The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast: Episode 342: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
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Mark and David Cross (of the Award Wieners Movie Review Podcast) discuss the 2003 film The League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen. Directed by Stephen Norrington (Blade), and starring Sean Connery, Shane West and Peta Wilson, this bonkers film tells the story of what happens when a bunch of literary “superheroes” battle a technology advanced army of super jerks. In this episode, they discuss giant submarines, gross invisible people, and an underappreciated vampire. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
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The Little Things: A Solid Throwback Thriller From John Lee Hancock
Written and directed by John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks, The Blind Side, The Founder), this psychological thriller asks interesting questions, and it will be neat to see how audiences react to the experience.
The Little Things focuses on the unlikely partnership between Deputy Sheriff Joe “Jeke” Deacons (Denzel Washington) and Sergeant Jim Baxter (Rami Malek), as they hunt down a serial killer who has been plaguing the Los Angeles area. Deacons is an old-school officer who relies on instinct and experience when investigating, and Baxter is a tireless worker who is smart enough to ask Deacons for help (which says something good about him). Together, they patrol Los Angeles in their quest to prevent more death, which leads to a man named Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), who may-or-may-not be a suspect. From there, nothing will be spoiled, just know past secrets are uncovered, and the two men get much more than they bargained for.
The Little Things does a solid job observing the cost of doggedly pursuing a goal. Like Hancock’s prior films such as The Highwaymen, which focused on the Bonnie and Clyde manhunt, or The Founder, which centered around the worldwide expansion of McDonalds (and the amount of hours it took), Hancock seems to enjoy writing and directing films about characters who follow their pursuits. Also, whether it’s bravely hunkering down at the Alamo (The Alamo), or becoming a major league pitcher late-in-life (The Rookie), Hancock loves determined people, who occasionally suffer (or die) while pursuing their ideals.
Hancock wrote the script for The Little Things in the 1990s, and says he only had to change about 5-10% of the script to make it work for modern day audiences. His refusal to change certain elements kept the project in limbo, and the wait paid off as Hancock was able to direct, and bring in an incredibly talented cast and crew of Oscar winners. There’s an embarrassment of riches in this production, and it’s a treat to watch three Academy Award winning actors (Washington, Malek, Leto – who all have much different acting methods) flexing their acting skills in the same room (designed by Academy Award nominated production designer Michael Corenblith).
The cinematography by John Schwartzman (The Rock, Jurassic World, A Simple Favor) is excellent, as it focuses on shadows, leading lines, and long takes, to create an oppressive world in a sprawling city. The visual palette is interesting to watch, and almost follows a pattern that you may-or-may-not notice as the movie progresses. Throw in excellent costume design by Daniel Orlandi (Logan, Ford v. Ferrari), and a solid score from Thomas Newman (1917, Bridge of Spies), and you have a prestigious looking and sounding film that will be incredibly polarizing.
Conclusion – I enjoyed The Little Things, and can’t wait to see the reaction to John Lee Hancock’s film. He fought to keep it as is, and we’ll see if his dogged approach pays off with critics and audiences.
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MY CALL: Definitely a contender for best 2020 horror film. Spell’s story and delivery express the DNA of three influencing films admirably while preserving its own tone and stylish originality. MORE MOVIES LIKE Spell: The Skeleton Key (2005) and Get Out (2017).
Still haunted by echoes of his childhood trauma, Marquis (Omari Hardwick; Power) has taken himself far from the home of his youth and far in life. He has exceled professionally, financially, and in building his own family. But upon the passing of his father, Marquis is summoned back to Kentucky to handle the estate.
From our introduction to Marquis’ workplace to family issues at the dinner table, the common cultural theme of race is placed firmly in mind. But soon race matters less, and culture itself and social class conjures conflict as Marquis nears his remote Appalachian origins.
Flying his family in his tiny private jet through a lightning storm, Marquis awakens disoriented and injured in the home of traditional Hoodoo practitioner Eloise (Loretta Devine; Urban Legend, Crash). As rural as rural gets, Eloise has no telephone and no care for money. So keeping him captive against his will poses no challenge out in the woods.
Eloise lives in a microcosm forgotten by time and governed by local mysticism. She is devout in her ways and will not be defied. Her family clearly has plans for Marquis, but only his greatest fears can divine what those plans may be. The more time Marquis spends in her house observing her and hearing her doctrines as gospel, he likewise learns more about her, the house, the local folk of this Appalachian woodsy hamlet, and her deceptions. But what about his family…? What happened to them after the crash?
At times I felt this movie flew too close to the sun. The concepts are amazing and the characters are wonderful, but I often felt some of the scenes and events needed more development. I’ll leave it at that and add that I still really enjoyed it. In fact, despite my nitpicking, this may have been the best horror film of 2020.
To compare this film to two other films I adore: the writing is good but doesn’t quite hold a candle to the recent work of Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us), nor does the atmospheric dread ever match the very high marks of The Skeleton Key (2005). But a page is admirably taken from Peele’s book and well-executed with respect to cultural tension. And in terms of intensity, I have three words for you: the nail scene! Let that notion simmer in your head… I won’t spoil it.
I felt the superstitious mysticism of Hoodoo was played short with respect to The Skeleton Key (2005). But still, it was played well! We had voodoo dolls (Bugatti), divination bones, alchemical powders and magic… and while I may criticize, The Skeleton Key’s(2005) cultivates dread based on superstition and the fear that magic just may actually exist. Whereas Spell weaves heavily its dread based on the terror of perceived magic and the need to somehow overcome it!
I want to be very clear. I liked this film a lot. So when I say it “fell short” of The Skeleton Key (2005) and Get Out (2017) in various respects, it should not be taken as negative criticism. But rather as compliment, that I would compare it to two top notch films I hold so highly. Director Mark Tonderai (The House at the End of the Street) has brought us a very good film! Definitely a contender for best 2020 horror film, our story and delivery express the DNA of three influencing films admirably while preserving its own tone and stylish originality.
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MY CALL: Less classy than Fulci’s The Black Cat (1981), but definitely more bonkers, this is yet another Italian adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s story. But really, we find basically none of Poe’s work in this movie outside of the lone warning of a black cat. Probably best left for fans of 80s Italian horror for its haphazard storytelling and zany effects. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Black Cat: For more movie adaptations of The Black Cat, go for The Black Cat (1981; Gatto nero), Two Evil Eyes (1990) and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990). Fans of this wacky endeavor would likely enjoy more Fulcian gore in the form of City of the Living Dead (1980; aka Paura nella città dei morti viventi, The Gates of Hell), The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981), which form Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy; and then Zombie (1979) and Demonia (1990).
Director Luigi Cozzi (Contamination, Starcrash, Paganini Horror) just might be taking even more liberties with Edgar Allan Poe’s story than even did Lucio Fulci (The Black Cat, City of the Living Dead, Zombie), which would make this second Italian adaptation of the story even more bonkers than Fulci’s first. This is as haphazard and bonkers as Italian horror comes, complete with occasionally terrible dialogue.
The colorful lighting and windows of the opening sequence cast an Argento-like giallo theme as we find Anne (Florence Guérin; Bad Girls, Bizarre) starring in a production of The Black Cat on her film set. But this film is clearly no passion of Anne’s, since she is so flattered when her husband Marc (Urbano Barberini; Gor I-II, Demons) offers her the lead in his new film. The role is of the witch Levana, the Mother of Tears from Dario Argento’s Suspiria de Profundis. Anne’s Black Cat co-star Nora (Caroline Munro; Maniac, Slaughter High, Don’t Open Till Christmas) desperately wants the role of Levana.
From the time Anne learns of her upcoming role of Levana (from 1980’s Inferno), she is haunted by the witch. Levana’s toad-like skin is covered in dense cysts from head to claw, and she spews green goop all over Anne. These nightmares are over-the-top ridiculous, and often when any sort of action or tension transpires it is accompanied by obnoxious mood-killing rock music.
It is at the estate of Marc’s intense film producer Leonard (Brett Halsey; Return of the Fly, Demonia) that we first see a black cat. But really, the black cat scenes are totally phoned-in and offer no substance to this already shoddy movie. There just happens to be a black cat and most of the deaths have nothing to do with a cat. To that point, occult professor Esther (Karina Huff; Voices from Beyond) warns that Levana is the most powerful witch to ever live. She admonishes our filmmakers only to die shortly thereafter in a rather spectacular chunk-spewing abdominal explosion. Among other special effects are writhing insect larvae (rotoscoped into Levana’s stationary face), a television explodes intestines and green slime, and Levana’s gross face and hands.
