Movie Recap (06.23.24)
Grandmothers, road trips, kaiju, and Broadway stars
This week's reviews feature a 93-year-old grandmother on a quest to recover stolen money, a group of teenagers venturing out of their small-town life, a Japanese hero raising a baby kaiju, and an aging Broadway star battling a degenerative disease.
Thelma
PG-13 | Comedy | 1h 37m | Theaters
Directed by Josh Margolin
Starring June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, and Fred Hechinger
The Gist of It: After losing $10,000 to a con artist over the phone, 93-year-old Thelma Post (Squibb), along with her friend (Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, embarks on a journey across Los Angeles to recover her money.
What Works: June Squibb is a comedic powerhouse. Her character could have easily been played for cheap laughs, but thankfully, Squibb carefully crafts a memorable heroine who is vulnerable, kind, and equally determined. We can’t help but see ourselves (or our future selves) in her. The deceptively simple story serves as a vehicle to explore deeper themes of aging with dignity, self-realization, and loneliness.
What Doesn’t: There’s nothing wrong with this movie.
My Verdict: Thelma is the sweetest and gentlest comedy I have seen in years, a ray of hope and joy that reminds us why life is worth living. It's also the first film I've seen in a long time where the audience applauded and cheered at the end. Maybe that says more than any review could.
Gasoline Rainbow
PG-13 | Drama | 1h 51m | Mubi
Directed by Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
Starring Tony Aburto, Micah Bunch, and Nichole Dukes
The Gist of It: Five teenage misfits from inland Oregon embark on a road trip to the Pacific Coast.
What Works: The movie defies categorization, constantly blurring the lines between documentary and fiction. The performances are sincere and consistent throughout the film. The directors capture beauty in both the sprawling landscapes and the more intimate moments between the group.
What Doesn’t: A two-hour movie without a cohesive plot can feel tiresome after a while.
My Verdict: Gasoline Rainbow is a visually captivating movie about nothing. It prioritizes capturing the aimlessness and isolation of adolescence in the raw wilderness over a structured plot. While this style of filmmaking has its fans, I've never been one of them. However, I do applaud the effort.
Ultraman: Rising
PG | Animated/Action | 1h 57m | Netflix
Directed by Shannon Tindle
Starring Christopher Sean, Tamlyn Tomita, and Gedde Watanabe
The Gist of It: Ken Sato (Sean), son of the legendary Japanese hero Ultraman, must now carry the mantle as his father (Watanabe) ages. Alongside his career as a superstar baseball player, he faces the unique challenge of raising a newborn kaiju monster as his own child.
What Works: The animation's vibrant aesthetic seamlessly blends CGI with impressionistic, comic-book-style sequences, reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). There are also visual nods to the original 1960s Ultraman show. The father-and-son relationship provides the film with a solid emotional core.
What Doesn’t: At the end of the day, this is a (competently made) movie targeted at kids. However, the hyper-cuteness can become tiresome and annoying for older audiences after a while.
My Verdict: Ultraman: Rising accomplishes the Herculean task of balancing goofiness with exciting battles, while addressing heavier themes such as self-sacrifice, humility, and responsibility in a manner that should appeal to kids and adults alike.
The Great Lillian Hall
PG-13 | Drama | 1h 50m | Max
Directed by Michael Cristofer
Starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Lily Rabe
The Gist of It: Aging Broadway actress Lillian Hall (Lange) grapples with dementia as she prepares for what could be a legacy-defining role in a theater production of The Cherry Orchard. Her crisis causes her to reexamine her perspective on life and her relationship with her estranged daughter (Rabe).
What Works: This is Jessica Lange's show. She will go down in history as one of the best of her generation. Clocking in at less than two hours, the movie never overstays its welcome.
What Doesn’t: Although the supporting cast includes heavy hitters such as Kathy Bates, Pierce Brosnan, and Lily Rabe, they're given little to do in their surprisingly underwritten roles. After a captivating and even exasperating first half, the dramatic momentum slows down, as if the movie didn’t know what to do with its depressing revelation.
My Verdict: Jessica Lange’s positively riveting and towering performance helps The Great Lillian Hall transcend its soapy roots. Indeed, this clichéd formula is catnip for award ceremonies, but when the performances are this good, it’s difficult to care.
I loved the old live action Ultraman stuff when I was a kid. I’ll need to check this out.