Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado , the sequel to Sicario, takes the stakes up a notch in various ways, though not as rich in a cohesive tapestry as the first. Returning are CIA military operatives Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro taking on the challenges of the American-Mexican border and it's complexities in the drug cartels, immigration, and terrorism.  At the helm, is Italian director Stefano Sollima (Gomorrah) who is no stranger to these type of films.  The Sicario films are a delicate balance between straight no chaser, visceral action, dissimilar stories colliding, and a non-preachy but harsh look at the issues faced by people on many sides of this American and Mexican reality.  This is supplemented by really interesting and excellent camera work on a rich landscape that really takes an audience into this harsh world.  In addition and throughout, a menacing soundtrack envelopes this film like a heartbeat, as the plot this time around reveals more about the characters of del Toro and Brolin.  If that alone weren't enough to contend with, the cast of characters are counterbalanced by the addition of two young Hispanic actors integral to the story and the underlying morale.  Much like in art mirroring real life, they aren't utilized as well as they should have been given how much material stated and not, the movie is taking on.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Director Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story is a solid piece of work in keeping with the tradition of the Star Wars stories.  The character of Han Solo is a long awaited and challenging endeavour in fleshing out the origin and complexity of the character.  Alden Ehrenreich and love interest Emilia Clarke do a great job with navigating a complex and intertwined love and adventure plot.  Donald Glover adds great dimension to Lando Calrissian, enough to warrant his own spinoff film. The action in solo is exciting, Ehrenreich and Glover have charisma, and it injects new life into the Star Wars franchise.

Venom

Everyone's been trying to jump into the Marvel universe these days of course, even the eclectic Tom Hardy.  Showcasing a film about a villain instead of a hero, seems to be a turning point here for them.  But guess what folks?  The shit ain't working here, at all even with Hardy starring.  The origins of Venom are not explained very well here and the filmmakers can't really seem to decide what kind of movie this is even supposed to be.  The only interesting thing about this film, is how it relates to the the upcoming Spiderman film, but there is no cool factor about this Venom character, and attempts to humorize him stuck in the body of Hardy, come off too heavy handed.  Admittedly, I don't know much anything about the backstory of the characters, but it just felt at every turn like a wtf moment and I just didn't care and wasn't invested in any character here.

Deadpool 2

Ryan Reynolds just gets better and better at this franchise, this time sharing writing credits and the impact can be felt.  Deadpool 2 is wildly funnier and over the top in antics and dialogue, spoofs, parodies, deadpan, and more cinema references than its predecessor.  The high octane world of the film is charged really high here and it's never been better and more entertaining.  There are refreshing additions to the cast in Josh Brolin (which is a joke in itself if you pay attention to the latest Avenger film) and even surprising cameos in Matt Damon and even Brad Pitt.  The special features of this film on dvd are even loaded with worthwhile bombastic humor.  Unlike the Kick-Ass sequel, Deadpool 2  easily improves it's stride, working it even better than the first one, and of course with room to expand in different sequel directions.  

A Star Is Born

It's just good and good.  What can't Bradley Cooper do?  His directorial debut on this proven classic is just amazing.  Damn, the dude can sing too.  Lady Gaga is an obviously perfect choice to inhabit this role and the supporting cast in Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle is just perfect in balancing this serious classic drama with just the right amount of humour.  Needles to say, the soundtrack is amazing.  There will sure to be nominations and buzz surrounding as there already is.  But it's a great adaptation, especially given how much the music/entertainment industry has totally changed since the last remake as has the very definition of what it means to be a successful star.

Revenge

Written and directed by France's Coralie Fargea, 2017's Revenge is a refreshing international grind house/horror/and yes, revenge film. It's as straightforward in plot as the title would suggest and it's feminist lean is perfectly on point and on time in this "me too" era. Yet, there are nuanced layers in this simplicity. Think Lady Snowblood crossed with Mad Max and helpings of Sergio Leone, Quentin Tarantino, and Luc Besson. It's star, Italian actress Matilda Lutz, has the appeal of a young Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional. There is not a dull moment in the film, as the desolate landscape, rich and visceral cinematography, and really efficient and creative use of soundtrack to match all; contribute enormously to making this film more than just your dime a dozen revenge film. The story unfolds rather than seeming to be pushed along in a gimmicky way. There is a careful craft to Fargea's work here, the symbolic images and foreshadowing, the juxtaposing use of nature, bloody mayhem, pop culture, and modernity. Misogyny is turned on its head here even in the efficient use of little details, without any of it taking away from the pace of the film, the crafted chases, the handheld camera work, the saturated color shots, etc. It really captures old school, traditional film making with an empowering and progressive modern theme. Revenge is generic in title, but a rough diamond in execution.