2023

'Bob Marley: One Love' (2023) Review: A Film Fit For A Legend In writing a review for ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, I must acknowledge a smidge of bias. At one point the film makes mention of young Nesta’s birthplace of “rural St. Ann”. It’s a fact that carries a lot more weight when you know what rural St. Ann looks like. Thinking of such humble beginnings makes Marley’s presence as an international music phenomenon all the more staggering. An impact that’s at the forefront in Bob Marley: One Love.That impact exists whether its subject likes it or not, as the film shows a version of Bob Marley that can’t decide. As he prepares to host a peace concert to unite a country on the brink of conflict, he’s met with violent opposition from the very population he hopes to bring together. Suffering a crisis of confidence, he searches for a sense of purpose and questions his quest. The film shows Bob Marley in what appears to be the most important time of his life. The tension gets thick and it puts Kingsley Ben-Adir to the test. As he takes on the mantle of Marley, Ben-Adir has to be a voice powerful enough to unite a nation, yet preternaturally humble. At one point, Marley’s antics disrupt the status quo so much, he’s labeled a threat to civil society, something an unpresuming man of the people is unable to take seriously. At another point, he’s…

'The Color Purple' (2023) Review: A Momentous Musical The filmmakers behind The Color Purple do not like an easy task. The original source material is a heavy piece of work that's already been adapted with acclaim by one of the greatest directors living or dead. As if that wasn’t enough stacked against them, the new film seeks to take the daunting experiences of the groundbreaking story, and give them several song and dance numbers in a musical reimagining.It’s a scheme so crazy, that of course it works. The risk certainly comes with reward in the form of incredible performances by its star studded cast, who play out the film's inspiring story for a new audience. Young Celie is black woman faced with the perils of life in the 1900s American south. She’s a person without personhood, caught up in the whims of the men in her life, and her only solace is the solidarity she finds in sisterhood. In a tale that twists and turns through time Celie finds her identity in a slew of some of the most harrowing experiences imaginable. As in the original source material The Color Purple, shows Celie finding moments of joy amidst the terror. The new film encapsulates this by probing into Celie’s vivid imagination, as the world around her erupts into choreography and passion through song. It’s a visual delight to be sure, but it's not without its drawbacks. The movie jumps through important elements with haste,…

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem' (2023) Review: Ninjas With Attitudes For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The four reptilian rapscallions have been a presence in film and television for decades, and have collected their fair share of tropes along the way. With such history it would be easy for a modern adaptation to phone things in, falling back on the tried and true tricks of the characters. Instead, Mutant Mayhem offers up a fresh take on classic characters.They are still the turtles you know and love, but with some simple effective adjustments. Mutant Mayhem makes a point of hiring teenagers to play teenagers. As obvious a move as that may be, the results are undeniable. Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon, bring a camaraderie and a chemistry to Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.While all relative newcomers, the cast is rounded out by some heavy hitters. Ice Cube’s menacing Superfly, and Ayo Edebiri’s passionate April O’Neil being standouts as well as Jackie Chan’s overprotective Master Splinter. The performances are top notch, and humour in the script is grounded and relatable. Several characters are mutants with grotesque and eccentric designs, but they couldn’t feel more human.When it comes to the design, the animation in Mutant Mayhem is a triumph. It’s yet another portrayal of 3D animation with a hand drawn aesthetic. It further builds on the style with…

'They Cloned Tyrone' (2023) Review: Netflix’s Modern Classic Black escalades in a dimly lit street. An elevator that only goes underground. A fried chicken obsessed community. These are just a few of the strange happenings plaguing The Glen in Juel Taylor’s ‘They Cloned Tyrone’, available on Netflix. Being that they’re happening in a place no one cares about, there’s no investigation to speak of. Except for John Boyega’s Fontaine, Jamie Foxx’s Slick Charles, and Teyonah Parris’ Yo Yo.The mysterious plot unearthed in ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ is surreal and hilarious. The movie is a dark comedy that’s steeped in the absurd while still maintaining a grip on reality. By not leaning too far afield, ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ manages to keep its humour constant, while never losing its dramatic impact.The draw is with the film’s main trio. The weird and whimsical things they come across are punctuated by them taking it all in. John Boyega plays the rugged stoic with understated pathos. Teyonah Parris has the radical indignation as the world is falling apart. Jamie Foxx reminds the world why he’s the ultimate performer.As a cast, they’re well balanced and it takes true skill to pull off dialogue like this. ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ has a way with words that makes almost every scene a brain busting laugh riot. In a way, being engaged with the film’s humour is essential, just to follow along as the movie throws sci-fi concepts at you with little regard…

'Barbie' (2023) Review: Bravely Brilliant The Barbie movie is not what you think it is. Droves of audience members may be familiar with the iconic doll, but the film adaptation is an unexpected adventure. As stereotypical Barbie, Margot Robbie brings the blonde beauty to life living in the paradise that is Barbie Land. Every day is perfect, as was the day before, and all the days to come. The only problem is Barbie's sudden and inexplicable feeling of anxiety, and thoughts of her impending doom.It’s a high concept for a movie about a doll, and it’s only the film’s basic premise. Several times in the movie you’re faced with ideas that feel like the kind of thing that wouldn’t make it past an initial pitch. As Barbie ventures into the real world, she’s faced with misogynistic comments, and a lack of agency. An opposite to the reality she’s known where she and her Barbie counterparts make up the Supreme Court and the Presidency of Barbie Land.Barbie may have centre stage, but Ken has plenty of material himself. Ryan Gosling commits to playing the ultimate himbo. His worship of Barbie is boundless, and is more like a satellite in her orbit than a planet to himself. The film deals with the psyche of a walking talking accessory, brashly taking on ideas he was never meant to encounter.With Barbie and Ken suffering existential crises, the film’s subject matter seems at odds with Barbie’s signature…

'Oppenheimer' (2023) Review: A Triumph of Terror As a young man with visions of a hidden universe, J Robert Oppenheimer lays in his Cambridge university dorm, beset by an inability to rest. He’s instantly portrayed as brilliant, yet carries with him a darkness. His mind may be unmatched, but his humanity screams louder than any theory he could present. At times he is cruel, other times cold and unfeeling, and then overwhelmingly ridden with guilt. The most important man who ever lived, creating a weapon without an equal. ‘Oppenheimer’ takes such a complicated figure and fastens you in to his unique perspective. As you watch the development of the atomic bomb, you’re infinitely intrigued by its herald. Cillian Murphy’s performance of the legendary scientist is multifaceted, seeming vulnerable and exposed in one frame, yet operatic and enigmatic in the next.The invention itself has a devastating effect, but the film’s warning goes beyond the terror of dropped of the bomb. The sequence in which the bomb is first tested is nothing short of an audio-visual marvel, but the true danger of the film lies in the protagonist’s presence. As he corrals the world’s scientists to follow behind him Robert Oppenheimer is magnetic, more akin to a cult leader than a lowly whitecoat. His followers express their qualms, but with one impassioned speech he rallys the troops towards a terrible victory.Despite this statement on statesmen, ‘Oppenheimer’ is non committal in its portrayal of its subject.…