playing in theaters.

Susan Granger’s review of “Red, White and Royal Blue” (Amazon Studios)

 

Romantic comedies are always popular – yet, in recent years, they’ve been hard to find. Now, “Red, White and Royal Blue” gives a charming contemporary twist to the classic ‘flirty meet-cute, quarrel and happily-ever-after’ formula.

This time, the traditional ‘special diplomatic relationship’ between England and America is challenged when Alex Clarmont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), son of U.S. President Ellen Clarmont (Uma Thurman) and Texas Congressman Oscar Diaz (Clifton Collins Jr.), is dispatched to escort Nora (Rachel Hilson), the U.S. Vice-President’s granddaughter, to the Prince of Wales’ (Thomas Flynn) wedding in London.

What particularly irks ambitious Alex is the attitude of pompous superiority assumed by the groom’s younger brother, Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine). Inevitably- and predictably – they get into a scandalous scuffle at the nuptial reception, causing a very embarrassing confectionary incident, a photo-op that’s dubbed Cakegate.

So America’s political heir and England’s ‘spare’ must find a way to settle their differences. As it turns out, Alex is bisexual and Henry is gay, although neither of their famous families is aware of this. Not surprisingly, their romantic relationship romp leads to the kind of palatial tryst that the public is not often privy to.

Adapting Casey McQuiston’s 2019 best-seller, writer/ director Matthew Lopez – sharing screenwriting credit with Ted Malawer – tackles the LGBTQ+ issue with cheeky sensitivity and light-hearted amusement, despite the film’s R rating.

And within the antagonistic jests, there’s something meaningful and touching about this wish-fulfillment fantasy: “I hope this film helps anybody who is struggling with figuring out who they are,” Nicholas Galitzine told People magazine.

FYI: Novelist Casey McQuinton does a cameo as a speechwriter typing on a laptop in the scene where President Ellen Claremont is preparing her election-night remarks with her assistant Zahra Blankston (Sarah Shahi). And, ironically, the homophobic King is played by openly gay actor Stephen Fry.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Red, White and Royal Blue” is a snappy slapstick yet sweetly sappy 7, streaming on Prime.

Susan Granger’s review of “Elemental” (Disney/Pixar)

After opening in theaters this summer, Pixar’s animated, family-friendly “Elemental” is now available on Disney+. Posing the question: what happens when a woman made of fire falls in love with a man made of water?

In Element City, where anthropomorphic fire, water, land and air residents live in different neighborhoods, fiery Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) is a spunky, clever young woman whose friendship with laid-back, aqueous building-inspector Wade Ripple (voiced by Mamoudou Athie) challenges what she’s been taught: namely, “elements don’t mix.”

As the story goes, Ember immigrant parents – Bernie & Cinder (voiced by Ronnie del Carmen & Shila Omi) – came by ship from Fire Land and, when they arrived in the huge “wets only” metropolis, they were turned away by prejudiced landlords.

Indeed, in front of Dry Leaves’ home, there was even a “No Fire” sign, impelling resolute Bernie to proclaim he will never let the “world water us down,”

But when Ember meets preppy Wade, she learns that he comes from a wealthy family of suspended liquids. At first, they spar – but – then a forbidden romance ignites between heat and H20.

Directed by Peter Sohn, the cross-cultural, high-concept “Romeo and Juliet” romantic comedy, inspired by the periodic chart of elements recalled from science class, the generational conflict script was written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh.

But the pun-filled dialogue is a bit clunky – which seems inevitable when the villain turns out to be urban civic engineering, as a wall threatens to break and cause devastating flooding.

The distinctive, detailed animation is visually splendid – which is what one might expect from Pixar’s first theatrical feature since the Covid-19 pandemic. Pixar’s longtime chief creative officer, John Lasseter, departed in 2018 (he’s now at Skydance Animation), leaving veteran director Pete Docter (“Up,” “Inside Out”) as the studio’s top executive.

Even the closing credits are inventive, accented by Lighterfinger candy and Sizzlemint gum.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Elemental” sparks a stunning 7, streaming exclusively on Disney+ or available to buy as a Blue-ray/DVD on Amazon.

Susan Granger’s review of  “Spy Kids: Armageddon” (Netflix)

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) celebrates Hispanic and Latino history and culture, so it’s the perfect time to introduce children to Robert Rodriguez’ beloved franchise’s newest entry “Spy Kids: Armageddon.”

Directed by Texas-based Rodriguez from a script he wrote with his now-grown son Racer Max – and another son, Rebel, composing the music – it begins with OSS (Organization of Super Spies) secret agents Nora Torrez (Gina Rodriguez) and Terrence Tango (Zachary Levi) whose precocious children – Patty (Everly Cargailla) and Tony (Connor Esterson) – have already tapped into their genetic sleuthing genes.

Sneaking around in their device-laden, sleekly contemporary glass-and-steel home to try to snag extra computer time, Tony is so obsessed with the popular video game Hyskor that he will even resort to cheating to win. On the other hand, his sister Patty insists on total honesty.

But when Tony accidentally helps unscrupulous game developer Rey “The King” Kingston (Billy Magnussen) unleash a potentially deadly computer virus that will allow him to control all technology around the globe, he and Patty must dive into the Hyskor video-game-world, battling robotic adversaries, to retrieve what’s been stolen from their parents.

Their PG-rated action-adventure includes some attention-catching visual challenges, like a super-tech car, loaded with gadgets, building blocks that emerge and disappear, giant fly swatters, along with the need to balance on wobbling platforms in order to reach an underwater safe house.  

Robert Rodriguez’s original “Spy Kids” was released in 2001, starring Carla Gugino & Antonio Bandaras with Daryl Sabara &Alexa PenaVega as their kids. Since then, there have been four additional “Spy Kids” installments, including this.

FYI: Hispanic and Latino are often interchangeable terms used to describe Americans with diverse Latin American and Caribbean ancestry. The month-long celebration honors their resilience and determination for independence.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Spy Kids: Armageddon” is a fun, fantastical, family-centric 6, streaming on Netflix.