Bad Times at the El Royale

Score:  B

Directed by Drew Goddard
Starring Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth
Running time: 141 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Drew Goddard gives a try at the neo-noir, taking cues from Tarantino in setting up an interesting roster of characters in a mysterious and tension-packed environment.  The cast mostly does a great job, particularly relative newcomer and virtuoso Cynthia Erivo.  But while the first half is a great build up, it borrows a little too heavily from others and its rewards diminish as it goes on.  Worthy of a theater trip if you're in the mood, but otherwise probably a better choice on Netflix.


Sitting right on the border of California and Nevada, the El Royale hotel, its glory days long past, finds an odd handful of visitors arrive one day.  They include a drawling, upbeat salesman named Laramie (Hamm), Catholic priest Flynn (Bridges), singer Darlene (Erivo), and hippy Emily (Johnson).  Not long after settling in, each commences his or her own mission.  Forgetful Father Flynn is looking for something, but is bewitched when he hears Darlene's lovely voice.  Laramie has a job on the side to take care of, and Emily is not traveling alone.  The El Royale hotel holds its own secrets, too, and soon its unwitting guests begin to grapple not just with each other, but with the danger lurking in their very surroundings.

Bad Times at the El Royale is elevated by a diverse and creative cast, with performances both familiar and revelatory.  There is no one, true lead, so I'll start with Jeff Bridges as Father Flynn.  He is a welcome presence as always, easily nailing his role's affable, if occasionally feeble-minded air.  Of course, as with the rest of the cast, there is more to him than meets the eye, but the only other thing I'll say about him is that he has good chemistry with his odd bedfellow Darlene.  Broadway star Cynthia Erivo is the highlight of the film as Darlene, particularly her show-stopping renditions of classic hits like "You Can't Hurry Love".  But her regular acting is just as impressive, too, quietly and painfully victimized in one scene yet hanging tougher and calmer than any of her cast mates in the next.  Jon Hamm gets to show off his impressive range, particularly early in the film, and was a great choice for the role.  Dakota Johnson also does quite fine work, an alluring hippy who might have the poorest poker face, but when she gets the screen to herself, manages to portray a complex, intriguing private side.  Chris Hemsworth finds himself far from the mythical Thor, though by now his comedic talent, here as a cult leader, is no surprise.  His character is also quite cruel and manipulative, though, and Hemsworth doesn't quite land it.  Maybe he's just too nice? - at any rate, he overplays it.

Bad Times at the El Royale is an entertaining and solidly-made film, but it takes a little too much from other recent noirs and flails in the landing.  I can't help but compare the film - and even did so while watching it - to some of Quentin Tarantino's work.  The colorful characters, the specificity of the surroundings (like the frequently-playing jukebox), nonlinear narrative, spasms of violence, and even the old-school, brief chapter headings constantly reminded me of the auteur.  Problem is, it's pretty damn tough to beat Tarantino at his own game.  The script is good, but not as sharp and unique.  There are some fun and strange encounters, but nothing like Tarantino's finest, razor-sharp scenes of dialogue.  And the most exciting element of the film - guessing how all the seemingly-incongruous parts fit together, or just waiting for it - results in a bit of a letdown (IMO) by being too straightforward and/or cliche (despite this, I don't want to spoil it for you).  That might all sound harsh, but the majority of the film is still pretty fun - especially the first hour or so.  Goddard turns the tricky task of making the exposition-laden setup interesting, thanks largely to honed-in performances from the stars, but also to developing the setting of the hotel itself well.  Then, as we start to get the cover lifted from these characters, the fun really revs up, allowing the action to both get started in a hurry yet also take its time via the nonlinear, multiple perspective style.  The soundtrack is also great, featuring plenty of classic rock hits - as well as Erivo's fantastic performances.  While I was disappointed with how the film developed at around the midway point and on, the stronger early parts still stand well on their own.

***

Bad Times is overall a fun time, even if this neo-noir ends up a bit of a disappointment, too.  Perhaps those more familiar with the genre won't experience this, but I couldn't help but make those Tarantino comparisons (though when it's at its best, these fell away).  If this doesn't happen to you (or you haven't seen much Tarantino anyway), the experience may be even better.  Watch it at least for the first half - and you also may enjoy the second better than me - as well as for the cast, particularly Erivo. I would have preferred the filmmakers use this premise to take new or more interesting turns, but the result is still just fine.  Theater viewing is optional, but it could make a perfectly nice Netflix some evening.




