EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, THE BAD GUYS, THE NORTHMAN, FANTASTIC BEASTS: SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE, FATHER STU, THE LOST CITY, BETTER NATE THAN EVER, TURNING RED, FLESH

Originally Posted: March 14, 2022

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE | A24 | Writer/Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

I was so mentally ready for this movie, as in the last month I rediscovered JJ Abrams FRINGE and have been Fringe Bingeing!  For those of you unfamiliar, it’s a Sci-Fi show from (2008-2013) about FBI agents who solve X-Files type cases, but rather than dealing with Aliens, the main through line story delves into a Parallel Universe, way before Marvel movies began giving us Multiverse storylines.

In addition, I’ve always told myself the reason things didn’t go as planned in this life is because in another life, I’m living large. I know a LeAnne Lindsay on another or other plane(s) has been living a life without fear and possessing gallons more ambition than I ever could muster. I don’t know why this gives me comfort, but it’s as if I can let myself off the hook by thinking, I did do things, just not here. These thoughts have been with me for many years and then one day I feel like I got proof. I have a chronic issue with my spleen often becoming enlarged.  I’m able to address the problem with acupuncture and have never (so far) needed an operation.  But one day I came back from a walk, took off my shirt and there was a thin horizontal cut across the area of my spleen. It was slightly bleeding like a scalpel incision had been made. Nothing had taken place while I was on my walk, didn’t go through any bushes, didn’t feel any pain, wasn’t even having a flare up. Eventually I chalked it up to the me in another Universe going under the knife for the same condition, perhaps she never believed in the benefits of acupuncture; and thru the Universal connection her scar somehow showed up on me, perhaps as a warning? 

For all these reasons and more is why I was completely and immediately pulled into the Daniels Everything, Everywhere All At Once.  Which starts off normally enough – Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is an overstretched first-generation Chinese immigrant who owns a laundromat with her sweet husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), who she pretty much ignores unless she’s bossing him to do some chore.  Their 20-someting daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) also feels unseen or heard by her critical mother and is struggling to make good decisions in her listless life – despite having a great girlfriend who seems to accept her unconditionally. A girlfriend, who is not invited to her grandfather’s (James Hong) party, celebrating the Chinese New Year, as Evelyn’s not ready to reveal Joy’s lesbian relationship to her old-world father.  But mainly Evelyn’s concentration is on preparing (poorly) for an IRS audit to be conducted by an awful looking, overzealous, IRS agent Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), her best role in years!!!  It’s here in the IRS office that Evelyn first meets a Waymond, from another Universe who tells her she is the key to fighting a vast evil that threatens the entire multiverse.

Apparently, in all the other Universes Evelyn is awesome – a brainiac, a celebrity, a chef all  possessing many accomplishments, but this Evelyn, as this Wayman informs her “you’re living your worst you”— meaning that every other possible Evelyn made more successful life choices. And yet, her failed existence is what’s needed to defeat this evil.

Collaborative filmmakers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as the Daniels (feature debut, “Swiss Army Man”, 2016) have created a high-octane, intriguingly conceptual, action spectacle and philosophical look at the nature of existence — layered on top of an emotional mother/daughter relationship story of generational trauma, all told through crazy humor, disgusting acts and imaginative sci-fi premises.

I’m not sure I’ve properly sold the brilliance of the film. I know it’s way too soon to make these types of assertions, but this could become my #1 film of 2022.

T&T LAMB rating: 5 outta 5

Post Update: November 30, 2022 – Everything Everywhere Press Conference
click image to view on Youtube:

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT | Lionsgate |Writer/Director Tom Gormican| Co-Writer Kevin Etten

I realized watching this movie that I really haven’t seen that many Nicolas Cage films, and those I have seen I watched once, years ago.  But I’ve always appreciated him as a part of Hollywood pop-culture.  I did see him in PIG last year which made my Top 10 Movies of 2021 List.  A movie which helped to restore his former glory. But then, as they say repeatedly in this movie, referring to the Ghost Rider’s career: “Not that I went anywhere!” 

Gormican and Etten wrote on spec The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, an incredibly specific movie about Nicolas Cage, reminiscent of Being John Malkovich. A project like this could have been derailed at any moment if its intended star said no.  Thankfully for them, and the fans unlike me, who have seen his many movies over many decades, Cage was happy to play along, this is not his life or true personality, but he’s willing to laugh and poke fun of himself and the perceptions audiences have of him.

