Me Before You

Me Before You, 2016

Directed by Thea Sherrock, 116 minutes

Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer, Matthew Lewis, Brendan Coyle, Jenna Coleman, Charles Dance

Review by Katherine Scheetz

              This is going to be a little different than my usual review. I have been ruminating how best to address the controversial Me Before You film that opened two weeks ago in the U.S. Should I approach it from an analytically technical standpoint and simply ignore the elephant in the room? No. That does oceans of injustice to the deeper message in this film and the lives that are affected by it. So, here we go.

             

Mother-of-Dragons Emilia Clarke – and her exceptionally strong eyebrow game – portray Louisa Clarke, our perky, quirky, manic pixie dream girl protagonist, who finds a job as companion/caregiver to the fabulously wealthy, clinically depressed and relatively new quadriplegic Will Trainor (Claflin).   

The movie sets up what promises to be a heartwarming rom-com. Louisa isn’t present for any of the “messy bits” so neither are we. Gradually, Lou breaks through Will’s icy exterior. They take wildly expensive trips together, a fabulous red dress gets its feature moment at an oboe concert and Will seems to have found new purpose in widening Louisa’s horizons. But for one catch: it is, and always has been, Will’s decision to be euthanized in Switzerland through an organization called Dignitas. On that, let’s just say this: there’s a reason everyone is telling you to bring a box of tissues.

Because the audience is cut off from those “messy bits,” we don’t actually get a chance to see the moments when Will struggles with feeling like a burden. We don’t see getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, getting dressed – the struggles that ultimately lead to his decision in Switzerland. So we are left with assuming he’s committing suicide because his life has lost its value in becoming a quadriplegic.

Which simply isn’t true. Every life has value. A disability is not a pathology that needs to be “cured” in order to have meaning and find happiness. In fact, quite the opposite, those with disabilities bring a multitude of compassionate and convicted colors to the world as only they can. Not unlike Louisa’s own technicolor wardrobe (what a joy that must have been for the costuming department).

The avoidance of anything seemingly un-pretty makes it obvious that writer Jojo Moyes didn’t actually spend time getting to know the life of a quadriplegic beyond the physical complications.

Unsurprisingly, activist Michele Kaplan (Rebel Wheels NYC) stresses that becoming wheelchair bound later in life can have tremendous effects on mental health. In a situation like Will’s, a therapist or support group to work through the emotional well-being of the individual would be just as critical – if not more – than a physical therapist, which Will does have. It’s not as if money was an object in the film, as it so often is in reality.

Without giving away the specifics I’ll end with this: the final scene ultimately paints the thoroughly unromantic picture that Will’s life was worth more to Louisa dead. And that is an atrocious message to be sending out into the universe.

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The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys, 2016

Directed by Shane Black, 116 minutes

Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley

Review by Katherine Scheetz

             

From the pen behind the Lethal Weapon franchise comes a detective comedy with all the glam and funk of 1978.

              Gosling is Holland March, a scotch-soaked PI who, despite his chain smoking, ambiguous moral code and the gun in his cookie jar, makes an endearing contestant for father-of-the-year to his 13-year-old daughter Holly (Rice). They are a pair still dealing from the death of Holly’s mother – in very different ways.

Enter Jackson Healy (Crowe), a voluminous enforcer who is “not in the yellow pages.” He’s after March for following the daughter of a prominent figure in the Department of Justice, Amelia Kuttner (Qualley). March has been hired by the aunt of a dead porn star – one Misty Mountains – who Amelia has a mysterious connection to.

              The mob is trying to spread their porn operation to L.A. and Misty, Amelia and Amelia’s experimental-film-making boyfriend are involved somehow. The scruffy Healy, the squeamish March and a very Nancy-Drew like Holly team up to find out just how much, especially when hit-man John Boy (Bomer) is called in for clean-up.

              The storytelling is complex – paying homage to the cinematic grandfather noir films – which risks isolating the audience that is there for pure entertainment value.

Never fear, though, Gosling is here. The physical comedy this guy pulls with his breathing, his arms, his gag reflex, his groaning, his shaking – it’s downright hilarious. As if we need more to laugh at, Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi have penned a script that barely leaves enough space for us to breathe in between dry, profanity-ridden jokes.

