Notes From the Movie Room October 11, 2024

 🎬 One of my longtime Youtube friends, Joe Mayo, ( MeanMrMayo - YouTube and Mr Cinemayo - YouTube  ), recently posted a "rant" video (RanTcid Mayo | "I'm Not Interested!" (youtube.com)) about people who pressure their friends to see a certain movie that they love and refuse to take no for an answer. Joe has both a marvelous speaking voice and a terrific sense of humor, so his "rant" videos are intended to make serious points, but with a comedic edge. In this particular video, Joe is discussing a friend who expresses horror and near indignation upon learning that Joe hasn't seen the 2018 remake of A STAR IS BORN starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The guy insists that Joe must see the movie, post haste. When Joe expresses non-interest, the guy just gets more and more insistent, bringing on a rather heated discussion between the two friends.

Joe's video made me think of many heated discussions I've had with friends regarding films and music. I'm one of those people who tends to get overly passionate about certain films that I either love or hate. And I admit to encouraging people to watch certain films and then being disappointed when they don't end up loving those films as much as I do. However, I don't get upset or offended. Well, maybe sometimes. Years ago, when I showed THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) to a friend who'd never seen it, I was hoping to initiate a new member into the Cult of Barbara Steele. He thought the movie was kind of slow and boring and felt that Miss Steele "didn't stand out". Although my gut reaction was to strangle him and bury his body in my crawl space, I quickly recovered and took it all in stride. I'm much calmer than I was in those days. Besides, the crawl space is full...

Even I have to admit that many of the movies I'm passionate about are so far on the eccentric side that many film geeks aren't going to be intrigued enough to seek them out or respond favorably if they do. When I sent a DVD copy of Ray Dennis Steckler's 1964 enduring classic THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP "ZOMBIES" to a friend, I wasn't at all surprised or hurt when his reaction was, shall we say, tepid. This movie is definitely an acquired taste, or, as some might say, evidence of a lack of taste.

When someone encourages me to watch a movie, I usually agree to take them up on their suggestion, unless it's an item I consider so objectionable that I don't want any part of it. My mind is generally open to new ideas. When I was still working, I had several incidences where co-workers, knowing what a film freak I was, would walk up to me, hand me a DVD or VHS tape, and say: "Here. Take this home and watch it." And I always did. Most of the time, I enjoyed what they handed me, some more than others. One of the movies was the original TERMINATOR, starring Governor Arnold, a movie I had ZERO interest in watching. To my surprise, it turned out to be a fun watch, although I didn't rush out to find and collect the various sequels. 

One day a friend handed me a DVD of a movie I'd never heard of. It was THE RED VIOLIN (1998), starring Samuel L. Jackson. This particular friend had rather eclectic tastes in films and books, so I was eager to give the film a chance. It turned out to be one of the most amazing and emotional experiences of my life. This film is so beautiful, so totally unique, that any description I might give couldn't do it justice. All I can say is, my friend handed me an incredible gift, and I gladly extend his recommendation to anyone who reads this post. No pressure, though. You can live a long and happy life even if you never see this wonderful movie.

Getting back to the 2018 remake of A STAR IS BORN, here is my own opinion: MIKE'S MOVIE ROOM: A STAR IS BORN (michaelsmovieworld.blogspot.com)

SPEAK NO EVIL (2024)

 

It takes a lot of inspiration these days for me to drag my sluggish self into a theater to see a current film. My movie room is much too comfortable and private. No distractions, no unwanted human contact and no inflated prices for popcorn. And no ringing, flashing, beeping cell phones except for mine.

Of course, laziness isn't the only reason I tend to venture out to theaters less frequently. There aren't that many modern films that interest me enough to make the effort, and many of the films I have seen in recent years have been disappointing. This trend was happening long before the pandemic lockdown. I find myself appreciating the cultural past so much that it's easy to ignore the cultural present. 

Recently, however, I was intrigued by a positive review of the 2024 thriller SPEAK NO EVIL. The review was written by film critic/scholar Chuck Koplinski for our local newspaper. Chuck is also the instructor of many of the film classes I've taken, and I have a lot of respect for his opinions, even though we sometimes disagree. His review of SPEAK NO EVIL made it sound like the kind of "slow burn" thriller I appreciate. Directed by James Watkins (WOMAN IN BLACK 2012), the film is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name. Knowing nothing about the film or the director, I decided to give it a chance.

