Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: A Whisker Away. Miyo Sasaki (Cherami Leigh) leads a double life. At school, she is energetic and enthusiastic, if not exactly popular. After school, she escapes her troubled home life by putting on a magical mask that turns her into a cat named Taro. In both forms, she loves her classmate Kento Hinode (Johnny Yong Bosch). But with no hope of winning him over as Miyo, she contemplates giving up her human form to live as a cat.

A Whisker Away is a Japanese animated fantasy romance about a girl who transforms into a cat. Miyo is a middle school student who puts up a cheerful facade to hide the pain of her parents’ divorce and her unrequited crush on Hinode. The story explores teenage romance, family troubles, and themes of escapism and the need for communication. Well-developed characters and an interesting setup give the movie its own niche within its genre.

A Whisker Away does two things well: fleshing out its characters and playing out the consequences of a mask that transforms its wearer into a cat. The issues that Miyo and Hinode have to work through are broad enough to be relatable, but they are still rooted in their specific personalities. The cat mask is worked into the story well, a way for Miyo to escape her ordinary life that comes at a steep cost.

There are a few minor issues that hold the movie back. Miyo can be a hard character to like. She’s a temperamental girl who is slow to learn from her mistakes, and her crush on Hinode borders on obsession. Meanwhile, the details of the characters’ lives skew a little too realistic for the sense of magic the movie is trying to convey. And while the plot works well on the whole, it has a hard time trying up all of its loose threads in time.

Give A Whisker Away a shot when you’re in the mood for a fantasy adventure that mixes the marvelous and the mundane. A Whisker Away does not have the depth and artistry of some of its competition, but it tells a satsifying story that deals with some unique personal drama.

For a more insightful movie about middle-school romance, try Whisper of the Heart. For a more whimsical fantasy adventure about a cat, try The Cat Returns. For a brush with the spirit world, try Spirited Away.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a creative story with a few rough edges.

Today’s quick review: Children of the Sea. Ruka Azumi’s (Anjali Gauld) summer takes a peculiar turn when she meets Umi (Lynden Prosser), a boy raised in the sea by dugongs. Umi and his older brother Sora (Benjamin Niewood) live at an aquarium where researchers study the way their bodies have adapted to aquatic life. After witnessing a series of portents, Umi and Sora take Ruka to a place where sea creatures are gathering for a mystical celebration.

Children of the Sea is a Japanese animated fantasy movie about a pair of brothers who were raised in the sea. As Ruka gets to know Umi and Sora, she learns more about the ocean, its hidden mysteries, and their connection to her own past. Children of the Sea features rich, colorful animation and a story that casts the ocean in a new life. Its visuals and themes make it a rewarding watch, even if its plot suffers from a few flaws.

Children of the Sea’s greatest strength is its portrayal of the ocean and the sheer diversity of life within it. Whales, fish, lobsters, turtles, and countless other creatures accompany the teens on their journey. The movie blends literal depictions of sea life with more fantastical imagery, drawing parallels between the ocean, the stars, and the cells that make up light. The end product is a visual treat with a distinctive art style.

The one major sticking point is how bizarre the movie gets. The story weaves a pattern out of the oceans, the life they contain, and the cosmos as a whole. These themes collide in a surreal finale that touches on some of the deepest questions life has to offer. However, in concrete story terms, the payoff can be underwhelming. Important questions are left unexplained, and the story itself is linear, with a passive role for its characters.

How much you get out of Children of the Sea will depend on your taste in fantasy. The movie’s visual artistry and evocative themes make it a strong pick for viewers with a taste for mysticism and unbridled creativity. On the other hand, its lofty ideas and linear plot keep it from having the personal impact that other fantasy stories have. Those curious should give it a shot, and those skeptical should approach with caution.

For a lower-stakes fantasy adventure about a child from the sea, try Lu Over the Wall. For a more playful, child-friendly fantasy about ocean life, try Ponyo. For a dramatic fantasy movie about a pair of unconventional children, try Wolf Children.

6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for elaborate visuals, rich themes, and a hit-or-miss story.

Today’s quick review: Fireworks. On the day of the summer fireworks festival, Norimichi Shimada (Ryan Shanahan) meets Nazuna Oikawa (Brooklyn Nelson), a classmate he has a crush on, as she’s running away from home. When Nazuna’s parents catch her, Norimichi uses a bauble Nazuna found to go back in time and change the course of the day. Even as fate conspires to keep them apart, Norimichi keeps trying to find a world where they can be together.

Fireworks is a Japanese animated fantasy romance. The movie revolves around the relationship between two high school students: a girl running away from home, and a boy who goes back in time to help her using a mysterious glass bauble. Fireworks is a visually gorgeous film with a sentimental story. However, its underdeveloped romance and abstract fantasy elements keep it from having the impact it could have had.