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First Man

Score:  A

Directed by Damien Chazelle
Starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler
Running time: 141 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Damien Chazelle's follow up to La La Land is about Neil Armstrong - not just his famed moon landing, but also his personal life.  Gosling joins Chazelle again, and he's a great choice for the role, as is Claire Foy as his wife, Janet.  The film does a great job showing just how tough that mission to the moon was, on the ground as well as through a new, tangible sense of the perils of journeying to space.  By looking in on his home life, too, the film offers an intriguing take on how one man was pushed to legendary success as well as ordinary heartbreak.  Highly recommended.


In the early 1960s, Neil Armstrong (Gosling) is a struggling NASA test pilot.  He is going through deep personal turmoil as he watches his young daughter lose a battle with cancer.  However, he is accepted for Project Gemini - a crucial step for the ultimate goal of landing on the moon - and moves his wife and son with him to Houston.  There he befriends several peers, and they (and their families) help each other through an arduous journey as NASA seeks to make a breakthrough that will push the U.S. space program beyond the Soviets'.  Armstrong's skill and tenacity set him apart over the years, and he is named the commander of Apollo 11, the first lunar landing.  The designation is far from a victory lap for Armstrong, though: his continued grief is an unpredictable, double-edged sword, and regular close calls clearly show how thin a line exists between triumph and disaster in outer space.

First Man benefits from a strong, fairly small cast of men - plus one crucial woman's role.  Ryan Gosling was a clear choice for the role of Armstrong: not only did he work with director Chazelle on La La Land, he has proven his skill in quiet, introspective performances like this one.  He is also convincing as the driven, legendary astronaut, fully prepared and focused, though he can't help but laugh casually with his team members, too, a bit of the hotshot coming through.  It's actually his stoic father-husband role that is ultimately the weaker half.  He does a good job - perhaps too good a job - at realism here; his evolution is complex, but also frustratingly opaque and unresolved (like reality).  Claire Foy receives a substantial role as Janet Armstrong, and she does a great job with it.  While we don't get to see her personal ambitions, she fully inhabits a steely, perceptive, deeply compassionate wife and mother.  She shows this in even the briefest moments, but also gets to shine when storming to NASA HQ to check on her husband's status, and when powerfully forcing Neil to finally confront his deeply buried personal fears - and responsibility.  All other roles are purely supporting, though several help create a vivid personal and professional environment for Neil's story.  Of particular interest are Kyle Chandler's all-business yet caring NASA leader, Jason Clarke's friend-and-mentor Ed White, and Corey Stoll's amusingly socially-oblivious Buzz Aldrin.

First Man is a great biopic, one that makes the legendary lunar landing fresh with its focus on detailing the perils and struggles for Armstrong both personally and professionally.  While it is not as hyper-focused on a short period as similar masterpieces Lincoln and Selma, First Man wisely avoids using too broad a canvass to tell its story about Neil Armstrong.  The story begins with Neil near a breaking point, though he doesn't realize it, in both his NASA career and his home life: a key failed mission (following a string of disappointments), and a daughter whose illness resists all solutions.  This is the situation that launches him on a multi-year mission all the way to the moon, but the film does a great job to show that what is fueling him is also, like his rockets, dangerously unstable at times.  The film flows in a naturalistic way through its two-and-a-half hours, alternating focused, extended scenes (mostly Neil's NASA missions) with snippets, individually random but collectively filling in the portrait of a life (mostly his personal life, here).  It can be difficult to decipher the dialogue, often mumbled or sped through in this very non-staged style, but it's really the overall mood and direction of the drama that's important, so it's not a big deal.  The film's final, and one of its most poignant, scene has not a word uttered at all to emphasize that point.

The highlights to me were the NASA missions, which had me clinging to my seat: from the opening test flight gone wrong, to the first Gemini mission that seems a success (until it isn't), and even the famous Apollo 11 flight.  They are mostly filmed from inside the cramped vehicles with Neil, and you truly get the sense that he is riding buckets of bolts.  The camera itself shakes violently with the vessel, showing how helpless the passengers often are; metal creaks, groans and rattles ominously, straining to hold together against unbelievably powerful forces.  Crucial moments and circumstances on the mission are given great context by earlier moments on the ground, but not in an awkward way.  At times this is too much for the quieter, gentler home life scenes to compete with, but Foy does a great job to provide at least a few big impressions, as mentioned previously.  Finally, the journey is enriched by a great soundtrack whose repetitiveness but quiet urgency helps sustain that tone in the film; thankfully it does not succumb to cliched, triumphant swells.  Just making it through - whether on the ground at home or in the eerie quiet of outer space - is enough.

