ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Sebastian Stan

Destroyer: Into the Darkness

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Destroyer tells the story of Detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman), an LAPD officer who, in her youth, went undercover to infiltrate a gang in the desolation of the California desert. Traumatized by the experience, Bell presently continues to work as a detective for the Los Angeles Police Department despite her overwhelming guilt. However, when the leader of that gang suddenly resurfaces, Erin embarks on a mission to find his former associates, bring him to justice while coming face to face with her past life.

Directed by Karen Karusama, Destroyer is a slow burn of a thriller, equally compelling and vexing. By boldly breaking down her narrative structure, Karusama creates an plays with the past in a way that informs the present. While this can prove frustrating at first, the film gradually unravels in a way that validates her approach. As Detective Bell, Kidman is virtually unrecognizable, fully immersing herself into the seedy underbelly of a bleak and hopeless environment. Known for her dramatic flair, it is this role that reveals her true range as an actress as she plays Bell with a surprising but desolate fury. In what could be a potentially career-defining role, this is Kidman at her very best and wildest.

Stepping into the darkness of the bleak Los Angeles heat, Destroyer highlights a world where evil marks everything in its path. Criminals can’t escape their past, even if they want to. The integrity of the police is flexible. In a world overrun by shadows, no one is safe from the stain of sin. Struggling to get through each day, Bell becomes the very picture of brokenness as she allows the demons of her past to unleash her inner demons. Unlike other characters who fight to free to themselves from their past, Bell has allowed herself to be completely swallowed by it. While her intentions start out well, she is slowly contaminated by her environment. As she descends into the underworld, the lines between good and evil become blurred and Bell’s judgment is compromised irreparably. Even in the present, Bell bears the scars of her past in ways that prevent her from escaping it. Despite the fact that she’s gotten out, she has never truly broken free.

Admittedly, hope in this world is hard to find. Interestingly, there is a glimmer of possibility through the eyes of Bell’s daughter, Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn). Even if she too is feeling the pull towards the darkness, Bell’s most redeeming quality is that she hopes her daughter “will be [a] better [person] than she is”. Through the character of Shelby, Karusama allows the viewer to believe that—maybe—there is a chance to break the cycle of pain and suffering in the future. Despite the bleak atmosphere, Shelby represents the opportunity to move forward and escape, provided she can learn from her mother’s mistakes

Playing out as an intense hybrid of Chinatown and Breaking Bad, Destroyer unleashes a world where everyone is tainted by culture’s pervasive evil. Buoyed by powerful performances and confident direction, the film gives itself the freedom to unfurl its narrative with boiling intensity.

Destroyer is in theatres now.

I, Tonya – Whose Truth?

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“I was loved for a minute, then I was hated.”

Figure skating is all about elegance and grace. So when in 1994 the sport took on a violent aspect with an attack on a top skater before the Olympics, it became one of the early examples of TV tabloid journalism. I, Tonya tells the story of Tonya Harding who was at the center of the controversy because her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly masterminded the attack on a rival skater. In the days and weeks that followed the story became more sensationalized by the day. Screenwriter/producer Steve Rogers has crafted a dark comedy from the strange, almost absurdist, true events. It is based in part on interviews Rogers did with Harding and Gillooly, now in their 40s. The widely different stories each told became the structure for the film.

The story follows the life of Harding (Margot Robbie) from childhood to the present day. Even before “The Incident”, she never really fit well into the skating world, in spite of her talent and skill. She came from an abusive household. Her mother LaVona Golden (Allison Janney) was both physically and emotionally violent. Her escape was to marry Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) at an early age. This too turned into a violent, abusive relationship. It should be pointed out that Harding was not just a victim, but could be violent herself. All of this contributed to a low self-image. At times, she felt like she deserved the abuse. And much of her competitiveness was an attempt to be loved.

Much of the humor of the film comes from the personalities. LaVona Golden is an especially over the top character (and played to the hilt by Janney). It’s hard to image a mother so cruel and crude, yet we can’t get enough of her on screen. Likewise, the relationship between Harding and Gillooly, often with sudden explosive violence, may seem too dark for humor, yet we can’t help but follow along because the story is told in such an appealing style.