One thing that’s been out there in IRL is his owing the IRS multimillions of dollars, that he was forced to divest himself of possessions like the Bavarian castle, the Caribbean island, the collection of Rolls-Royces, the various yachts, the Gulfstream jet. And also to start cranking out bad movies back-to-back-to-back, many of them straight to VOD streaming.  This is where the movie begins with Cage lunching with a director interested in him for a leading role in his next movie, a movie this fictionalized Nic Cage wants desperately, so desperately that he decides to do an impromptu, unsolicited read for the director, which actually sours his decision to cast him.  

His agent (Neil Patrick Harris) has another offer for him – $1 million to appear at the birthday party of a rich superfan named Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Cage is not too keen on the idea, but he’s also not in a good place with his teenage daughter (Lily Mo Sheen, daughter of Kate Beckinsale & Michael Sheen) and a still-caring ex-wife (Sharon Horgan) so this excursion comes at an opportune time.

Much to his surprise he and his host Javi hit it off like a house on fire. The two are hilarious together, the bromance that ensues is what really sells the movie!  Earning a place on my Letterboxd list of Favorite Friendship Driven Movies.  All’s fun and cinephile chats until Cage is kidnapped by the CIA (Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz) who inform him Javi is an underworld criminal and they need his help to take him down.

If you’re a Nicolas Cage fan, you’ll go crazy over all the easter eggs and references to his movies scattered throughout the film, if you’re not, it’s still a wonderfully weird meta ride, celebrating movies!  T&T LAMB rating: 4 outta 5

THE BAD GUYS | DreamWorks |Director Pierre Perifel | Production Designer Luc Desmarchelier |Art Director Floriane Marchix | Main Animator Jorge Capote | Screenwriter Etan Coen | Based on books by Aaron Blabey

This team intentionally gave homage to many heists movies, such as “Ocean’s 11,” “Gone in Sixty Seconds”, Brian De Palma’s “Femme Fatale,”. And riffed off other classics such as “Pulp Fiction”, “Bullitt” and Hayao Miyazaki’s landmark anime film “The Castle of Cagliostro.”  It’s a traditional high octane, action film only with anthropomorphized characters. 

We meet the two main Bad Guys, Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron) at a diner scene very much like the Sam Jackson/Travolta’s Pulp Fiction opening.  Then the rest of the characters are introduced during a getaway car chase, each popping into the action doing what they do best –  Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson) master of disguise, Webs (Awkwafina) computer tech wiz, Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) brings the chaos.

The Bad Guys love money, but they enjoy being bad, terrorizing the city and thwarting police chief Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein) the most.  After getting away from their latest bank robbery the gang goes back to their hideaway to celebrate Mr. Snake, a very reluctant birthday boy/reptile. Turning on the news they hear the governor, Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) throwing them shade, saying they are near the end of their criminal careers, that they’ve grown predictable and boring etc.. etc..  This goads the gang into planning an ambitious heist to steal the Golden Dolphin award during the ceremony to honor guinea pig philanthropist Professor Rupert Marmalade IV (Richard Ayoade). Only things go awry, forcing them to agree to go through a Pygmalion type transformation to become “The Good Guys”.

The Bad Guys creatives decided to reimagined version of Los Angeles inspired from cop and heist movies and TV shows. The production designer notes that the backgrounds are more about a vibe than about portraying specific places or landmarks, but it still feels and looks like L.A.  Perifel notes in terms of the animation style and look of the characters, that they wanted to revert back to a more traditional way of animating, to stray away from computer photo-realistic visuals. No big pupils, a painted feel for the characters’ fur, and keeping the rest of the visuals to a 2D graphic effect.

My overall take on DeamWorks latest animated offering, well, I’d gotten a Shingles vaccine earlier in the day and was hoping to watch something to take my mind off the pain in my arm and the fact that I was experiencing mild flu like symptoms.  This didn’t quite do it for me, but then again it also may have colored my total enjoyment of the movie.  T&T LAMB rating: 3 Outta 5

THE NORTHMAN | Focus Features |Writer/Director Robert Eggers | Co-Writer Sjón

T&T LAMB rating: 2 outta 5

FANTASTIC BEASTS: SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE | Warner Bros | Director David Yates |Screenplay J. K. Rowling & Steve Kloves

T&T LAMB rating: 2 outta 5

FATHER STU | Sony Pictures Releasing | Writer/Directors Rosalind Ross |

Used to be most every year I’d see a faith-based movie leading up to Easter – Heaven is For Real, The Shack, Miracles From Heaven, Breakthrough, I enjoy these movies because they make no apology for being spiritually over the top, and I always get a good cry.  But little did I know I was walking into this kinda thing when going to see Mark Wahlberg in Father Stu. I assumed it was a straight up comedy.  Turns out it’s the real-life story of Stuart Long an amateur boxer, amateur actor, amateur troublemaker from Montana who eventually finds his way to God and professional priesthood. 

