Crisp Criticism - "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)", "Happy Death Day", "Geostorm", "Suburbicon"

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Julien Faddoul

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) **

An estranged family gathers together in New York for an event celebrating the artistic work of their father.

An exercise in oscillating inconsequential tenderness with enmity. Some of Baumbach’s interludes are delicious in their depiction of the protracted bitterness often found in scholarly families, others are tired examples of similar or congruent themes. Regardless, the cast is consistently fantastic.

wd – Noah Baumbach

ph – Robbie Ryan

pd – Gerald Sullivan

m – Randy Newman

ed – Jennifer Lame

cos – Joseph G. Aulisi

p – Noah Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Lila Yacoub, Eli Bush

Cast: Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Elizabeth Marvel, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Grace Van Patten, Judd Hirsch, Adam Driver, Rebecca Miller

Crisp Criticism - "The Mountain Between Us", "Marjorie Prime", "Nocturama", "The Only Living Boy in New York"

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Julien Faddoul

The Mountain Between Us

Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain.

Pathetic, sappy melodrama that proves risible at every turn. The two leads crumble under their need to cash some cheques.

d – Hany Abu-Assad

w – Chris Weitz, J. Mills Goodloe   (Based on the Novel by Charles Martin)

ph – Mandy Walker

pd – Patrice Vermette

m – Ramin Djawadi

ed – Lee Percy

cos – Renee Ehrlich Kalfus

p – Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, David Ready, Jenno Topping

Cast: Idris Elba Kate Winslet Dermot Mulroney Beau Bridges

Crisp Criticism - "Blade Runner 2049", "Battle of the Sexes", "Flatliners", "Our Souls at Night"

by

Julien Faddoul

Blade Runner 2049 **

A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down the first film’s former blade runner, who's been missing for thirty years.

Completely improves on its predecessor conceptually, delving far deeper in philosophy than one would expect of such a film, with questions of existence, religion and the myth of true human intuition. In addition to overlength, the compulsory self-seriousness of modern blockbusters and the typical unmodulated dour tone of its director, this is eventually a rather fat and logy sci-fi outing. The beauty is in the details, from scenic design to performance ticks to the incredible images of Mr Deakins.

d – Denis Villeneuve

w – Hampton Fancher, Michael Green   (Based on the Characters by Philip K. Dick)

ph – Roger Deakins

pd – Dennis Gassner

m – Hans Zimmer, Benjamin Wallfisch

ed – Joe Walker

cos – Renee April

p – Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Bud Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes Yorkin

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista, Carla Juri, Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James, Hiam Abbass