              Production designer Richard Bridgland (American Ultra) and set decorator Danielle Berman (The Hangover) romance us with groovy mirror walls, mermaid aquariums, Yoohoo chocolate milk, rotating car shows and psychedelic lights. It’s a supersaturated delight.

              There’s no denying that Black has made us work to follow the story. But with a script for the ages and a team that’s up for anything, it’s not all work and no play, I mean, it is the 70s after all.

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Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War, 2016

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, 147 minutes

Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Chadwick Boseman

Review by Katherine Scheetz

             

              Marvel once again orchestrates a star-studded ensemble as only Marvel can. It’s the same rapport Joss Weedon brought to the Avengers franchise, this time, with both new and improved faces.

              Bucky (Stan) returns as the Darryl Dixon of Marvel, Black Widow (Johansson) sports her best look yet, Black Panther (Boseman) debuts with reverberations throughout the fandom and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) seamlessly keeps pace with seasoned avengers whose balls have actually dropped.

             

With civilian causalities stacking up circumstantial to the Avengers missions, they are called out to answer for the loss. A UN doctrine for bureaucratic regulation ruffles feathers and rifts friendships when Iron Man (Downey Jr.) surprises by signing in agreement and Captain America (Evans) abstains.

              Insert the pressure of the Cap’s longtime friend Bucky – the Winter Soldier – being caught up in an assassination plot, as well as a sneaky Slovakian psychiatrist (Daniel Brüel) holding onto video footage and an agenda of his own.  The result is a snappy superhero plot peppered with quips among super-friends.

              A now-displaced Wanda (Olsen) and synthetic Vision (Paul Bettany) share a few human moments that far surpass the forced-out kiss between Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and Steve Rogers. Sorry Carter, no matter how good you think his biceps look holding a helicopter aground, you two have no chemistry.

             

Marvel’s secret weapon here is a chatty Peter Parker, ousted by the ever snarky Iron Man Stark via hitting on his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Holland’s promise makes our Spidey-senses twinge for more.

              The battle sequences are well shot with low camera angles that give it a grandeur equal to the scale of the film. It’s clear the choreographers had a blast putting the sequences together, testing the limits and creativity of each superpower present.

              There is no way to prepare for what writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have created from Mark Millar’s comic, but hang on through the exposition for some serious power-punching twists.

Visit our Pachyderm Reviews GoFundMe page to donate to the Elephants and Bees project by Save the Elephants and receive your own limited edition Pachyderm Reviews t-shirt. To read details on the project and learn why Pachyderm Reviews is supporting them, visit our Get Involved page.

Criminal

Criminal, 2016

Directed by Ariel Vromen, 113 minutes

Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Gal Gadot,

Review by Katherine Scheetz

Operative Bill Pope (Reynolds) winds up dead after an excruciating torture scene marked by electric shock to the teeth, with valuable anti-terrorist information in his head about asylum-seeking tech genius, “The Dutchman.” Experimental neurosurgeon Dr. Franks (Jones) is called to transplant Bill Pope into the head of Jericho (Costner) – who has a frontal lobe condition, making his brain the perfect blank slate to imprint Pope’s data onto. He also happens to be on death row.

Central Intelligence’s goal is to allow Jericho to get the anonymous “Dutchman” to safety, but both volatile characters go rogue and make more than a few uncalculated decisions. Jericho’s recall inevitably pulls Pope’s wife (Gadot) and daughter (newcomer Lara Decaro) into the race against time – and   a nuclear deal with the Russians. 

The CIA London office is HQ for this pseudo-sci-fi thriller, giving cinematographer Dana Gonzales the chance to paint a gritty picture of London with aerials of urban bustle.

However, this is a movie carried by its cast, particularly Costner’s enigmatic performance. He straddles the dichotomy of Pope and Jericho with gravelly grace, unadulterated rage against polished CIA training. Gadot is a willowy breath of emotion opposite him, haunted by her husband’s expressions that shadow Jericho’s face. It’s a moving duet of a performance, bulking up Gadot’s 2016 resumé of releases (Triple 9 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).

              The script is as accommodating as Costner’s fluidity – springing us from fluent French to ‘I’m speaking Spanish mother-effer’ in under 10 seconds. While Vromen’s thiller isn’t breaking any box office records, it’s a solid reminder that Costner hasn’t lost his touch.

