Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is directed by Jeff Fowler who previously directed Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic The Hedgehog (2022). This film is the third installment to the Sonic series.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the best of the series so far, it improves on the already incredibly solid Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) and adds in elements that fans will instantly recognize and people who haven’t played the games can still really enjoy.
In terms of performances this is the best they have ever been. Jim Carrey this time around is in a dual role Ivo Robotnik (Eggman) and Gerald Robotnik Ivo’s grandfather. Once again he does such a fantastic job, he’s able to balance the two performances incredibly well, one doesn’t take away from the other. Gerald as a villain is quite great, the couple flashbacks we do get do a solid job of explaining his character without needing to over explain.
Keanu Reeves as Shadow The Hedgehog was an absolute genius casting decision, right from the moment he appears on screen he already hits it out of the park. Reeves captures the spirit of the character and really works in the whole emotional core of Shadow’s story as well. For those that don’t know the film takes elements from Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow The Hedgehog (2005) and part of those elements is Shadow’s emotional story, it’s a story that absolutely needed someone who could play a strong Shadow and luckily Reeves went all in.
The writing this time around is quite strong, maybe it’s because the film focused on Shadow’s story a part in the video game franchise that is among one of the most cherished moments by fans. The way the film goes about telling the story is quite excellent, it doesn’t feel skimmed and it doesn’t feel drawn out. It has this perfect balance that is able to please fans while also bringing people unfamiliar on board. Understandably there’s far less jokes which makes a lot of sense, but even when there are jokes there’s at least balance and those moments don’t take away from the serious ones.
Overall there really isn’t a whole lot to Sonic The Hedgehog 3 but there really doesn’t have to be, it’s a very strong installment to this franchise that is only going to go up from here!
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Gladiator II is directed by Ridley Scott (I don’t think I need to list what he’s directed) the film serves as a sequel to Gladiator (2000).
Gladiator (2000) is one of those films where even if you aren’t into film you have probably seen or heard of it referenced somewhere and rightfully so. It’s an iconic film that won Best Picture at the Oscars and is still talked about, examined and celebrated to this day. A sequel to Gladiator (2000) was always talked about but for one reason or another it never happened until it was announced officially in 2018. Gladiator II is one of those cases where it’s a prime example of just leaving the original as is, because outside of a few scenes and performance this was really a whole lot of nothing.
As you probably have heard by now, Denzel Washington is far and away the standout of the movie. He brings this interesting balance of this calm and collective villain behavior and mixes it with a chaotic one, he doesn’t going over the top with it which I think really makes his character Marcinus all the more intimidating. Washington is just also a blast to watch on screen and continues to show that here, his moments with Tim Mclnnery although small are actually quite fun. The two have this bond that strangely works well (I wish the movie explored Mclnnery’s character Thraex a lot more but that’s a common theme with this movie I’ll get to soon.)
Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are also quite fun, their characters Emperor Geta (played by Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (played by Hechinger) don’t have a lot of depth to them and the most we really get about their characters is that they are evil emperors but the way Quinn and Hechinger go about playing them is genuinely hilarious and chaotic. I’m not sure if I would call these “good” performances but at the very least they stood out in a movie that is painfully dull and get a reaction out of the viewer. Pedro Pascal is also pretty decent here, again we don’t get much on his character General Acacius but he does have some good moments such as the action scenes.
The rest of the movie however is a complete and total mess, it’s basically doing a lot of what the first film did but nowhere near as interesting. A huge problem I hinted at earlier is the characters, while the acting is strong for the most part. It’s the characters who get absolutely no depth to them at all, Paul Mescal’s character Lucius is very typical protagonist that really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. He’s a less interesting Maximus from the first movie and his journey is way too similar to Maximus’s, we get some flashbacks that try to give Lucius some more depth and explanation of his past but it’s very skimmed over. It ultimately does not lead to anything compelling or exciting for the viewer it’s just there to briefly try its best to try to fill in some holes.
The action scenes here are fine enough, thanks to the cinematography from John Mathieson who does a beautiful job with the filming. But unfortunately that doesn’t stop the CGI fights from being ugly, it’s a very weird mishmash between some genuinely great shots with some terrible CGI that easily takes you out of some of the action. It’s a shame because I do think the fights themselves in concept are neat and actually do have some solid atmosphere, but to say the CGI doesn’t take away from these scenes would be lying.
