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Rian Johnson

SF Radio 9.10: Top Movie Moments for 2022 + Peeling Away the GLASS ONION

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It’s 2023! As we step into a new year, that means looking back on the year that was. But rather than give the same old list of the ‘year’s best films’, we like to look at the moments that mattered to us. This week, Kevin McLenithan returns with his Top 3 Movie Moments of 2022 and we talk about justice and trickery in Rian Johnson’s GLASS ONION.

You can stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

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Glass Onion: Peeling Away the Layers

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Just like the real thing, this Glass Onion has layers.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery begins as a group of friends receive an elaborate puzzle box. A gift from their wealthy friend, the box is an invitation to a weekend of fun in his private Greek island and they all accept with glee. Excited to enjoy their sun-soaked, luxurious getaway, the group is surprised to find out that Detective Benoit Blanc has also been invited to the party, with a note suggesting that there is a murderous edge to the holiday.

Bigger and flashier than the original, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is yet another twisty tale brought to life by writer/director Rian Johnson that is sure to delight audiences. Throughout his career, Johnson has proven himself to a filmmaker who likes to play with the toys that he has been given. Whether it’s the mind-and-time-bending Looper, the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi or this film’s predecessor, Knives Out, Johnson thoroughly enjoys taking conventional storytelling and flipping it it’s on its ear. With Glass Onion, Johnson once again takes the tropes of mystery storytelling and gives himself the freedom to move around the pieces that he’s placed on the board in unexpected ways. 

Featuring an entirely new cast of characters, Glass Onion stars Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Cadelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick. (And that’s not even to mention the numerous cameos throughout the film.) Even so, the through line to this franchise remains Daniel Craig‘s performance as Benoit Blanc. After the success of his daring detective in the previous film, one cannot help but fall in love with his Southern drawl and brilliant mind. In Onion, Craig once again positively owns the role and plays it with such glee that one hopes that he continues in the role for years to come. (Unlike his time as Bond, Craig has indicated his interest in continuing as the sleuth ‘until the day [he] dies’.) In Blanc, Johnson has truly created a unique opportunity here. Because each mystery is an original creation that is entirely separate from the next, Blanc can feature in innumerable sequels with new challenges every time. As long as Johnson‘s writing continues to stay strong, there’s no doubt that Blanc has the potential to become as iconic a sleuth as Poirot or Holmes. 

And Johnson still has some tricks up his sleeve. 

Without question, this film feels larger in scope than its predecessor. Interestingly, Onion feels like it has more at stake than Knives Out’s basic premise of ‘the last will and testament of an ageing recluse’. To suggest any major plot points in the film would be a disservice to the fun so you’ll find no spoilers here. However, whereas the first film built primarily with themes of legacy and ‘old money’, Onion focusses more on new money in the New World. Social Influencers are as highly regarded as politicians and everyone has their hand out. Admittedly, there is less social commentary in Onion than the original but one cannot deny its shot at the power of the social media industry. 

And, as with all murder mysteries, the battle for power is very much in play.

What’s more, this is a film about knowing what matters. Whereas some desire fame and fortune, others see the potential fallout that taking steps in this direction may cause. In this world, the consequences of one’s actions extend beyond the financial bottom line and lean the question of the nature of justice. (But, again, I promised no spoilers.)

All you ultimately need to know is that, Glass Onion is a delight from start to finish. Fast-paced and very, very funny with its murderous mayhem, Johnson once again peels away the layers of that this Onion conceals until the truth is eventually revealed. 

And, as long as Benoit Blanc is leading the investigation, long may these Knives remain Out.

Glass Onion plays for one week exclusively at TIFF Bell Lightbox beginning November 23rd and arrives on Netflix on December 24th, 2022.

TIFF ’22: Glass Onion

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery begins as a group of friends receive an elaborate puzzle box. A gift from their wealthy friend, the box is an invitation to a weekend of fun in his private Greek island and they all accept with glee. Excited to enjoy their sun-soaked, luxurious getaway, the group is surprised to find out that Detective Benoit Blanc has also been invited to the party, with a note suggesting that there is a murderous edge to the holiday.

Bigger and flashier than the original, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story is yet another twisty tale brought to life by writer/director Rian Johnson that is sure to delight audiences. With Glass Onion, Johnson once again takes the tropes of mystery storytelling and gives himself the freedom to move around the pieces that he’s placed on the board in unexpected ways. 

Featuring an entirely new cast of characters, Glass Onion stars Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Han, Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick. (And that’s not even to mention the numerous cameos throughout the film.) Even so, the through line to this franchise remains Daniel Craig‘s performance as Benoit Blanc. After the success of his daring detective in the previous film, one cannot help but fall in love with his Southern drawl and brilliant mind. In Onion, Craig once again positively owns the role and plays it with such glee that one hopes that he continues in the role for years to come. 

And Johnson still has some tricks up his sleeve. 

All you ultimately need to know is that, Glass Onion is a delight from start to finish. Fast-paced and very, very funny with its murderous mayhem, Johnson once again peels away the layers of that this Onion conceals until the truth is eventually revealed. And, as long as Benoit Blanc is leading the investigation, long may these Knives remain Out.

Glass Onion is now playing at TIFF ’22. For screening information, click here.

6.11 Carving Up Justice in KNIVES OUT

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In KNIVES OUT, Rian Johnson draws the viewer into a world of diabolical murder and twisted intrigue. When aging mystery novelist Harland Thrombey kills himself after his 85th birthday, the police initially rule his death a suicide. However, after private investigator Benoit Blanc is brought in to question the cantankerous clan, he suspects that Thrombey’s death may be the result of foul play and begins to pull at the thread of truth. This week, Steve welcomes back Wade Bearden (Seeing and Believing) to investigate the film’s depiction of justice, mistrusting memory and understanding good character.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.11 Knives OutDownload

Knives Out: Cut-Throat Family Politics

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Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper), Knives Out follows the clues behind the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy author who is murdered after his birthday party. Called in by a mysterious benefactor, Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is called in to help unravel the mystery amongst Harlan’s quirky relatives, including Harlan’s daughter, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), his sons Richard (Don Johnson) and Walt (Michael Shannon) and caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas).

From Brick to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson’s films thrive when thrown into a genre and given the opportunity to turn it on its head. Thankfully, Knives Outcontinues this trend of success by offering a wild and sharply-written homage to classic ‘whodunnit’ mysteries of old. Featuring a grizzled but relentless detective, multiple suspects with questionable alibis, and even on old mansion that feels as much a character within the film as its stars, Knivescarries with it all the tropes established in the best pulp detective novels. (In fact, at one point, the film even refers to itself as a game of Clue, the classic mystery board game.) However, thanks to Johnson’s witty writing and incredible performances by its cast, the film absolutely pops onscreen and never feels stale. 

Featuring an all-star cast, the film allows every one of its characters to shine in various moments. However, it’s Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc that proves to be the standout. As Blanc, Craig is simply wonderful and may have even found a character to define his career when 007 retires. Channeling the best of Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Craig often holds the film together with his hard-nosed growl and solid comedic timing.

While the film focuses its narrative primarily on the mystery, it’s also interesting to note the subtext that comes within the family drama and, more specifically, its conversation surrounding immigration. The lightning rod of this conversation surrounds Marta, Harlan’s personal caregiver. Young, hard-working and faithful, Marta is repeated referred to as ‘family’ by Harlan’s children. [Potential minor spoilers] However, things change dramatically when its suggested that Harlan may have wanted to reward her properly for her loyalty. After that, the family begins to question her involvement with their father and whether or not she even belongs in their country at all. Despite their love of Marta, when their potential windfall is threatened, her value moves quickly from cherished member of the family to illegal immigrant. [Potential spoilers end] 

While subtle, Johnson uses this Marta’s role in the family to highlight a much larger social issue. By using Marta as an example, Johnson highlights the fragile nature of American value of immigrants who are often perceived as welcome members of the country, until something goes wrong. All of a sudden, when someone or something needs to be blamed for the country’s ills, too often those who have immigrated quickly become scapegoats. Despite their value as people, they quickly become viewed as the dangerous ‘other’ who are unjustly accused. As a result, despite its pulp detective framework, Johnson layers a beating heart of justice to his work that challenges the viewer’s ideologies.

In the end, there will be few films this year that are as fun and entertaining as Knives Out. Writer/director Johnson has once again woven a complex narrative filled with unique and engaging characters that will be well worth the price of admission. In doing so, the film also manages to highlight the difficulties inherent to America’s immigration issues as well.

Knives Out spins its web of lies in theatres on November 27th, 2019.

TIFF ’19: Knives Out

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Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper), Knives Out follows the clues behind the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy author who is murdered after his birthday party. Called in by a mysterious benefactor, Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is called in to help unravel the mystery amongst Harlan’s quirky relatives, including Harlan’s daughter, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), his sons, Richard (Don Johnson) and Walt (Michael Shannon) and caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas).

From Brick to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson’s films thrive when thrown into a genre and given the opportunity to turn it on its head. Thankfully, Knives Out continues this trend of success by offering a wild and sharply-written homage to classic ‘whodunnit’ mysteries of old. Thanks to Johnson’s witty writing and incredible performances by its cast, the film absolutely pops onscreen and never feels stale. As Blanc, Craig is simply wonderful and may have even found a character to define his career when 007 retires. Channeling the best of Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Craig often holds the film together with his hard-nosed growl and solid comedic timing.

In the end, there will be few films this year that are as fun and entertaining as Knives Out. Writer/director Johnson has once again woven a complex narrative filled with unique and engaging characters that will be well worth the price of admission. In doing so, the film also manages to highlight the difficulties inherent to America’s immigration issues as well.

Knives Out had its world premiere last week at the Toronto International Film Festival and spins its web of lies in theatres on November 27th, 2019.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi -The Force of Hope

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“That’s how we’re going to win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”

Okay, so millions of people are going to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the newest installment of the Skywalker saga. They will go for many reasons: They’ve been following this story for forty years. It is such a piece of popular culture that to not see it would be unthinkable. There are amazing special effects and battles. It is the last film for Carrie Fisher, who died nearly a year ago. Some will go to nitpick the physics. Others will want to consider the mythology around the Force and how that relates to our own ideas of philosophy and religion. This review is primarily directed to that last group.

The film carries the story on from The Force Awakens. The First Order is seeking to eliminate the last of the Resistance. Leia (Carrie Fisher) manages to evacuate their planet just before the First Order ships arrive, but soon the First Order finds them and puts them under siege. Fighter pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac), who is undisciplined and hotheaded, continues to break all the rules as he tries to fight against the enemy.  Meanwhile Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young woman who has an affinity for the Force, tracked down Luke (Mark Hamill) on a remote island. She wants Luke to come back and bring hope to the rebels. Luke refuses, saying the Jedi need to die off. Yet Rey persists to learn more of the Force. And so the battle goes on between the good and evil, but of course, when the Force is involved, light and dark are often at war within the characters more than they are between the armies.

Ever since the series began with what was later named A New Hope, the Force has been the main spiritual aspect of the series. It has a very mystical element.  The description that Luke gives to Rey about the nature of the Force is very close to panentheism—not that God is within all things, but that all things are within God. (But of course the Force is really a religion without a divine being.) Even though some of the characters are more connected to the Force, in reality, all live within the spiritual system of the Force. And so when each character steps up for their time of heroism or villainy, they are acting out their understanding of the Force. It allows even minor characters to bring enlightenment.

There has often been an almost monastic quality to the Jedi. Luke, like Obi-wan Kenobi in A New Hope wears hooded robes. The shelters on Luke’s solitary island are like the stone bee-hive shaped cells of an Irish monastery. Luke has become very like an anchorite, having separated himself from the world. Perhaps this hermit life is a form of penance. He had brought others here to train as Jedi, but when Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), son of Leia and Han Solo, went to the dark side, Luke’s faith in the Jedi philosophy was broken.

In this film, the real Force-related conflict is centered on Rey and Ren. Both have a special affinity for the Force. They are both in a struggle about how the Force is to be used. That good and evil exist in parallel within the Force is part of what makes the Force an interesting examination of the spiritual/theological realm.

Rey and Ren also seem to be connected in some way. While Rey in on the island with Luke, she and Ren begin to see each other remotely and have conversations. Rey recognizes that Ren is deeply conflicted. Ren sees in Rey a person who is searching. Both think the other can be brought over to the other side. There is a complexity to this relationship that opens many possibilities, both for this film and future episodes.

This film spends a good deal of time talking about hope. When Rey finds Luke, it is because she sees him as the embodiment of hope, even though he has essentially lost hope. The Resistance is trying to survive so that they can be the hope to others throughout the galaxy. Hope, in this film, is best seen in the darkest of times. It is not always easy to live in hope. Poe has not learned to hope, so he often acts impulsively. It is hope that sustains the rebels, even as they face sure annihilation. And hope that gives them new insights. It is also the need for hope that opens the door for Episode IX.

For me, the key part of the Star Wars franchise has been the web relationships. Going back to A New Hope, the links between Luke and Leia, Luke and Obi-wan, Han Solo and Leia, Darth Vader and both Luke and Obi-Wan, and R2-D2 and C3PO. In the current set of films (going back to the Force Awakens) new relationships are forming: Rey and Finn (John Boyega), Rey and Poe, Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), and in this film Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). At the same time some of the older relationships are running their course to a finale. One of my complaints about the Star War series as it’s progressed is that the technological advances in effects has taken the fore and the relationship aspect of the stories has been diminished. As I said, some will go to the film to relish the battle scenes and CGI special effects. Although that is a legitimate reason, I’m not in that group. For me the amount of time blowing each other up is time away from the people and the connections that was so important in creating this franchise.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Star Wars: The Force Awakens–Thoughts to Consider (SPOILERS)

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Kylo RenSince a large chunk of the population has donated a portion of their disposable income to a movie theater in order to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we’re getting to the point where spoiler-free reviews are going to be unnecessary. If you haven’t seen the film yet and want to be surprised when you get to the theater, I’d recommend taking a look at my earlier review first, since it contains no spoilers.   Otherwise, read on, as I go into some of my personal ponderings regarding the movie.

Scroll past the picture below to read on.  Otherwise, it’s okay to return later and read when you’ve had a chance to see the film for yourself.

Fighter battleAre we all here? Good.  Here are a few personal thoughts after seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens twice (Thursday PM and Friday PM):

I am not a Star Wars fanboy, but I have always had an interest in the series.  Perhaps it’s because George Lucas wanted to change some sequences in the preexisting films to make a plot point more noticeable (Greedo shooting first instead of Han Solo), more detailed (all the CGI with Jabba the Hutt in A New Hope) or look more unified (the horrific revised ending to Return of the Jedi that seems a bit ironic, seeing as it shows the folks on Corcuscant celebrating freedom, not knowing they’ll suffer the same fate as Alderann thirty years later). Maybe it’s because I wanted to leave a theater with a sense of awe and wonder—something I didn’t get when seeing The Phantom Menace back in 1999.  It could be due to the fact that I saw Peter Jackson succeed mightily in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Hobbit?  Not so much.). Regardless, I went in wanting something more, something dynamic, something post-worthy.

I got that—and much more.

The film’s first portion centers on the planet of Jakku, as BB-8 takes the map portion with him a few seconds before Kylo Ren’s Bat Cruiser (not trademarked, but it should be) shows up and annihilation occurs.  Rey, a scavenger in those parts, wants little to do with the droid when she encounters him and eventually has to make a decision about whether to sell him.  BB-8’s loyalty reminds me, in a non-speaking way, of the loyalty of Ruth to Naomi in the Old Testament (see Ruth 1:16-18).  Rey decides not to, and it’s a good choice on her part, as the droid introduces her to Finn, a Stormtrooper gone AWOL. The two make quite a formidable pair, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of this pair in future films.

As for Kylo Ren, it’s revealed that he’s the son of Han Solo and Leia.  He’s definitely a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with (notice the Force stop of Poe Dameron’s blaster shot in the opening sequence). In fact, the only folks who can fight him off are Snoke, General Hux, and (later on) Rey. But he’s got some serious issues. He has no control over his temper, slashing massive streaks into a computer wall when he finds out Rey was not captured. In another sequence, the Stormtroopers on duty just turn around and walk away. This probably explains why his lightsaber fizzles, pops, and looks so different than the ones we’ve come to know in the past. He wants to be good, but can’t seem to fight his way out of the Dark Side. We see this in play on numerous occasions, notably when taking to Han Solo on the bridge at the end of the film.  He knows what he needs to do, but can’t do it—does that sound eerily like the struggle Paul talks about in Romans 7:15-25?  As a result, he is a wretched man.  It looks like we’ll get to see more of this struggle in future episodes.

The last scene location of SW: TFAIn the end, Starkiller Base is destroyed, Han Solo is taken out by his son, Finn is on life support after a nasty lightsaber slash up the back from Kylo Ren, and Rey travels with Chewbacca to a planet full of islands.  Atop one of the islands, she meets up, for the first time, with Luke Skywalker.  Luke on the island reminded me of John on the island of Patmos in the book of Revelation. He had vanished (remember the opening screen crawl?) after seeing one of his Jedi trainees go rogue (in this case, Kylo Ren).  Perhaps he was waiting for a revelation of his own.  In John’s case, he came across Jesus himself, who told him to write some letters to a group of churches that needed a wake-up call badly (except for Philadelphia) and provided an amazing look at what will eventually come to pass. We’re not sure about Luke yet, but Rey holds his lightsaber out to him as the camera pans around them and the film ends (one of the best shots I’ve seen in a film in quite a while, I might add).  Perhaps it’s the wake-up call Luke needs to hear.  Sadly, we’ll have to wait a few more years until director Rian Johnson shares Episode VIII with us.