The Marvels – Film Review

Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Samuel L. Jackson, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapoor, Saagar Shaikh

Director: Nia DaCosta

Synopsis: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau team up after their powers become entangled…

Review: Avengers: Endgame, a crowning moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), concluded the Infinity Saga after ten years of building an all-encompassing cinematic universe. However, in the years since, the once-untouchable studio has had a few misfires. Such was the rarity of these prior to Endgame, that questions began to be asked as to whether the studio’s best days were behind it or whether audiences are indeed suffering from superhero fatigue. The jury is out regarding the former, and the case certainly can be made for the latter. However, coming off the high of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, it is clear Marvel’s ability to entertain and provide an endless amount of fun for two hours or thereabouts remains very much intact.

Set after the events of WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel (Larson) is exploring a mysterious wormhole “jump point” in the deep of space where she realises, she switches places first with Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel (Vellani) and also Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Carol’s best friend Maria. Deducing that the reason for the switcheroo is because of their mutual light-based powers, the three women team up to establish who or what is causing their powers to be entangled and in so doing discover a plot devised by the new Kree leader Dar-Benn (Ashton) to harness energy from other worlds to restore her home planet from the brink of destruction..

Even before any hint or suggestion of superhero fatigue had begun to set in, there has been an unconscionable level of backlash from certain sections of the internet directed towards this film since it was announced. The criticism largely stems from the decision to cast three women in the lead roles. Team-ups have been aplenty throughout the history of MCU, from small pairings such as The Revengers to the massive ensemble teams featuring the likes of Earth’s mightiest heroes and the Guardians. Yet, none of those had quite the absurd level of backlash. More fool them because you can add this trio of powerful women to that marvellous list.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the film’s brightest spark and the reason you should go out and watch this film is the chemistry between these three superpowered women. The performances of all three leads are wonderful to watch and the chemistry between them is fizzing with an abundance of palpable cosmic energy. Kamala Khan, in particular, exudes such joyous and blissfully happy emotion at getting the chance to partner with her idol that it is impossible not to love her, and she steals the entire show. Of course, Monica does not share such overwhelming adulation for Carol given the tragic fate her mother Maria endured and for not being there when she promised, which adds a complex emotional layer to the dynamic of the team.

The screenplay by Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik shines when focusing on the relationships between these superheroes. Witnessing them share the screen and kick ass provides delightful popcorn entertainment at its best. The ensuing adventure which takes the trio across a plethora of unique worlds all in search of the villainous Dar-Benn is and to stop her from targeting the natural resources of these worlds. DaCosta (the first black woman to direct an MCU film) stamps her authority on the action scenes and injects them with an effervescent and joyous energy. Furthermore, at just over 100 minutes, the pacing is kept tight and whooshes by, which is befitting for a film featuring a character who can travel faster than the speed of light.

While it is extremely fun to watch, the script does have its flaws with a plot involving possible talks regarding a peace treaty between the Kree and the Skrulls – previously seen throughout the MCU in other projects such as The Guardians of the Galaxy, Secret Invasion and of course, the original Captain Marvel – coming to an abrupt before it really got going. By keeping the pacing so laser-focused, there’s not much time to expand on Dar-Benn’s motivations, which could have made her a far more compelling antagonist. Zawe Ashton gives everything she has to make her a formidable adversary, but like so many MCU villains before her, she is not developed beyond her revenge-driven goals and fails to leave a lasting impression.

Given the MCU was riding higher, further and faster than all its competitors trying to build their own cinematic universes, cracks in the armour were bound to appear sooner or later. The recent projects, released in the last two years, have widened the cracks in the MCU’s armour, bringing the franchise back down to earth.. However, with the last adventure with the Guardians and now this utterly delightful team-up, there is every indication that the studio has learnt from its mistakes and paid heed to the criticism which has been levelled at it in recent years. Hopefully, as Phase 5 continues to progress, it will prove that its recent wobbles were a mere bump in the road and is ready to fly high and regain its former glory.

After an emotional last ride with the Guardians, this latest team-up is just what the MCU needed to get back on track, in no small part thanks to the palpable chemistry of its leading ladies and DaCosta’s vibrant direction. Naysayers be damned!

If Beale Street Could Talk – Film Review

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Ed Skrein, Brian Tyree Henry, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Dave Franco, Diego Luna
Pedro Pascal

Director: Barry Jenkins

Synopsis: After finding out she is expecting a baby with her partner, a young woman and her family seek to clear her lover’s name after he is arrested for a crime he did not commit…

Review: What do you do when only your second feature length directorial feature wins you an Academy Award for its screenplay, as well as (eventually) the Academy Award for Best Picture? This was the quandary for Barry Jenkins, the writer/director of Moonlight, having been catapulted him into the spotlight by the film’s incredible success. The answer to that question, is to make something that’s cut from a similar cloth as Moonlight, a story that tells a very human, emotional journey.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by James Baldwin, we are taken back to 1970s Harlem, where we meet Tish (Layne) and Alfonso (or Fonny as Tish affectionately calls him), two beautiful young people who, having been very close as children, have since become a blossoming couple, seemingly made for one another. However, their romantic bubble is burst when when Fonny is arrested and charged with a horrific crime that Tish insists he is innocent of, and Tish and her family must do whatever they can to clear Fonny of these charges.

On the surface, this would appear to be a simple story about the love that two young people have for each other, and the desperate bid to prove her husband-to-be innocent of the crime he is being accused of. And while it is undeniably beautiful and romantic to watch these two fall in love with each other, much like his work with Moonlight Jenkins’s screenplay goes much deeper than that exploring a variety of themes such as racism, family and the brutal horrors of the justice system that can bring such an unfair injustices to Black communities and devastate these families across America, even when people may be innocent of the crimes they are being accused of.

As the main couple, KiKi Layne and Stephan James are both excellent. Their chemistry is just so honest and authentic that you completely buy them as a couple. You revel in their moments of love and affection for one another, and are equally devastated when they are torn away from one another. As Tish’s mother Sharon, Regina King is just utterly marvellous as she leads the fight to win her prospective son-in-law’s freedom, even in the face of extremely long and difficult odds, and indifference from some members of Fonny’s family to Tish’s plight.

The cinematography from James Laxton is once again sumptuous to look out, even when the circumstances may be extremely bleak, his cinematography shines a hopeful light on the situation of this couple. Nicholas Britell also returns to provide the score, and once again, the work he does to add to the romanticism and by contrast, the heartbreak of this story is remarkable. For those who might have had issues with Moonlight’s pacing, they could well run into some issues again here as Jenkins does take his time to slowly build up Tish and Fonny’s relationship. Though some scenes do feel necessary, others do drag on perhaps for a tad longer than they really need to.

For characters depicted in the 1970s, Jenkins’s characters feel very contemporary and the story and the themes are very topical, but the film never gets preachy with the events depicted on screen. It is above all else, a very sweet story about the love two people have for one another, and the challenge that the human spirit faces when facing the going up against the cruel nature of the world and its institutions, Barry Jenkins has once again crafted something that, in these very emotionally charged times, he has made a film that will speak something to everyone who sees it.

Beautiful and melancholic,sometimes in the same shot, with a fantastic ensemble of well realised characters, Jenkins once again crafts a moving tale of love and hope in the face of terrible adversity.