             

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The Huntsman: Winter's War

The Huntsman: Winter’s War, 2016

Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, 114 minutes

Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron

Review by Katherine Scheetz

              Universal’s prequel/sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) treads some fine lines with Disney and Walden Media’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). Introduced with the warm voice of Liam Neeson as omniscient narrator, we already wonder whether we walked through the wrong door into Narnia when the opening credits roll.

Ravenna (Theron) and Freya (Blunt) are two sisters with power in their blood. After heartbreak unlocks Freya’s affinity to ice magic, she suddenly owns a spired palace situated between two hills with a courtyard full of creatures she’s frozen into statues. Maybe Freya and Jadis just have the same architectural consultant.

Grieving mother that she is, Freya outlaws love in her kingdom and claims the children of the land as her own, making them her army.

Naturally, her two best huntsmen Erik (Hemsworth with a Scottish accent) and Sara (Chastain with an Irish one), fall in love. Erik is known for his skill with an axe. Sara’s skill with a bow is such that she “never misses.” Can we say Queen Susan’s trusty bow?

More tragedy ensues when they are discovered by Freya via ice owl NannyCam and they are separated, seemingly forever.

Then come the seven years where Snow White’s story takes place along with Ravenna’s supposed death.

When Aslan – wait, Neeson – stops narrating and we pick back up with a grieving Erik, he reluctantly agrees to a quest that takes far too long to find Ravenna’s stolen mirror, sandwiched by dwarves and goblins. With just enough time left to fit in an epic battle, Theron materializes from molten gold in the visual pinnacle of the film, gives us a deliciously evil laugh and causes a little chaos.

              James Newton Howard’s resonant score dances with the elegantly choreographed fight sequences. And while all the actors have played their parts well, no one could save the film from innumerable plot holes, a sappy script and blatant plagiarism. Mostly we just praise the great lion for Chris Hemsworth’s smile.

Visit our Pachyderm Reviews GoFundMe page to donate to the Elephants and Bees project by Save the Elephants and receive your own limited edition Pachyderm Reviews t-shirt. To read details on the project and learn why Pachyderm Reviews is supporting them, visit out Get Involved page.

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book, 2016

Directed by Jon Favreau, 105 minutes

Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito, Scarlett Johansson

Review by Katherine Scheetz

Director Jon Favreau takes us into the Seoni jungle of central India, with music and camera movements evocative of the classic 1967 animation. Favreau enchants us with the verdant visuals of “man-cub” Mowgli among the vines and moss, raised to be part of the wolf pack by alpha Akela (Esposito), mother Raksha (Nyong’o) and the tough-loving black panther Bagheera (Kingsley).

With smartly integrated monsoon season weather patterns, we observe how drought affects The Law of the Jungle and that when Peace Rock emerges from beneath the river, a truce between the jungle inhabitants must be obeyed. Elba makes his terrifying debut as the Bengal tiger Shere Khan here at Peace Rock, face scarred from man’s “red flower” and thirsting for revenge. With the return of the tiger and the monsoon (thus Peace Rock disappearing) Mowgli’s life becomes forfeit, forcing him and Bagheera to leave for the man-village in search of protection.

Along the way Mowgli learns his backstory from hypnotic rock python Kaa (Johansson), Bagheera teaches him about the reverence of the elephants and a tweaked King Louie (Walken) – with an accent from Queens, NY – brings about an Indiana-Jones-worthy temple chase scene filled with thick, filtered lighting. Sloth bear Baloo, voiced by the lazily charming Murray, embraces Mowgli’s inherent talent for invention or “tricks,” using them to his own ends ie: harvesting honey and singing “about the good life” alongside a goofy cast of supporting animals.

Composed by John Debney (who has a list of credits as long as my leg packed with rom-coms and Disney channel), the score intertwines the deep, time-honored melodies with the lift a modern audience needs. “The Bare Necessities,” “I Wanna Be Like You” and “Trust In Me” get a jazzy, New Orleans revamp, that call for bowling hats, smoky dance clubs and vintage microphones.

Mowgli’s coming of age story takes a different shape in all this – it’s about embracing yourself and your own “tricks.” Newcomer Neel Sethi’s compassionate performance evolves the character of Mowgli, and when you realize the kid did all of that acting with a green screen and his imagination – well, my hat is off.

