NEW THIS WEEK
Three
young robbers decide to break into a blind man’s house and steal the money he
just won in a lawsuit after the death of his daughter. When the man discovers
them, they’re trapped inside to fight for their lives as they learn the
horrifying truth about the blind man’s past.
We Said: “[Writer/Director] Fede
Alvarez, who burst onto the scene with his exceptionally gory Evil
Dead remake, treads similarly violent waters in Don't Breathe, but he
also shows a deft hand at playing the audience's senses like a fiddle, perfect
for a movie in which we are taught not to trust any of our senses fully” Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Good: Don’t
Breathe has the same director (Fede Alvarez) and lead actress (Jane
Levy) as the 2013 Evil Dead remake, and this is for the best. Like Evil
Dead, Don’t Breathe is great at maintaining suspense, and is very
well shot. Alvarez goes for practical effects over CGI as much as possible,
which works great for a movie like this. The performances, led by Levy, are
among the best you can hope for in this type of horror movie.
The Bad: Although it starts
off strong, the film eventually descends into graphic scenes of sexual
violence, which is almost always a lazy and offensive path that too many horror
movies take. For Don’t Breathe, it also means a fairly jarring tonal shift away
from the exploration of morality that begins the movie.
Overall: Don’t
Breathe has a truly compelling first half, and features a great
director/actor pairing with Alvarez and Levy. Although it feels too contrived
and upsetting by the end, there are many moments where the talent behind this
film is able to shine through. If you can get past the (at times uncomfortable)
exploitation in these sort of genre films, you might enjoy Don’t Breathe.
Sophie,
a 10 year old orphan in 1980’s England, is inadvertently kidnapped by a giant,
who takes her to his home in Giant Country. Although she’s frightened when she
first arrives, Sophie and the creature she dubs BFG (Big Friendly Giant) soon
develop a close bond. Together, they work to defeat the other, meaner giants
who are always bullying the BFG.
We Said: “It's rare nowadays
to have a family film exist simply to kindle the imagination but that's what The
BFG does, ensuring [Author Roald] Dahl's classic will be remembered on
the page and the screen.” Rating: 4 out
of 5
The Good: The BFG is a classic
Steven Spielberg movie in a lot of ways: It looks beautiful, it has a fantastic
John Williams score, and it features fun performances from both a precocious
child actor (Ruby Barnhill) and a brilliant lead actor who Spielberg has worked
well with in the past (Mark Rylance). The most entertaining aspect of this
movie, though, is the surprising and hilarious left turn that’s made in the
third act of the story.
The Bad: Of course, the
unparalleled admiration and respect that Spielberg enjoys as a director also
means that his films are held to a higher standard than most, and it’s a
standard that The BFG doesn’t meet. Pretty images and vast landscapes are
shown to us for much longer than necessary, with the movie lingering on visuals
rather than focusing on plot or character development.
Overall: Although The
BFG isn’t one of his best, Spielberg’s weakest movies are still great
movies. Watch it through to the end to fully appreciate the endearing
strangeness of this film. The BFG is a perfectly fine, and
family friendly, piece of fantasy.
Pete’s Dragon is the latest in
Disney’s recent trend of giving their older films a modern update. In this
remake of the 1977 cult classic, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) is stunned when
she meets Pete, a child who appears to be living alone deep in the woods. Much
to the amazement of Grace and her father (Robert Redford), they soon discover
that Pete isn’t alone at all.
We Said: “This modern
version, directed with Spielbergian charm and mystery by indie filmmaker David
Lowery, can cast a spell on anyone whether they're familiar with the original
or not.” Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Also Available: AbsolutelyFabulous: The Movie, The Wild Life, and Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors
