Movie Trailer Reviews MTR Network

Director: George C. Wolfe

Writers: Julian Breece, Dustin Lance Black

Starring: Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Amel Ameen, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, CCH Pounder

Runtime:  1 Hour 46 Minutes

Synopsis: Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.

If there's one thing to take away from Rustin it's that Colman Domingo was the perfect casting choice to play Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin. For all the flaws of the movie and script (and there are many), Domingo is not one of them. If anything, his performance only serves to be a reminder of how frustrating this movie is. To have a performance like the one that Domingo puts in and then have a script that is uneven and wastes the talents of not only the lead but many of the other outstanding performers in the film is just a cardinal sin of film making.

The biggest problem with Rustin is that there is a fundamental identity crisis in terms of what the focus of this movie should be. Should it be more of a biopic of Bayard Rustin or should it be more about the overall Civil Rights movement, specifically how the March on Washington came about? One can feel the struggle for this film to find its purpose and the worst part is, by not picking an identity, it fails to provide enough substance on either front. Rustin falls into the same trap that a lot of films about Black Civil Rights icons fall into in that it provides a safe, watered down, white-critic friendly view of a subject that is not safe, is complex and in reality should make an audience feel uncomfortable. Every time it seems that Rustin is about to go into a subject that might be a bit more edgy, the film rushes by it in order to get to the next scene. It's as if this film is on rails and does not want the audience to stray too far from the approved movie narrative. This not only does Colman Domingo a disservice but also great performers like Glynn Turman and CCH Pounder who do the best with the script they were given but could have done so much more. It also does a disservice to the real life heroes they are portraying. 

Rustin is worth checking out for Domingo's performance. But its flaws also make it easily forgettable. Listen as Kriss & Ro talk about Rustin and what worked/didn't work for them.

 

Watch Rustin on Netflix on November 3rd. 



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Director: Cord Jefferson

Writers: Cord Jefferson, Percival Everett

Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K Brown

Runtime:  1 Hour 57 Minutes

Synopsis:



Starring Jeffrey Wright in one of his most beautifully nuanced performances, American Fiction is both a wickedly smart satire about the commodification of marginalized voices and a bittersweet portrait of an artist forced to re-examine the terms of his integrity.

Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright) is a respected author and professor of English literature. But his impatience with his students’ cultural sensitivities is threatening his academic standing, while his latest novel is failing to attract publishers; they claim Monk’s writing “isn’t Black enough.” He travels to his hometown of Boston to participate in a literary festival where all eyes are on the first-time author of a bestseller titled We’s Lives In Da Ghetto, a book Monk dismisses as pandering to readers seeking stereotypical stories of Black misery. Meanwhile, Monk’s family experiences tragedy, and his ailing mother requires a level of care neither he nor his trainwreck of a brother (Sterling K. Brown) can afford.

One night, in a fit of spite, Monk concocts a pseudonymous novel embodying every Black cliché he can imagine. His agent submits it to a major publisher who immediately offers the biggest advance Monk’s ever seen. As the novel is rushed to the printers and Hollywood comes courting, Monk must reckon with a monster of his own making.

Adapted from Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut is a wildly entertaining send-up of our hunger for so-called authenticity. Featuring stellar supporting turns from Issa Rae and Erika Alexander, and a string of cheeky cameos, American Fiction is a timely reflection on the fictions we tell ourselves about race, progress, and community.



Out of all the films at the Toronto Film Festival, American Fiction seemed like the one that would be a setup for disappointment.      Several big name actors (Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K Brown, Issa Rae, etc). It just reeks of the type of film to draw an audience in but disappoint them. Thankfully, Cord Jefferson does not fall into the trap and makes a very smart, nuanced film that is both funny, serious and insightful all at the same time. 

American Fiction succeeds where other films like it have failed because it does not try to run away from the point it's trying to make by trying to over-explain its point or cater to the wrong audience. It's a very refreshing take on black art and black family. While some will look at the obvious, over-the-top and quite frankly, funny plot of the film, there is a very nuanced, subtle plot that revolves around the complexities of a black family. American Fiction tackles topics like:



* Black families and acceptance (or not) of homosexuality in their family

* Black male anger that is directed inward instead of expressed safely

* How the "Black experience" can be the same regardless of income and social status

* Respectability politics in Black Art

* and so many more issues



This is the film that so many think they're making when they want to tackle some of these concepts but fail. American Fiction manages to sneak in a lot of complex issues while masking it under superficial which is very meta for the plot of this film. This is definitely a must see film.



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Capsule Review: Napoleon is unimaginative, uninspired, and unrelentingly dry. The score and sound design are masterful, but Scott expects them to do too much work in this inert bolder of a story. It's doesn't even give good costume drama - and I say that as a lover of costume dramas. 

Listen as Ro chats with Kriss about how Ridley Scott tricked her into watching a film that turns pivotal historical characters into Looney Tunes caricatures and makes such a criminal waste of Vanessa Kirby that Ro demands Scott fight her. 