The film takes its time getting to The Incident, but when it does make it into the story, it is the beginning of one of the all time great comedies of errors. When we speak of the media circus that developed because of it, circus is the appropriate word because the clowns take center stage. Again here, the story is told from different perspectives, so there is more than one version of what happened.

Since there are multiple versions of the same story, this becomes a study on how we can know the truth. The memories of what happened are so different that it is impossible to piece them together to form a clear picture of who was or was not involved. The tabloid journalism that latched on to this story only made the search for truth murkier. The 24-hour news cycle and its need to keep a story alive may actually make the truth harder to find. In a world where “fake news” is frequently charged and even outlandish ideas are given coverage in the name of “balance”, this story serves as a challenge for us to seek truth amid all the hoopla and distraction.

When I saw this film at AFI Fest, it played to a packed house. It wasn’t one of the films I was especially looking forward to but I found it enjoyable in the absurd humor and the idiocy of the characters. Though, when a few weeks later I saw a trailer in the theater, I thought to myself, “I wouldn’t want to see that.” So, perhaps if you’re put off by the trailer, you may want to consider that there is more here than the trailer suggests.

Photos courtesy of Neon.

Captain America: Civil War — Conflict Breeds Catastrophe

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#TeamCap FightsLet’s get the basic questions out of the way before we begin the review.

Is Captain America: Civil War any good?  You bet it is!
Is it a perfect film?  Nope.
Is there lots of fighting? Oh yes. And then some.
How’s Spider Man? Well . . . He needs some practice.
Does the film leave the door open for future movies? I think you know the answer to that one.
So who wins the Civil War? Uh . . . I’m not going to tell you that. Why are you asking me?

Feel better?  No? Okay, then let’s review the film (with minor spoilers, if that).

If you’ve been under a rock for the last few years, Marvel Studios has been building a comic book-based empire on the strength of The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America. Captain America: Civil War adds to and builds on the previous movies, offering moviegoers a rollicking, fast-paced thrill ride that may take more than one viewing to adequately enjoy.

The story begins with the Avengers attempting to ward off a potential crisis in Nigeria.  However, something goes awry and innocent lives are lost.  This seems to be a theme of past films (New York and Sokovia, for example), so the governments of the world have decided it’s time for those with superpowers to have limits. Thus, the Sokovia Accords are drafted, giving the Avengers a choice: submit to governmental control or retire.

Avengers at Headquarters

If you’re a fan of the comics, you know there will be disagreements as to what should be done. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) feels that limits will only breed more limits and make their jobs more difficult. Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) says that without limitations, they’re “no better than the bad guys.” Both are stubborn and won’t budge on their positions, gathering various Avengers to their separate points of view. Your favorite characters are all here: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Vision (Paul Bettany), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Ruud), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and War Machine (Don Cheadle).  The addition of Black Panther/T’Challa (Chad Boseman) makes the situation more difficult (but man, is he an incredible character to watch on screen).

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is dealing with a lot of things that spin the other part of the plot in motion. Captain America has a tie to him and this comes into play as the film advances to an inevitable clash held at the airport in Berlin. There’s lots of fighting, lots of gadgetry, and a few surprises along the way. But as Vision notes, “Conflict breeds catastrophe.” The question is whether the Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man will figure this out before it’s too late.

Captain America Meets Spider-ManOh yeah, and there’s Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland).  He has a role in the fight in Berlin, but seems more in awe of the others than anything.  He’s also learning about his superpowers—with mixed results. One part of the film that irked me involved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei)—don’t go in expecting her to be old like in the comics. In fact, guys might even be smitten by her.

In the end, the themes of vengeance, love, family, and loyalty come into play, though I’ll leave it to you to figure out how and in what manner it happens. Suffice it to say that the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 mean something in Civil War.

