Month: July 2023

#1187 – One False Move

/ Chase Clark / Leave a comment

One False Move is the second film directed by Carl Franklin, and the first to feature themes of the Black experience front and center. The film was co-written by Billy Bob Thornton, who portrays Ray, a criminal who, along with his partner, Pluto, and girlfriend, Fantasia, murder six people in a single night in LA as they seek a hidden stash of cocaine and cash. Ray and Pluto are willing to murder innocent neighbors just to cover their tracks. Fantasia is seemingly along for the ride. From LA, they make their way down to Houston to sell the cocaine to an acquaintance of Pluto’s.

Two LA detectives are investigating the case, and discover their suspects might be heading toward Star City, Arkansas, so they reach out to the local authority, Dale Dixon (though everyone calls him “Hurricane”), played by Bill Paxton. Dixon might be crazy, but he’s a good ol’ country boy, and he’s thrilled at the opportunity to do what he considers “real” police work. Dixon’s giddiness at working with the big boys provides the first half of the film with some comic relief. One particular scene involves Dixon trying to interrogate a local chicken farmer who is getting too old and deaf to be properly interrogated. It’s a little slice of Southern charm amidst the blood and carnage.

Ray, Pluto and Fantasia stop at a convenience store in the middle of nowhere, where their likenesses can be seen via security footage and a highway patrolman can get a good look at them. The patrolman pulls them over on their way out, and as things get heated, Fantasia shoots him. No longer an innocent bystander, Fantasia panics and takes off to Star City on her own, hoping to reunite with her son while she still has time. Dixon also sets out on his own in an attempt to catch Fantasia, whose real name is Lila, before the detectives do. He finds her in a little house in the middle of nowhere, and there, it is revealed that Lila’s son, Byron, is Dixon’s from an affair some years ago. Lila, at the time of their affair, was young, only 17, and criticizes Dixon for taking advantage of a young, Black woman who can’t say no to a cop. I guess Dixon is not as good as, and more country than we previously expected.

The tension builds as a montage set to a lone bluesy harmonica plays. We see Ray and Pluto driving toward the house where Lila and Dixon are waiting; Dixon’s deputy, Byron, and the two LA detectives are hunting for Dixon and Lila; Dixon’s wife and daughter are at home, anticipating Dixon’s safe return. Then, the shooting happens, and it’s all over too quickly.

This film, despite some of the names attached, was originally intended to be released straight to video. However, through word of mouth, it developed enough of a following to come out in theaters in 1992. It didn’t fair well at the Box Office, but through home video, it has survived. It’s unfortunate that a film like this flew under the radar. It’s an excellent crime drama, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time, and drawing attention to the disparity between Whites and Blacks in a Southern Rural town. Paxton turns on a dime when it’s revealed that the happy-go-lucky police chief isn’t what we thought he was. Cynda Williams shines as both killer and victim. Michael Beach is terrifying as the ruthless Pluto, who keeps his weapon of choice, a knife, up his sleeve at all times. Billy Bob Thornton is a little unbelievable as the earring-wearing, cocaine-addicted Ray, but he got better as an actor as time went on.

One False Move is a near-perfect Neonoir. It’s character-focused, multilayered, the violence is intentional and necessary, and it moves with purpose. Franklin proves his talent that he later perfects with Devil in a Blue Dress, which I’m sure I will review at some point, and this film acts as Exhibit A as to why he is one of the underrated masters. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

You can purchase a copy <a href="http://<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/One-False-Move-Criterion-Collection/dp/B0C2JJCJ2V/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=one+false+move+4k&qid=1692304343&sprefix=one+false+mov%252Caps%252C218&sr=8-1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=destinedforme-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=83aca5a646d8f2f97b5271c206f0ad30&camp=1789&creative=9325">one false move 4khere from Amazon.

Barbie

/ Chase Clark / Leave a comment

Barbie has all the subtlety of an atomic bomb, but maybe that’s a good thing. It wants to make a statement on so many things – identity and humanity, womanhood in a patriarchal society, manhood in a matriarchal society, corporate branding and influence, superficiality versus substance, and quite a bit more – and for the most part, it does well, relying on its intelligence to circumvent its need for eloquence.

This is a movie for modern times. It’s feminist, it’s self-referential and breaks the fourth wall frequently, and it overuses or misuses words like “patriarchy” and “fascist”. Despite your personal views on some those things, Barbie is a lot of fun. It’s beautiful to look at, vibrant and very pink. Think of Set Design and Cinematography come Oscar season. The introduction to Barbie Land, complete with an opening song from Lizzo (because, duh) that describes the jokes we’re seeing onscreen, is so cute and bubblegum-pop, it might make you nauseous, like the kid who eats all their candy and then gets on the loopiest of rollercoasters. But, hey, wasn’t that cotton candy delicious?

The very beginning of the film includes a parody of the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey, replacing the apes for little girls with baby dolls, and the obelisk with a giant Margot Robbie that is sure to give the film’s detractors some very weird fantasies. From that introduction, we’re introduced to our lead character, Barbie, or “Stereotypical Barbie”, as she is sometimes referred to. Her life is perfect. Everyday, she gets up, and goes to the beach with the other Barbies and all of the Kens, and then every night is Girl’s Night. Though, maybe all is not as it seems, because in the middle of a nationwide dance party, Barbie asks the question, “Do any of you ever think about dying?”

From here, the movie becomes a blend of The Lego Movie (Will Ferrell even plays another CEO of Business-type), A Matter of Life and Death, and Wings of Desire (the Wim Wenders film about an angel who just wants to be human – if you haven’t seen this one, you may have seen the John Travolta-led, romcom remake, Michael). Barbie must find out why she’s having this existential crisis by traveling to the Real World and confronting the girl who is playing with her. Ken, whose entire existence is made on acknowledgement from Barbie and whose occupation is simply “Beach”, sneaks into her car and joins her on her venture of self-discovery.