I feel the strong need to go on record. This is NOT a clever spin on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat. In fact, it has nothing to do with it. The fact that there is a sentence about black cats and witches using them as vessels does not forgive this most curious yet deliberate misnomer. Because of that, I’m comfortable saying this movie is stupid. I’d place it no better than 4th place among Black Cat movie adaptations, or maybe tied for 3rd with The Black Cat (1981), which also took some liberties but was clearly about a damned cat! Two Evil Eyes (1990) did a more satisfying job of it, whereas Tales from the Darkside: The Movie’s(1990) take on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat is untouchable in its greatness.
The end of this movie horrendously boring. But truly, fans of zany Italian horror will likely enjoy this. That said, it’s not getting my recommendation. Not when there are three better Black Cat movies.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Mortuary Collection (2019), a top-notch horror anthology.
MY CALL: Excellent anthology horror! And not because I happen to love anthologies. That is not something I can say about most anthologies due to their inconsistency. This anthology has one writer/director with a well-executed vision. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Mortuary Collection: Creepshow (1982), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) and Trick ‘r Treat (2007).
MORE HORROR ANTHOLOGIES: Dead of Night (1945), Black Sabbath (1963), Tales from the Crypt (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973), The Uncanny (1977), Screams of a Winter Night (1979), Creepshow (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985), Deadtime Stories (1986), Creepshow 2 (1987), From a Whisper to a Scream (1987; aka The Offspring), After Midnight (1989), Tales from the Crypt Season 1 (1989), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Grimm Prairie Tales (1990), The Willies (1990), Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993), Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996), Campfire Tales (1997), Dark Tales of Japan (2004), 3 Extremes (2004), Creepshow 3 (2006), Trick ‘r Treat (2007), Chillerama (2011), Little Deaths (2011), V/H/S (2012), The Theater Bizarre (2012), The ABCs of Death (2013), V/H/S 2 (2013), All Hallows’ Eve (2013), The Profane Exhibit (2013), The ABCs of Death 2 (2014), V/H/S Viral (2014), Southbound (2015), Tales of Halloween (2015), A Christmas Horror Story (2015), The ABCs of Death 2.5 (2016), Holidays (2016), Terrified (2017; aka Aterrados, a pseudo-anthology), Oats Studios, Vol. 1 (2017), Ghost Stories (2017), XX (2017), All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018), The Field Guide to Evil (2018), Shudder’s series Creepshow (2019), Scare Package (2019) and Xenophobia (2019).
There’s something so 80s nostalgic about a young paper boy (Tristan Byon) biking his route. The tone during the opening sequence feels a lot like we’re embarking on Lemony Snicket’s Tales of Horror as transitions from mystical woods to Pleasantville weave a more fantasy-laced, misleadingly family-friendly vibe. This film begins feeling like a soft PG-13 horror. But viewer beware. There is some very graphic gore within this anthology.
Our paper boy ascends a long, moss-shrouded stone staircase from the woods to a lone funeral home to meet at the door, much to his horror, a man toeing the line between Phantasm’s (1979) Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man) and Poltergeist II’s (1986) Julian Beck (Kane)—the funeral home’s mortician: Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown; The Bride, Nothing Left to Fear, John Dies at the End).
Responding to a “help wanted” sign, Sam (Caitlin Custer; Cinema Verite) sits with the venerable mortician and asks to hear stories of the lives that have been ushered to the great beyond. And from this storytelling comes our anthology in the most enjoyable style of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), in which, story by story, the wraparound story also develops.
These are some VERY well-crafted horror segments! Refreshingly good, in fact, boasting gorgeous photography, lighting and set design; some unsubtle social commentary; good acting and writing as well. They all revolve around consequences for misdeeds. Themes include the petty theft, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, safe sex, marriage, mortality, caretaking for ill loved ones, escaped mental patients, child murders and babysitters in horror. In my opinion it approaches all of these issues well, and in largely fresh style.
