Sophia Coppola really knocks it out of the park with this one. Definitely the best Elvis biopic. What it did best was wading into the complication of a toxic relationship. Too often, these stories either glorify or vilify completely, and that’s inauthentic and unrealistic. This film respects its audience enough to show the bad AND the good that keeps them both fighting to overcome the bad. There’s always a reason they stay for that long. Always a time they’re striving to return to.
The colors were a welcome change. A refined beauty that is also often missing in modern Hollywood. Filmed with an intimate cinematography that draws the viewer in more and more with each frame, as we invest in a perfectly cast storyline. Really well done!
I didn’t expect this much Freddy Krueger in my Freddy Fazbear.
The PG-13 rating only really took away from the gore factor with this one. The kills and the tension were still there. The story was stronger and had more depth to it than I expected. Even more-so if you’re a fan of the video games, as the gentlemen behind me were. It drops a lot of Easter eggs and deepens a great deal of the lore behind the (even more) twisted version of Chuck E Cheese.
A perfect cast and a strong story made for a strong outing by Blumhouse. Unlike the recent “Exorcist” reboot attempt, I found this one much more within their wheelhouse. With the perfect song choice. 🤌🏻
I still prefer the book on this one, but the movie gave it a run for its money and was a work of art itself presenting this important story.
While Leo puts on another great performance (and chalks up another epic meltdown scene) alongside the truly menacing Robert De Niro, I want to call attention to Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart and Tatanka Means as Agent John Wren. My biggest reason for preferring the book to the movie is due to the perspective of the story being told. The book’s focus on the FBI team and the community impacted was a much more impactful viewpoint, but narratively, I understand why Scorsese went this route. The ending was a creative Hail Mary pass to tie a bow on such an unsatisfying ending to the story. There was no good way to land the plane on a story with such a lack of closure/happy ending. The thing that the film nails is the tone. You’re uncomfortable for the entire runtime, waiting for the other shoe to drop, unsure of who you can trust, sensing the pervasive danger around every corner.
It’s absolutely gorgeous in its cinematography and the overall aesthetic of the film. The editing made the three and a half runtime pass more quickly than I was expecting, but it definitely tested my back’s tolerance for a single sitting in non-recliner cinema seats. It’s definitely on of those “Hollywood couldn’t write something this insane and interesting” stories, finally making its way onto the big screen, with a perfect cast and soundtrack.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI https://a.co/d/aSIbW1M
One thing I can say about this trilogy is that they never fail on the feel good front. It was the perfect way to round out a triple feature at the cinema today after two heavier films.
The Portokalos’s never fail to restore one’s faith in love and family. This film may have changed locale, but the heart of the story is as strong as ever, building off of the strengths of the first two films. Of course there is a forbidden romance, a wedding, and a relationship blossoming in time to launch the possibility of a fourth installment. I wouldn’t be upset with that, and will be one of the first in line if and when they do.
What starts off with the twist of a haunting/exorcism type story slowly works its way back into the familiar whodunnit formula we’ve come to know and love with this series.
The cast this time around really knocked it out of the park, especially Tina Fey. Beth Dutton gives her a run for her money, though. Overall, a well done murder mystery!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 