Visit our Pachyderm Reviews GoFundMe page to donate to the Elephants and Bees project by Save the Elephants and receive your own limited edition Pachyderm Reviews t-shirt. To read details on the project and learn why Pachyderm Reviews is supporting them, visit out Get Involved page.

Elephants and Bees

              Pachyderm Reviews is moving forward with our next initiative to help the rapidly declining elephant population worldwide. Enter: Elephants and Bees Project.

The Elephants and Bees Project is an innovative study using an understanding of elephant behavior to reduce damage from crop-raiding elephants using their instinctive avoidance of African honey bees. The project explores the use of Beehive Fences as a natural elephant deterrent creating a social and economic boost to poverty-stricken rural communities through pollination services and the sustainable harvesting of “Elephant-Friendly Honey.” It is a project born out of the Save The Elephants charity.

Save the Elephants was founded in 1993 by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, CBE, Chief Executive Officer, who made a pioneering study of elephant behavior in the late 60s in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania, and has worked on elephant status Africa-wide since.

Save the Elephants focus on research, education, grass-roots conservation, monitoring and protection and are involved in projects across Africa in Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, South Africa and Mali. Research projects range from investigations into the dynamics of elephant society at a molecular level to behavior of savannah, forest and desert elephants. They are involved in surveys to measure population trends, elephant mortality and ivory trade, providing information used by CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species) to ascertain the conservation status of the African elephant.

Our Elephants and Bees Project is core to Save The Elephants mission of innovative methods to reduce conflict and explore the cultural relationships between people and elephants.

Watch the full length video and visit the Elephants and Bees website to read more about their work. Visit the Pachyderm Reviews GoFundMe page to support our fundraiser and receive a limited edition Pachyderm Reviews t-shirt. And if your pockets aren’t deep enough to donate, share this link to get the word out about how we, writers and readers of all things cinema, can save people, bees and elephants with one simple project and it’s sweet reward.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016

Directed by Zach Snyder, 151 minutes

Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams

by Hailey Dolan

Batman and Superman appear together for the first time in film history, but with Lois Lane (Adams), Lex Luthor (Eisenberg) and Kryptonians taking center stage, Batman’s presence feels more like a cameo than a leading role.

After half an hour of crammed-in backstory and constant jumps between storylines, our two (supposed) protagonists finally meet at a party held by Lex Luthor. Here, Bruce Wayne (Affleck) discovers Luthor has been creating a super weapon while keeping tabs on a handful of meta-humans – people with extraordinary powers. Superman (Cavill), under journalist alias Clark Kent, discovers Wayne is Gotham City’s Batman.

Affleck delivers the tortured Batman with a chronic solemn expression. Where is that switched-on charm we were expecting from billionaire Bruce Wayne? Instead, we’re stuck with a gullible Wayne who is the last to learn he is working for the villain.

Doesn’t really sound like Batman, does it?

In a robotic suit, Batman clunks around, unknowingly keeping Superman occupied while Luthor unrolls his devious plan. Our once dark knight is now merely a pawn.

For her part, Lois Lane pops up every time Superman is on the screen. Her presence is, however, more annoying than anything else. In the middle of the final battle, there she stands, somehow the only civilian to survive all of the destruction. She even figures out how to kill the Luthor-created monster before the super beings do. Just in time, of course, for Superman to grab a quick kiss.

Convenient.  

Gadot’s Wonder Woman leaves us wondering why a bigger-than-life Amazonian fighter would be portrayed by one so lithe. Though we never learn why Wonder Woman is in Metropolis to begin with, the writers have utilized her well in the battle sequence as the sole proactive combatant against the monster, while Superman flies off, distracted, and Batman is nowhere to be seen.

The only eye-catching performance comes from our villainous mastermind. Though the Luthor character is typically cold and suave, Eisenberg gives him a childish twist with neurotic tendencies. It's certainly memorable, however, not even an Oscar-worthy performance would have saved this film. With countless plot holes, we’re left with more questions than answers. And disappointment. Lots of disappointment.

A battle meant to be this epic was probably best left to our imaginations.

Our guest blogger, Hailey Dolan, is the sassy brain behind the Blogspot Lift Your Leg, where she publishes snarky reviews of music, movies and television. She also uses her powers for good, by raising money through her blog for local animal shelters. Come back soon to hear about Pachyderm Reviews upcoming fundraiser for Elephants and Bees in Nairobi, Kenya.