Fireworks has an intriguing setup, but it has a hard time lining up its pieces. The power of the bauble lets Norimichi explore a series of branching timelines that reveal more about Nazuna, her attempt to run away from home, and the delicate web of events leading up to the fireworks festival. The problem is that Fireworks never lays the full groundwork for this, resulting in an emotionally charged story with no clear stakes.

This plays out in two particular ways: Norimichi’s relationship with Nazuna and the mystery of the bauble. The relationship works well enough as a sweet teenage romance, but it’s missing some of the setup it needs. The film takes the chemistry between Nazuna and Norimichi for granted, and it skims past some important details about why she’s running away. Meanwhile, the bauble gives the story an increasingly surreal tinge with no clear answers.

None of these issues stop Fireworks from being an enjoyable watch. Its animation is colorful and artful, and its story captures the reckless passion of youthful love. But in terms of plot logic, Fireworks is a loosely structured movie with more than a few unanswered questions. Viewers who are willing to go along for the ride will find it to be a pleasant experience. Viewers hoping for a more concrete, meaningful story should look elsewhere.

For a beautiful fantasy romance in the same vein, try Your Name. or Weathering with You. For a more comical one with a looser art style, try Lu Over the Wall. For an even more creative animated fantasy, try Mirai. For an animated romantic drama with deeper themes, try I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. For a live-action comedy with time travel elements, try Groundhog Day.

5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a romantic but abstract story.

Today’s quick review: Wolf Children. While at university, Hana (Colleen Clinkenbeard) falls in love with a man (David Matranga) with a secret: he is part wolf, able to change from human to animal at will. Their love blooms, and soon Hana gives birth to two children: Yuki (Jad Saxton), a rambunctious daughter, and Ame (Micah Solusod), a timid son. But when their father meets an untimely death, Hana is left to raise her two special children by herself.

Wolf Children is a Japanese animated fantasy romantic drama about a woman trying to raise two children with very special needs. Unable to control their transformations, Yuki and Ame have to be kept away from other people to hide their wolf heritage. Wolf Children follows Hana as she navigates the challenges of motherhood on her own, with the added wrinkle of her children’s canine side.

Wolf Children is a heartfelt movie with gorgeous animation. Hana makes for an excellent protagonist, a gentle mother who sacrifices everything so her children can grow up happy. Her endurance, resourcefulness, and love for her children form the emotional backbone of the movie. For their part, Yuki and Ame are charming and fun. The movie has a knack for capturing the highs and lows of childhood, and its fantasy elements give them an extra twist.

The one thing Wolf Children lacks is a clear endgame. The story flows well enough, following Yuki and Ame as they learn and grow, but it’s not built around a specific conflict. There is no single goal for the characters to achieve, just milestones on the path of growing up. This fits the organic, slice-of-life nature of the film, but it results in a relatively flat story structure where the journey matters more than the destination.

Wolf Children is a warm and uplifting movie that artfully portrays childhood and family life. Beautiful animation and vibrant characters make it a joy to watch, while its story and world show a keen eye for detail. Some viewers won’t appreciate its low stakes and unstructured story, but its pleasant tone and insightful themes give it plenty of substance. Give it a shot when you’re in the mood for something sentimental.

For a fantasy movie about childhood and family from the same director, try Mirai. For a slightly more mature story about growing up, try Spirited Away or Whisper of the Heart. For a beautiful movie with more fantasy elements and a greater emphasis on romance, try Your Name. or Weathering with You.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a sweet story with a high degree of craftsmanship.

Today’s quick review: College. Ronald (Buster Keaton) was a star student in high school, but his hatred of sports cost him the affection of Mary Haynes (Anne Cornwall), the most popular girl in school. After graduation, Ronald enrolls in Clayton College in the hope of winning her back. But to do so, he must give up his books, become an athlete, and upstage Jeff Brown (Harold Goodwin), his romantic rival.

College is a classic comedy starring Buster Keaton as an aspiring college athlete. Frail and bookish, Ronald tries over and over again to find a sport where he can excel. This simple premise provides ample basis for Buster Keaton’s slapstick comedy. Baseball, track and field, and rowing give Keaton a wide variety of props to work with, and Ronald’s attempts to win back Mary are just enough of a story to tie the film together.

College does one thing and does it well: physical comedy. Ronald fails at every athletic endeavor he tries, from pole vaulting to playing third base, and thanks to Keaton’s skill, every mishap looks perfectly natural. Keaton also shows an impressive talent for pantomime, managing to convey Ronald’s specific train of thought in ways that catch the audience off-guard. And while the story is thin, it does build up to a satisfying finale.

