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 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
Do you question the motives behind maternity processes?
Do I have the film for you! I myself do not have children, and I’d be fascinated to know the way it would change my perspective on this one. From gender to societal roles and implications, this film takes a deep dive into much broader territory than I was expecting. There’s so much going on, yet it feels perfectly natural and palatable as the story unfolds and our characters journey on into the unknowns of a changing relationship with themselves, each other, and the world around them. Here I thought I’d never get to use “nature vs. nurture” in one of these things, yet here we are. It’s a fitting distillation of this film’s core.
He did it again! Denzel and crew stuck the landing and nailed the conclusion of the trilogy. This time with the additional impact of a reunion with Dakota Fanning, a chemistry you can feel permeate the story and provide a strong heart to the story that I was afraid would be missing in this one without the usual supporting cast, following the events of Part 2. They haven’t lost a beat since “Man on Fire.”
You won’t find better choreography and kill count outside of “John Wick,” with only “Nobody” giving them a run for their money.
I found this film to have a return to form and a softer touch than 2. There was no lack of bloodshed, but moments between Fanning and Washington, paired with attention to detail like the score paying homage to Nina Rota’s “Godfather” theme to fit the Italian locale… I appreciated the well rounded nature of this stuck landing. Incredibly well done and well worth a watch!
This would have made a killer double feature alongside “Bottoms.” The characters here are insane, but by god are they fun. Sadly, no one comes out of the lake or woods with a large bladed weapon to start taking people out. The villain here is private equity and preppy kids. The underdog vibes here are strong. The overall vibes are strong. It’s a musically inclined twist on “Wet Hot American Summer.” Hits every note you want it to, and given the reaction of the crowd I enjoyed this one alongside, it really nails the aesthetic of real life theater camp.
Also, no one plays a loveable dumb guy like Jimmy Tatro. Between this and “The Machine,” he’s building his career on this pigeon hole.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 