***

First Man is a great start to the season of Oscar hopeful film releases.  So many promising elements came together - Oscar-nominated director Chazelle reuniting with his lead actor from La La Land in Gosling, the biopic genre that has been so successful recently, etc.  But great promise is no guarantee of success, and the filmmakers deserve much credit for developing a focused, intriguing vision for the film as well as the actors for bringing it to life.  This only reinforces my interest in closely following great directors and their muses (when are your next films coming out, Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve??) and adds Chazelle to that list.  I recommend this for everyone.




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Night School

Score:  B

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
Starring Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam, Rob Riggle
Running time:  111 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Night School teams up two of the hottest comedians, Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, in a goofy but relevant premise.  It does not adhere at all to the modern comedy tone, and replaces self-aware cleverness with riotous, simple yet strong verbal sparring to keep you laughing.  A strong supporting cast helps drive the film.  Recommended.


Teddy (Hart) is living his dream, albeit precariously - he is a clever if modestly-paid barbecue salesman, and he has just engaged a successful, beautiful woman (Echikunwoke) who believes his tall tales of business brilliance.  However, an accident leaves Teddy jobless and he quickly finds that, as a high school dropout, his options are extremely limited.  A friend promises a lucrative financial job for him if he can just get his GED, so he signs up for night school at a local high school, expecting a quick and easy process.  But he confronts an all-business, tough-as-nails instructor (Haddish), and an old nemesis (Killam) from school who's now the principal.  Teddy soon begins to strain under keeping the illusion alive to his fiancee while also diving back into the same problems he confronted in high school.  Fail at one, and he fears the rest of his life will soon follow.

Night School has an impressive comedic ensemble that goes beyond the two headlining stars.  Kevin Hart, one of my favorite contemporary comedians, does quite well in the lead role as Teddy.  This might be the first time I've seen him in a more conventional, solo lead role, and he impresses.  It's often hard for this type of role to standout comedically, as it's usually saddled with anchoring the story, but fortunately Hart is blessed with the virtuoso talent at performing required to overcome that.  Tiffany Haddish's role is smaller than I expected, but she does very well at delivering her trademark hilariously tough attitude while maintaining believability and sincerity in her narrative role as night school teacher.  Taran Killam, a former (and underrated) SNL cast member, is sneakily good as the villainous principal, adjusting his usual style to match his co-stars' and the movie itself.  The supporting cast gets a surprisingly large role, overall, perhaps expanded during filming due to how good they are.  Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Anne Winters match Killam's skill in lining up with the tone of the film, arguably even playing a big part in shaping it themselves.

Night School is a throwback, broad comedy that works perfectly well in that role, though is ultimately also somewhat limited by it as well.  I think it's important to emphasize that this is not the stylistic direction that most contemporary popular comedies have been going, but the unapologetic, back-to-basics tone is quite welcome.  The effort could have resulted in a train wreck, had the writing either been lazy or tried to sneak back to the current norms, or if the cast had not been fully committed to just having a good time and leaving their egos in their trailers.  While it gets off to a bit of a bumpy start (this may have just been my adjusting to the film's tone), the film quickly settles into a nice pace.  Even Hart's performance is a little off at first, but once he gets to meet the other main players, particularly Haddish and his night school classmates, it all begins to jell immediately.  Most of the film's humor comes from the somewhat simplistic but well-crafted dialogue; still, there are also some standout sets, which are particularly important in this kind of comedy.  These include the night-schoolers attempt to break in at, well, night to steal an upcoming test, and an exasperated Haddish literally whipping Hart - wearing a Christian chicken suit (long story) - back to his senses.  But the funniest to me was an indulgently long, clearly improvised introduction of the night school class, both playing with stereotypes in a funny but sensitive way as well as piling on Hart as a clueless but charming victim which is where he shines brightest.  It's probably a little too long, but the film keeps the plotting fairly minimal while also ending on a surprisingly poignant message about the strength of those whole struggle on the fringes of society.

***

Night School is another pleasant entry in what has been a very strong year for comedies.  Critics, unfortunately, must not have seen the same movie that I did.  I truly think it comes down to expectations: they simply were thrown by its simple, back-to-basics style, significantly different from other entries in the genre.  And I might be overrating it a touch myself, having seen it in a theater full of people who found it absolutely hilarious (and it was contagious).  But beyond even the quality of the film - which is pretty high anyway - I see this variety in style to be all to the good, rather than a negative.  Just like we all hope to see more original stories and ideas from Hollywood, this too is a great way to keep things fresh and interesting.  I recommend this seeing this movie, particularly with a packed audience, but just keep in mind it may not be what you expect and I think you'll enjoy it.



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