The story involves an American couple, Louise and Ben Dalton (Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy), and their young daughter, Agnes (Alix West-Lefler). Living in London, and going through personal and professional challenges, the family is taking a vacation in Italy. While there, they become friends with another couple, Paddy and Ciara, (James MacAvoy and Aisling Franciosi) and their young son, Ant (Dan Hough), also vacationers from England. Ant is unable to speak, and his father said the boy has a deformity which caused his tongue not to grow to normal size. 

Paddy and Ciara. Would you go on vacation with these people?

The Daltons enjoy the company of their new companions, but are occasionally taken aback by their odd behavior, usually that of Paddy. Nevertheless, after the vacation has ended, and the Daltons are back in London, they decide to accept an invitation from Paddy and Ciara to spend a weekend at their remote country house. Although the visit starts out well, the Daltons are increasingly disturbed and puzzled by the strange actions and passive-aggressive behavior of their hosts. Gradually, they find out exactly why Paddy and Ciara invited them.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, because there are surprises in the movie that need to be experienced, not read about. The slow burn aspect is certainly at play, but the overall atmosphere of disorientation and dread begins as soon as the Daltons arrive at this isolated house and never lets up for a second. Even though the land surrounding the house is expansive, the house itself is very small and cramped, which adds to the Daltons' tension. They very quickly realize that they're trapped in the middle of nowhere with people they barely know. Their daughter, who suffers from anxiety issues, manages to become friends with the non-communicative Ant, a friendship which becomes the key to revealing the mysteries surrounding the house and the odd couple living there.

Fans of horror films won't be disappointed by what ensues in the last one-third of SPEAK NO EVIL. There's more than enough action and excitement to satisfy the modern filmgoer's thirst for the macabre. All of the contemporary horror movie elements are present: jump scares, physical pain, blunt instruments, sharp instruments, endless screaming, and enough blood to feed an audience of vampires. The entire enterprise is extremely well done, I must admit. In fact, I would almost describe the film as somewhat predictable and by-the-numbers, except for one important fact: the movie makes us care about the characters, at least the ones who end up being victimized. The story is brilliantly written and none of the characters are one dimensional. And the viewer learns that each person in that claustrophobic house is complicated, flawed, and keeping a secret.

The smiling Daltons, not having a clue what they're getting themselves into.

The film's conclusion, shocking and depressing, stays with me. I'm not terribly happy about that situation, but I guess it means the filmmakers accomplished what they set out to do: shock people and leave them depressed for weeks. My understanding is that the original Danish film had a different ending, although not necessarily less downbeat. Maybe one day I'll search out the original film and find out.

The acting by all the players is excellent, kids included. I wasn't familiar with any of them, but when I looked them up on IMDB, I realized I had seen some of them in other films. James MacAvoy is the standout, and his character, Paddy, is the most difficult and multi-layered character in the film. MacAvoy rises to the challenge. He is at times supportive and loving, and at other times a seductive trickster. But he always conveys the possibility of becoming suddenly dangerous, even when he's being friendly and supporting, until his character finally explodes with violence. MacAvoy crosses all those emotional lines brilliantly. But the other actors don't pale in comparison. Davis and McNairy are called upon to be desperate, terrified, and heroic, while being torn apart by their own inner demons and fragile marital relationship. Franciosi is somewhat in the background for most of the film, a smiling, beguiling image of exotic beauty who is difficult to read. But when she's called upon to display her character's weirdness, she doesn't hold anything back.

SPEAK NO EVIL will only consume 110 minutes of your life. Before you know it, you'll be walking out of the theater lobby, depressed beyond belief and searching for your car. The film is apparently quite popular. The budget was only $15,000,000, and so far, the box office has collected nearly $60,000,000. Be forewarned: there are a lot of depressed individuals walking around out there. As for me, I'm safely back in the movie room, binging on Shirley Temple and Doris Day, just to take the edge off.

Go see this movie. You have nothing to lose but your good mood.