“Dumplin’” Movie Review

    Netflix keeps pumping out their original movies and the platform seems dead set on competing with the multiplex.  So seeing films of higher quality will hopefully grow more and more common in a few years.  The streaming service has already worked with the likes of Alfonso Cuarón and The Coen Brothers and the platform is even bigger internationally than it is in the United States (shows such as CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery” and DC Universe’s “Titans” are available on Netflix outside the US).  Short of a few movies here and there, their original films have been lacking somewhat.  Still, my girlfriend and I thought “Dumplin’” looked interesting so we gave it a shot and I was pleasantly surprised by the film.

    The film is essentially the coming of age story for a character named Willowdean Dickson.  Willowdean’s mother, Rosie, is a former beauty queen and the two have a strained relationship.  Willowdean was primarily raised by her Aunt Lucy, a Dolly Parton loving carefree type whom Willowdean adored.  Unfortunately, Willowdean’s Aunt passed away and her and her mother Rosie must try to mend their relationship.  Willowdean is plus-sized and feels unaccepted by her mother and peers as a result.  When she finds out her Aunt Lucy, who has also plus-sized, had half filled out an application to a beauty pageant years ago (the one her mother won), she decides to sign up to the one her mother is hosting as a form of protest.  During the pageant however, she learns more about accepting herself than she realized.

    I thought the movie was a unique coming of age story about the importance of feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin.  What better message can a movie have then the simple truth that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  It also goes into the importance of family as a theme.

    The film had comedic elements but was primarily a drama.  The scenes with the drag queens were very entertaining and provided some sweet moments as well as some chuckles.  I really thought setting the movie primarily to Dolly Parton music made it feel different and special.  Parton was famous for her strong yet vulnerable vocals which very much connect with the themes of this film.

    The film stars Danielle Macdonald as Willowdean.  Macdonald, an Australian actress who resides in the UK, pulls of an amazing performance which would shock you to learn that she isn’t from Texas.  Jennifer Aniston also gives a surprisingly strong performance as Rosie, a role which could have easily came off as one dimensional but Aniston manages to give a layered performance.  Luke Benward gives a sweet performance as Bo, the guy who sees Willowdean for who she really is and loves her for it.  Harold Perrineau from “Lost” is almost unrecognizable as a drag queen who helps Willowdean and gives her guidance.

    Michigan native Anne Fletcher directs the film and does a stellar job.  It is more complex and emotional than her previous films which include romantic comedies like “27 Dresses” and “The Proposal”.  The film is based on the novel by the same name by Julie Murphy.

    “Dumplin’” was surprisingly sweet and original.  The film dives into struggles we can all relate to and helps to show the beauty in individuality.  You can only be you, so be the best you that you can be.

Grade: B

“Speed Racer” Movie Review

    A live action "Speed Racer" had been in development for over a decade by the time the Wachowski siblings brought the Mach 5 to life in 2008.  The film was considered a failure at the box office and failed to make it's budget back domestically.  The film was also met with widespread negative reviews from critics.  Did the film deserve the dump the public and critics took on it?

    "Speed Racer" is about a young man (whose name is Speed Racer) who decides to follow in his brother's footsteps as a professional racer after his death.  Racer ends up racing in a cross country race to take down a powerful and corrupt executive.  Needless to say, things do not go smoothly.

    As started in the introduction, a "Speed Racer" film had been in development for over a decade before this film saw the light of day.  The film is an adaptation of the late 60s Japanese hit “Mach GoGoGo” and the anime it had inspired.  An adaptation of “Speed Racer” almost happened in 1995 with Johnny Depp as Speed Racer and Henry Rollins as Racer X (Rollins was ironically also considered for the part of Racer X in this version as well).  Years later, Vince Vaughn tried to get the project off the ground and was set to play Racer X but that project fell through.

    “Speed Racer” stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, and John Goodman.  Hirsch doesn’t do a bad job in the title role but lacks charisma.  For such a silly film to work, you need an actor with charm.  Matthew Fox also doesn’t add much which is disappointing since he was excellent in “Lost”.  I am usually not the biggest fan of Christina Ricci but she brings a lot of spunk and energy to the project.  I feel like Ricci feels at home in the world of “Speed Racer”.  John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are also wonderful as Speed’s parents.  Goodman and Sarandon are definitely highlights of the film.

    If the title isn’t an indication, the film and it’s premise are incredibly silly.  It isn’t meant to be taken seriously.  It’s high concept and relies heavily on visual story telling.

    For a movie requiring such over the top visuals, the visual style of the Wachowski siblings was just what the movie needed.  They have proven their flair at innovative filmmaking with “The Matrix” and those talents come in handy here.

    The movie wasn’t a masterpiece nor did it have a compelling story to tell.  At the end of the day, it was made to be a big silly popcorn film and in that sense, I think it did it’s job.  That’s just my two cents though.

Grade: B-

"Cloverfield" Movie Review

    When the first trailer hit for the mysterious project that was later to be revealed as "Cloverfield", the internet went wild with speculation and theories.  Was it a secret "Godzilla" remake?  Was it a "Voltron" movie?  J.J. Abrams was producing it, so was it connected to "Lost"?  So many people were sure they knew what "Cloverfield" was going to be.  I mean, the trailer didn't even reveal a title, so it had to be connected to something, right?  Almost all of them were wrong.

    "Cloverfield" turned out to be something original and not connected to any other franchise.  It was it's own beast, so to speak.  "Cloverfield" is basically just a found footage style movie about a large monster who decides to destroy New York.  We aren't given much detail about what the monster is doing here or how it got here, but we just know it is causing havoc.  So basically, if you throw "Godzilla" and "The Blair Witch Project" together in a blender, you end up with something like "Cloverfield".

    The cast was made up of largely up and coming actors like T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, and Mike Vogel.  Out of the cast, Miller is the notable standout.  Of course, the real star of the movie isn't the human cast, it's Clovie!  The movie waits until the end to give us the final reveal of what the monster looks like and it appears as if it could have stepped right out of a H.P. Lovecraft book.

    This movie's biggest fault is what also makes it original ironically.  The found footage camera work is effective to almost a fault.  The shaky cam vibe makes you feel like you might just get sick watching it.  This was a common complaint among audiences of the film.  It's not easy enjoying a film that makes you want to throw up.

    The movie is original and definitely worth watching assuming you can stomach the experience.  “Cloverfield” is on par with the modern day monster movies like the Gareth Edwards directed “Godzilla” and it’s connected sister movie “Kong: Skull Island”.

Grade: B-