THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017) **

Colin Farrell stars as Dr. Murphy, a heart surgeon who forms a strange bond with an awkward teenager named Martin (Barry Keoghan) whose father died on his operating table.  Dr. Murphy welcomes the boy into his home with open arms and gives him extravagant gifts.  His family also takes to the kid, even if their relationship seems a tad inappropriate.  Soon, Dr. Murphy’s son is struck by an inexplicable bout of psychosomatic paralysis.  As his condition worsens, his daughter is also stricken by the disease.  Are their ailments just unfortunate occurrences, or are they somehow linked to Martin’s presence?   

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer sort of has a Kubrickian feel.  It’s populated with cold and detached characters, contains a lot of “Eye of God” camerawork, is full of slow zooms, and features a droning soundtrack.  Lanthimos also utilizes odd camera angles during the long tracking shots to put audience in a state of unease. 

The combination of the deliberate pace, aloof characters, and off-putting subject matter eventually take its toll.  While I applaud the director and performers’ commitment to tone, it doesn’t exactly make it a fun ride.  The film is better in the first half when we don’t quite know the score as Lanthimos effectively doles out information sparingly.  However, it’s decidedly less effective once all the cards have been played.  After a long slog, the movie eventually lumbers towards an unfulfilling finale, which isn’t exactly worth the slow burn. 

There are a few bright spots along the way.  I especially liked the bedroom game Farrell and his wife (Nicole Kidman) play.  There’s no explanation or kink-shaming to their little tryst, and I kind of dug that.  It’s Alicia Silverstone (yes, THAT Alicia Silverstone) who steals the movie as Keoghan’s horny mother who has a finger-sucking fetish.  These moments are amusing, but there aren’t enough of them to make The Killing of a Sacred Deer worth sacrificing two hours of your time. 

THE 2019 VIDEO VACUUM AWARDS

Friends of The Vacuum.  It’s time once again for The 13^th Annual Video Vacuum Awards.  It’s a most cherished time indeed.  It’s a time when we get to see who fed it and who ate it in the world of cinema.  Today, I’ll be naming the nominees of the prestigious Viddies, and in a week or so (you know, when that OTHER award show is happening), I’ll announce the winners.  So, without further delay, here are your nominees for this year:  

Best Picture

Dolemite is My Name

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Rambo:  Last Blood

Star Wars:  Episode IX:  The Rise of Skywalker

3 from Hell

Worst Picture

Black Christmas

Godzilla:  The Planet Eater

In the Tall Grass

Trading Paint

Triple Frontier

Best Director

J.J. Abrams (Star Wars:  Episode IX:  The Rise of Skywalker)

Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name)

Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)

Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Rob Zombie (3 from Hell)

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Jake Gyllenhaal (Velvet Buzzsaw)

Eddie Murphy (Dolemite is My Name)

Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Best Actress

Karen Gillan (Avengers:  Endgame)

Linda Hamilton (Terminator:  Dark Fate)

Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)

Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Sheri Moon Zombie (3 from Hell)

Best Horror Movie

Crawl

Godzilla:  King of the Monsters

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

3 from Hell

Velvet Buzzsaw

Worst Horror Movie

Black Christmas

Doctor Sleep

Godzilla:  The Planet Eater

In the Tall Grass

Pet Sematary

Best Action Movie

Cold Pursuit

Fast and Furious Presents:  Hobbs and Shaw

John Wick:  Chapter 3:  Parabellum

Rambo:  Last Blood

Shaft

Best Comic Book Movie

Alita:  Battle Angel

Avengers:  Endgame

Captain Marvel

Joker

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans

Best Sci-Fi Movie

Alita:  Battle Angel

Avengers:  Endgame

Captain Marvel

Star Wars:  Episode IX:  The Rise of Skywalker

Terminator:  Dark Fate

Best Sequel

Avengers:  Endgame

Rambo:  Last Blood

Shaft

Star Wars:  Episode IX:  The Rise of Skywalker

3 from Hell

Best Drama

Dragged Across Concrete

The Irishman

Joker

Marriage Story

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best DTV/Streaming Movie

Dolemite is My Name

The Irishman

Marriage Story

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans

Velvet Buzzsaw

Worst DTV/Streaming Movie

Godzilla:  The Planet Eater

The Highwaymen

In the Tall Grass

Triple Frontier

Trading Paint

Best Kids’ Movie

The Addams Family

Dumbo

The LEGO Movie 2:  The Second Part

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans

Best Fight Scene

Godzilla vs. Ghidrah in Godzilla:  King of the Monsters

Kylo Ren vs. Black Widow in Marriage Story

Cliff Booth vs. Bruce Lee in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Cliff Booth vs. the Manson Family in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Kylo Ren and Rey vs. The Emperor in Star Wars:  Episode IX:  The Rise of Skywalker

Best Scene I Could Not Make Up

Jeff Fahey playing a grizzled cowboy cyborg with a pack of pet robot hunting dogs in Alita:  Battle Angel

John Wick putting two dozen knives into the same guy in John Wick:  Chapter 3:  Parabellum

Cliff Booth vs. Bruce Lee in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Cliff Booth vs. the Manson Family in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Rambo pulling out a man’s collarbone in Rambo:  Last Blood

Best Dialogue

The Fanatic for “I can’t talk long.  I got to poo.”