Overall there really isn’t much more to be said, Gladiator II is one of those sequels that exists that also doesn’t do anything better or interesting to its predecessor. It’s a shame because I do think with a far better script and a more focused direction this could have been something great.
An artist who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mum seeks a new chapter in her life and encounters just that, when her nightly routine takes a surreal turn and her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.
Nightbitch is directed by Marielle Heller director of The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) and A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (2019).
Marielle Heller is one of my favorite directors working today, the way she executes these stories and brings so much emotion and connects the viewer with these films is truly beautiful. When I heard she was going to tackle the horror genre with Nightbitch I was pretty excited about it, unfortunately the movie leaves so much to be desired and is a huge step down from her previous work.
Amy Adams is by far the best performance in the movie and is really putting in the work, there’s some moments that really bring out Heller’s touches when it comes to directing. Amy Adams mixes with these moments incredibly well and is able to give some touching and emotional moments that really put you in the perspective of her character. The way the movie attempts to tackle and explore motherhood is interesting and even works at certain moments.
The main problem here is the rest of the movie, the movie starts to repeat itself quite a lot and even gets lost as to what it’s trying to say exactly. There’s some nice dialogue between Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy but that ultimately gets lost when it’s followed up with unfunny quips that feel like they belong in a late night show rather than a film. The body horror elements are unfortunately incredibly underwhelming, when the movie does focus on them they are neat but there’s just not a whole lot going on with them to get the viewer fully invested.
I do think Nightbitch has the right ideas to make a great film, those pieces are just placed in the wrong spots and ultimately build a very incomplete picture that really does not have as much depth to really dive into as the movie was leading on.
Lee recounts his life in Mexico City among expatriate American students. He pursues a young man named Allerton, a US Navy serviceman recently discharged from Jacksonville, Florida.
Queer is directed by Luca Guadagnino director of A Bigger Splash (2015), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Suspiria (2018), Bones and All (2022), Challengers (2024) and a few others.
Getting two Luca Guadagnino films in the same year was already exciting enough, but both of them being fantastic and some of the best films of the year? That’s even better, Queer is absolutely not what I expected going into it and I mean that in a good way, it’s a very different film that has a ton of beautiful imagery, excellent performances and really is striking with its body art.
The performances from both Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey are both brilliant and are some of the best of the year (especially Craig). From the moment the two meet you sense this bond building in the air, what keeps you interested is how exactly is this going to really go, what are the results going to be? The results are pretty fascinating and completely not what you expect at all, a lot of this is due to the performances of Craig and Starkey. Before the final result these performances have a lot of power and depth put into them, they have this two sides of the coin type of feel, where you really cannot picture one without the other.
Daniel Craig gives such a powerhouse performance that is at times quite intimidating, there’s so much depth and power in his speech and mannerisms that really set the stage of what’s to coming. His acting during the last half of the film in particular is incredibly striking, what seems like a straightforward performance during the first 20 minutes or so quickly turns into something far more gigantic, his character William Lee having this lustful infatuation for Eugene Allerton (played by Drew Starkey) is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. There’s moments we get to see inside of his mind that are incredibly atmospheric and quite haunting as well, these moments ultimately lead to a very powerful ending that is truly special and quite meaningful.
The score is hauntingly beautiful and captures the atmosphere brilliantly, it matches the cinematography with having this old vs new style to it that you begin to notice towards the end of the film. When the later half of the film comes in the score does a lot of the talking with the surreal moments, it’s almost like we are transported into the mind of Lee and Eugene both their minds combined together to paint the complete picture of what you saw throughout the film. Their feelings towards one another being actually shown, the score captures this by being a wide range of different volumes such as quiet, loud, very booming or being incredibly subtle. It’s so much to dissect in each of the scenes that it really does end up being brilliant the more you think about it.
Finally there’s the direction from Guadagnino and the script from Justin Kuritzkes, both of which really hit out of the park once again like they did with Challengers(2024). Much like in Challengers you get this raw and atmospheric tension between the characters, secretly challenging each other although that’s more clear in Challengers in Queer it’s a lot more silent which leads to very interesting moments that are sure to grab the viewer’s attention.