Starts out with us getting to know Stu (Wahlberg) as a likeable but flawed, kinda lost guy trying to make it as a boxer. His parents (played by Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver) are estranged, his mother is supportive but not in the least fooled by her son’s dubious charms.  Father and son don’t much care for one another and don’t keep in close touch.  Stu had a brother who died early on and it seemed to really mess the family up.  Stu has a complex that he’ll never measure up to his parents memories of his younger brother.

A bad diagnoses forces Stu to give up boxing, so he decides acting will be his thing and impulsively moves to LA where he starts working as a butcher while trying to figure out the Hollywood lay of the land. A cute Latino girl, Carmen (Teresa Ruiz) catches his eye at the store, and he just goes mad for her upon first sight. Finding out she’s a church going, good girl, he decides he’s gonna become a good clean Alter boy type in order to win her affections.  Little did he know what God actually had in store for him.

Father Stu is a passion project for Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, both devout Catholics. Writer-director Rosalind Ross (directorial debut) is Gibson’s real-life partner since 2014. Gibson has a line in the film that Stu’s decision to join the church is “like Hitler asking to join the ADL”, it’s funny, but reminds the audience of the actor’s past troubles.  Yet, I have to say this role suits Gibson perfectly, he’s got that weary, weather beaten, yet still appealing thing down.

Dan Tabor, a member of The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle interviewed Wahlberg in person for this film:

Dan Tabor: The crew behind the camera on Father Stu is nearly as fascinating as the actors in front. Can you tell me a bit of how this production came together.

Mark Wahlberg: You know, it’s just kind of how it all happened. I think all the pieces kind of fell into place. I really feel like the “big guy” was at work, kind of pulling the strings here — from the time that I was pitched the story, by a priest in a restaurant. I’m like, why are you trying to pitch me on a movie padre? I thought you were gonna ask me for money to help rebuild the gym at the school, or do some sort of contribution, which I would have no problem doing. But then when I listened to the story, I realized, oh my God, I’ve been looking, I’ve always kind of (been) asking, you know, I know I wasn’t put in this position to just kind of forget about where I came from, I was like, how do I utilize my talents and gift for God’s greater good? READ MORE about the making of the film and Wahlberg’s faith, with Dan on Cinapse

The problem with Father Stu is that there’s just a little too much setup in the first half and then too drastic a change in tone in the second half.  And yet, it’s the second half that’s worth seeing.  Stu’s journey to Priesthood is compelling, his relationships with his fellow Seminarians; the change in his relationships with Carmen and his parents; his ability to preach and meet people truly where they are in life, cause he knows their struggle. But mostly, his coming to terms with a debilitating illness just as he finds his calling, which gave me the cry I look for in these faith-based movies.

T&T LAMB Rating 3 outta 5

THE LOST CITY | Paramount Pictures | Writer/Directors Adam & Aaron Nee |Co-Writers Oren Uziel & Dana Fox

Romancing the Stone starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny Devito is #9 on my Letterboxd List of Movies I Can Watch Again and Again.  I would hate for anyone to do an actual remake of this movie or its sequel Jewel of the Nile, however, The Lost City comes very close as a fun homage; only I’ve watched several interviews with the cast and directors and none of them ever actually come out and say it is, but it’s so obvious.  The protagonist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is  a stuck in a rut, romance writer, just like Turner’s character, Joan Wilder – they both find themselves in the jungle wearing completely inappropriate attire and footwear.  There’s lost treasure in the form of jewels.  Both movies feature comically inept villains, there’s a borrowed vehicle scene similar to the “my little mule” jeep in RTS. When this couple finally emerges from the jungle and reaches a quaint village, Loretta purchases a similarly sweetly sexy peasant frock to dance with the male hero, where they fall more deeply for each other.  Just like Romancing the Stone!

Now there’s plenty that’s different.  This male hero Alan/Dash (Channing Tatum) is nothing like the swashbuckling Douglas in RTS.  Actually, Brad Pitt plays that role in this movie.  And where Joan Wilder travels to a remote jungle of her own free will to rescue her sister.  Loretta Sage is kidnapped by Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) a rich, spoiled adventurer who wants to prove he’s just as capable of accomplishments as his equally effeminately named brothers. 

It’s not a sharply funny comedy, some of the jokes land pretty softly, but the physical humor and oddly believable chemistry between Bullock & Tatum is what sells this fun rom/com/action flick.  When you think about it, Sandra Bullock has got to be almost 30 years older than Zoe Kravitz, who’s dating Channing Tatum, and he looks equally good with both women; well, there’s a scene where we get to look at his perfectly formed rear-end, he looks good period.