Joker for “My mom died.  I’m celebrating.”

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood for “Anybody accidentally kills anybody in a fight, they go to jail.  It’s called manslaughter!”

Rambo:  Last Blood for “You can’t change.  All you can do is put a lid on it”

Shaft for “Can’t we just send him a tersely worded text?”

THE GOOD STUDENT (2006) ** ½

Tim Daly stars as Mr. Gibb, a shy, lonely, sexually repressed teacher who has a crush on his prize student, a perky blond cheerleader named Ally, played by Hayden Panettiere.  After Ally has a fight with her boyfriend, Mr. Gibb agrees to give her a lift home, even though he knows it goes against professional ethics.  When she vanishes without a trace, he quickly becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.  Mr. Gibb then takes it upon himself to look for her, which only makes him appear guiltier than before.

The Good Student was produced by Kevin Spacey (which explains A LOT, actually), and it’s anchored by a solid cast.  Daly delivers a fine performance and makes his sad sack character likeable, even if he’s tempted by questionable desires.  The supporting players are equally good.  Panettiere is ideally cast as the object of his affection, even though she doesn’t stick around for very long.  I also enjoyed seeing Dan Hedaya as a nosy janitor.  It’s William Sadler who steals the show though as Panettiere’s sketchy father who uses his daughter’s disappearance as a marketing ploy to drum up business for his used car lot.  If you’re like me and believe the world needs more movies in which William Sadler plays a sleazeball, then this one has you covered, even if it isn’t completely successful.  Also, speaking as a huge Wings fan, it was fun to see Daly once again in a leading role.  

Sure, the story itself is rather thin, and the tone is a little funky too.  (It often plays like a cross between a Lifetime Movie and a Coen Brothers knockoff.)  The cheap production values don’t do it any favors either.  However, the cast alone makes The Good Student is an agreeable, if a tad forgettable comic thriller. 

AKA:  Mr. Gibb.

THE FIGHTER (2010) ***

David O. Russell’s The Fighter is less a biopic of real-life boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and more of a white trash slice of life piece.  While it hits all the notes of your typical sports movie (bloody boxing scenes, training montages, romantic subplots, etc.), it seems like there’s more focus on Mickey’s family squabbles than his boxing career.  The title makes you think about his rise to prizefighting glory, but it’s more about him dealing with his crackhead brother Dicky (Christian Bale), his overbearing manager mother (Melissa Leo), and his loudmouth sisters.  Meanwhile, his new girlfriend (Amy Adams) fights to make her voice heard throughout all the familial screaming and shouting.  

Your enjoyment of The Fighter may hinge on your tolerance of Mickey’s annoying dysfunctional family unit.  His mother’s meddling and his sisters’ screeching are bound to grate on the nerves.  You have to wonder if he was adopted because he’s so reserved next to his feral siblings.  (He’s actually their half-brother, which I guess is about the only explanation.) 

Despite the film’s flaws, Bale is electric.  He handily steals the movie from Wahlberg with his heartbreaking performance of a former champion (who once knocked out “Sugar” Ray Leonard) turned crackhead.  It’s one of his all-time best.  In fact, they probably could’ve made a whole movie about his character appearing in a crackhead documentary, which seriously takes away from the boxing sequences.  Even though the scenes of addiction are often hard to watch, it’s impossible to take your eyes off Bale.

So, therein lies the conundrum.  Do I take points off because of the revolting characters and unpleasant subject matter?  Or do I recommend it solely based on the performances alone?  I think I’ll go with the latter.  As long as you don’t expect a heck of a lot of boxing, you might enjoy it.  Otherwise, the bulk of the film feels like you’re trapped at someone else’s family reunion and can’t escape. 

MARRIAGE STORY (2019) ****

Noah Baumbach’s gripping, engrossing, devastating Marriage Story is reminiscent of a John Cassavetes movie.  At times it feels like a documentary.  You’re like an invisible observer on the frontlines of a family in crisis.  You get to see the implosion of a marriage firsthand and witness all the little painful details that most movies leave out.  This is one of the best films of the year.

It starts out with Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) in therapy.  There’s an argument, and she storms out of the office.  They know the marriage is over and decide to do things amicably and not hassle with lawyers.  Then she decides, well… maybe I’ll get a lawyer.  Charlie, perplexed by her decision, scrambles to get a lawyer of his own.  As with any fight, whether it takes place in the kitchen or the courtroom, things escalate, and Charlie and Nicole try to figure out how to carry on with their lives as they drift apart from each other.  

This is the most realistic depiction of divorce I have ever seen in a motion picture.  It almost plays like a how-to manual on what to do the moment you and your spouse separate.  Honestly, Baumbach should’ve called this Divorce Story.  I imagine it will hit close to home for a lot of people.  I know there will be a lot of triggering elements here for many viewers, but if you need a good, cathartic, ugly cry, Marriage Story will do the trick.