The segments are as follows:
1) A vignette about a lovely thief at a party who goes too far and befalls a back-breaking fate by a tentacle monster. Yes, I spoiled this one, but it’s just a few minutes long—an amuse bouche, if you will.
2) Two college students find themselves powerfully drawn to one another at a frat party. One (Jacob Elordi), a smooth college upperclassman advocating safe sex but also always looking to get laid. The other (Ema Horvath; The Gallows Act II, What Lies Below), a quiet freshman who is clearly interested. After a night of unprotected sex at a frat party, Jake has… a bit of a problem.
3) Betrothed to a now terminally ill catatonic wife (Sarah Hay), the husband (Barak Hardley) has become the caretaker and his life has been stripped away along with their savings… and his freedom and dreams. After taking some friendly advice from her doctor (Mike C. Nelson) in order to convenience the husband, things go horribly wrong.
4) A disturbed escapee from the local mental asylum breaks into a house defended only by the babysitter. This features a brutal and quite credible fight—very exciting. A fun twist on the babysitter horror motif.
As previously mentioned, the gore was much more intense than I had expected. There are some significant pregnancy-related gooey effects and the birth scene is superbly graphic; excellently heavy blood work along with some monstrous make-up effects; a laughably gross and brutal genital effect; a fun (and mean) meat grinder gag; stylish kid zombies; and a fantastic head smash as well!
The closing portion of the wraparound was strong. When a horror anthology shows so much care for its wraparound story (from the start), I’m comforted that I’m in for something good. Creepshow (1982), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) and Trick ‘r Treat (2007) come to mind as some of the best, as did they have some of the most consistently impressive stories within. What’s the common denominator? All three had a single director, and two of those three had a single writer of all stories; so their quality and production value were consistent. Likewise, this anthology’s key to success would have to be the single writer and single director of the entire movie, Ryan Spindell, ushering in his first feature film in most estimable fashion. Just as I said about Michael Dougherty in 2007 after his first film Trick ‘r Treat, I cannot wait to see whatever movie he does next! Strong recommendation!
This was low in my queue until I listened to the largely spoiler-free pulp review in Beyond the Void Podcast’s episode 215: Top 30 Horror Movies of 2020.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 341 – Our Favorite 2020 “Horror” Films
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Mark and Zanandi (@ZaNandi on Twitter) draft their six favorite 2020 horror films. In this episode, they discuss The Dark and the Wicked. Relic, Get Duked!, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Hunter Hunter and Swallow. It was an excellent year for horror, and because of the pandemic, many under-the-radar horror films were able to shine as the lack of theatrical releases put more eyes on them. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to message us, and tell us your favorite 2020 horror films. Thanks!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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John’s Horror Corner: Demons (1985; aka, Demoni), a deliciously cheesy Italian zombie-like outbreak of chunky gore and green goop.
MY CALL: Outrageously cheesy and rich in well-paced gore, this is an Italian treasure. You can’t call yourself a gorehound if you haven’t seen this yet. MORE MOVIES LIKE Demons: The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Night of the Demons 1-2 (1988, 1994) offer comparably cheesy fun with similar but more clearly told demon contagion stories. Fans of wacky Italian cheesy gorefests would likely enjoy 80s Fulcian gore in the form of City of the Living Dead (1980; aka Paura nella città dei morti viventi, The Gates of Hell), The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981), which form Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy; and then Zombie (1979).
This Italian treasure opens with a mildly meta scenario. A menacing figure in a partial steel Phantom-esque mask hands out tickets to a special event to whatever strangers pass by. Invited to this mysterious screening of a secret movie, our cast of victims convene upon the theater for a horror movie whose events parallel events transpiring in the theater, much to everyone’s horrible detriment.
Our cast of characters include: George (Urbano Barberini; The Black Cat), Hannah (Fiore Argento; Phenomena), Kathy (Paola Cozzo; Demonia, A Cat in the Brain), Ingrid (Nicoletta Elmi; Deep Red, Baron Blood), Carmen (Fabiola Toledo; A Blade in the Dark), Rosemary (Geretta Geretta; Shocking Dark) and Tony (Bobby Rhodes; Screamers, Demons 2), among others.