Overall Queer is an excellent film that I do highly recommend, it’s most definitely not going to be for everyone but I at least suggest to give it a look if it sounds like your type of film.
Bailey, 12 years old, lives with her single father Bug and her brother Hunter in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time to devote to his children and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird is directed by Andrea Arnold director of Red Road (2006), Fish Tank (2009), Wuthering Heights (2011), American Honey (2016) and Cow (2021).
Andrea Arnold once again tackles the coming of age film genre and much like American Honey (2016) she absolutely hits it out of the park yet again. Bird is definitely more surreal than American Honey but it’s not so surreal to the point where the viewer doesn’t believe what’s happening. The film does this nice balance between reality and surrealism that draws you in and keeps you throughout the running time.
The performances are honestly what made this film so excellent, Nykiya Adams gives a very impressive debut performance. The way she interacts with the rest of the cast and her ability to give such a grounded and real performance is truly fascinating. Her character Bailey is who we follow and she’s such a fantastic character to really explore, her conversations with Bug (played by Barry Keoghan) and Bird (played by Franz Rogowski) are absolutely brilliant and instantly tell us about her as a person. Arnold does a great job of putting the viewer into the perspective of Bailey and just exploring this raw environment and listening into conversations.
Barry Keoghan once again shows he’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to his performances, he gives such an incredible one here. His moments with Nykiya Adams in particular truly shine, Bug and Bailey have this authentic father and daughter bond that has its ups and downs. While yes there are some familiar coming of age elements, the film makes sure to go for a much more raw direction. Keoghan’s acting amplifies this and really reaches out to the viewer to watch and see what unfolds.
Finally there’s Franz Rogowski who I believe is the standout of the film, this is where the surreal part comes from. His character Bird at first seems very strange and completely out of place. He almost seems like he belongs in a Legend Of Zelda video game, but as the story moves along and we get to know a lot about Bird the surreal nature starts to blend in with reality (only to go back to the surreal nature later in the film but that’s not a bad thing) Franz Rogowski gives such a beautiful performance as Bird and really captures the atmosphere, his conversations with Nykiya Adams are genuinely beautiful. His backstory is touching and Adams being the heart of the film really makes the scenes of the two all the more touching.
The direction, writing and cinematography combined together are brilliant. Andrea Arnold going for her usual raw and up close style with surrealism is something that I absolutely did not expect going into this film but I’m glad she went for it. It was a very different move for her and she pulls it off well, the raw nature really works for these characters and when you have a very strong script that really captures the atmosphere in such beautiful ways you have such a fascinating film.
Overall Bird is a fascinating film that I do highly recommend checking out!
Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.
Flow is directed by Gints Zilbalodis Director of Away (2019).
Flow is one of those films that completely brings you into its world, the story being told here is told flawlessly without a single line of dialogue and puts you on this journey with the animals who get their own character traits in such simple yet fascinating ways.
It goes without saying but the film is beautifully animated, there is so much detail to every single part of this film. The way the water flows, the details on the characters and the world around them is flawless, the details helps build the world around the characters and leads to some jaw dropping moments that are a huge showcase of how beautiful and grand the world of this film really is.
The characters are simple, you have a Black Cat, a Labrador Retriever, a Capybara, Lemur and a Secretarybird. The Black Cat is our main character and the one that the film wants you to see from its perspective, each of the characters are given some fun character traits that are told in this natural way. The cat however is the one who is truly compelling, simply by interacting with the other animals and seeing the world through its eyes is enough to leave the viewer in awe. One particular scene with the cat and secretarybird in particular speaks for these beautiful character, just through the music, actions, atmosphere and such you can tell how these characters are feeling and what they are saying when they make noises. The black cat’s journey and the discoveries and how to live in this world is truly beautiful and compelling.
The film’s world really brings you to the adventures you would go on outside when you were a kid, the adventurous atmosphere is absolutely nailed down here and is quite often breathtaking, whether the black cat is on a high place or just on the ground we are given such beautiful looks into this film’s world. The film’s score also does a fantastic job of setting certain moods, it reflects the character’s feelings quite well. From wondrous, to happy, to sad the film combines these characters incredibly well with the music and sound.