The film is nearly 2 ½ hours long, but it doesn’t feel that way due to the hyperkinetic pacing by directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Fight sequences are everywhere, surprises abound, and details are peppered throughout that help drive the plot forward. I do wish the villain (played by Martin Freeman) had been fleshed out a little bit more, but that’s nitpicking when events are unfolding so rapidly. The music isn’t overpowering but adds little to the whole scheme of affairs.  You’re there for the action, so that’s what you’re going to get.

And you’re going to like it.

(PS – Stay for the credits, as there are not one but two additional scenes that will leave you talking on the way out of the theater.)

The Martian: Survive or Die (Oscar Spotlight: Best Picture)

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The MartianHumans have, ingrained in their DNA, a desire and longing for community. It started when God realized that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone—his response was to create Eve as a companion and helper (see Genesis 2:18). But what happens if, by some unfortunate series of events, you’re the only one left on the planet—or worse, another planet? You really have two options—survive or die. This is part of the reason why the The Martian is up for a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. Based on the book by Andy Weir, it chronicles the harrowing adventures of astronaut Mark Watney on the planet Mars.  The film is actually up for seven different Oscars (including Matt Damon for Best Actor), but I’m going to focus on the Best Picture award.

First, a reminder of the plot. The Martian begins with an emergency escape from the planet when a massive storm appears at base camp. Five of the six astronauts make it onboard the rescue rover, with Watney left behind for dead after he’s speared by a communications antenna. Miraculously, he survives, but is in a world of hurt as the next mission to the Red Planet isn’t scheduled to arrive for another four years. With a limited supply of food and water, he has to decide what to do.  Watney’s decision: “I’m not going to die here.” Thus, he sets about trying to make life happen, all while recording his escapades via video journals.  His saving grace is that he’s a botanist and knows how to grow things. But that won’t last forever, and when the habitat depressurizes, destroying his crop, the fight for survival becomes more acute.

Watney and his plantsMeanwhile, NASA finally discovers he’s alive (after announcing his death) and sets out creating a plan to get him back, helped by scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Rushing things doesn’t work, as they find out the hard way on their next launch.  Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Bridges) has to try something, and when out of options, gets help in the form of China’s space program. When an astrodynamics student named Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) comes up with a faster way to get Watney—but one that will keep the rescued astronauts in space for another year—the idea is dismissed.  But when it’s covertly shared with the crew, they agree to try it—risking their own lives in the process.  The world holds its collective breath as an unheard of rescue is attempted.

So what makes The Martian worthy of Best Picture status? First off, the landscape and set design is exquisite and conveys a planet of extreme isolation, complete with unpredictable storms and unforgiving terrain. The attention to detail even extends to the scientific terminology used, conveying the possibility that an event like this could feasibly occur.  Dialogue is realistic and doesn’t seem to be forced (outside of a) the constant references to Commander Lewis [Jessica Chastain] and her love of disco and b) the relationship between Johanssen [Kate Mara] and Beck [Sebastian Stan]). Speaking of music, the soundtrack is refreshingly sparse.

Tension is controlled by director Ridley Scott in ways that make the viewer experience a range of emotions—from shock to euphoria. Finally, the acting is on point, with believable and convincing characters (none moreso than Damon’s intriguing portrayal of Watney). As a result, the viewer is transported from the theater into a very delicate situation where one wrong move could mean a loss of lives.

The crew of the HermesOutside of the earlier reference to community, there are also many references to faith found in the film (not that they have any bearing on making a film Best Picture-worthy, but are still nice). The concept of mission is found as Watney emails Commander Lewis a note with the charge to tell his parents, “I’m dying for something big and beautiful and greater than me.” That sure sounds like something the apostle Paul would’ve penned—and probably the other apostles to boot. The ending also allows for the concept of complete trust to have someone save you when you have no ability to do it yourself (see Romans 5:8).

In the end, The Martian is a worthy film to be considered for this year’s Best Picture nomination. Will it win?  I’m not certain, as there are a number of films that take that title as well. But if it succeeds, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. With a compelling story, great acting, and fantastic visuals, you should give this one a viewing if you haven’t already. You’ll understand what it means to truly survive—as well as a few other things along the way.