After trying on a demonic metal mask displayed in the theater lobby, a woman (Rosemary) cuts herself and transforms into a monstrous, green goo-spewing demon with gnarly claws. She gashes someone else who, after a bout of running and screaming, likewise suffers a disgusting bursting pustule, talons emerge slowly dislodging her fingernails, fangs force out her bloody human teeth, and she becomes the next afflicted “demon.” Although, however “demonic” they appear, they behave much more like faster, smarter zombies.
Every bit as contagious as a zombie outbreak, our movie patrons are inexplicably trapped in the movie theater and must fight to survive. Tony (our obvious ‘heavy’) leads the scrambling patrons but all too soon they encounter yet more infected demons! And with each new victim, another demon… in deliciously cheesy fashion.
One of the coolest things about this movie (except, of course, all the chonk-tastic gore) is that we recognize the different demons for reasons more than the actors’ faces. Each victim that dies in a certain way is now a demon that looks that way, much like we loved recognizing the Hare Krishna zombie in Dawn of the Dead (1978).
This bonkers movie starts out strong. Despite a lull in the middle, the pacing has good frenetic energy. Whenever a scene calls for blood, there’s a lot of it. The pulsating pustule bursts are really gross and graphic and gooey, as are the lacerated flesh effects. Throats are ripped open, eyes are gorily gouged into chunky refuse, a woman is brutally scalped by hand, a stabbed demon douses a woman in its gooey gobbledygook gore, and a demon even tears its way out from inside anotherinfected person’s back! From there, we wander into a zany katana-dirt bike slashaganza.
This movie ends much like Return of the Living Dead (1985), with implications of the beginning of the Armageddon welcoming sequels. I had a blast from start to finish, so I’m happy to report at least one good sequel (1986). Director Lamberto Bava (Shock, Demons 2-3) and co-writer Dario Argento (Suspiria, Inferno, The Mother of Tears, The Church) are experts in gory Italian fare. If that’s your flavor, you’ll love Demons.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 29: Title Drops, Emo Sharks, and Flare-to-Dynamite Ratios
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Jay and Mark are joined by Matthew Stewart (of the Simplistic Reviews Podcast – @simpletweeters) to discuss “Time to Kill,” the 29th chapter of the Deep Blue Sea DVD. In this episode, they discuss emo sharks, space pirates, and flare-to-dynamite ratios. Enjoy!
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The Guyver (1991; aka Mutronics), a darker, grittier monster-fighting Power Ranger movie for adults.
MY CALL:This is essentially a Power Ranger movie for adult fans who want something darker, more gritty and monstrous. As dumb as it may come off to many viewers, this is still pretty fun to watch. I enjoy it for its cast, diverse monster effects, and willingness to commit the loose premise of a kids show turned into a very mature PG-13. This easily could have gone off the deep end (even more). MOVIES LIKE The Guyver: Well there’s a sequel: Guyver 2: Dark Hero (1994). And for a weird curveball I’m going to suggest Zeiram (1991).
Before the days of Pacific Rim’s (2013) Jaeger-battling Kaiju, we already had a taste for live-action takes on Anime’s monster-battling robots and cyborgs. Falling in similar vein and based on 80s anime, The Guyver follows tropes we’d see all the way into the Power Rangers, but as a solo act like a non-super-sized Ultraman (1966-present).
We open with a detailed exposition dump… So mankind was created by aliens (yeah, that old yarn…) and man was created with a special gene allowing them to transform into monstrous super soldiers. Aiming to capitalize on this, Fulton Balcus (David Gale; Re-Animator, Bride of Re-Animator) is one such gene-bearer and starts the Chronos Corporation to develop this alien technology for world domination. His plans for political dominion smack of Wesker’s goals in the later Resident Evil sequels, and his tour of the facility reveals its sick experiments. And courtesy of Brian Yuzna, we have a small reunion with Jeffrey Combs (From Beyond, Re-Animator, Lurking Fear)!