The film also has these moments that almost feel personal to director Zilbalodis, this black cat taking the viewer along for the ride as we discover what exactly is in this giant world. It shows the beauty of the planet and really seems like Zilbalodis wants us to travel with this cat, the film accomplishes this incredibly well and really does make you feel like you are right there with the animals.
Overall Flow is a brilliant film, it might seem like a simple story but what makes it so special is how it’s told. Plus the black cat is just such a fascinating main character to follow that you will instantly connect with.
Eight hundred and fifty-five join the war effort to address a three-year mail backlog. Despite discrimination and war-torn conditions, they sort over seventeen million pieces of mail ahead of schedule.
The Six Triple Eight is directed by Tyler Perry director of the Madea franchise, A Jazzman’s Blues (2022), Divorce in the Black (2024), Mea Culpa (2024) and many others. The film is about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion an all Black and all-female battalion in World War II.
One of the most frustrating types of movies are the ones that are about a very interesting true story that is not told very often and tells that story not very well. Perhaps you did not need me to tell you that Tyler Perry has yet again made another terrible movie, in comparison to a majority of his filmography The Six Triple Eight is a masterpiece. But that really is not saying much if you know anything about Tyler Perry.
There’s moments of decent acting here but a majority of the time it’s very over dramatic and really hurts the storytelling as a result, Kerry Washington is the standout here but even she struggles to work with such a shoddy script. It’s sad because the actual true story is quite interesting and is a story that deserves to be told in a far better way than how Tyler Perry decides to tell it.
The acting during the movie’s first act really presents itself like a bad high school play, it’s painfully noticeable and takes away from what could be touching moments between the actors and actresses. Even when the movie is well intentioned and wants to pay tribute to these women the movie tackles the story and background of these women in such a surface level way, which considering the movie is 2 hours long is incredibly baffling.
There are plenty of moments here that should have easily been hard hitting, but due to the script and Perry’s direction it robs the movie of these moments. You don’t get to learn a whole lot about these women, it’s more focused on telling a very abridged version of this story with so many details missing.
Overall The Six Triple Eight is a huge missed opportunity to tell a story that deserves to be told in a passionate way, this is just terrible Oscar bait that doesn’t tell this story as well as it should have.
Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.
Wicked is directed by Jon M. Chu director of Crazy Rich Asians (2018), In The Heights (2021), Now You See Me 2 (2016), Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), Step Up 3D (2010), G.I. Joe Retaliation (2013) and Jem and the Holograms (2015). Wicked is the first installment of a two part film adaption based on the musical of the same name and serves as a prequel to The Wizard Of Oz.
It was inevitable that a film adaption of one of the biggest broadway shows in recent memory Wicked was going to be made, the questions were when was it going to be made? Who would make it? Plus would it actually happen? The answers to these questions are luckily very satisfying, which in turn led to one of the best films of the year and the very definition of a fantastic crowd pleaser.
Right from the beginning we are thrown into the land of Oz, the production design all the way through the film is quite excellent. A lot of attention to detail with the many colors that pop out, especially during the musical numbers where the film gets more creative. There’s many of these instances where the townspeople, students and get to participate and show off their choreography which truly is fantastic and really gives the film this lightning sort of energy it needed as well as a beautiful personality that really makes you feel your right there.
The performances are all fantastic, everyone here really gives it their all which leads into some of the best moments from a film this year. Cynthia Erivo was just a natural choice for Elphaba, Erivo’s singing voice is known to be big and powerful plus she her acting ability has always been top notch and here is no exception. She absolutely nails it down with “Defying Gravity” it’s a legendary song at this point and is a song that is incredibly challenging to sing, Erivo does such a masterful job with the song and really goes beyond expectations. It’s almost like you can see Erivo challenging herself to go even further which is something that is always fascinating to see from actors and actresses. We also quickly get to see how incredible Erivo’s voice really is with “The Wizard and I” a solo performance that quickly establishes that Erivo truly captures Elphaba as a character and goes even further in the film.