Ryan Gosling as Ken is the highlight of this film. He’s so funny and charming, even when he’s tiptoeing towards misogynistic or incel behavior. In the Real World, he discovers that a world dominated by men can be fun and exciting, and you can’t help but love him, even as he gleefully returns to Barbie Land and transforms it into Kendom, or explains the necessity of referring to his takeover of Barbie’s Dreamhome into his “Mojo Dojo Casa House”.

Meanwhile, Stereotypical Barbie has to get back to Barbie Land and fix what Ken is doing with the help of a mother-daughter duo that have their own problems to work out. The director, Greta Gerwig, whose other films include Lady Bird and the most recent remake of Little Women, usually shines with the mother-daughter dynamic, but in Barbie, it gets lost amid the jokes and winks to the audience. They really don’t bring much to the table until the mother, Gloria (played by America Ferrera), has an epiphany and monologues all the well-trodden issues that women face in a male-dominated society, thus breaking all the other Barbies out of their patriarchy-induced trance. This is where the lack of subtlety actually works in the movie’s favor. In another movie, this speech would have completely stopped the film. The things Gloria says are true, but they are delivered in the most awkward, parent-scolding-their-child-way possible.

In the end, Barbie is nothing like its critics have described it. It is not antithetical to its feminist grounding, but it is also not man-hating “woke” garbage. The film is smart enough to be critical and understanding of both sides – maybe too understanding at times to be overly critical (Stereotypical Barbie apologizes to Ken for not giving him enough attention at one point). Legally Blonde maybe did it better, but that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of this movie. It has a little something for everybody. It’s cool, it’s fun, it’s hilarious. It’s cotton candy. Closer, it is, to “fine” than “great”, but that still means it’s “good”, and sometimes, that’s Kenough.

Rating: 6/10

Oppenheimer

/ Chase Clark / Leave a comment

“Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.” This quote, surrounded by the flames produced by an atomic bomb, begin a three-hour analysis of the complicated scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer. The movie, inspired by the biography on Oppenheimer, American Prometheus, will never let you forget that comparison. Thankfully, it’s the only clue the film presents on where its opinion of its subject lies.

Instead of taking a stance on the long-running debate over whether Oppenheimer was a good or bad person, the film smartly keeps its namesake at an arm’s length. Christopher Nolan does this with most of his movies, with varying degrees of success, but with this one, it works. Film, like any art form, can show skill, produce emotion, and change perception, and you can see it within the work and style of any auteur. Nolan, however, sees himself less as an artist, and more as a scientist. In this regard, Nolan’s films are more like textbooks. They are a cold and distant presentation of facts, events and theories. Sure, there is art there, but it comes in the form of figures and illustrations of those theories. You can see this in the slight-of-camera work in The Prestige, or the three-tiered dreaming climax of Inception, or how The Protagonist is just as confused about the plot of Tenet as the audience is. In Oppenheimer, images of light, stars, blackholes, and apocalyptic pillars of fire engulf the screen, showcasing their vastness by covering every inch of the IMAX filmstock on which it was produced. See Figure 1.

Speaking of which, Oppenheimer is the first film ever to require black and white IMAX filmstock, which brings me back to the movie itself. From the beginning, we are presented with two timelines, Fission and Fusion. For those, like myself, who need a refresher on high school science, Fission splits a larger atom into smaller pieces to create energy. Fusion joins smaller atoms into a larger one to create even more energy. The Fission timeline is in color, following Oppenheimer’s rise to prominence, while the Fusion timeline is the breakdown of his power and influence, and is in black and white. A contradiction to add to the list. Oppenheimer: the man who can both agree and disagree with his country, bringer of fire and destroyer of worlds, punished by the gods and a god, himself.

Running these two timelines simultaneously, we know from the start that not all ends well for Oppie (as he is referred to by his colleagues) – perhaps a pro to covering a historical figure with whom so much is already written about – and with that information out of the way, Nolan is free to explore that contradictory nature. And in here lies what makes the film great. The moment the bomb drops, and you think, “this is what it was all leading up to”, you realize you still have an hour left of this movie, and there are still many twists and turns in the road ahead.

The cinematography is gorgeous. Again, “vast” is the word. Los Alamos is a beautiful desert setting surrounded by mountains as far as the eye can see. The colors are vibrant. After the bomb is dropped, and Oppenheimer realizes the gravity of what he’s created, the background behind him shakes violently. A bomb is going off in his mind. A vision of the crowd of scientists applauding his leadership and work ignites into pure desolation – an image of the carnage the atom bomb will inflict. Those cheers, a cacophony of sound, rise in their intensity until that mental bomb drops and it all dissolves into the scream of a single woman. My words can’t do it justice. This sequence is the best in the entire movie.

Cillian Murphy does well as J. Robert Oppenheimer. He has always been good at playing subdued or distracted characters, and he gets to lean into that here. But for me, the great standout is Robert Downey Jr., who shines as Lewis Strauss. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say too much here, but I will concede that he outperforms anyone he shares screentime with. He should have won an Oscar for Chaplin, but the least the Academy could do is give him one now. Together, Murphy and Downey Jr. are like two scorpions in a bottle.

Ultimately, there is little to complain about with Oppenheimer. Nolan treats the Father of the Atomic Bomb with the respect the title deserves – not worthy of sympathy, reverence or disdain; simultaneously incredible and horrible, much like the fire he brought down to the world.

Rating: 8/10