Give College a shot if you’re in the mood for some classic slapstick. College very much fits the mold of comedies in the silent film era, and as a story it has no real innovations to offer. But its light tone, the creativity of its gags, and Keaton’s comedic talent are enough to carry the film, making it an enjoyable pick for any fans of the genre.

For a classic college comedy with snappier writing, check out Horse Feathers. For a more robust comedy from Buster Keaton, try The General.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for sharp, creative slapstick.

“If you lose this war don’t blame me.” —Johnnie Gray

Today’s quick review: The General. At the outset of the Civil War, Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) tries to enlist in the Confederate army to impress his sweetheart Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). Rejected from military service, Johnnie goes back to his job as a train engineer. But when Captain Anderson (Glen Cavender), a Union spy, steals his locomotive, Johnnie finally gets the chance to help the war effort by stealing it back.

The General is a classic comedy starring Buster Keaton. The film follows a Confederate engineer’s desperate attempts to save his train from a group of Union soldiers who want to use it to sabotage the South’s supply lines. Buster Keaton packs The General with his signature style of slapstick comedy. The train chase at the heart of the film offers an endless supply of gags, and Keaton’s physical humor is among the best ever put to screen.

Beyond Keaton’s performance, The General is impressive for its scale. Train crashes, acrobatic stunts, a full-blown battle, and a complete story help the film feel larger than just a one-off gag. Even during the train chase, The General goes through several different stages, giving it a sense of progression that many early comedies lack.

The General is a must-see for fans of slapstick comedy. Its endlessly inventive jokes, talented lead, and sense of cohesion make it one of the gems of the silent film era. Not everyone will appreciate what The General has to offer due to its heavy reliance on slapstick. But viewers in the mood for a playful comedy will find that The General stands the test of time.

For another classic comedy from Buster Keaton, check out College. For even more ridiculous slapstick aboard a train, try the Marx Brothers’ film Go West. For a comedy of similar scale from the silent film era, try The Gold Rush.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for excellent stunts and impressive scale.

Today’s quick review: Dersu Uzala. In 1902, Captain Vladimir Arsenyev (Yury Solomin), the leader of a Russian survey expedition, meets Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk), a seasoned hunter, while mapping the wilderness. Uzala agrees to act as the expedition’s guide and shows them how to survive the harsh winter. As the months wear on, Uzala and Arsenyev form a fast friendship that changes the course of both of their lives.

Dersu Uzala is a classic adventure drama from director Akira Kurosawa. Dersu Uzala is based on the true story of a Russian soldier and the Goldi hunter who would become his best friend. The film tells a simple story but a rewarding one. The main characters are nuanced and believable, the friendship between them develops naturally, and the theme of mankind’s relationship with nature gives the audience plenty to contemplate.

Dersu Uzala excels at capturing the details of humanity. The reserved leadership of Arsenyev, the rowdy interactions of his men, and the generosity and expertise of Uzala all shine through clearly, an earnest portrait that feels nearly effortless. Uzala holds a particular appeal. His animistic beliefs and lifetime in the wild have shaped him into a caring man whose odd mannerisms hide a wealth of knowledge, making him an easy character to like.

The other factor that makes Dersu Uzala a rewarding watch is its portrayal of nature. The Russian wilderness is an atmospheric setting, full of soaring mountains, frozen lakes, and endless forests. However, the terrain is as perilous as it is beautiful. On more than one occasion, Arsenyev and his men risk death to finish their mission. This element of danger ties the film together nicely, and Uzala’s reactions shed more light on his character.

The one major caveat of Dersu Uzala is that it requires the viewer to bring something to the table. The story has the winding nature of a biography, and the themes require engagement from the viewer to live up to their full potential. Active viewers, who enjoy digging into the films they watch, will not find this to be a problem. But reactive viewers may find Dersu Uzala to be a little too aimless.

Dersu Uzala is well worth a watch for anyone interested in grounded stories with realistic characters. It is a modest film that tells a personal story and tells it well. The combination of skilled character work and a unique setting makes Dersu Uzala a solid pick for anyone willing to take it on its own terms. Viewers looking for a more exaggerated adventure may want to steer clear.

For a darker tale of friendship and survival, try Papillon. For another dramatic adventure about survival in harsh conditions, try The African Queen. For a war drama with similarly nuanced character work, try The Bridge on the River Kwai.

8.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid craftsmanship and well-developed characters; your score will vary.

“My brain? That’s my second-favorite organ!” —Miles

Today’s quick review: Sleeper. After a botched operation, Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) is cryogenically preserved and wakes up 200 years in the future, in the bizarre world of 2173. Miles is immediately recruited by an underground movement trying to overthrow the Leader’s oppressive government. Now on the run from the police, Miles runs into Luna (Diane Keaton), a hedonistic poet who reluctantly helps him on his mission.