Ariana Grande as Galinda is just as fantastic, before this film Grande had not been in a lead or even a supporting role for years. There were cameos like Don’t Look Up (2021). But her last relatively main role was Hairspray Live (2016) but even then she wasn’t really front and center if you want go even further back it would be Victorious and Sam & Cat. To say Ariana Grande proved herself to be a fantastic actress here that could even go further in her acting career would be the understatement of the year. Right from the beginning Ariana Grande hits it out of the park with her powerful singing voice the notes she hits during “No One Mourns The Wicked” is absolutely striking and oozes with power, any doubt of Grande’s ability as an actress gets thrown out the window right at the moment. Throughout the film Grande really goes above and beyond to capture the spirit of Galinda and does such a masterful job at it, “Popular” is another grand moment for Grande the film does such a good job of comparing the personalities of Elphaba and Galinda throughout the film but this musical number and the Ozbust scene (more on that in a second) really shines. Grande brings this energizing spark to the film that really captures the land of Oz perfectly.
Together Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande bring this power that was absolutely needed to make the film work as well as it does, they go beyond expectations and even throw in their own style into the mix. One such example is during the Ozbust Elphaba and Galinda share an unforgettable beautiful moment that I believe to be the film’s heart. Before this we saw the two’s personalities challenge each other but here it’s when they collide and become friends…in a very beautiful way. The way the scene is done is just gorgeous, no dialogue besides the whispers of the crowd watching the two, they both move slowly and perform personal and beautiful movements that ultimately speak to one another. It’s a scene that admittedly made me tear up due to just how up close the camera is, the film is telling the viewer that this is a personal moment and wants you to experience it. The acting from Erivo and Grande gives us moments like this, “One Short Day” which is just oozing with energy and of course “Defying Gravity”.
The supporting roles from Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode and Jonathan Bailey are all fantastic. Marissa Bode has a lot of cute moments that are bound to warm your heart and Jonathan Bailey is just a lot of fun “Dancing Through Life” shows he’s quite a solid singer as well and really captures his character quite well.
The rest of the film is just a blast and it remains that way throughout the film, the choreography is energetic and as I said before everyone gets the chance to participate plus insert their own style into the mix. The film really captures the land of Oz quite beautifully with its production design, music and atmosphere. The atmosphere has this perfect balance of light and dark, the film isn’t overly too happy and it isn’t overly too dark either. It’s the perfect balance that makes the film speak for itself, all the build up is worth it to the grand finale when “Defying Gravity” plays. Even if you haven’t seen Wicked you probably have at least heard of the song or someone mention it. As I said earlier it’s a huge song that really does sum up Wicked a big and powerful piece that is booming and at times intimidating. Luckily that feeling is captured here, between all the events of the film coming together to the voices of Erivo and Grande mixing flawlessly it’s a sight that really wows you.
Overall Wicked is the definition of a crowd pleaser and one that has so much heart, it’s one of my absolute favorite films of the year! If you haven’t seen it already please do so!
A sudden attack by Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Helm’s daughter, Héra, must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy who’s intent on total destruction.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama director of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), Napping Princess (2017), a few Ghost In the Shell movies and a few others.
As someone who is a major fan of the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy and was overall very disappointed with The Hobbit trilogy (Desolation Of Smaug of grown to really like in recent years but it doesn’t touch the original trilogy still) I was all for an anime Lord Of The Rings film. This had the potential to be something really creative and even bring new ideas to the table, unfortunately that’s not what happened here. When Warner Bros said they only made this movie so that they can keep the rights to the franchise it definitely shows in this movie.
I will say that the score is quite fantastic, it has the Lord Of The Rings spirit there’s a mix of Howard Shore and new music that keeps the score interesting and beautiful. The score does a wonderful job of setting the mood and tone of the movie and actually does far more talking than the writing does for the characters. The animation a lot of the time is quite beautiful, I say a lot of the time because the character models have this weird hiccup where if they are far away they look like ragdolls with no face for some reason. But outside of that the detail is excellent and there’s some very beautifully done moments that do a solid job of capturing the many locations of the movie, especially towards the second half of the movie.
Everything else however is quite disappointing, the characters being a main offender. If you are going in expecting some great character development like the original trilogy then you are in for a disappointment. While the voice acting isn’t terrible (Brian Cox being the standout) the characters are very underwritten and are a prime example of show don’t tell. We are told things about these characters such as the main character Hera being “wild and free” but we never actually get to see that, instead we see that she’s traditional protagonist number 210. Hera’s brothers Hama and Haleth have no character development outside of being Hera’s brother, Fréaláf (Helm’s nephew) disappears for half the movie and by the time he reappears during the movie’s final act it’s almost over. King Helm while kind of a neat character at times and admittedly has a great final scene has the most sloppiest put together redemption arc I’ve seen in quite some time. Finally there’s Wulf our main villain and well he’s about as standard as you can get, very typical revenge story that really doesn’t say or do anything new.