T&T LAMB rating: 3.5 outta 5

BETTER NATE THAN EVER |Disney/ Marc Platt Productions | Writer/Director Tim Federle

I love that they cast a young black girl, Libby (Aria Brooks) as a musical theater lover.  You always hear about young, soon to be out of the closet, boys who can’t stop singing Broadway show tunes, but what about us nerdy, heterosexual, black females who get bitten by music theater at an early age – like ME!  And now like Libby.

The protagonist is Nate Foster (Rueby Wood) a 13-year-old obsessed with getting a lead role in his middle school musical. Libby is his best friend, on the DL wanna be girlfriend and girl boss of his world.  When Nate not only doesn’t get the lead, but is relegated to a tree in the chorus, it’s Libby’s idea for them to sneak a bus ride from Pittsburgh to New York to audition for a new Broadway Musical for Lilo & Stitch.  Side note: after watching this movie, I finally watched Disney’s Lilo & Stitch (2002).  I know, why did it take me so long?  Wynonna Judd is one of my all time favs and I knew she recorded a song for the movie, but I still wasn’t interested back then, there was something about the animation style that was throwing me off.  Now I’m fine with it and more than fine with the execution of this perfectly demented animated classic, it pulls all the right heart strings and moves at the speed I like!

Anyway, turns out Nate has an Aunt Heidi (Lisa Kudrow) in the biz, living in NYC, but they are estranged because Nate’s Mom never forgave Heidi for going to a Broadway callback instead of coming to her wedding. Heidi’s not exactly the star she figured she’d be after all these years, which is how she runs into Nate and Libby, while auditioning for a separate play. Heidi soon learns how lovable and talented her young nephew is and becomes embroiled in his Broadway dream.

Better Nate Than Ever is based on a series of books Tim Federle wrote over a decade ago inspired by his own life of escaping Pittsburgh’s Friday Night Lights for the Lights of the Great White Way.  Tim adapted his first novel for the screenplay making many updates and changes along the way.  What the movie sets out to deliver is that feeling of following one’s dreams, overcoming fear, obstacles, parents and your own weirdness and insecurity to get to a place where you shine and are in your element!  T&T LAMB rating: 3.5 outta 5

Days after Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill officially became law, the gloriously queer-positive “Better Nate Than Ever” hits Disney+. How do we square those two things? Kevin Fallon DailyBeast

TURNING RED | Disney/Pixar | Writer/Director Domee Shi |Co-Writer Julia Cho

Domee Shi (creator of short Bao) is the first woman to solo direct a film at Pixar. She sets the movie in Toronto circa 2002, taking us back to her formative years where boy bands ruled and everyone first started celebrating individualism in a major way. Turning Red’s central character,13-year-old Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang) starts by declaring she’s her own person, walks to the beat of her own drum, loves excelling in school, enjoys her own dorky style and makes her own rules.  That is until her 3 besties, Miriam (Ava Morse), Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Abby (Hyein Park, my favorite cause I love her intensity and facial contortions) want her to join them for after school hanging out and she has to decline as she’s expected to work alongside her mother at their family’s Temple.  Only, Meilin actually enjoys it.  She and her Mom (Sandra Oh) sweep and sing and welcome visitors together in perfect harmony.  But it’s not long before Meilin’s over-protective “Tiger Mom” embarrasses her daughter in front of her peers in a catastrophic way!  Meilin tries to hide her emotions and tell herself she was wrong and her mother was right, but this just festers until next thing ya know, she’s transformed into a Red (more orange) Panda. A spirit animal of her mother’s family for generations and generations.

About a decade ago, Disney and Pixar started to routinely showcase different cultures, races and ethnicities. The success of “Big Hero 6” (2014) and “Moana” (2016) led to diverse films like “Coco,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Soul” and “Encanto.” Not only does Turning Red feature representation front and center, the studio is making a larger effort to bring diversity in just about every aspect of the production, including creating a student wearing an Insulin pump. 

The Boy Band aspect becomes a major contention between Meilin and her mother. As much of the plot centers around the girl’s secret plans to purchase tickets to see 4*Town, using Meilin’s Red Panda alter-ego.  Billie Eilish and Finneas were asked to create the songs for the boys.  Not exactly their style, but they really pulled it off.  This brother and sister duo are so lucky to be getting these kinds of opportunities, which started with No Time To Die. Once you start scoring for films, the work never stops, just ask John Williams, Michael Giacchino, Diane Warren, Danny Elfman etc…

It’s impossible not to enjoy the energy, magical realism, and weirdness of this coming of age story. The themes of letting your freak flag fly and seeking independence from expectations should resonate with all ages.  Tinsel & Tine LAMB rating: 4 outta 5

FRESH | Disney/Pixar | Director Mimi Cave |Writer Lauryn Kahn |Producer Adam McKay

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