Honoring the Anime of its basis, there is a seriously deliberate cheese factor. Our corporate goons feel like silly caricatures not far from Beebop and Rocksteady, led by the sinister Michael Berryman (Deadly Blessing, The Hills Have Eyes) and his tough right-hand woman (Spice Williams-Crosby; Star Trek V). They track down a scientist trying to escape with “The Unit,” a special bio-armor that enhances its wearers abilities tremendously. The scientist transforms into an ichthyoid Creature from the Black Lagoon monster and, in kind, Berryman transforms into his unique (and much tougher) monster form. The unit eventually falls into the hands of our hero Sean (Jack Armstrong; Student Bodies), a young temperamental martial artist who learns of the nefarious goals of the Chronos Corporation. Coming to his aid is Mark Hamill (Child’s Play) playing the most down-and-out private detective-looking CIA agent ever.
The monster fights are really silly. Though all have toothy maws and deadly claws, they go at each other like it was a wrestling match between The Rock and The Undertaker as they punch and headbutt and throw each other about. In many ways it reminds me of Godzilla or Ultraman or the Power Rangers battling monsters, but with the hokey mutated zest of The Toxic Avenger (1984). Yeah, the fights aren’t good in terms of choreography and they feel written for laughs (and for a young audience), as do the score and dialogue of the monsters during these fights.
But as much as the fights feel like Saturday morning cartoons, there are still moments of mature intensity—like when Berryman’s monster rips out the third eye of the Guyver from its gory socket and apparently kills him. Still, the comedic air dominates the film and keeps things light, despite the occasional Guyver elbow blade gorily slicing into a monster. There are even goofy sound effects during the fights.
Truth be told, as lame as all the fights are, the incredible diversity of monster effects is astonishing. Awesomely detailed rubber monster suits and transformation scenes abound, and the effects have producer Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator, Beyond Re-Animator, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Faust, Return of the Living Dead III) to thank.We see six goons and four scientists in full body make-up/suit in completely unique monster forms. Mark Hamill gruesomely turns into a grasshopper monster whose mere sight is far from kid-friendly. But then there’s a cutesy happy ending.
As dumb as it may come off to many viewers, this is still pretty fun to watch. I enjoy it for its cast, diverse monster effects, and willingness to commit the loose premise of a kids show turned into a very mature PG-13. This easily could have gone off the deep end (even more).
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The White Tiger: A Thrilling Drama That Features a Star-Making Performance From Adarsh Gourav
Grade – A – The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that features a star-making performance by Adarsh Gourav.
Adapted from Aravind Adiga’s 2008 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that tells the story of the rise of Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), a man determined to become his own master. Directed/written/produced by Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes, Chop Shop), The White Tiger feels like a drama mixed with a crime story, and then formed a darkly humorous and vibrant comedy. While many will be familiar with the rise to fame framework, they hopefully will be surprised by the confident storytelling that features many memorable moments featuring Johnnie Walker, driving, and entertaining narration.
The White Tiger begins by introducing us to Balram, a sharp kid who lives in a rural village in India. He steps up when others don’t, goes out of his way to learn English, and picks up on every conversation he hears at the teashop he works at. One day, when he learns that Ashok (Rajkummar Rao), the son of a local landlord has returned from America, and he and his wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) will need a driver. Balram borrows money from his grandmother to get driving lessons, and he becomes Ashran’s personal driver. After several months as the families number two driver, Balram takes advantage of a (don’t want to spoil it) situation, and becomes the families main driver. From there, the group moves to New Delhi, and Balram’s life becomes much more interesting.
Hopefully, when the year-end awards roll around, people will see Adarsh Gourav’s name on some lists. His performance is wonderful, and he’s able to pull off wide-eyed optimism, crushing depression and calculated ambition within one scene. He’s super watchable, which is important because almost every frame is focused on him. You will find yourself rooting for the guy as he watches, learns and plans his way to the top. Also, I’m not going to spoil anything, but, don’t expect Goodfellas or City of God rags-to-riches shenanigans that end with a gut-punch finale. While Balram’s journey isn’t wholly admirable, it also isn’t dragged into a 45-minute trek into self-created hell.
The White Tiger is a thrilling drama that feels refreshing and fresh. The cinematography Paolo Carnera (Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero) creates an interesting atmosphere of centered shots and strategic framing (that showcase how close the rich and poor are in cities), that give the film a welcome dose of prestige. If you are looking for a movie that features excellent acting, direction and cinematography, I totally recommend you check it out The White Tiger on Netflix.
Movies, Films & Flix 