The film is often painful, uncomfortable, and cringe-inducing, but then again, so is real life.  The big fight scene between Charlie and Nicole feels spontaneous, unscripted, natural, and organic.  You never see the acting or hear the dialogue.  You’re just watching two people you’ve grown to care about having mutual meltdowns.  Driver and Johansson are stellar throughout the movie, but they are truly next level in this particular sequence.

My favorite scene though comes when Johansson gets her sister to serve Driver the divorce papers.  This sequence is constructed like something out of a horror movie and is just as effective.  The tension builds and builds, and the punchline is unexpected and devastating.  

The supporting cast is aces too.  Ray Liotta is great as Driver’s pit bull of an attorney, as is Alan Alda as his congenial first lawyer.  Julie Hagerty gets a lot of laughs as the mother in-law who plays both sides.  It’s Laura Dern who steals the movie though as Johansson’s ball-breaking attorney.  Remember in The Last Jedi when she kamikazed herself into Kylo Ren’s fleet?  This time out, she does a Holdo Maneuver on his finances.  

The only debit to an otherwise perfect film is Randy Newman’s intrusive musical score.  It rarely fits the scene and often threatens to drown out the dialogue.  Other than that, Marriage Story is, for me, Baumbach’s best work.

LOWLIFE (2018) **

As you all probably know, I’ve been watching a lot of El Santo movies lately.  When I saw this advertised, I thought it was going to be kind of like a modern version of the classic Lucha Libre cinema.  As it turns out, that’s not the case.  It’s more of a Pulp Fiction variant as it consists of a handful of interconnected crime stories. 

This first story focuses on a former Mexican wrestler named El Monstruo (Ricardo Adam Zarate) who is now reduced to acting as a doorman for a back-alley bordello.  The second tale is about a struggling motel owner (Nicki Micheaux) who is seeking an organ donor for her dying husband by any means necessary.  The third centers around a guy (Shaye Ogbonna) whose best friend (Jon Oswald) emerges from a long prison stretch with an extremely problematic face tattoo.  In the final tale, all the stories come together for a violent climax.

The set-up had potential, and there are some clever moments along the way, but overall Lowlife just doesn’t quite work.  Much of the black humor lands with a thud, and the tone is rarely consistent.  Most disappointing is the character of El Monstruo.  In Pulp Fiction, it didn't matter when we didn’t see the big boxing match because the rest of the movie was so breathtakingly original.  Here, we just feel shortchanged by the lack of Lucha Libre action.  What makes it worse is that El Monstruo, who is prone to violent fits of rage, blacks out whenever he goes on rampage, so we only see the aftermath of the bloody carnage he wreaks.  If anything would’ve saved this movie, it would’ve been some serious masked Mexican wrestler action.  Even with the benefit of a worthy Mexican wrestler, I’m still not sure Lowlife would’ve been highly recommended.

THE SISTERS BROTHERS (2018) *** ½

The cute title makes The Sisters Brothers sound like it’s going to be a comedy.  Sort of a Step Brothers Out West kind of thing.  While there is some levity and humorous moments along the way, this is more about struggling with grief, living with trauma, and the burden of fraternal ties.  

The Sisters Brothers are a pair of henchmen who do dirty deeds at the behest of the shady “Commodore” (Rutger Hauer).  Charlie (Joaquin Phoenix) is the de facto leader, a hard-drinking, trigger-happy scoundrel that maybe likes his profession of tracking and killing a bit too much.  Eil (John C. Reilly) is the more sensible of the two, but just because he’s often the voice of reason doesn’t mean he isn’t just as quick and deadly with a pistol.  Although he’s fiercely loyal to his brother to a fault, Eli’s constantly searching for an opportunity to leave his life of bloodshed behind.  Charlie, on the other hand, revels in it, perpetuating the cycle of his family’s violent past.  

Their target is a chemist (Riz Ahmed), who has figured out a formula for finding gold.  He takes up with a detective (Jake Gyllenhaal), who turns on the Commodore in search for buried treasure.  Once the Sisters catch up to them, greed takes over and the four men form a shaky alliance that could end bitterly at any moment. 

There are shots and scenes here that evoke Ford and Huston.  Whereas their films were more about perpetuating the myths of the Old West, director Jacques (A Prophet) Audiard is more concerned about how men cope with the legacy of violence.  Even if there’s more on his mind than just the standard cowboy stuff, Audiard still gives Western fans plenty of gunplay and shootouts. 

Reilly is fantastic.  He gives one of his career-best performances as the introspective, protective, and loyal Eli.  Phoenix is phenomenal as his brooding, volatile, drunken brother Charlie.  His performance in this is somewhat similar to his role in The Master, and with this, Joker and I’m Still Here, he delivers another memorable performance of someone stricken with mental illness and alcoholism.  

This will not be a movie for all tastes.  It’s deliberately paced and has some serious lulls in between the violence.  Also, it’s sad to see the usually charismatic Rutger Hauer wasted in what is nothing more than a cameo, even if his character casts a long shadow story wise.  These are minor quibbles in the long run as there are plenty of affecting moments along the way.  Besides, how can you pass up a movie that stars Dewey Cox AND Johnny Cash? 

AKA:  Golden River.