Sleeper is a sci-fi comedy written and directed by Woody Allen. Allen stars as a mild-mannered clarinetist from 1973 who wakes up in a future full of domestic robots, pleasure devices, and other marvels. Sleeper pokes fun at both the cultural trends of the 1970s and the sci-fi genre in general. Its humor ranges from slapstick and prop gags to banter and cultural satire, set against the backdrop of a surprisingly coherent sci-fi story.

Sleeper’s comedy is a paradox. It wields blunt instruments with extreme precision. Its jokes are obvious from the first moment they are introduced, and every setup has a clear punchline in mind. But what the jokes lack in subtlety, they make up for in skill. Woody Allen shows impeccable comedic timing, and his jokes build on one another masterfully. The humor is coarse, but its delivery makes it an unmitigated success.

Give Sleeper a shot if you’re a fan of absurd comedy, slapstick, or science fiction in general. Woody Allen’s skill as a comedian and a director make the movie a thoroughly entertaining watch, while its satirical elements offer a fun twist on both modern culture and the conventions of the sci-fi genre. Sleeper has a blunt style of humor that won’t appeal to some viewers, but its skill will be enough to win over even some skeptics.

For a satirical action movie about a man sent to the future, check out Demolition Man. For a more dramatic movie about a hedonistic future, try Logan’s Run. For a more sober look at a quietly dystopian future, try Gattaca.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a fruitful premise and skillfully executed humor.

Today’s quick review: Replicas. After his family is killed in a car accident, William Foster (Keanu Reeves), a brilliant scientist, uses memory scans and human cloning to try to bring them back to life. With the help of his colleague Ed Whittle (Thomas Middleditch), Foster successfully creates copies of his wife (Alic Eve) and children (Emjay Anthony and Emily Alyn Lind). But the toughest challenge proves to be hiding the truth from them.

Replicas is a science fiction drama about a scientist’s attempt to conquer death. Devastated by the loss of his family, Foster races to complete his research in time to bring them back. Replicas touches on some interesting questions about the nature of consciousness, the morality of cloning, and what secrets are best kept hidden. However, the movie’s generic plot and shallow treatment of these questions leave something to be desired.

Replicas never settles into a comfortable rhythm. The script feels like an amalgam of three different stories: a noble tale of scientific progress and self-sacrifice, a dark tale of forbidden technology and moral compromise, and the thriller the movie morphs into near the end. Any of these angles by itself could have made for a compelling movie, but the combination of three incompatible tones leaves the movie feeling unfocused.

Otherwise, Replicas is a middle-of-the-road entry into the science fiction genre, with neither groundbreaking ideas nor spectacular failures to set it apart. Foster’s desperate attempts to engineer a solution to his problems are an interesting hook, and the movie introduces a few nice moral quandaries to play with. But Replicas never capitalizes on these strengths, opting for a safe but bland story without a strong identity of its own.

Give Replicas a shot if you’re a dedicated science fiction fan looking for another dose of speculation. Even though Replicas holds few surprises, it goes through the motions well. However, fans who are looking for dark thrills or meaningful drama would be better off looking elsewhere.

For a darker, more far-flung look at the intersection of technology and human consciousness, check out Transcendence. For an action-oriented sci-fi movie that deals with the implications of human cloning, try Gemini Man. For a richer science fiction drama about the unexpected consequences of a scientist’s work, try Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for generic science fiction with mediocre execution.

Today’s quick review: Weekend at Bernie’s. Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) think they’ve hit it big when their boss Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser) invites them to his beach house for the weekend. But when Richard and Larry arrive, they find their host dead of an apparent drug overdose. To salvage their weekend, the two friends concoct an elaborate ruse to convince the world Bernie is still alive.

Weekend at Bernie’s is a crime comedy about two friends trying to maintain the illusion that their boss is alive. Quick thinking and clever puppetry let Richard and Larry fool a beach full of partygoers, but Richard’s crush Gwen (Catherine Mary Stewart) proves to be a more difficult problem. What follows is a madcap comedy full of lies, accidents, and slapstick. Physical humor and a well-picked pair of leads make Weekend at Bernie’s a fun pick.

Weekend at Bernie’s puts its premise to good use. Bernie’s corpse makes for a surprisingly versatile slapstick prop. It gets used as a puppet, buried in the sand, dropped repeatedly, and generally gets in Richard and Larry’s way. The humor can be a little macabre, but the light tone and lack of gore keep things palatable. Meanwhile, Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy have an easy rapport that keeps the jokes flowing smoothly.

Give Weekend at Bernie’s a shot when you’re in the mood for a breezy comedy with plenty of overt humor. The movie does not have the depth or wit that some comedies bring to the table, but it does make the most of an original premise. For a comedy with a similar tone, try Men at Work or Stakeout. For a classic musical with a similarly askance view of the corporate world, try How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for blunt but entertaining humor.