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: David Scarpa

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim

Runtime:  2 Hours 38 Minutes

Synopsis:  [Alllegedly] based on the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte, primarily depicting the French leader's rise to power as well as his relationship with Empress Joséphine



Napoleon opns in theaters November 22, 2023



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Capsule Review: Wish is a low-key rebellion story told from through the lens of a teen who's sense of safety and optimistic outlook on life crumble. Wrapping a story about challenging the status quo up in an enchanting tale about wishing on a star makes good use of its uneven story book and musical moments. Wish doesn't quite has that ineffiable something that makes a traditional Disney classic but it certainly makes up for it with its self-aware exploratiion of the dangers of idealism.  

Listen as Ro chats with Kriss about the highs ands lows of Disney Animation's latest, Wish.



Director: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn

Writers: Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore, Chris Buck

Starring: 

Runtime: 1  Hour 32 Minutes

Synopsis: Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force – a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe - the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico - to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.



Wish opens in theaters November 22, 2023



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Capsule Review: Whether or not you're a fan of the originl Hunger Game's trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a dark and violent downward spiral into villiany you didn't know you needed. Suzanne Collins (finally) showcases her understanding of dystopian hellscapes. And this adaptation proves it by turning what could feel like a needless return to Panem into a stunningly lush, brutal, and well-crafted tale of how easy it is to abandon "the good" in pursuit of safety. It's a grim reminder that often, cruelty is the point. Watching a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) navigate the ruthless intrigue of a post-war Capitol is a brilliant allegory for how the scramble for power ultimately makes spectacles of us all. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a villan origin story you shouldn't miss. 

Listen as Ro discusses with Kriss why this a prequel is strong enough, despite a few structural flaws, to stand on it's own and definitely worth seeing. 

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writers: Nia DaCosta , Zeb Wells , Elissa Karasik

Starring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis

Runtime:  2 Hours 37 Minutes

Synopsis: 64 years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, Coriolanus Snow sees a chance for a change in fortunes when he mentors Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12.



The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes opens in theaters November 17, 2023



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The Marvels brings everything you want in a comic book team-up movie to the table: far-reaching stakes, a dynamic ensemble – here a trio made up of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) – and high energy adventure rife with action-, tragedy, trauma-bonding, and hilarious shenanigans. 

It takes a certain eye when pulling the right elements of comic story mechanics and superhero tropes together to design a narrative that has both the emotional inconsistency integral to making room for humor and heartache and a willingness to embrace real but non-linear character development  in the midst of what is obviously a universe-shifting mission. The Marvels broadens our understanding of both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel’s power level and Carol’s emotional core. The scene-stealing Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel embodies the giddy delight (and danger) of meeting your heroes while also stepping boldly into your purpose. Captain Rambeau is simultaneously the smartest person in the room and an empathic woman coming to terms with her past even as she explores her own emerging superpowers. Anyone saying that director/co-writer Nia DaCosta is anything less than an inspired choice that paid off is lying to you, or perhaps basing their assessment of The Marvels on what they think should’ve been how second installment of Captain Marvels’ journey unfolded or where they decided it was leading the MCU. For the rest of us, Nia DaCosta's The Marvels is a delightfully entertaining reminder that it's alright to laugh as hard as you cry because it's about the journey.

Larson, Vellani, and Parris are a charismatic trio with exactly the right chemistry to anchor this highly watchable film. DaCosta rightly embraces their energy to present relatable, yet, distinct types, of women united in purpose but each with their own insecurities and strengths. In DaCosta’s hands Danver’s second outing brings her face-to-face with the fallout of her wartime actions. It’s a savvy antidote to the heavy handed military-mindset of the first movie. The bloody-minded villain here, Kree Suprema Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), exists as a direct consequence of Carol’s choices. Dar-Benn’s quest for vengeance leads to the trio’s powers becoming entangled and sets them all on a collision course. Ashton’s performance is an ironic juxtaposition to Captain Marvel because her tunnel vision mirrors the more withdrawn Danvers before breaking her Kree chains. It’s a cold intensity that’s easy to overlook amongst the chaotic action and more outsized emotions of the other women. Some may read it as a weakness of the character design, but others will peep the sly commentary in their byplay. 

The Marvels lays groundwork for the way beneath the surface of these complex women (as well as the franchise). But don’t expect the story to linger and dig into all the emotional turmoil and revelations. This is the beginning of the journey, and these women have layers. The pace is slightly uneven because a few gags linger overlong. It’s not enough to detract but it makes it obvious how much more there is to be revealed. But The Marvels stays mission oriented and as this trio learns how to function as a cohesive unit - and gives some great close-quarters fight choreography - the details are in the dialogue. So don’t fall out of sync with what’s being said. DaCosta doesn’t hide that there’s a lot to unpack even as the plot worldbuilds. The story beats, however, make it clear it’s not an accident we’re not taking any of those side quests here. The character arcs for each member of the ensemble are complete (and leave you wanting more); allowing the overall narrative to stay on brand with this phase's theme: there’s a reckoning for everyone in offing.

The few glitches and hiccups in CGI make it clear that the franchise could still  benefit from slowing down production timelimes but it's not enough to disc