A Secret Sequel and A Couple of Oscar Noms!

     As competition for our time heats up amongst the giants of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and other streaming companies, the movie industry has begun to shift perspective. Adapt or die, right? Well, the world witnessed history this past week when, during the Super Bowl, Netfilx and Paramount Studios released a trailer for an unknown movie called The Cloverfield Paradox, the third in the quirky franchise. The kicker was that this movie wasn't going to be coming to a theater near you, but straight to Netflix that very night! There's always been an air of mystery surrounding the Cloverfield franchise, and this sort of mysterious marketing was a perfect way to generate buzz. I thought it was a genius move, frankly. For a film produced by a major motion picture studio to be bought and released via streaming just goes to show how the film industry could possibly shift its gears in order to maintain viewership. The numbers of patrons heading out to the cinema aren't nearly as high as it's been in years past, which brings us back around to the specific question at hand: was The Cloverfield Paradox any good? The answer: meh...it was fun.

   This franchise is such a unique and weird group of films. The first Cloverfield quickly became a cult hit, issuing motion sickness warnings at cinemas all over the country with it's violent camera work. 10 Cloverfield Lane was a film that originally wasn't suppose to be a Cloverfield film but was changed at the last minute in order to surprise fans. That film was one of my favorites of that year. Now we have The Cloverfield Paradox, a film set in the future, with as much force-fed Cloverfield tie-ins to question whether or not is was originally suppose to be one in the first place. In a nutshell, the story follows a crew of scientists orbiting Earth on the brink of war. They are out in space to test a device that could potentially solve the energy crisis, but end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality. It's the Cloverfield version of Event Horizon, essentially.

   Let me just say that, though this film has a host of flaws when considering its connection within the franchise as a whole, I had a ton of fun with this movie. It's the perfect sci-fi horror flick for a lazy weekend evening with nothing to do. The cast is arguably the best part of the film, with each member giving really great performances throughout. Without getting into spoilers, the movie has its fair share of crazy, creepy moments mingled with some legitimately funny beats. However, there were some emotional through-lines that never paid off, and certain moments that felt like they were leading to something really cool, but never do. In the end, it feels like a really fun space/horror movie that was forced into being a Cloverfield film. When you start to break down the connections and try to make sense of where this film fits within the franchise as a whole, you'll be scratching your head in utter confusion. Then again, I wonder if the filmmakers purposefully do that. This franchise is so weird and mysterious that the confusion just might be a key aspect of the experience. Or not. Or maybe it is. But probably isn't. But it could be. But more than likely not. ANYWAY, I have my theories, and if you've got Netflix and a couple hours to spare, check it out and form theories of your own. I enjoyed myself with this movie; it entertained me.

   
   This week I continued my fervent quest to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars airs in March. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has been the talk of the town within the award circle over the past few weeks, and after seeing it I can understand why. The movies tells a riveting story that takes some risks with the narrative in a way you wouldn't expect. The story is about a mother named Mildred (played brilliantly by Frances McDormand) who personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit. She does this by renting out three billboards along a somewhat used stretch of road that deliberately questions the quality of police work being done to solve her daughter's case. Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is particularly mentioned on the billboards and quickly finds that Mildred is in no mood for games when he confronts her about them. Both McDormand and Harrelson give outstanding performances in this movie. Winning the Golden Globe for her performance, Frances McDormand is by and large the front-runner for the Oscar as well. Mildred is a hardened, broken, and determined woman who takes no guff and acts as if she has nothing to lose. The raw intensity in McDormand's performance is truly entertaining, and I was lost in her story. Harrelson brings his known charm to Willoughby, who's own arc takes some turns you wouldn't expect. Another standout would be Sam Rockwell as the bigoted, racist police officer Dixon. He, too, won the Golden Globe for his performance which was good...but not necessarily outstanding. He's also nominated for an Oscar so there's something I guess. The production of this film is really well done, with clever writing, beautiful cinematography and poignant direction. Three Billboards is definitely one of the best movies of 2017, it's worthy of it's nomination, though I don't think it'll win. Regardless, it's an interesting and moving piece of cinema that shouldn't be missed.

    

    Moving on down the list of nominees, Phantom Thread was...a movie I saw as well. I'm sort of at a loss when it comes to this movie. I'll cut right to the chase: the movie is long and you can feel it; it's weirdly paced, and tells a semi-sweet but ultra twisted story. Set in 1950's London, Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman named Alma (Vicky Krieps), who becomes his muse and lover. I will say, despite the things I didn't like, the acting in the movie was really well-done. Daniel Day-Lewis gives another great performance, though not his best, and I'm almost 100% positive the Academy nominated him for an Oscar simply on the basis that his amazing career has now come to an end with this performance. He announced prior to this film that this would be his last piece of work, although you never really know if that will stick. The man is a masterclass actor not doubt, and Woodcock is a strange, eccentric, and disturbing character that is hard not to watch. Krieps is really great as Alma, who is a polar opposite of Woodcock, a disruptor of sorts. As their courtship unfolds, you slowly begin to see the disturbing intricacies that culminate in an equally disturbing twist. Other than the acting and the fine directing, the movie is a slog that left me with a headache. It's a fine piece of filmmaking, I'll give it that, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Who knows, it might be yours. Check it out to see for yourself. Come March I'm sure we'll see it lose to a better film altogether--
(*cough* Shape of Water *cough*)