The writing gives these characters no room to develop or have a unique identity, it’s all stock character traits that you have probably seen in countless movies. Which leads into another main issue….why was this a Lord Of The Rings film? There’s a cameo and a name drop during the final moments of the movie, how Helms Deep got its name (even then the movie does a terrible job of explaining that) and Miranda Otto returns to narrate. Outside of that I completely forgot this was supposed to be a Lord Of The Rings film, this felt much more like a very cliched fantasy film than a Lord Of The Rings film. It’s a very weird mishmash of trying to connect to the franchise and very cliched ideas that not even fans of the fantasy genre would enjoy.
It’s very weird saying “I don’t have much else to say” about a Lord Of The Rings film but that’s actually the case here The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is a very nothing movie, we don’t learn anything new or interesting about Middle Earth all we get is a very messy cash grab (considering how bad this movie is bombing currently it’s not even good at that.) By far the most disappointing movie of the year.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is currently in theaters.
Mismatched cousins David and Benji tour Poland to honor their grandmother. Their adventure becomes complicated as old tensions resurface while exploring their family history.
A Real Pain is directed by Jesse Eisenberg who previously directed When You Finish Saving The World (2022).
Something I absolutely love seeing in film is a director improving, Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut When You Finish Saving The World (2022) was incredibly flawed and overall very forgettable. A Real Pain is the direct opposite of that, what we have here is such a personal and powerful story that quite clearly means so much to Eisenberg and he shares that with the viewer in such beautiful ways.
The performances are really what make this film work as wonderfully as it does, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin are fantastic and work so naturally together. We get to explore the two’s characters in great detail, David Kaplan (played by Jesse Eisenberg) has a wife and kids in New York City, has his life together and while is yet another one of Eisenberg’s socially awkward characters it actually really works here. Benji Kaplan (played by Kieran Culkin) does not have a job and hides a lot of pain that bothers him, sure he might seem like he “lights up the room” when he enters it. But on the inside he is hiding battles that do get to him.
The character is truly fascinating and really builds the bond of the two and leads to some incredible moments. Culkin is of course fascinating throughout the film, one moment he’s a jokester who means well in what he’s saying. Then the next moment he takes a stance of how the way the tour guide talks about the Nazi Germany Holocaust tour wanting more emotional authenticity rather than focus on statistics. Jesse Eisenberg gives a career best moment during the dinner table scene, Benji makes uncomfortable comments and leaves which leads to David to explain that Benji tried to kill himself which ended up drifting the two apart. Eisenberg’s acting in this scene is truly beautiful and so gut punching that it makes you cry, it’s such a powerful way of previously setting up a character (Benji) who seemed to be happy and comfortable with himself be shown to be going through a whole lot. Eisenberg really puts in the work for this scene alone he should absolutely be nominated for an Oscar (as well as Kieran Culkin).
The haunting yet beautiful piano score that’s used throughout the film is truly beautiful and really captured the atmosphere the film is going for. The theme of pain is present throughout the score and ultimately delivers some truly touching quiet moments, it’s a score that’s also very therapeutic that slowly brings you into the film. It’s a very smart way of easing the viewer in, getting you comfortable and just setting up beautiful scenes.
The writing and direction from Jesse Eisenberg is just absolutely brilliant, Eisenberg creates some of the most raw and human performances of the year. The scene where the group visits the concentration camp is absolutely haunting and is about as perfectly directed as you can get. The silence, the atmosphere, the cinematography and the sound of the group’s steps as they look at the remains of the camp it’s all there. It’s one of those scenes that never leaves your mind after watching, Eisenberg proves he can write a meaningful scene after meaningful scene, everything in this film really mixes so well together in the end and paints this beautiful and emotional picture that you never want to stop looking at.
Overall A Real Pain is one of the best films of the year. The compare and contrast element of David and Benji as characters is fascinating, their bond rebuilding is absolutely beautiful and the film is just so well done. I am absolutely interested to see what Eisenberg does next as a director.
Jerome Reviews... 